The Dividing wall

One of the characterizations that most Messianics have experienced, and hate, is that notion that by being obedient to the commands of God one is either A. Trying to earn salvation or B. That they're trying to prove themselves superior by having special knowledge. Christians often make these generalizations looking at some of the fruit of a few weirdos and then painting the whole group with the strokes of the outliers. That is a frustrating thing for many messianic people because they believe this in an unfair assessment.
One of the characterizations that most Christians have experienced, and hate, is that notion that because you're a believer, you therefore A. Hate people that struggle with Homosexuality B. you're judging everyone based on their sins. The world often makes these generalizations by looking at some of the fruit of a the likes of the Westbro Baptist Church and then painting the whole group with the stokes of the outliers. That is a frustrating thing for most Christians because they believe this is an unfair assessment.


I had a conversation with a Messianic person who was railing against our brothers and sisters in the Christian church because many of them do not understand the commands of God the way that many Messianics do. This man went so far as to state that because they are not keeping the Sabbath in the fullness of the manner in which the Bible prescribes, that they're not saved and took great issue with my referring to Christians as Brothers and Sisters. I consider myself a Christian. I also consider myself Messianic. I also consider those who read the bible and pray to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to be my Brothers and Sisters. I tried to point out to this man that he was essentially teaching that keeping the commands is what saves you even though he was trying to make the case that he wasn't saying that. When I was first a believer and I called out to a God of whom I was told would never leave me or forsake me, I knew nothing of the right way or the wrong way to keep the Sabbath, eating clean, or what a Tzitziot even was. Was my soul less placed in the hands of God through the atoning blood of the Messiah through faith because I didn't yet know the details of how God prefers that we worship Him?  Yet somehow with many Messianics this mindset persists.

 "Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”" - Acts 15

Its easy for a Messianic to miss these warnings when they hold a bitter view of Christians, Christianity, and to some degree a hostile regard to the "new Testament" since they spent much of their life reading that and now want to focus more specifically on "Torah". Ironically many in the Christian church hold a bitter view of Messianics, Hebraic thought, and a hostile regard to the "old Testament". Many in the Christian church trample those of genuine faith in the Messianic belief because they hold to the idea that once saved, works/ fruit should be manifesting in your life. many turn their head from the definition of sin, Ignore 2 thes 2's warning against lawlessness, and disregard where Christ himself states that there will be many who have done all kinds of Christian things who Christ will say "depart from me you who practice lawlessness, I never knew you". 


"Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. 2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”- Romans 15

Where is this fall withing the body of Christ in Christians and Messianics? Are we so partisan to our own understandings that we exclude our brothers at their understandings to grow and walk with them? If we do have insights into the walk of the Messiah that others do not yet see, do we hold animosity against them or do we bear their weaknesses?  Think about this


" Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; 26 and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ."- Acts 18

Do you see the power of graciously coming along a brother or sister with a zeal and a love of God and the Savior, and equipping them with other tools to help illuminate the path?
When it comes to judging others remember this

 "Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall"- Ephesians 2

We all used to be unbelievers. We all used to be baby believers. We all grew in our understanding as God teaches and grows us. Don't look down on those who believe contrary, reach out to them. Be gracious to each other. Tear down the dividing walls that keep us from being one in Christ.