Good list. I would add that some faith tradtions teach that to read anything in the OT is to fall under legalism. It is a form of hyper dispensational thought. God was this way back then but suddenly changed His mind and now is the exact opposite.
In talking to a guy on another board a few years ago (he was from a tradition that taught using musical instruments in worship was evil) I pointed out to him that the Psalms COMMANDED the use of musical instruments in worship (I used Ps 150 as example)
His reply was that before the cross, you could not be saved if you did NOT use musical instruments; but after the cross you could not be saved if you DO use instruments.
Boy, that will give you a serious case of whiplash.
I believe we are under a New Covenant with New Commands and that the Old Law (the 613 laws given to Israel is no more as a whole or contract). Yes, certain laws have been repeated in the New Testament, but the commands in the NT are not put there for a believer to ignore or downplay in some way. There are 450 explicit general commands given to the New Covenant believer. I find it hard to believe they are to be ignored or watered down in some way. They are there by divine design. In fact, a passage within the last chapter of our Bible ends with saying,
"Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without
are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." (Revelation 22:14-15).
Oh, and I also don't see God's commands or instructions condemning a person unless there is a specific clause saying that there is punishment for doing so. So if you were an OT saint, and there is no part in the OT that says, "
If you don't play musical instruments in praise to me, you shall be destroyed" then I don't see that not using musical instruments as an OT saint really is a necessity when worshiping or praising GOD.
But there are many warnings in breaking God's laws with damnation attached even in the New Covenant. But many today think they do not have to focus on keeping God's laws or they can just keep some of them that they like or some that are obvious and move about their life as they choose. But that is not how things work. GOD calls us to be servants and to do His will.
Please do not misunderstand me. I don't think a believer can keep God's laws or seek to obey the LORD without first being saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ and if they do not uplift and glorify His grace and mercy. The point here is that we all have chosen at some point in our lives to not read certain portions of Scripture or we glaze passed certain words that we don't like. We read fast through Scripture and don't want to pay attention to what God is trying to say to us. I believe many do this with God's commands because it is an issue of authority within their lives. Most are content in living their own life, so they read fast past God's commands in the New Testament (as if they are not even there).