There is much to write about on the subject of “our faith,” that needs our attention. It would appear at first that if we are a “believer,” that the subject of faith ends; however, this is not the case at all. In what points do we agree! Do we believe that we live under the Old Testament or the New Testament? Most of those who claim to be Christians will say, “I never knew that was a question!” Replying with, “I believe we are under, as in subject to, the Bible!” Therefore, under the subject of “Our faith,” there is a major division!! Therefore, the subject of “our faith” is one that needs attention.
What are the differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament? Let us just take the day of worship; under the Old Testament the day of worship is the Sabbath, or the seventh day of the week. However, under the New Testament, the day of worship is the first day of the week. The day of worship changed from the sabbath, which is the seventh day of the week, to the first day of the week. This can be seen, as the saved of Christ (Acts 2: 41-42), worshipped for the first time. It was the first day of the week and not the seventh day! This is a major change as the New Testament became the authority, the authority of Christ, became the law under which the saved would worship! Therefore, before we even get started, our subject of the saved in the New Testament, we see that we have a major disagreement. So, “our faith,” is a subject that much be addressed.
In the subject, “Our Faith,” we are addressing all who announce to the world, I am a saved person, I am a person of faith. Yet, even as we start the subject, we have found a major disagreement which must have our attention. This naturally brings us to the simple question: “How can our faith ever agree, when we cannot agree on the day of the assembly of worship? We must, as in all cases, allow the Bible to speak for itself. You see, faith, as in “Our Faith,” must start and end with the Bible. The Bible itself moves us to the New Testament and not the Old Testament authority. If you really believe in the Bible, you must accept the New Testament as our authority. There is no real way to bring people together, if there is no agreement in “our faith, in our authority; thus, “our faith” must rest in the New Testament. The blood of Christ stands between the Old and the New Testament and must not be removed. It is true, that the blood of Christ runs both backwards and forwards, as it relates to sin; but it does not run within the Old Testament laws of worship! Now, seeing the first major difference between some, those who claim to believe in the authority of Christ, and others who make the same claim to hold to New Testament authority.
The point as it all stands in “our faith” is that our faith must start and end with the word of God. We must not take one step outside of what the Bible teaches. As “old fasten” as it may sound, it all comes down to the authority of Christ. Not only must “our faith” be limited to the New Testament as it relates to authority but the whole of “our faith” either stands upon the New Testament – the authority of Christ – or not and this is an excessively big “not!” So, where did you get your faith? It must stand with the Bible; it must walk in the steps of the New Testament. It must stand with Moses or with Jesus Christ; here I speak of both feet as one foot cannot stand in truth and the other stand in Moses! It is Moses or Christ and cannot be in both as it relates to authority for today.
“Our faith” must start and end with the Bible. The truths that are revealed in the Old Testament, such as creation, is a truth, both in the New Testament and in the Old Testament. Jesus referred to creation to answer a point of faith in Matthew nineteen, as when he said, “have you not read,” and then, he goes to creation.
So many people get mixed up on this subject. How can we take part of what the Old Testament has, that is truth today and what is not? We are not talking about the “truths” of the Old Testament but authority! We must believe both! But where is our authority for worship, is it in the Old or the New Testament? It is in the New Testament, and here “our faith” must stand.
It is not as hard as some people appear to think! There is a difference between authority, as things we believe and what we must do! “Our faith” must start with Genesis one and end in Revelation. To believe the Bible means, we must believe both the Old and the New Testaments; thus, “our faith,” must stand with our “feet” in the truths of the Old Testament, while what we do, we do by the authority of the Christ which is in the New Testament!
Frank R. Williams