Gospel breakdown - Hebrew student style

Once upon a time, my bother posted on my Facebook wall saying: Sarah, you're a Hebrew student. You know the law. Why is it that I can eat pork and shrimp and basically break the law and yet when it comes homosexuality and adultery I can’t?


Now, had he asked me this question 4 years ago, I would have been flustered and upset that he would post such a daring question for anyone on Facebook to read. 

At that time I would have either let the question go unanswered, thus looking like a complete idiot or someone who does not always get their notifications; or I'd answer him back through e-mail saying I wouldn't know the answer and possibly do research... HOWEVER, that day, the day he chose to post this question to my fb wall for all to see was the day I was confident enough after spending 4 years at Bible college to actually have a well rounded answer to his question. 

Coming at this question like: LET'S DO THIS!

This also ties in with my other blog - The game changer: Matthew 5:19-20 - and it's a decent break down of the Gospel - at least from a Hebrew student's perspective it does (if you know anything about hebrew, it's that they tend to say a lot of things in order to fully describe what it is they're trying to describe... the Psalms show a thing or two about that). SOME sermons you should check out are of Peter and Steven's breakdown of the Gospel within the first seven chapters of Acts. 

Anyway, this was my response to my brother:

1. God established the OT Law for Israel as a way for them to stand out against the other nations and to live in unity, loyalty, and love to one another and God, thus drawing the other nations in by their practices. 
2. HOWEVER, as seen in Judges, 1&2 Chronicles, 1&2 Kings, the major and minor prophets, the Israelites could NOT MAINTAIN THE OT LAW, OR THEIR LOVE FOR GOD, EVEN AS THEIR LIFE AND WELL BEING DEPENDED ON IT. 
3. God, knowing this was bound to happen, set a plan that after the fall of humanity would come one who would bring unity to God and Humans (Gen 3) 
4. JESUS TAKES STAGE. He being born of a virgin and of the Holy Spirit, he maintained sinless status as he lived life as a hebrew under the Jewish OT Law.
5. When Jesus died, he was the sacrifice lamb God needed in order for humanity to be reconciled and redeemed to Himself. THUS Jesus' righteousness covers us and we are not longer obligated to live by the OT law because Jesus fulfilled it for us (Galatians). 
6. YET - We are still to live in light of God's love and Jesus' sacrifice, which is why we are to follow the commands given to us by Christ in the Gospels (see Matthew 5-7), which are part of the New Covenant Christians live under in the NT. 
7. When it comes to homosexuality, Jesus does not talk about it directly as much as Paul and Peter do. But since Paul and Peter are considered to be Christ's apostles, we have to believe and honour the fact Christians cannot engage in Homosexual practice. 
8. THEREFORE AND THUSLY - When it comes to OT Law, Christians are no longer bound to it, and can eat pork and shrimp as a result along with blending fabrics and such. HOWEVER, we cannot engage in adultery and Homosexual practices because of the commands Christ gives to us in the NT, and because of the guidance and counsel of his Apostles.

I hope this helps those who wanted to explain the Gospel but didn't know what it all entailed. 

Of course, this is my version and Paul has a nice short version in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (NIV 2011) - Go take a look, while you're at it, read the whole letter, it's a good one.  

~To God be the glory