ASK THE PASTOR WITH DALE RATZLAFF | Pastor and Founder, Life Assurance Ministries (1936–2024)
If a person professes Jesus’ incarnation, His death, and His resurrection, why does it matter what “secondary practices” we might espouse?
Separation is a repeated theme throughout Scripture. God separated the light which He called “day” from the darkness which He called “night”.1 Near the end of Revelation there is the final separation: the wicked are cast into the lake of fire, and the righteous receive their eternal reward to live forever with God. The Old Testament prophets repeatedly encouraged Israel to draw near to God and separate themselves from their idols.2
The Gospels persuade the Jews to look past the shadows of the Old Testament and embrace the reality of the presence of the Messiah in their midst.
For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:17).
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life (Jn., 5:39-40).
On the Mount of Transfiguration when Peter wanted to build tabernacles for Moses (Law), Elijah (Prophets) and Jesus, the voice of the Father boomed “This is My beloved Son, Listen to Him.” Suddenly, the disciples saw no one but Jesus only.3
The overriding theme of the epistles is to clarify and proclaim the true gospel. They carefully separate out the elements some wanted to include that would weaken the message of grace. The believing Pharisees wanted to include in the gospel circumcision and the rituals of the old covenant.4 The Galatians wanted to add to the simple gospel by observing the law.5 They did not like the “cheap grace” Paul was proclaiming. They wanted their obedience to law to be a demonstration that they were worthy. They wanted a gospel that included the observance of the rituals of days, months, seasons and years.6 The Colossians evaluated one another on the basis of food, drink, festivals, new moons and Sabbaths.7 Some in Rome promoted eating vegetables only, others the observance of certain days.8 In Corinth the believers did not even care that gross immorality was being practiced in their church fellowship.9 All the perversions to the gospel mentioned above were renounced: in love to the weak and judgmental, in direct public confrontation when the purity of the gospel was at stake.10
The Galatians wanted to add to the simple gospel by observing the law.5 They did not like the “cheap grace” Paul was proclaiming. They wanted their obedience to law to be a demonstration that they were worthy.
It would be good for us each to inventory our own lives. It is so easy just to go along, unconcerned about compromises to the gospel. We may want to consider statements of belief, sources of authority, and accepted practices that may add to or take away from the gospel. In our drawing near to God, perhaps some of us need also to separate ourselves from organizations, fellowships, and even some of our reading material. Here are some questions we might ask ourselves. Is Jesus alone the focus of my attention? Is Scripture alone the only authority and primary object of my study? Do I believe that salvation is in Christ alone, or am I trying to add to the simple gospel, undermining it by calling it “cheap grace”? Is faith the only condition for receiving salvation, or am I adding my obedience of the law, a vegetarian diet and the observance of days—just to be safe? Am I trying to settle the issues of God’s justice by my obedience to the law, not realizing that Christ settled the question once and for all at the cross?11
Yes, it is true: drawing near to God requires separating from beliefs and practices that take our eyes off Jesus and His word. †
Endnotes
- Gen. 1:14.
- Jer. 8:18; 1 ki. 18.
- Mt. 17:5-8; Mk. 9:7, 8.
- Acts 15:5.
- Gal. 4:21 ff.
- Gal. 4:10, 11.
- Col. 2:16, 17. Cf. Ex. 45:17.
- Rom. 14.
- 1 Cor. 5.
- Gal. 2:11, 14.
- Rom. 3:21-26.
Books by Dale Ratzlaff are still available at SabbathInChrist.com.
- Encountering the Risen Christ on the Road to Emmaus - November 21, 2024
- Why repeat the Gospel? - November 14, 2024
- You Must Be Born Again - November 7, 2024