“¹¹ To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me? says the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats.

¹² When you come to appear before Me, who has required this at your hand, to tread My courts?

¹³ Bring no more vain oblations (offerings); incense is an abomination unto Me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

¹⁴ Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates: they are a trouble unto Me; I am weary to bear them.”  Isaiah 1:11-14

The worship which God Himself had ordained was made of no effect by the Israelites.  The appointed feasts, calling of assemblies, sabbaths and new moons were an abomination to Him.  The Israelites began looking to the ceremony for the cleansing of their sin (sanctification).  They drew near to God with their mouth, and with their lips honored the Lord, but their hearts were far from God (Isa. 29:13, Matthew 15:8).

The Hebraics Roots movement has swept through the modern church causing Christians to run around in prayers shawls with yamakas (skull caps) on their heads, blowing shoffars.  Their favorite scripture is “If ye love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15.

I want to tell you Brothers and Sisters, if you love Jesus Christ, you will keep His Commandments because love compells us to obedience.  Law forces or constrains us to obey.

“This is the Covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord, I will put My Laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;”  Hebrews 10:16

A feast, festival or ceremony cannot be written on our hearts.  The 4th Commandment was the only Commandment not spoken of by Jesus in the New Testament because it was a ceremonial law.  All of the other Commandments are moral laws.  We now have the Holy Spirit to convict us of right and wrong and to guide us into all Truths according to the Word of God.

Furthermore, whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10).  When asked where they perform their annual sacrifices, as required by all under the Law, they reply Jesus is their Sacrifice.  No my friend, this cannot be so.  We cannot mix Law and Grace.  This is clearly and emphatically taught throughout the New Testament.

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continues not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:10-11.

The Blood of Jesus Christ, which was symbolized by the blood of bulls and goats, is the only way in which sin can be taken away.  Just to be clear, the blood of bulls and goats, could not pay the sin debt of fallen man but atoned for and restored fellowship with God. It did not remove sin from man’s account.  The Blood of Jesus Christ, paid our sin debt in full and completley removed any and all debt owed to God for our sin (Salvation) and gives us dominion over our sin nature (Sanctification).

The modern church no longer trusts in the Sacrifice God has provided to atone for our sin and reconcile us to Him through faith in HIS Redemption Plan through the Blood of Jesus Christ but prefers the ceremonies, appointed feasts and vain oblations.  Sadly, many in the modern church is looking to the mere form as they stand at the altar of Cain. They are forced by law to be obedient instead of compelled by love.  The law is lifted up from the pulpit, instead of Jesus Christ, Who He is and what He has done on Calvary’s Cross.

“Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18.

Repent and  find grace.  Sanctifying grace.  Grace that will write His Laws on our heart and compell us to obey His Word.  Grace that will give us victory over the sin that so easily besets us.  God has given us the only Sacrifice He will except to reconcile us to Him and His name is Jesus Christ.  Jesus is standing at the door knocking.  He is jealous of the mere forms and vain oblations in which God’s Children are offering for sanctification.  Jesus’ finished work is of no effect for those standing at Cain’s altar.  The Holy Spirit is not commissioned to give us victory over the world, the flesh and the devil when we no longer trusts the finished work of the Sacrifice God has given but rather the ceremony.

If you don’t believe your faith is in the ceremony, don’t partake in the ceremony and you will feel the pressure…the compulsive drive to follow that law.  This is because your faith is in that law and that is what the law does…pressures, condemns, forces us to obey.  Love compells.  Love writes His Law on our hearts.  Not my love, not your love but the love of Jesus Christ.  Learn of Him; for He is meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest unto your souls (Matthew 11:29).

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.”  Romans 8:1-2

God is a Spirit and we worship Him in spirit and in truth.

-Donna Clark Warren