The 2 The 10 and The Rest Follow Naturally

Matthew 22 tells us that Yah's Instructions (Torah) and the (writings of the) prophets hold onto these two commandments: 

• Love Master Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart, soul, might and mind 
• Love your neighbor as yourself 

Earlier, we read in Deuteronomy 6:5

• You shall love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart and all your soul and with all your might.

and in Leviticus 19:18

• Do not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself.

You see, those "two great commands" do not replace anything else - they come straight from the Old Testament, the part referred to as Torah. If you love Yah with your entire being then it should be no problem for you to understand and follow His Instructions.

I am YHWH your Elohim who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage: You shall have no other gods besides Me. You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image or any likeness of what is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them. I YHWH am your Elohim, impassioned, visiting the guilt of the parents upon the children upon the third and the fourth generations of those who reject Me, but showing kindness to the thousandth generation of those who love Me and keep My commandments. You shall not swear falsely by My Name for I will not clear one who does.

If you love your fellowman as yourself, you will treat him with the same respect as you would like to be treated. You should have no problem following the Instructions of Yahweh.

Honor your mother and father that you may long endure in the Promised Land that I am giving you. You shall not murder, or commit adultery or steal or bare false witness against one another. You shall not covet your neighbor's house or wife or anything that belongs to him.

Those who do the commandments are those who love Yahweh. 

Without love, observing His Instructions is vanity and 

without His Instructions one's love is vanity.

Remember the sabbath day and keep it set apart. Six days you shall do all your work but the seventh day is a sabbath of Mine. You, your family, your hired hands or your work animals or the stranger who is visiting your town shall do no work. I made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them in six days and on the seventh I rested, therefore I blessed the sabbath day and set it apart.

All of His Instructions are recorded in the the first five books of Scriptures: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. This is His Instruction Manual provided for His Creation.  Sure, it takes some study time to even begin to understand what was going on back in those days and to learn that it still applies to us today; just as any owner's manual needs to be read a few times before the instructions make sense, become clear.

Nothing was done away with when Yahshua came on the scene, in fact, he clarifies and even raises the standard a few times, but he did not put an end to what the Father started.

Exodus 20:

I am YHWH your Elohim who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage: You shall have no other gods besides Me.

You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image or any likeness of what is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them.

I YHWH am your Elohim, impassioned, visiting the guilt of the parents upon the children upon the third and the fourth generations of those who reject Me, but showing kindness to the thousandth generation of those w ho love Me and keep My commandments.

You shall not swear falsely by My Name for I will not clear one who does.

Remember the sabbath day and keep it set apart. Six days you shall do all your work but the seventh day is a sabbath of Mine. You, your family, your hired hands or your work animals or the stranger who is visiting your town shall do no work. I made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them in six days and on the seventh I rested, therefore I blessed the sabbath day and set it apart.

Honor your mother and father that you may long endure in the Promised Land that I am giving you.

You shall not murder, or commit adultery or steal or bare false witness against one another. You shall not covet your neighbor's house or wife or anything that belongs to him.

The Ten Summarized

Throughout the book of Genesis Yahweh pretty much established Himself as the Creator and the only Living Elohim.  He had to do this early on because He knew of the future 'no-gods' that would spring from the non-believers whose imaginations became steeped in pagan traditions.  

Since Yahweh is the only Elohim and is the Maker of all things He saw fit to include an Owner's Manual for His Creation.  He knew we would need it.  From the time Satan interfered in the Garden and to this very day YHWH's Instructions are vital to knowing the difference between the righteousness of Truth and the deceptions of paganism.  He gave us a choice between Good and Evil - we follow YHWH or Satan, there is no middle of the road.

Many lessons have been taught His people and by the time we get to the book of Exodus He is ready to round them up and move them out.  It hasn't been easy because His people are 'stiff necked', stubborn and hard headed.  They say one thing and do another.  They (His created) anger Elohim to the point that He just as soon be done with them.  He is reminded of His promise and life goes on.  He really does love us and wants that no one would perish.

More lessons, types and shadows are given and by Exodus 15:8 He makes a fixed rule and puts the people (He had set free) to the test. Yah says:

"If you will heed Me, your Elohim, diligently, doing what is upright in My sight, giving ear to My commandments and keep all My laws, then I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians, for I Am your healer."

