Confusion

I see there is still much confusion about whether or not Yahweh means what He says, especially when He uses words like "forever and ever"; "throughout the ages"; and "for all your generations". 

Many people have been taught that Y'shua Messiah did away with the "Law of Moses", that the New Testament replaces the Old Testament and the only commandment that exists now is to "love one another as well as loving God". This mindset places the Son of the New Testament above the Father of the Old Testament and that is not the intention of the Creator. All praise and glory belongs to Yahweh.

Among other things, there is this 'law of christ' being taught by a man named Charles Leiter (friends with Paul Washer) that I've recently become aware of, so I am researching this fellow and found this snippet from a promo of one of his CDs:

In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, the apostle Paul claims that he is not under the Law of Moses, but under the Law of Christ. Charles Leiter spends these three messages explaining the meaning of this assertion. The first sermon shows that the Law of Christ is not the Law of Moses and then explains the role of the Law of Moses in history. According to Scripture, the Law of Moses was part of the Old Covenant, and for that reason the Law of Moses was meant to guide God's people only until the New Covenant came to replace it. In the second message, Charles lists all the ways that the Christian has been freed from the Law of Moses, now that Christ and His New Covenant have come. Mainly, we are freed from the Law's curse on sin, freed from our inability to obey God, and freed from having to keep the Law of Moses as a covenant agreement. Finally, the third sermon describes the Law of Christ itself. It is the command to love God and love one another, following the example of Christ. Furthermore, it is a higher law than the Law of Moses, and Christians actually want to keep it, due to their new hearts. Theologically, they explain the relationship between the Covenant with Abraham, the Old Covenant, and the New Covenant—a problem which has caused much confusion in the Church. With regard to Christian living, these messages help us to understand how God wants us to live, now that we are not under the Law of Moses. 

What this guy is teaching is horribly wrong and will lead many astray! Paul never taught against Torah; Y'shua did not bring his own ideas to the table - he came to do the will of the Father; the 'new covenant' did not replace anything, it renewed the promise made by Yahweh to Abraham; we are totally able to obey our Creator; and if we choose to break the covenant we will not inherit the Promised Land. 

Yahweh Elohim, our Creator, is not the author of confusion, but of peace (First Corinthians 14:33)

It was never about religion, denominations or all the other various belief systems.  Yahweh gave us a Set of Instructions, the perfect governing system for our health and well being. Those Instructions are found written in Scriptures from Genesis through Deuteronomy.  These Instructions are referred to throughout Scriptures giving us a clear picture of what happens when we obey and follow those Instructions and what happens if we choose not to follow them.  All that is needed is Faith. We trust that Elohim our Creator knows what's best for His creation. 

Faith> Grace> Works

A study I've been working on compelled me to look up the definition of 'Grace' in the Webster dictionary:

Pleasing quality; favor; thanks; A sense of what is right and proper; the unmerited love and favor of The Creator towards mankind; divine influence acting in a person to make the person pure (righteous/clean/set apart); morally strong; a special virtue, gift or help given to a person by Elohim.

Grace is a gift from Elohim that does not replace Torah. Torah is the set of instructions to show us what is right and proper. Grace shows His favor towards us, in that through His Set Apart Spirit He helps us to understand His commands and how to apply them to our lives that we may be righteous, morally strong.   YHWH, by His Grace, gave us the gift of His Laws and free will to choose Life eternal by obeying, keeping, observing and living by them.

There is a point of contention among 'believers' in regards to being 'saved'. There is the 'once saved always saved' mindset along with being 'saved by grace' and the 'saved by faith' and the 'saved by works' facets of this one topic.  

Acts 2:38 tells us in order to be saved (from the curse of eternal death) that we are to repent (return to Yah, turn from our sinful ways) and be immersed (mikveh/baptised/ritually cleansed) so that we may receive the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit). 

If we do turn away from our sinful ways and return to the Creator and His Teachings and be immersed symbolizing our intentions, then we are ready to receive the gift of His Set Apart Spirit.  If we make the first move then Yah will follow up, giving us His unmerited love and favor.  It is a process, not an end-all.  We never stop learning until the day He restores all things!

