Faith Vs Law

In my journey with God, a desire I hold dear is the ability to translate abstract, esoteric truths from scriptures into everyday contexts, demonstrating that our faith in Christ is not confined to supernatural or spiritual realms but impacts our material universe. As I reflect on scripture, I find that some early Christians shared this desire, though they approached it incorrectly. Today, we'll explore these individuals and glean lessons from them. The people I'm referring to are the Jews addressed in the book of Hebrews. To provide some background: from  Moses to Jesus, about 1,986 years passed. During this period, the Jews became deeply familiar with the Law (Torah) and saw how adhering to it in the form of practising Judaism improved their lives, both individually and nationally. They also experienced the consequences of straying from its principles, facing defeats that left them at the mercy of their captors. This led them to strongly adhere to Judaic principles and even develop a muscle memory for its practices. However, when Christ came, He revealed that Judaism had served its purpose and He had come to fulfill it (Matt. 5:17 NLT). Those who accept Christ's fulfilment by faith no longer need to strive to  achieve what has already been accomplished to be considered God's friends and stand in His presence. The central message of Christ was that one can become a friend of God by believing, rather than through performance-based efforts. This was a stumbling block for devout Jews, accustomed to a performance-based system of Judaism in other to qualify in God's sight. Judaism emphasised adherence to strict rules, where failure to comply was considered a transgression. In contrast, Christ introduced a new approach where qualification is based on believing in His finished work, which empowers us to perform. Even when we fall short, Christ has paid the price for our transgressions and offers us forgiveness, strengthening us to do better. Those who follow this new approach are called Christians.