Over the last couple of days, so many people have been calling in and vociferously communicating that we need to continue adhering to the civil and ceremonial laws we find in the Old Testament. I’m surprised at how popular that sentiment is in modern evangelical Christianity.
I was in fact discussing with one man just the other day Jesus Christ’s words, “Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from the outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Mark 7:18-19a). Jesus Christ in saying this meant it is not shellfish that makes you unclean; rather, it is those things that proceed from the heart. Mark, of course, parenthetically adds in saying this, Jesus “declared all foods clean” (Mark 7:9b). Well, the man’s response was that’s a parenthetical remark and therefore it holds no weight whatsoever. But that is a most egregious error. We should never revert back to Old Testament types and shadows, which have been gloriously fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
I like Hanegraaff's comments. I'm not sure about the part about the rebuilt temple because that gets into eschatology and I know I don't agree with him on that. However he is right regardless of if the temple is ever rebuilt, Jesus' sacrifice is what matters. I don't think most Christians who think the temple needs to be rebuilt and sacrifices re-instituted are saying that it will be done for Christians so I'm not sure that matters. I also agree that no further sacrifices need to be made for sin because Jesus paid for it all.
Hank Hanegraaff - Seeing Old Testament the Shadows of Temples, Sacrifices, and Diets Fulfilled in the Light of Christ