2 Thessalonians 2:16

And may our Master Y'shua the Mashiyach himself, and Elohim our Father who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and a good hope through His grace, comfort your hearts and establish yourselves in every good word and in every good work.

In the letter to the Romans, Paul refers to himself as a servant of Y'shua, who was called, sent and separated to the Good News of Elohim and acknowledges it is from Him whom we have received grace and a mission... to the end that all may obey the faith among whom are called by Y'shua.

Grace doesn't just happen - it is a result of our Faith.  Faith is our belief, our trust in YHWH Elohim.  In trusting Him we choose to obey His Instructions. The result is Righteousness - we become morally justified and freed from sin.

Hebrews 11

Now faith is the persuasion of the things that are in hope as if they were an actual fact, and it is the manifesting of the things not seen. For by faith we understand that the worlds were shaped by the Word of Elohim and that things seen originated from those that are not seen.

By faith, Abel offered to Elohim a better sacrifice ... and on account of it he is testified of being righteous... By faith, Enoch was translated and did not taste death ... there was testimony of him that he pleased Elohim.

Without faith, man cannot please Elohim.

He who draws near to Elohim must believe His existence

and that He will recompense those who seek Him.

By faith, Noah when he was told of the things not seen, obeyed Yahweh and made an ark... and became righteous which is by faith.  By faith, Abraham, when called, obeyed... departed to the place of his inheritance while he had no idea where he was going. By faith he became a resident in the land that was promised... All these died in faith and did not receive their promise but they saw it from a distance and rejoiced in it, and they confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

1 Peter 1:6-9 ... when you are under some pressure by the various trials that pass over you (it is) so that the proof of your faith may appear more precious than refined gold that is tested by fire, to glory and honor and praise at the manifestation of Y'shua: whom having not seen, you love; and in the faith of whom you rejoice with the joy that is glorious and beyond expression, that you many receive the reward of your faith, the life of your souls...

Faith and Grace are part of a harmonious connection between us and YHWH.

Paul's desire is to give the gift of the Spirit through which we become established and find comfort together in faith. The Good News reveals the righteousness of Elohim, from faith to faith, as it is written, 'The righteous by faith will live.'

We find in the writings of James chapter 2:

What is the use if a man says 'I have faith' yet he has no works? Can his faith restore life?" James continues to give the example of a fellow believer who is cold and hungry and another says to him, 'go in peace...warm yourself and be full', then he does not give him the necessities (clothing and food), what is the use? Consoling a person without providing the need is faith without works... whereas providing the need, whether food, clothing or shelter, is 'works' which reveals faith.

James 2:17 reads: 

"So also faith alone, without works, is dead. For a man may say you have faith and I have works; show me your faith that is without works and I will show you my faith by my works."

James 2:24 

You see that by works a man is justified and not by faith alone.

Galatians 3:23 

"But before faith came, Torah was guarding us while we were confined from the faith about to be revealed." 

Andrew Gabriel Roth offers insight: 

In this regard "Torah" can be compared with any righteous values a soul voluntarily imposes upon himself. However, as a spiritual relationship is established with YHWH and Y'shua, a soul is elevated to much higher levels of spiritual awareness and accountability.

Galatians 3:12 

Thus Torah is not made by faith, but whosoever will do the things that are written in it, will live in it. (Leviticus 18:5: You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them...) 

John 20:29 

Y'shua said to him, "Now that you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who do not see me and believe."

If you continue to study Scripture then Knowledge and Understanding will increase, baggage falls away, the narrow gate opens and the straight path is revealed. Halleluyah! and praise Elohim for His steadfast love that all would have the opportunity and choose to turn from sin and return to Him - the One who created us!  This is the path we journey along towards our real home. We come across many stepping stones as well as stumbling blocks, but our Faith keeps us steady.

By our Faith we receive His Grace as we live by His Instructions.  It is just natural to follow up caring for fellow believers and by doing these good works we are morally justified, accounted as righteous.