And here is what Yahweh our Elohim has to say as it is recorded in Exodus 20:

I am YHWH your Elohim who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage: You shall have no other gods besides Me.
You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image or any likeness of what is in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.  You shall not bow down to them or serve them.
I YHWH am your Elohim, impassioned, visiting the guilt of the parents upon the children upon the third and the fourth generations of those who reject Me, but showing kindness to the thousandth generation of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
You shall not swear falsely by My Name for I will not clear one who does.
Remember the sabbath day and keep it set apart.  Six days you shall do all your work but the seventh day is a sabbath of Mine. You, your family, your hired hands or your work animals or the stranger who is visiting your town shall do no work.  I made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them in six days and on the seventh I rested, therefore I blessed the sabbath day and set it apart.
Honor your mother and father that you may long endure in the Promised Land that I am giving you.
You shall not murder, or commit adultery or steal or bare false witness against one another.  You shall not covet your neighbor's house or wife or anything that belongs to him.

Even though He had established Himself as the one true living Elohim from the beginning, many years later He needs to remind His people of who they are and how to live set apart from the rest of humanity.  

There is only One Elohim and His Name is Yahweh who made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them.  It is by Faith in this Being that we trust what He says to be true. Spending every day reading His Word helps to reveal this Truth.  Anything else is a false god, idol, image that has its origins in deception and its purpose is to distract us from our Father and His Instructions in Righteousness.

***

Don't cut yourself short by saying it's impossible to live by the 'laws' our Creator gave us. Just because we 'believe' doesn't mean- in a snap of His fingers -we instantly become Torah Observant - even those who claim to be Torah observant fall short. BUT if we continue on His path we Learn how to live by His rules and regulations and Choose to Obey... in obedience we are an example of what it means to love Yah with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. He has not given us anything we cannot bear. By Faith we do as He says. This is a very chaotic world we live in and distractions are many, yet we know we have been called to leave worldly things behind so as not be be caught up in the sins and plagues of Mystery Babylon. I think the condensed version of His Instructions (The Ten) was very generous of Him, so as not to overwhelm His people as they journeyed on. It those same Ten that are applied to us in today's world. When I compare myself to His commands I see where I had fallen short in the past, but this does not stop me from continuing to learn and obey; and this is by Faith, my commitment to our Creator. Satan has been so subtle to cause us to unwittingly sin - for example: My husband and I are now in the process of deprogramming from calling the days and months by names - some of which are names of pagan gods, which, as you know, are not to even be heard coming from our mouths. By Faith I heed His Instructions and have been learning how to live by them. His Spirit does indeed reveal the Truth in all things as long as we continue on His Path and do not limit ourselves by thinking it's impossible. Doubt is the most successful tool Satan uses against us.

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. 

Substitutes

Another thought to ponder by Dusty Sandals

Why substitute turkey bacon for real bacon?

Why substitute imitation crab for real crab?

If we are instructed by our Creator 

not to eat it

why would we want to fake it?

Why don't we just trust Him?

Is this a test of our Faith?

==v==v==v==

I've been there, done this and ate that until I realized I didn't need to make something up to replace what Yah had already put in place. Oh, sure, now 'science' has proven pork is not good for human consumption, but why didn't we just obey Yah's instructions in the first place?

This may be a stretch, but it's what is playing out in my mind:

The 'golden calf' Incidents

They substituted a gold statue of a calf in place of YHWH. (Exodus 32:3) 

Jeroboam had temples built in Dan and Bethel while the temple in Jerusalem was still standing. In them were placed golden calves to be worshiped and he convinced the people that they didn't need to go to the temple in Jerusalem to worship Elohim. (1 Kings 12:25)

These are just a couple of examples of man taking things into his own hands for his own perceived good - instead of trusting and loving the one true Elohim and faithfully obeying His Instructions. Scriptures are a record of historical events that took place which we are to learn from so as not to make the same mistakes as our ancestors.

“Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come” (1 Cor 10: 11)

Even religions have become substitutes for the Truth of His Word. Oh, it may sound like Scriptures and taste a bit like Scriptures, but its not... don't be offering strange fire thinking you are pleasing Yah.

There is no substitute for YHWH

or His Instructions

Back to the topic of foods He said we could eat and those we should abstain from - trust Him to know what He's talking about - He created us and knows what we need for our health and well being.  He gave us an Owner's Manual and most folks try everything their own way before giving in and reading the Instructions.

If you did not know, here is what Yah says we can eat and should not eat, as written in Leviticus and Deuteronomy:

Animals with true hoofs (hoofs with clefts through the hoofs) AND chew the cud. The examples given for what not to eat are the camel, daman, and hare which chew the cud but do not have true hoofs. The swine has true hoofs but does not chew the cud - these are considered 'unclean'. It is alright to eat: ox, sheep, goat (domestic or wild), deer, gazelle, roebuck, ibex, antelope, mountain sheep and any other animal that has true hoofs which are cleft in two and brings up the cud: buffalo, elk, moose and beef.

