It seems to me that people are reading into "we are not under the law" differently than God means us to understand this. It is so true that we are not judged according to the law for our salvation. Salvation is a free gift based on faith. But that does not say it is right to ignore God's guidance for how we are to live based on "not being under law". Also, that all of God's guidance to us is thought of as law, and law in the sense of either obey or go to jail is wrong I feel sure.
When we are made righteous through the forgiveness Christ offers we become dead to the law, all sin is forgiven and gone from us and we put Christ in our hearts. You cannot live with Christ and welcome sin, it is not possible. Nor is it possible to live with Christ in our hearts and ignore all Christ tells us. Christ and the Father are one. We have only one God.
I think honoring the feasts is part of that guidance that God gives us and leads to blessings.
What ends up happening in discussions like this at a point such as we've come to, where some are becoming near irate and disassembling others posts claiming they are causing confusion of an issue that is already filled with pejoratives, ad hominemns and red herrings, is the name calling grows worse. The assault on a particular persons intellect enters in, and it all boils and froths into evidence that the most inflammatory protestations demonstrate a lack of grace. We can't lose our grace when we're thinking we're rightly dividing the word of Truth.
And when Jesus told us we're to love our enemies and do good unto those who do harm unto us, we're a pitiful sight when we're verbally assailing one another when we all claim the name of Christ.
What you and I have been reading here from those opposed to the laws of God, because while called, the laws of Moses, they were not authored by Moses, they were given unto Moses by God. All the laws in the Old Testament are the laws of God. Every last one, appears to be a oft repeated collective rhetoric without basis. It's simply proscribed in argumentum ad nauseam."Jesus came and brought the Gospel and now the law of God no longer applies."
What isn't mentioned is that we cannot find the scriptures, as you've requested be posted, as I myself have, as others have, without satisfaction of our requests for proof of nullification. Proof in God's own words wherein
Jesus says the law is done away, the Sabbath doesn't matter anymore, and the feast days are no longer to be followed by those who follow Him.
There are none. There will never be found such a thing. Period. That's the actual satisfaction to the query. And why? Because it was the Jerusalem Council , found in the
Book of Acts chapter 15,and
chapter 21 that decided such a thing as that. The Apostle James, the brother of Jesus, Peter, Paul, Barnabas, the elders in Jerusalem, decided the issue. And it started with the contentious matter of Circumcision.
It was there that it was decided that those who believe in Jesus the Christ did not have to convert to Judaism to be saved. And being non-Jews, Gentiles, "Christians", do not then keep to the things that the Jews are commanded to by God.
What was arrived at during this Council were four things decided as prohibitions for the Gentile/Christian believer. Because the first Christians were converted Jews. These prohibitions are,no idols, no eating nor drinking blood, no sexual immorality
(Porneia) , and no consumption of meats (animals of course) that were strangled to death.
This is because the blood remains in them that way, rather than what we today know as butchery wherein the animal is suspended after slaughter and the blood drains out. This is also a dietary prohibition as would pertain today to what we would know as meat cooked rare, or even medium rare. Blood still in the meat even when it is cooked to a degree.
....The Council's Letter to Gentile Believers
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 23
with the following letter: “
The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers[c] who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you[d] with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. 33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.[
e] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Footnotes
- [c]Acts 15:23 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 32, 33, 36
- [d]Acts 15:24 Some manuscripts some persons from us have troubled you
- [e]Acts 15:33 Some manuscripts insert verse 34: But it seemed good to Silas to remain there
Realize also in this Jerusalem council Paul defended his background as a Pharisee. The Apostles, Peter, Paul, and others were at odds about Circumcision when they were in their respective ministries spreading the Gospel.
Paul and the Apostles were believed to be guided to this end by the Comforter, Holy Spirit God , in fulfilling Jesus Great Commission to them. Why then would men guided by the Holy Spirit "hear" different things from the Holy Spirit if it was Holy Spirit leading their respective ministry?
And how did these men arrive at a decision among themselves concerning those at odds issues? Did the Holy Spirit concede to one view only, when before we're to think HS was leading different views to be taught by the different servants of God?
No! We're led to think when Paul, a Pharisee, came to find Christ on the Damascus road that he forsook Judaism entire, including teaching (by inspration of the Holy Spirit), the law.
However, if we read in the
Book of Acts chapter 21, during the Jerusalem Council, Paul was exhorted to prove to his fellows that he still kept the law. And he did! So as to prove he, Paul, still kept the law.
23 Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; 24 take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.
The other matter is that which insists the Ten Words of God, or, the Ten Commandments, no longer apply to the Christian. As my grandsire would say, Balderdash youngster!
I can still hear his voice when I recall those words of his.
As many of us have argued, Jesus not only reiterated the Ten Commandments/Ten Words , he also wove them into His sermons. (Linked early on here).
So,
where did the idea that the Ten Commands/Words, no longer apply? Any Lutheran here will be able to answer I expect. This is why I have said, many people here arguing their belief about the Ten Commands, Feasts, etc... are doing so likely because their allegiance is to a Denomination and Christ.
Martin Luther taught this! That's why you won't find Jesus teaching it first. Martin Luther said the Ten Commands/Words of God are for the Jews!
""The Ten Commandments do not apply to us, Gentiles and Christians, but only to the Jews. If a preacher wishes to force you back to Moses, ask him if you were brought by Moses out of Egypt."
I hope this helps.