One of the keys to wisdom is knowing what the issues are before commenting on them.

God brought this movement to my attention by having it cross my path on two personal fronts, and I’ve been doing research, as time allows, for over a year now. I have a number of posts dealing with HRM doctrine, origins of beliefs, and concepts as measured by Scripture. It is a fascinating study (one reason so many are lured into the movement)!

Grace and peace,
JGIG
http://www.joyfullygrowingingrace.wordpress.com

Act 15:5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command [them] to keep the law of Moses.”

Act 15:6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.

Act 15:7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.

Act 15:8 So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as [He did] to us,

Act 15:9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Act 15:10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

Act 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ [fn] we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”

And…

Act 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

Act 15:29 that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. [fn] If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.

People need to get their noses in the Word and test everything like a Berean.

Just my two cents

Kevin

Luke 5:24(the first sentence) But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins………

Ro 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
1 ¶ What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9 ¶ Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17 ¶ (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 ¶ Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
1 ¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

The law is eternal but no man was ever saved by keeping the law. The law was given to show us our need for God’s Savior. Faith in God came before the law and is fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

The eternal law will be lived in the Millennium by those who live in the human flesh during this period but they will obey the Law because the Law of God will be written in their hearts. However, for the called out Church under grace the law is always fulfilled by faith in Jesus Christ. As far as the Father is concerned by the law of faith we are in the Body of Christ and His Son did keep the Law. So all believers are under the law of faith.

Many reacted to the abuses and false doctrine of the established church and were burned as a consequence. People like Calvin and John Knox pointed out that all presbyters are equal and are to serve the church rather than have authority over it. In addition, there is only one Mediator between man and God, Jesus. So there is no such thing as Apostolic Succession or intercession of the saints or Mary or papal supremacy.

Unfortunately, for some people these and other reformers went not far enough and they had to throw out the baby with the bathwater in an effort to try “reconstructing” the Christian faith to fit its Hebrew roots while even in early Christianity many believers were gentiles and not Jewish at all and were unfamiliar with Jewish Law and customs. It does make perfect sense to study the origins and foundations and the doctrines of the Christian faith, which is basically “Hebrew” in origin and doesn’t contradict the Law, but there is no need to reconstruct it because there’s nothing to be reconstructed. Moreover, it’s simply wrong and despicable to re-impose the Law upon those that have been set free by Christ! I would tend to think it’s also not very honoring to God in view of what He did ?

I’m also aware there are people who say we must continue to celebrate the Jewish feasts. I’m not expert on this. It’s probably not wrong to do so but nowhere I see a command in the Bible to do this. I thought we had freedom in Christ over such issues? So again, it’s probably not wrong and may be good if it’s done in proper understanding and context and with the right motivation, but I’m afraid many do so just to judaize their faith or as a way to *experience* their faith in a way that feels more authentic or makes them feel more pious. I don’t particularly see why I am to celebrate Pesach as a “gentile” to commemorate God getting Israel out of Egypt, and how I am supposed to do so without having to subject myself to legalistic rules that are not relevant to the Christian faith. Again, perhaps not wrong, but obligatory? No, I think not. Just my thoughts…

I think these Hebrew roots movement and Judaizing tendencies are a result of an improper understanding of Church history and tradition and perhaps also a consequence of some far-fetched dispensationalism? (note that I don’t intend to condemn all dispensationalism here and that’s a whole different discussion in itself) Because many wrongly uphold all tradition as godly and equal to Scripture, some evangelical movements now have to declare ALL tradition and historic Chrisianity wrong and irrelevant, and pretend they don’t need Church history and can do without knowing anything about Church fathers or other great writings, or established basic doctrine (e.g. Nicean creed). Yeah, sure. No wonder there are so many immature Christians. I think all this is just as wrong as the theologically liberal and emergent trends.

God bless.

They like to believe that they have the truth and all of Christianity today has become corrupted and apostate.

They want legalistic burdens put on them so they can feel pious and feel that by their own works and obedience they are earning their way to salvation.

They try to follow the letter of the law but they do not understand the spirit of the law.

They segregate themselves from others and cannot be corrected by anyone outside their cult.

They do things in public to appear religious to the world.

They all have replacement theology in one way or another.

They demote Jesus to less than God

I also see most of these things in some major Christian denominations. So what do all these people really have in common? Religion! But, religion never saved anyone.