everytime i quote something from the old testament, people say that they dont believe in it. i dont really understand this. Why did people stop following the old testament and start following the new one? from what i know, the new testament consists of sayings from Jesus, while the old one is more of a guide to how you should live your life. someone please explain, i am terribly confused....
I agree with most of what Hiroshi and Iconodule said.
I will add these points.
What Jesus and the New Testament mean by the 'Law' is the perfect Law of God which God delivers himself directly. Not laws which were corrupt because they passed through sinful human intermediaries. All other laws were basically man-made laws which God allowed because of the hardness of the people as Jesus pointed out. So the law which Jesus eliminates is not the the Law of Sinai, but imperfect man-made laws (remarkably Deuteronomy: 'second' law). This was given by Moses on the plains of Moab after the second generation had just committed a second apostasy. Here Israel is in probational state where God act as Master and make Israelites as slaves, no longer as 'first -born' son they were on Sinai. These laws will govern them until the time of the Messaiah. By then, through numereous consequences of their sins, including exiles, they will understand that they need to return to the perfect Law (of Sinai) and since it is as hard as impossible to keep, they need Grace in order to keep it.
"Law was given so that Grace may be sought, and Grace was given so that Law may be kept" Church. Jesus came full of grace and only he can keep the Law and give power to keep it. The power to keep the law is the Grace of God required to keep it. Therefore man must pray with all his heart in order to receive the grace necessary to keep the Law. This is the test of his love for God and his desire to worship Him truly. Those who are satisfied with imperfect laws like Israelites under Levites (Leviticus) and Deuteronomy, reveal their lack of full commitment to God's holy laws, and therefore corresponding imperfections remains with them.
Therefore sins are not just forgive by a simple magical heartless prayer. One must have true contrition: acknowledg the perfect law, his incapacity to keep it by his own effort, and prayful desire to receive God grace in order to keep the law and live. This is the attitudes which welcomes Jesus in ones' own heart and life and the beginning of integration into the Body of Christ where life is.
Last edited by Amigo; 11-10-2011 at 05:04 AM.
"Happy the nation that knows the cry of praise! They will walk in the light of your presence, Lord,
and rejoice in your name all the day – for you are the splendour of their strength,
and by your good will our standard is held high." Ps.88
I have to agree that the assertion that the Old Testament law was "abolished" is false and contrary to Christ's own words.
Many of the laws governing ritual purity or dietary restrictions were, however, superseded. The Old Testament remains valid however, and for much more than just nice stories about God's power. It's especially clear that Christ taught the Old Testament moral commandments to remain valid. The Old Testament as a whole is ultimately about Christ and to fully understand him it is important to study both testaments.
I'm sorry you were subjected to this nonsense. There are some Protestant sects teaching that one can be instantly saved just by expressing faith in Jesus, without any fundamental change of lifestyle or mindset. Some even seem to teach that saying a particular prayer is enough to magically save someone- "once saved, always saved." This is not genuine Christian teaching.
All sins can be forgiven but there must be genuine repentance and, as Saint James said, "faith without works is dead." A Christian must continue to struggle against his passions and do good works throughout his life. The moral commandments of the Old Testament law as well as the New Testament are important for all Christians.
Christ did die (and resurrect) to liberate man from sin and death- he gives man the grace to be purified and made holy, but this is conditional on man's willing cooperation with God, which includes prayer, fasting, good works, and partaking of the Holy Mysteries, as well as correct faith (Orthodoxy).
I see where you're coming from. I had a very lengthy discussion recently with a devout Christian who was telling that she disregarded the OT, except where it fit in with her view of Jesus (pbuh). The laws, and everything.
As far as believing Jesus and you're saved, we might have to agree to disagree. I see where you're coming from, but it's not something I can believe in and ever being raised as a Christian I always struggled with it. I've always felt your deeds will be what you answer for once everything is said and done. No matter what you believe in. I know some sects of Christianity believe you take Jesus (pbuh) as your savior and you're saved or you have to believe in him and be serious about repentance to be forgiven. I don't believe that. I believe that you can be sorry for your sins and want to better yourself. However I think you need to keep doing good and striving to please Allah to be blessed with Paradise.
Just a question: Do Christians follow the law of the Bible? for example: not having any pre-marriage relationships?And if the Bible commands that why don't they observe it?
I do not much like to take the tone of a moralist. But the danger of the baobabs is so little understood, and such considerable risks would be run by anyone who might get lost on an asteroid, that for once I am breaking through my reserve. "Children," I say plainly, "watch out for the baobabs!"
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Do christians believe in the old testament? (OP)
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