You've
heard it said, I've heard it, and perhaps we've all heard it. Maybe, we've even
said it ourselves a time or two. "Thank God, I'm saved by Grace,
and not by the keeping of Torah (Instruction). Let me make myself clear,
before some get their shorts in a wad, even before they read what I'm about to
say. We are most certainly saved by Grace, and not by the keeping of Torah. However, there are some very important things to notice about being saved by Grace.
If a person says they have given their lives to Yeshua ha-Mashiach (Jesus the
Messiah), and there is no noticeable change in their lives, are they saved
by Grace? If a person is immersed into the death, burial and Resurrection of Yeshua, and it is evident by their
lives, that they went into the water a dry sinner, and came up out of the water
a wet sinner, are they saved by Grace? It is a sad commentary,
that many people who think they are saved, and serving Yeshua, will one day stand
before Him, only to hear the words, "Depart from me you workers of
iniquity. I never knew you." These are not my words, but the very words
spoken from the mouth of Adonai Yeshua in Matthew 7:23.
This
message is not popular among those who believe the once saved, always saved
doctrine, but the problem arises from the fact, that many who believe
themselves to be saved, never were. I believe that Yeshua will never lose one, that has been placed in his hand by the Father, but not everyone who calls themselves a
believer in Yeshua, actually is a believer. Many say they are believers, but there is
never a sign of repentance in their lives. There is no fruit of repentance. Isaiah,
29:13 says this of them:
"13 Therefore The Lord says: 'These people draw near to Me with their mouths, and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward me Me is taught by the commandments of men.
When Elohim said, "Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men." What do we think He meant by that? What is considered worship in the eyes of our heavenly Father? There are many different ideas, of what man considers to be worship, but are they really what our heavenly Father considers to be worship? Many show up to church, or synagogue every week to worship, but is that really what they are doing in the eyes of our heavenly Father? Yeshua said, that the time would come, and is now here, that believers would worship the Father in Spirit and Truth. What does that mean? If we are not born from above, and have not the Spirit within us, that leads us into all truth, are we worshiping the Father in an acceptable manner in His eyes?
If we have not the Spirit, we can neither know the truth, nor can we worship Him in the Spirit of Truth. That which is flesh is flesh, and that which is spirit is spirit. We can no more worship the Father in the flesh, than we can swim in gasoline. Just as we cannot worship the Father without the Spirit, it is impossible to please Him in the flesh. Because Messiah shed His blood to cover our sins, He also makes a way for us to keep Torah, by walking in the Spirit. It is only through walking in the Spirit that we can live Torah in our lives. Are we going to stumble at times? Of course we are. Are we saved by the keeping of Torah? Certainly not. However, we keep Torah, because we are saved.
Do we really believe, that we can live our lives, in blatant disregard to the instructions, laws, regulations, and statutes of our heavenly Father, given to us in Torah, and get off with a free pass to eternity with Him? Do we really believe, that everything is going to be just fine, when we stand before our Creator on that final day, when He will judge the whole world according to His Word? Do we really think the Living Word cancelled out the written Word, which was spoken by Him in the first place? Yeshua, is the Word made flesh. Do we think for a moment, that He cancelled out everything written about Him in Torah, and the Prophets in the Tanakh (Old Testament)? Is that what Yeshua said of Himself? In Matthew 5:17-19 we read this:
When Elohim said, "Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men." What do we think He meant by that? What is considered worship in the eyes of our heavenly Father? There are many different ideas, of what man considers to be worship, but are they really what our heavenly Father considers to be worship? Many show up to church, or synagogue every week to worship, but is that really what they are doing in the eyes of our heavenly Father? Yeshua said, that the time would come, and is now here, that believers would worship the Father in Spirit and Truth. What does that mean? If we are not born from above, and have not the Spirit within us, that leads us into all truth, are we worshiping the Father in an acceptable manner in His eyes?
If we have not the Spirit, we can neither know the truth, nor can we worship Him in the Spirit of Truth. That which is flesh is flesh, and that which is spirit is spirit. We can no more worship the Father in the flesh, than we can swim in gasoline. Just as we cannot worship the Father without the Spirit, it is impossible to please Him in the flesh. Because Messiah shed His blood to cover our sins, He also makes a way for us to keep Torah, by walking in the Spirit. It is only through walking in the Spirit that we can live Torah in our lives. Are we going to stumble at times? Of course we are. Are we saved by the keeping of Torah? Certainly not. However, we keep Torah, because we are saved.
Do we really believe, that we can live our lives, in blatant disregard to the instructions, laws, regulations, and statutes of our heavenly Father, given to us in Torah, and get off with a free pass to eternity with Him? Do we really believe, that everything is going to be just fine, when we stand before our Creator on that final day, when He will judge the whole world according to His Word? Do we really think the Living Word cancelled out the written Word, which was spoken by Him in the first place? Yeshua, is the Word made flesh. Do we think for a moment, that He cancelled out everything written about Him in Torah, and the Prophets in the Tanakh (Old Testament)? Is that what Yeshua said of Himself? In Matthew 5:17-19 we read this:
17
"Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to
fulfill. 18 Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the
smallest letter (yod) or
serif (crown over a Hebrew letter) shall ever pass away from the Torah
until all things come to pass. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of
these commandments, and teaches others the same, shall be called the least in
the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps and teaches them, this one shall be
called great in the kingdom of heaven." (Tree of Life NT) [Inserts are
mine.]
