12/18/2020 – “Exceeding the Orthodox” from a recent daily devotional: Sapphires@hopeoftheworld.org

As I mention often as it is one of my 24 memory bible verses currently:

“For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.” Leviticus 11:45

Exceeding The Orthodox

Tuesday, December 15, 2020Orthodox Jews live under the law of Moses. Virtually everything in their life is governed by one law or tradition or another. Think of how zealous they are, how careful, how vigilant they are in following what they know of God. How does that compare with most believers? Do most believers you know treat the word of God as seriously, as reverently as the Orthodox treat their laws and traditions? Chances are they don’t. Chances are, you may not either. And yet Messiah told us that between the two, between the righteousness of the Orthodox, or in His case the Pharisees, under the Old Covenant, and the righteousness of His disciples in the New Covenant – your righteousness, the righteousness of His disciples is to be much greater and higher. You in the New Covenant are to be more devoted, more zealous, more loving, more pure, more self-disciplined, more giving, more studious, more reverent, more holy than they. Is that the case? If not, start making it so today. For the New Covenant is not lower, but higher than the Old, and the disciples of Messiah more holy and vigilant than the Orthodox.From Message #1337 – The Nazir: Apostles & Skinheads
Scripture: Psalm 119:1-8