Of the things that live in water, we may eat them as long as they have both fins and scales. This excludes from our menu such popular items as clams, lobster, oysters, mussels, squid and shrimp. This also excludes scallops, shark, whale, octopus, eel, swordfish and sturgeon.

I am of the mind that if you cannot see the scales on the fish without the use of a microscope then consider that particular fish unclean. Halibut, for example, have tiny scales naked to the human eye so they appear to us as not having scales... they should not be eaten. YHWH put forth His Instructions to benefit our health and well being. They didn't have microscopes or other testing equipment back then - they trusted Him - as we should in this day and age.

Birds that are not to be eaten: eagle, vulture, kite, falcons, ravens, ostrich, nighthawk, sea gulls, any hawk, owl, cormorant, pelican, bustard, stork, herons, hoopoe and bats.

It's OK to eat winged swarming things that walk on all fours and have jointed legs above their feet (hoppers) as in locust, crickets and grasshoppers.

Any animal that walks on paws, on all fours, are not on the menu. No variety of cat or canine is to be eaten. Also, we are not to eat: moles, mice, lizards of every variety or crocodiles.

We have been given every seed bearing fruit to eat and of grains of the field. Modern day 'seedless' varieties should not be eaten. I gave up one of my favorites: seedless watermelon! All genetically modified foods are off the list of things that can be eaten. They have been tampered with by man.

With all that said, in today's world the majority of our food sources have become corrupt, so sticking to Yahweh's Plan becomes even more challenging. Letting the land rest every 7th year is not being followed so over the years farming has depleted the nutritional value of the land. The food it produces is lacking in vitamins and minerals and what is being added (supplements) isn't nearly enough. I've read that almost all corn is now genetically modified. Seeds have been engineered that produce food that does not 'go to seed'. There are hybrid foods such as beets, carrots and potatoes as well as seedless varieties of apples, bananas, dates, pineapple and grapes. There is an evil plan behind this but that will have to be a study unto itself later on.

It is always easier to go with the flow than to come out of tradition, habits and falsehoods.  When the Hebrews along with the mixed multitude were set free from Pharaoh and their life of slavery in Egypt and began their journey towards the Promised Land, even they began to long for the conveniences they had in Egypt and were ready to give up their freedom to go back to the way they were.

Numbers 11:5 ~ We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna…

(Remember when we use to eat bacon & shrimp & crab? beefalo? seedless grapes & watermelon? pork chops and applesauce? Now that we know these are not of Yah's menu there's nothing tasty to eat. I know! Let's create something that tastes like pork but isn't really pork! Let's pretend!)

Ezekiel 20:21 ~ But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; they profaned My sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness.

And for what purpose?

Deuteronomy 8:2 ~ You shall remember all the way which YHWH your Elohim has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might humble you, testing you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.

Here is an edited quote from commentary by Matthew Henry:

They were tired of the food provision Yah had made for them. It cost them no money, and it took little work to gather the manna, yet they talked of Egypt, and the fish they ate there freely; as if that cost nothing, when in reality they paid dearly for it with a life of hard labor! They could not be satisfied unless they had meat to eat. It is evidence of the dominion of the carnal mind when we want to have the "delights and satisfaction of sense". We should not desire the things YHWH did not allow for us.  (end quote)

Look at ourselves today seeking the 'king's dainties' as we disregard the provisions made for us by our Creator.  I realize that the day will come when He restores all things, but I would rather be on the right track now in preparation for the times to come in the meantime.  Food is an idol for some and others make a living off it. I am not against collecting recipes but turning food into a form of art is elevating it way beyond its intended use for us. And pretending we're eating bacon is just wrong. There was just one tree off-limits to Adam and Eve and look what happened. Same thing is happening now.

Stop doubting the Word of Elohim. Take His Instructions seriously and live by them. Coming out of Egypt wasn't the end of something, it was the beginning.  For each one of us who heed the call to come out of the world system it is a beginning - the start of something new and wonderful in the Name of our Creator.  Don't hesitate to do what is right in His Eyes.

Click here to go to my study: Clean or Unclean

Obedience is Discipline

Obeying the Creator

By observing Torah, which is obeying the laws God gave all mankind, we demonstrate our love for Him. Most Christians are following Torah without knowing it! They keep about 1/3 of the commands simply by living moral, upright lives. We have the testimony of Messiah AND the choice to follow God's commands. If we've got Messiah and follow him and we allow the Holy Spirit to work inside us, YHWH will reveal Truth every step of the way.

