Life. Faith. Jesus.

I was recently involved in a discussion via email.

Ultimately, it was over the topic of the purpose of the Gospel, the New Covenant. The way it lead into a conversation-debate was because the other party asserted that refraining from pork was an absolute necessity for honoring, thus maintaining, the New Covenant. The outcome of this perspective is seriously disturbing—not because I simply don’t like it, but because it stands in stark contrast to the message and promise of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What is the outcome—according to this other party—for eating pork unrepentantly?

You go to hell

And I am not just talking about Sheol, or the “common grave.” I am talking about the Lake of Fire. That’s right, eternal separation from the Father.

I received an email with a document about this teaching, and I responded to all who the document was forwarded to. Thus, my contact with the document’s originator began. I was encouraged to contact this person personally, so I did. The emails proceeding were engaging, but I was shocked to see the kind of connections this person was making to support his assertion to honor the Mosaic Law for sustaining salvation. He then asked me the question: “A Covenant is a contract between two parties. Tell me, who is this contract of the New Covenant between.”

Obviously, he was trying to set me up

So, I tried to be as much like Jesus . . . and respond with a question to him! My question was: “I will answer your question if you first tell me what the purpose of the New Covenant is.” I never got a clear answer, instead, it was a lengthly article. Nonetheless, I honored my part of the deal and told him who I believe this “contract” was between. It follows:

“It would seem as though the contract of the new Covenant is between YHWH and man—being that man is the sufficient recipient. History, however, proves that a God-man contract cannot be accomplished due to the depravity of the human heart (Jer. 17:9; Rom. 10:23). Therefore, the contract, as it were, of the new Covenant is bound in YHWH Himself (Eze. 36, esp. 22-28; Rom. 9:16), with Jesus as the fulfiller (Matt. 5:17-18) AND sustainer (Hosea provides a good type), in spite of man’s unfaithfulness and self-righteousness (Isa. 64:6; Rom. 7:18; Rom. 4:1-8; Rom. 9:11-13, 31-33).”

In response to this he called the Church a prostitute daughter of the Great Harlot

This ended my conversation. I immediately withdrew, as it was very disturbing for me to hear someone who says they love the Father and the Son to call the Church of Christ a prostitute of the Harlot.

If you came in my church and told me that, I would kick you out

I post this because I want people to know how important it is to identify heresy (see also this link)—false teaching. The Church of Jesus—Yeshua ha Masheach (Jesus the Messiah)—is the vehicle by which the Kingdom of God will advance on earth, and I intend to help it advance.

Doctrine is important. There are some we need not to divide over, then there are others. One of my life prayers has been from Philippines 1:9-11,

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

Isn’t this a major deal of our faith—discernment? I think this heresy that I had encountered bothered me so much because I desire to see people grow and mature in their faith.

I will end with this thought: “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:10-12)—not MY own name, not YOUR name, NOT THE NAME OF WORKS, but the name of JESUS.

Hold fast to it, it is mighty to save.



—Jonathan



Photo by Julishannon