Over the past ten years, I have watched a troubling pattern develop among people who become involved in the Hebrew Roots or Torah movement. For the past five years, I have observed some of these changes firsthand in southwest Missouri, along with others who share my concerns.
The Hebrew Roots movement teaches that Christians should return to observing the Old Testament Law of Moses, including the Sabbath, Jewish feasts, and other commandments given to Israel.
Not everyone in this movement follows the same path, but I have noticed a pattern among some who become deeply involved. What often begins as a sincere desire to know God better can eventually lead people away from the gospel of grace and back into trying to please God through keeping the Law.
Here are ten stages I have observed.
They begin with genuine faith in Jesus Christ.
The person starts out as a born-again Christian who has trusted Jesus Christ for salvation. They believe the gospel, love the Lord, and desire to follow Him.
They become hurt or disappointed with Christianity.
At some point, they experience hurt, rejection, or disappointment involving other Christians, a church, a pastor, or a spiritual leader.
Sometimes the hurt is very real and painful. They may feel betrayed by people they once trusted. As a result, they begin questioning the church and some of the things they have been taught.
They begin searching for something deeper.
They start studying the Bible more seriously and eventually come across teachings about the Hebrew name of Jesus, Yeshua, and the importance of keeping the seventh-day Sabbath.
They may also become frustrated with how Christians celebrate holidays such as Christmas and Easter, especially when those celebrations seem more focused on money, gifts, and traditions than on Jesus Christ.
Their desire to get away from empty religious traditions may be sincere.
They begin changing their religious practices.
They start using the name Yeshua instead of Jesus and become increasingly interested in Hebrew words and Jewish customs.
They may begin distancing themselves from churches and Christians they once knew.
At this point, their intentions may still be good. They sincerely want to honor God, live holy lives, and separate themselves from anything they believe is wrong.
They begin believing the church has been wrong for 2,000 years.
They become convinced that Christianity has misunderstood or even deliberately hidden important biblical truths.
Eventually, some begin believing that nearly all churches have abandoned the true faith.
Instead of recognizing that churches can make mistakes, they begin rejecting Christianity as a whole.
They begin turning back to the Law of Moses.
This is where the greatest spiritual danger begins.
They reason that if the church has been wrong about certain things, perhaps it has also been wrong about Christians no longer being under the Law of Moses.
They begin thinking, “Maybe we really are supposed to keep the Old Testament Law.”
Without realizing what is happening, they begin moving away from resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ and toward trying to establish righteousness through obedience to the Law.
This is exactly what Paul warned about in Galatians.
Galatians 3:3 says, “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
Paul also warned in Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
The danger is not simply studying the Old Testament. The danger is turning to the Law as the way to become righteous before God.
They begin adopting more and more Old Testament practices.
Once they believe Christians should keep the Law of Moses, they often begin making major changes in their lives.
Some of these changes include:
- Keeping the seventh-day Sabbath.
- Observing the Old Testament feasts and festivals.
- Using Hebrew names such as Yeshua and Yah.
- Learning and using selected Hebrew words in everyday conversation.
- Men growing beards and wearing tassels called tzitzit.
- Women wearing head coverings.
- Avoiding words such as Jesus, God, church, and Christian.
- Separating themselves from Christians who do not follow these practices.
Some eventually believe they are part of a special group of believers who have rediscovered the truth that the rest of Christianity has lost.
They begin seeing themselves as God’s faithful remnant in the last days.
They begin judging other Christians by outward practices.
As their focus shifts toward keeping the Law, some begin measuring spiritual maturity by outward obedience.
Instead of asking whether someone has trusted Jesus Christ for salvation, they begin asking whether that person keeps the Sabbath, observes the feasts, uses Hebrew names, or follows certain religious customs.
Those who do not follow these practices may be viewed as less obedient, less spiritual, or not yet enlightened to the truth.
A sense of spiritual superiority can begin to develop.
Their prayer life and fellowship with other believers may also suffer as their attention becomes increasingly focused on religious rules.
They begin questioning the Apostle Paul and the New Testament.
This is one of the most troubling stages.
Because Paul’s writings clearly teach that believers are no longer under the Law of Moses, some begin questioning his authority.
Eventually, some reject Paul and his letters altogether.
They become frustrated when other Christians quote passages from Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, or Colossians to explain salvation by grace.
Some go even further and begin questioning the entire New Testament.
Their Bible study becomes increasingly focused on the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament.
Instead of growing in the joy and freedom they once experienced in Christ, they become consumed with learning and keeping more religious laws.
Yet the harder they try, the more they discover that they cannot keep the entire Law perfectly.
This can produce frustration, bitterness, pride, and spiritual exhaustion.
They keep thinking that if they could just obey more carefully, they would finally reach the level of righteousness they are seeking.
But the Law was never able to produce that righteousness.
Some eventually begin questioning Jesus Christ Himself.
This is where the journey can become especially dangerous.
After rejecting Paul and much of the New Testament, some begin questioning whether Jesus Christ is truly God.
Eventually, some come to see Him as nothing more than a good man or a great teacher.
Their attention has shifted so completely toward Moses and the Torah that Jesus Christ is no longer the center of their faith.
The very Law that was intended to point people to Christ has become more important to them than Christ Himself.
Galatians 3:24 says, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”
The Law was meant to show us our need for a Saviour, not become our saviour.
Where Does This Journey End?
In the most serious cases, I have seen two possible outcomes.
Some continue moving away from Christianity until they completely reject Jesus Christ and the faith they once professed.
Others eventually recognize what has happened. They realize they have exchanged the freedom of grace for the burden of trying to establish their own righteousness.
They return to the simple truth that first brought them to Christ.
Salvation is not earned by keeping the Sabbath, observing Jewish feasts, following dietary laws, wearing certain clothing, or using Hebrew names.
Salvation is by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
Ephesians 2:8-9 says:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
The wonderful news is that Jesus Christ has not changed. His grace and mercy are still available.
Those who have become caught up in trying to earn God’s favor through the Law can turn away from that thinking and return to resting in the finished work of Christ.
God’s desire is not that we become experts in religious rules while losing sight of His Son.
At the transfiguration, God the Father made His will clear.
Luke 9:35 says, “And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.”
Our focus must remain on Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament Law served an important purpose. It revealed God’s holiness, exposed man’s sin, and showed humanity its need for a Saviour.
But now that Christ has come, died for our sins, and risen again, believers are no longer under the Law as their schoolmaster.
We have something far greater. We have Jesus Christ, the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the wonderful freedom of living under God’s grace.
We are called to walk in the Spirit, listen to our Good Shepherd, and live in obedience to Him.
My prayer is that those who have turned back to the Old Covenant will recognize the danger and return to the simplicity of the gospel.
Whether someone is coming to Jesus Christ for the first time or returning from years of religious confusion, God’s mercy and grace are sufficient.
Jesus Christ is enough. He always has been, and He always will be.
We are saved by grace, not by works. We are kept by God’s power, not by our ability to keep the Law.
May God open the eyes of those who have become trapped in religious bondage and help them rediscover the joy, peace, and freedom found in Jesus Christ alone.