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 chance 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. Satan's goal is to knock us off that path of righteousness. Our goal is the Heavenly Kingdom YHWH told us about through His servants, the prophets of old.  Messiah confirmed all that God had commanded as it is written in the renewed covenant.  The message has been preserved and handed down through the ages. We are the lost sheep of Israel and those other sheep that have heard our Shepherd's Voice. That doesn't mean we stop learning and become content where we are, but we let the Spirit of Truth, the Comforter Y'shua gave us after he died, continue to guide us, teach us and reveal the Word of God to us. That is why he calls it A Path - we move along his path so as not to stagnate in a perceived comfort zone.

Torah reveals right from wrong. It is a set of instructions necessary for the behavior of mankind, not a tool to use to find favor with God (that's what hypocrites are guilty of). It is just as much a part of our lives today as it was in the days of Moses, and Abraham and Noah.

There is evil in the world today just as there was in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah and surrounding towns. The world we live in today is much as it was in the days of Noah. And it's going to get worse. Our heavenly Father's laws reveal sin and keep us from evil as we walk through that shadowy valley of Death. We recognize right from wrong because we have the definition of both good and evil described in the 1st five books of Scriptures.

Y'shua Messiah was killed and his blood of atonement 'justifies', or absolves us of the guilt of sin. This act 'sanctifies' or sets us apart unto Elohim. We trust and obey God and this will be credited to us as 'righteousness'. (Galatians 3:6)

Y'shua Messiah did not put an end to what our Creator began.

The Spirit is continually teaching us and God is testing to see what is in our hearts. That was the purpose of the 40 years in the wilderness after Moses led that mixed multitude out of Egypt - YHWH knew what was in their hearts yet tested them to see if they would obey Him like they said they would. Well, as you know, only 2 of the original generation made it to the promise land of Canaan - Joshua and Caleb.

Keeping Torah in today's World

Torah is not a religion but God's perfect governing system for all mankind. Of the 613 commandments, 221 apply only to the temple, priesthood and their duties, sacrifices and ritual purity. Since the the physical temple and all associated with it does not exist today these laws do not apply and no law is 'broken' if some thing doesn't exist.  That leaves 392 'laws', which are divided among the rest of us, according to our station in life.

For example: Over 50 laws apply to you if you are a farmer or running a business. Over 60 laws apply to  judges or those  involved in the judicial system. There are 45 laws that apply to us in regard to social behaviors, community and family affairs, and some of those are for just men, and some just for women.  
 

The laws of God YHWH are not a burden and they are able to be kept.  He would not give us anything that we could not bear.  His rules and regulations bring order to the affairs of man and teach us how to handle our own daily affairs. You and I don't lie, cheat, steal or murder but there are many who do. Yahweh protects us, gives us a legal leg to stand on, if these wrongdoings befall us.  He takes into consideration laws regarding 'Involuntary Manslaughter' as well as 'Premeditated Murder'.

Torah is not complicated and is provided for everyone. It represents the character of YHWH our Elohim and His values according to His will - it elevates human life by establishing justice and equality for everyone.

John 14:15 - Y'shua said if you love me keep my commands. 14:21- He who has and keeps my commandments is he who loves me and will be loved by my Father. 15:10 - If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love just as I have kept the commandments of my Father (Torah) and I abide in His love.

Revelation 22:14 - Blessed are those who do His commandments for they shall be given the right to the Tree of Life and will be allowed to enter into the city (New Jerusalem).

The Law is the Word of YHWH our Elohim, and His commandments are found in the first five books of Scripture. His Son confirms this by obeying the will of his Father. Throughout Scripture we are told to show we love Him by keeping His commandments then He will be our Elohim and we will be His people. God would not tell us to do something if we weren't able to do so.

Definitions from Webster's

Justification = the condition necessary for salvation; of being absolved of the guilt of sin.
Sanctification = set apart, consecrated, made free from (bondage to) sin, purified, dedicated.
Righteousness = acting in a just, upright manner, doing what is morally right.

Torah is the Hebrew word for Instruction; instructions for discerning what is morally right, and teaches us how to live in a just manner, advising us on how to be justified and become sanctified - it is the instructions which point us to the Promised Land.  God Himself chose His people to be Set Apart as He is Set Apart... this happens by obeying Him, everything He commands.

New Covenant, Old Covenant, is Torah a covenant?

