Are Jews Christians?

Pharisaic Judaism and the Claim That Alms Forgive Sin

Number one the pharisaical Jews. Why do why do we say it like that if you've been with us very long? You've maybe heard pastor Nathan and myself make a distinction between True Judaism of the Hebrew scriptures that believed in God's promises of sending a messiah by faith and upon that basis They were saved, but over time you had Judaism transfer into Pharisaical Jews, the Pharisees.

They twisted the Old Testament scriptures into this system of legalism and a works Righteousness schema. They taught that acts of mercy can actually save a person and So this is the rabbinic Jews, those of the Pharisees.

They said acts of mercy like giving to the poor. Actually contribute to forgiving our sins, and that is absolutely absurd if we read the entirety of God's Word. Now their traditions started to become manifest in these Apocryphal books and that word just means that they started writing down things that they believed were not scripture.

But it did represent their types of tradition. I'm going to quote from two of their books. And there's a reason that I'm doing that from a book called Tobit the book of Tobit. This was a Jewish an extreme Jewish understanding.

It is better to give charity than to lay up gold for charity will save a man from death and it will expiate or forgive any Sin now that's pretty radical right and this comes out in their tradition. That was put together and compiled and called the book of Tobit.

So there's another book called the wisdom of Sirach. Which reads as water will quench the flaming fire so charity will atone for sin. Okay, now. They did not believe that these books were scripture, but this did represent their tradition and So it actually it comes about that these pharisaical Jews.

They thought that salvation was easier for a rich person because they could ultimately buy their way to heaven by giving Alms or charity to the poor and needy now. We've been talking in the Beatitudes.

Jesus Rebukes Legalistic Giving in Matthew 6

But we've also been expanding to the rest of the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus. It's like it was a fire lit under him in chapter 6 because he rebukes the mindset of the Pharisees. If you would turn with me one page in your Bible to Matthew chapter 6 look at verse 1 through 4 here for just a minute because They believe that they're good works.

Could forgive sin and what happens when you have this type of legalistic mindset. You start doing works not to please God. But to please yourself.

So I just look at this real quick.

Jesus says beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them. For then you will have no reward from your father who is in heaven. That's when you give to the needy or give alms.

Sound no trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may be praised by others. Truly I say to you they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

So that your giving may be in secret and your father who sees in secret will reward you openly. So I want us to have this understanding that the the pharisaical Jews had it wrong. They took the Old Testament Hebrew Scriptures and twisted it.