Looking for Loopholes in All the Wrong Places Part 4:
“New Testament Christians”
Welcome to week 4 of our “loopholes” series. Articles 1-3 covered the topics of the blessing of prayer, understanding that sin is still sin regardless of the reason for sinning, and the importance of reading the Bible. (You can find links to these articles in the “Resources” below.) We also learned that God loves us so much that he gave us the Bible to tell us how to live a life that is filled with joy and peace and how to avoid things that will bring us pain and sorrow.
Mental health issues are rampant in our world today. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal tendencies continue to increase as the world around us devolves into chaos and disease. The only constant in our world today is Jesus. I can personally testify to the physical, mental, and emotional change that came in my life once I made the decision to give up my “loopholes” and follow him with my whole heart.
Let’s look now at “loophole” number 4.
“I consider myself a ‘New Testament Christian’. The Old Testament and its rules no longer apply to us today.”
This “loophole” is heartbreaking to me primarily because of how it is used. Instead of providing insane gratefulness for the amazing grace of God toward fallen humans and a desire to follow Jesus completely, it is used to justify behaviors that the Bible calls sin. It also demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of the New Testament.
The first thing we absolutely need to understand is that God exists outside of time. He knows everything from the past and in the future, and he does not change.
God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?
Numbers 23:19 (NLT)
“I am the LORD, and I do not change.”
Malachi 3:6a (NLT)
It is true that many of the Levitical laws were instituted to keep the Israelites healthy and to keep the line of the Israelites pure. This was necessary because Jesus would be physically born through the Jewish line. There were also animal sacrifice laws that were no longer necessary after Jesus gave himself as the perfect sacrifice. God did not change his mind about these things but always intended for the “New Covenant” to render these things obsolete.
Does this not then apply to moral laws as well? With regard to the rituals above, God specifically said that these things were no longer necessary. Never did he say that the moral laws had — or ever would — change. In fact, Jesus told us just the opposite.
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Matthew 5:17-22, 27-30 (NLT)
“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
“You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.
“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
Jesus demonstrated to his listeners that sin is a heart problem. It starts in the heart, and if left unchecked, it will quickly turn into action. Someone doesn’t simply wake up one day and decide to have an affair. It is the result of a first look, a second look, and a lust that builds up in the mind. Imagination leads to action. That’s why he wanted us to take even the thought of sin captive so that it will not lead to the behavior of sin.
The New Testament has much more to say about morality. Here are just a few verses:
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21 (NLT)
Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NLT)
“Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Revelation 22:12-15 (NLT)
Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Outside the city are the dogs—the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie.
These words are tough to hear, but as I say above, God gave us rules for a reason. Sin always brings pain to you and to those around you. It also brings destruction to society as a whole. It may seem at first like it doesn’t, but sin always catches up with us, causing damage to our bodies, minds, and relationships. If we really trust God, we will trust his words to us and turn away from harmful behaviors.
The good news in all of this is that Jesus paid the price for our sin, and he has mercy on us when we repent of our sin and ask forgiveness. The word repent means to turn away. If we turn from our sin and ask Jesus to be Lord of our life, he will forgive us. We will still make mistakes, but our hearts will be transformed so that we will be better equipped to resist temptation.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Galatians 5:24-25 (NLT)
Obedience to God produces blessings. It improves relationships, makes us more physically and mentally healthy, and it creates a lasting peace and joy that the world cannot give us. Listen to what Jesus told us about this.
“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Matthew 7:24-27 (NLT)
Finding “loopholes” for sin may seem to provide temporary pleasure and happiness, but it will ultimately lead to pain and sorrow. God wants something better for you.
Songs of Victory
Resources
Looking For Loopholes Part 1: Prayer
Looking For Loopholes Part 2: Justifying Sin
Looking for Loopholes Part 3: Bible Study
For more on the topic of temptation, please see the article “Temptation” on our site.
For more on the topic of sin, please see the article “Your Command” on our site.
“Obedience Always Brings Blessing” by Charles F. Stanley
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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