Shadows preach a simple consistent message: “I am not the reality.” Christ is the reality; the Law is the shadow. That’s the summary. We interviewed a shadow and he said: “I owe my whole existence to the light shining upon the real. Apart from that, I’m finished! Focus on the true, not me.” Good advice.
“Those are a shadow of what is to come; but the substance/body/reality belongs to Christ” –Colossians 2:17. “The Law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable to perfect those who come to worship” –Hebrews 10:1.
“Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to everyone who believes” –Romans 10:4. The Law only dimly outlines His reality. Why are we then dragging Old Testament ceremonies, garments, hierarchy, holy days, restrictions, tithing, and procedures into the church? They are worse than useless.
Shadow Preachers are two-dimensional: dim, colorless, vague outlines. They only exist because there is light shining upon the reality of which they but partially attest to. The Law is just that: a partial and incomplete representation of Christ and His fullness of salvation.
If the light is shining upon a cup of cold water, the resulting shadow cannot quench your thirst. You cannot grasp a shadow; even if you could, it contains nothing to sustain life because it has no independent existence apart from the real. Shadows preach: “Reach for the Reality!” And the Law is not that reality.
“The Law made nothing perfect” –Hebrews 7:19. Why do we wish to annex the impartial, imperfect, and ineffective into the fullness of Christ’s perfect reality? Jesus is the “Mediator of a better Covenant which was established on better promises” –Hebrews 8:6. The Law was simply an inferior temporary measure to lead us to Christ, the fulfillment and reality of all of God’s dealings with man.
“Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, until the Seed would come to Whom the promise had been made. Therefore the Law was our tutor to lead us to Christ. But now that the faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” –Galatians 3:19,24,25. The Law has served its purpose.
“He does away with the first in order to establish the second” –Hebrews 10:9. “When He said, ‘A New covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now whatever is becoming useless/worn out/obsolete is ready to disappear” –Hebrews 8:13. And it has done what God intended it to do: Law points to Christ.
Law cannot save, but it directs every person to Him who can. Law cannot impart righteousness, but it leads to Christ alone who can. Law cannot improve our sinful constitution one bit, but it preaches of Christ Jesus who can transform by His resurrection life within. Hear the Shadow Preachers shouting:
“Do not handle, taste, touch! Keep holy days! Bring tithes! Ordain priests! Gather in sanctuaries! Proclaim fasts!” These are all things destined to perish. They cannot save. They cannot sanctify. They are not Christ. “These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-made religion, false humility, and harsh treatment of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh” –Colossians 2:23.
“If a Law had been given that was able to impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the Law” –Galatians 3:21. But there is none. “If righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died in vain” –Galatians 2:21. But He has not. Do you really wish to rely on Law? Think soberly on this.
“All who rely on doing the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing all things written in the book of the Law to perform them’” –Galatians 3:10. Cursed is what you are if you think Tithing will improve your spiritual state, if you ordain a special caste of priests and don holy priestly vestments, or perform sacrifices on your man-made altars in sanctuaries.
All the while you pour your old wine into the new wineskin of Christ’s New Covenant of liberty and life, the Shadow Preachers are screaming: “No! No! No! We are not the reality! You will spoil everything! Stop! Set us aside. Take up Christ alone! Our task is done! We have brought you to Christ! Everything needful for life and godliness is in Him!” Do you hear them? They are preaching to you.
“How is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable rudimentary principles to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?” –Galatians 4:9. Can’t you hear the Shadow Preachers’ plea?