Today,
reply is on why Christians no longer observe dietary and other
prohibitions that are recorded in the Old Testament. The covenant of
Moses (we also say, the law) was provided as a “perpetual”
covenant. Even so, GOD promised Israel that a new covenant would be
made extending to the Gentiles, and to all mankind. While the
demands of divine law and eternal purpose remain unchanged, how the
living acknowledge, express and fulfill the law is now different.
Mature Christian believers acknowledge the fulfillment of the divine
promise for new covenant by the life, ministry, death on the cross,
resurrection, and ascension into heaven of Jesus Christ along with
men on the earth receiving the Holy Spirit. Where Jesus taught that
man lives not by bread alone, rather, by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of GOD, he also was declaring that life as a spirit
process must come into view, not a carnal, material process such as
eating and drinking. The word from divinity is to be understood as
an appearance of the person and substance of GOD. By his word, GOD
is active and present in the form of breath, life
essence, speech and spirit.
It is written: John 6: 47-54, King James Version (KJV): 47 Verily,
verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting
life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in
the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down
from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the
living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this
bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my
flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52 The Jews
therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us
his
flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his
blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and
drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the
last day. Acts 15: 28-29, KJV: 28 For it seemed good to the Holy
Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these
necessary things; 29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols,
and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication:
from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
One of the fighters in the “Yahoo! Answers” public forum on
Religion & Spirituality using the ID “Anonymous” (no profile
data appears) posted the following:
Why
do Christians drink alcohol and eat pork when it's prohibited in the
old testament?
THE
GOLDEN ARROW: Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye
did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat
which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting
life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the
Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we
might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This
is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. (John
6: 26-29, KJV)
THE
DOUBLE DAGGER: The Place to Start (12/23/2019); Not By Bread Only
(02/22/2019); Fed From The Altar? (06/19/2017); GOD’s
Peculiar People (12/11/2016); Rebuked, And Not Baptized?
(10/22/2015); Pork, A Stumblingblock? (03/06/2015); Salvation is
Conditional? (01/30/2014); Lower-case or Capital? (01/31/2014)
“Anonymous”,
there are those who argue that Jesus was a vegetarian, yet, mature
Christian believers trust that Jesus regularly ate the lamb of
Passover, and would have shared portions from such family sacrifices
as calves and bullocks offered in thanksgiving. Many Christian
believers, today, trust that the ancient dietary laws and Judaic
ordinances (e.g., circumcision; observance of feasts and festivals;
performing ritual washings to remove uncleanness; prohibitions
against entering the home of a Gentile) that challenged the early
church have been satisfied through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ,
and outpourings of the Holy Spirit. In addition to the multiple
streams of truth that release the followers of Jesus from pursuing
justification by obeying the “letter” of the law, the doctrine of
Jesus is that men are to manifest and make visible righteousness, and
the spirit imparted from the makeup of GOD that resides within all
sacred law. A gathering of the apostles was held in Jerusalem to
resolve the rifts and quarrels that began to appear over Gentile
believers being required to behave as Jews, and over believers
sharing food with their family and close friends that had been
offered to idols. The outcome was four principles to be observed
among both Gentile and Jewish believers. Consider the following that
uses language from the Bible along with a selection from the music
ministry of John Michael Talbot:
(1.)
Ecclesiastes 3: 9-13, King James Version (KJV): 9 What profit hath
he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? 10 I have seen the
travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in
it. 11 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also
he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the
work that God maketh from the beginning to the end. 12 I know that
there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and
to do good in his life. 13 And also that every man should eat and
drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of
God.
(2.)
1st Corinthians 10: 31, KJV: 31 Whether therefore ye
eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
(3.)
Acts 15: 18-20, KJV: 18 Known unto God are all his works from the
beginning of the world. 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble
not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But
that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols,
and from fornication, and from things strangled, and
from blood.
(4.)
Colossians 2: 16-23, KJV: 16 Let no man therefore judge you in
meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon,
or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to
come; but the body is of Christ. 18 Let no man beguile you of
your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels,
intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up
by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the
body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit
together, increaseth with the increase of God. 20 Wherefore if ye be
dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though
living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not;
taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;)
after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 Which things have
indeed a shew of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and neglecting
of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
(5.)
Romans 8: 1-9, KJV: 1 There is therefore now no
condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after
the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life
in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law
might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit. 5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of
the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the
Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be
spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal
mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh
cannot please God. 9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit,
if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not
the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
There
is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually
apprehended. (For example, (6.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG9T8UmN6VY.)
Even
so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according
to your faith.
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