The liberal will demand that teaching on obedience is inert legalism and therefore diminishes the respect for God’s authority. This half–breed Sadducee is more dangerous to the truth than might be considered. He appears to be sound in the faith but, in fact, undermines the very foundation upon which the gospel rest!
Everywhere in Holy Writ, we are commanded to be concerned about divine law, and always careful to render to sacred injunctions against intermittent obedience. The Sadducee-like teacher tries to get around any simple requirements of God’s law he does not care for. This tell us that the apostle Paul preached faith, yet denied the principles of the Bible. This is inexcusable ignorance to teach the New Testament with it’s decrees and documents deny that there is a law! The apostle Paul writes under the direction of the Holy Spirit these words; “for I delight in the law of God after the inward man.” Romans 7:22 Again, he writes “to them that are without law, as without law not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law.” 1 Corinthians 9:21 Again, Paul writes “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 Again, “behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; for this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will put My laws into their minds and on their hearts also will I write them…” Hebrews 8:8, 10. “He that look into the perfect law of liberty…“ James 1:25, and “if you will fulfill the royal law,” James 2:8 and in verse 12 writes; “so speak ye, and so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty.” It should be impossible for James 2:12 to be ridden out of God’s word: “law and grace cannot exist together.” How could one so judge “the law of liberty!”
You will find that the contemporary Sadducee, like his brother of the 1st century, is interested mainly in right here and right now; they have but little real concern about the future world. They ignore Paul’s admonition,” if then ye were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. For you died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also be with him manifested in glory.” Colossians 3:1 – 2 These modern day elitist are more concerned about social issues and rghting community wrongs than they are about heaven and eternal rewards! They are continually urging us to be involved in such things as mass transportation; feeding the physical body; communication; electricity production; pollution of the atmosphere; hygiene; garbage disposal; the brutal police state; crooked governmental financial officers; and if the ice is melting too fast in the Arctic! They think the method of preaching the gospel is through a man’s stomach, whether he wears the right clothes, and forever for rid yourself of committing the unpardonable sin, which is hurting their feelings about doctrine!!
The church has been castigated about ethnic division more than fulfilling the mission given us by Jesus Christ to use our power, energy, and influence to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God as a means to correct social injustice. All attempts to turn the church from her divine mission and involve her in political matters reveals a Sadducaic mentality. We have been told that it is a Christian duty for us to become Christian lawbreakers. We are to be more interested in leading demonstrations designed to disrupt the flow of traffic in downtown Jerusalem, and thereby forced to the attention of the city fathers to institute a program of urban renewal and raise wages than preach the gospel of Jesus Christ!! One would almost get the idea that Jesus was crucified to rectify social injustice then save the church!!
