My dear friend has a daughter who is now deciding that she will observe the Old Testament feasts and dietary laws and teach her children to do the same. This is causing some concern for my friend over her daughter’s and grandchildren’s salvation. I do not know if her daughter has ever accepted Christ as Savior. As I understand, her daughter was raised a Protestant, but now seems to be doing some Spiritual exploration. What advice do you have for my dear Evangelical friend?
Because salvation is a matter of the heart, we can never know for sure whether another person is saved or not. But there is no Biblical requirement for New Testament believers (whether Jew or Gentile) to observe the Old Testament feasts or dietary restrictions. In Colossians 2:16-17 Paul wrote,
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
There is great instructive value in studying these feasts and seeing how they pointed to the Messiah, but we are not required to observe them.
As for dietary restrictions, Jesus essentially declared all foods clean (Mark 7:17-23) and in Acts 10:9-16 Peter received a vision from God confirming this.
Suggest that your friend refer to these passages when speaking with her daughter. Perhaps it will lead to a discussion on the issue of her salvation.