Right off the get-go we are being gently led astray by a bad translation, the word 'New'. The original Hebrew word 'chadash' means to re-new or to make new or repair. It was never a New covenant but a Renewed covenant. Theologians have long used this term to steer the 'church' away from the rules and commands by God written in Genesis through Deuteronomy, aka Torah.

In the research of Andrew Gabriel Roth, he found that " post-apostlic church founder, Marcion (110-160 AD), who was considered a heretic by the early church, coined the terms 'Old Testament' and 'New Testament' suggesting that the old was done away with, replaced with the new.  His false anti-torah theology is still believed by most Christians today."

A covenant is a contract, a promise, a firm agreement, a pact, made in faith by which the parties involved are trusted to uphold their end of said contract. In every contract there is an exchange of value. In the Renewed contract/covenant Y'shua Messiah offers redemption for our lives but we must reciprocate (hold up our end of the contract) by being obedient.

Torah contains the Terms and Conditions of Yahweh's covenant between Himself and mankind. Torah demands the element of Faith to bring mutual benefits between the parties involved.
  
John 15:10 - IF you keep my commandments you will abide in my love just as I have kept the commandments of my Father Elohim and I abide in His love.

In reality, the new covenant (NT) is a renewal of the older covenant God had formerly made between Himself and His people. Y'shua Messiah and his apostles obeyed the Father, they were Torah observant. It is not a burden and it is not impossible to live by God's Commands.

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.

The Perfect Government System

My sister and I have been discussing the term 'legalistic' as it is used by Christians against keeping Torah.  My conclusion is that it is not about legalism but rather a free will choice: 

Obey His Commands or Don't obey His Commands, simple as that.

 

'Torah' is the Hebrew word and translates to the English word 'Instructions'.

Christians seem to think it is impossible to keep the Dos and Don'ts provide by The Father; His laws, rules and regulations, and would rather follow man made church traditions.  Without knowing it, most Christians keep about 200 of the 613 Commandments.  Of the 613, not all apply to you and me.  Some apply only to the Temple and Priests (n/a today because the Temple doesn't exist). Some apply only to Judges or agriculture, some for just men and some for just women.

Yah provided His Owner's Manual, His set of instructions in righteous living for His created.  It contains the terms and conditions of His Covenant between Himself and mankind - a contract.  His Instructions are found in Genesis through Deuteronomy and are meant for everyone.  It is YHWH's perfect system of government.  Spiritual guidelines make up His Faith conditional covenant which, through the observance of Messiah, brings blessings.  Reading Scriptures reveals the mystery of His Kingdom; provides a spiritual connection with Y'shua; provides prophetic discernment and is pleasing to YHWH our Creator and His Anointed One, Y'shua.

Yah's Instructions reveal sin as we learn right from wrong.  It specifies what is good and acceptable conduct according to our Creator and provides guidelines for righteousness and repentance.

Andrew G. Roth, in his Aramaic English New Testament, breaks down the 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) into categories: The 248 Positive (Dos) and the 365 Negative (Don'ts).  I will list those categories here for you.

There are 248 Positive Commands as they pertain to these categories:

• YHWH
• Torah
• Temple and Priests
• Sacrifices
• Vows
• Ritual Purity
• Donations to Temple
• Sabbatical Year (Jubilee)
• Animals for food
• Festivals
• Community
• Idolatry
• War
• Social
• Family
• Judicial
• Slaves (bondservants)
• Torts

There are 365 Negative Commands and they pertain to:

• Related practices to idolatry
• Prohibitions resulting in historical events
• Blasphemy
• Temple, Sacrifices and Priests
• Dietary Laws
• Nazarites
• Agriculture
• Loans, Business, Treatment of Slaves
• Justice
• Incest and Forbidden Relationships
• The Monarchy

Yah's Commandments are common sense law for our health and well being.  We will experience this system after the return of Y'shua during his thousand year reign on this earth.  By reading and studying Scriptures now we will know what is expected of us.  He has shown us the End from the Beginning!

It is not up to us to decide how we should honor our Creator - it is about what He wants, not what we think and feel is the right thing.  If we love Him we keep His Commandments.  Even Y'shua said, "If you love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)  Also, "He who has my Commandments with  him and keeps them (obeys the Word of God) is he who loves me and will be loved by my Father."  (John 14:21)  And, "If you keep my Commandments you will abide in my love, just as I have kept the Commandments of my Father...: (John 15:10).  Y'shua kept Torah.

 Our Father in heaven gave us free will.  He is long-suffering, waiting for us to choose to love Him and by keeping His Commandments we show that love.