There are basically two different camps, when it comes to Christians and the Torah. Now, there are many minor doctrinal differences, and off shoots, but let us just focus on the two main groups, and keep this simple.
Group One: Torah Observant Christians
A key Scripture for this group:
"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." -John 14:21
Group Premise - One must keep the Torah/God's commandments if he truly loves God and Jesus Christ.
Group Two: Dead to the Law Christians
A key Scripture for this group:
"But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster [the law]." -Galatians 2:23-25
Group Premise - The law shows the person that they are a sinner and in need of a Saviour, for no one can keep the whole law perfectly. The person turns to Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and is saved. After that, they have died to the law (Romans 7), and are alive unto Christ - a new creature, not under the law.
Which group is right?
The Scriptures are clear that Christians indeed are dead to the law (Romans 7), that even the Ten Commandments have been abolished, (2 Corinthians 3) that the purpose of the law is to show us our sin, and lead us to Christ, and that once we are in Christ, we no longer need the law (Galatians 3).
However, this could lead one to think that what Jesus said in the above key Scripture for the Torah Observant Group is in contradiction to what Paul wrote in Galatians 3.
These two Scriptures actually work together, as you'll see:
"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." -John 14:21
Jesus is talking about His commandments, under the New Testament/Covenant (see Heb. 8:14 and Heb. 12:24).
What are Jesus' Commandments? He tells us, and the epistles echo the same:
"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." -Matthew 22:36-40
"If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well" -James 2:8
"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." -Galatians 5:14
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." -Romans 13:10
The New Covenant Commandments:
"And this is his commandment, 1) That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, 2) and love one another, as he gave us commandment." -1 John 3:23
This brings it all together. It makes us understand how "faith without works is dead," for example. If we don't have love, then we don't have faith, and love without action isn't love. The law is fulfilled via the above commandments.
The Christian is not under the law, but should the Christian choose to keep Sabbaths, feasts, eating rules, etc, then we are not to judge them unworthy, and they are not to judge the dead to the law Christians:
"One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks." -Romans 14:5-6
"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 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: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." -Colossians 2:13-17
Sometimes the whole Bible can be referred to as "the law." This is the case as in Psalm 119. It is important to keep in mind that the law has not passed away - we still have the Bible/the Word of God. Christians fulfill the law via Having Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, and via loving their neighbor. Jesus fulfills the law via his sacrifice on the cross, and via our being reborn in Him. We died to the law, and were created anew in Christ as a new creature in Christ, freed from the law of sin and death. See Romans 3:23 and 6:23 for more on this.
The law is profitable in many ways:
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" -2 Timothy 3:16
I keep some things in the law. I don't do this because I feel I have to, but because I think it's a good idea, and choose to do so. For example - circumcision. All of my boys were circumcised on or near their 8th day. We chose this for scientific and health reasons, not because we think we are commanded to do so. Some may disagree, but my husband and I believe that a circumcised member is healthier than a non-circumcised one. Scientifically, the eighth day is the best day to perform the circumcision operation, because that is the day in the baby's life when their blood clots the most. You can Google this for more information should you desire to research this fact further.
Eating - My family loosely follows some of the clean and unclean meat practices as laid out in the Old Testament. However, because of our freedom in Christ, all things are made clean (see 1 Timothy 4:4). So, yes - we've eaten Rattlesnake, even though it is unclean in the Old Testament. We also eat pork on occasion, but rarely. I would like to try rabbit soon as well. The New Covenant teaches us how to sanctify our food, which makes all food clean:
"For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving" -1 Timothy 4:4
This is why we pray, and give God thanks before eating.
Some people choose to keep some or all of the Old Testament feasts. There is nothing wrong with that, but keep in mind that we are no longer commanded to do so, as we are dead to ALL of the law. If you want to keep the feasts, keep them. If you don't want to, then don't.
A warning, however - if you desire to keep the Sabbaths and Feasts:
"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain." -Galatians 4:9-11
The Sabbath has been done away in Christ, because Christ fulfilled the Sabbath rest. When a Christian is in Christ, they are perpetually in the Sabbath, every day. This is explained, with many Scriptures to back it up, in previous articles in this Christians and the Torah series.
The law is profitable, but we are not bound by it. The Christian is a new creature, and is no longer under the law of sin and death, but is instead under the Law of Liberty:
"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." -Romans 8:2
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain." -James 1:22-26
"But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it [he] shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." -2 Corinthians 3:15-17
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." -Matthew 22:37-14
"And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." -1John 2:3
"And this is his commandment, 1) That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, 2) and love one another, as he gave us commandment." -1John 3:23
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." -Romans 10:9-11