I
ask this simple question, referring to the above passage. Have heaven and earth
passed away? There is only one, who was able to keep Torah. He, who was the
Word made flesh. We cannot do it of our own volition, and in our own strength,
but a life that is surrendered to Yeshua can do it, by faith through him. Does
that mean we just ignore Torah, and live our lives as we please? Of course
not.
It is Yeshua working in us, through Ruach ha-Kodesh (The Holy Spirit), to both will, and to do the will of the Father (Phil. 2:13). Who is teaching you, that it is alright to break our Father's commandments willfully? Our Creator gave us His commandments to protect us, that we may live long, be healthy, and have blessed and prosperous lives. Keeping what is written in Torah is what pleases Him. Do you want to please our heavenly Father, or do you want to please yourself, and people around you? As believers in Messiah, we are to live our lives to please Him, not as pleasers of men.
It is Yeshua working in us, through Ruach ha-Kodesh (The Holy Spirit), to both will, and to do the will of the Father (Phil. 2:13). Who is teaching you, that it is alright to break our Father's commandments willfully? Our Creator gave us His commandments to protect us, that we may live long, be healthy, and have blessed and prosperous lives. Keeping what is written in Torah is what pleases Him. Do you want to please our heavenly Father, or do you want to please yourself, and people around you? As believers in Messiah, we are to live our lives to please Him, not as pleasers of men.
Is
it important to try to keep Torah, in order to please God, or is there
something about Torah that many believers in Messiah are missing? Think on
this.
Proverbs
7:1-3 says:
"My
son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments,
and live; and my laws as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy
fingers, write them upon the table of
thine heart." (KJV)
It
should be plain, that the writer of this proverb is trying to make it clear, that keeping Torah is important for living a blessed life, and they should be the focus
and desire of our hearts. This was not only for those living in the time before
Messiah walked the earth, but it is to be constantly upon the hearts of those
who truly love our heavenly Father, and are called according to His purpose in Messiah.
There is to be a marked difference, between those who love Yeshua, and those who
say they love Yeshua, but are only giving him lip service, or those who are
following the god of this world.
Is the keeping of Torah important to our Creator?
Consider what is written in Jeremiah 31:31-33:
"Behold
the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the
house of Judah: Not according to the covenant I made with their fathers in the day
I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although
I was a husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall
be the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the
LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts;
and will be their God and they shall be my people." (KJV)
Notice
in the above passage that the Spirit is speaking directly to the house of Israel,
and to the house of Judah. He is declaring a new
covenant with His people. Some try to say, that this is speaking allegorically
about the church, and not Israel. That is twisting scripture, as the language is
perfectly clear, to whom Elohim is addressing. The New Covenant spoken of here, is with Israel
and Judah. Yes. I know, that it is also given for the Goyim who claim the promises, by being grafted into Israel. Notice also where Elohim is writing His instructions (Torah).
It is to be written in their hearts. We need to ask ourselves this question. If we are not to observe Torah, why would the Spirit write Torah upon our
hearts? I believe, it is because, our love for Yeshua, is to be so great, that
the thought of breaking His commandments would be absolutely repulsive to those
who love and trust in him.
It
is important to understand this important fact. It is by our Father's grace, that we are able to live Torah, through the working of Ruach haKodesh
in our inner being. It is the Ruach, imparting to us the life of Yeshua haMashiach. It is not
something we can work to achieve of our own volition, strength, or human
nature. It is only achieved through surrendering your life completely to
Yeshua.
Many are afraid that by surrendering to Yeshua, their life will be over, and that they will never be able to enjoy life
again. Nothing could be further from the truth. Life in Messiah is full and
rich. Those who follow after their own ways, or the ways of this world live
empty lives. They are always searching for some pleasure that will remain for
more than a few hours, but they can never seem to find it. Their joy is
shallow, and soon fades. I often hear their words, and have even said them myself in the past, "Is this all
there is to life?" Their motto is "Life stinks, and then you
die." Those who do not know Yeshua as their savior are constantly looking
for something. Their lives are always miserable and empty. They may deny it to your face, but in their heart of hearts, they know it's true. When they place their heads on their pillow at night, and are alone with their thoughts, they know. There is no escape from the reality that you feel alone and empty.
It doesn't matter how many so called friends they have, or how much stuff they have gathered, or how much they travel around the world. They feel empty. They are searching for something, and they can never seem to find satisfaction. The reason, is because, they are searching in all the wrong places. Lives that are apart from Yeshua, are always filled with oppression. Have you ever noticed how angry their lives are without Yeshua? Always wanting to fight, or always cutting other people down? Even at their parties, fights break out. When it's all over, they end up praying to their porcelain god, asking him to just get them through another hangover. Swearing to him that they will never drink another drop (until next time). Lives that are surrendered to Messiah Yeshua however, are always full and rich, even during the hard times. Do we suffer hard times? Of course we do, but there is that blessed assurance, that in the end; We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, and are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
It doesn't matter how many so called friends they have, or how much stuff they have gathered, or how much they travel around the world. They feel empty. They are searching for something, and they can never seem to find satisfaction. The reason, is because, they are searching in all the wrong places. Lives that are apart from Yeshua, are always filled with oppression. Have you ever noticed how angry their lives are without Yeshua? Always wanting to fight, or always cutting other people down? Even at their parties, fights break out. When it's all over, they end up praying to their porcelain god, asking him to just get them through another hangover. Swearing to him that they will never drink another drop (until next time). Lives that are surrendered to Messiah Yeshua however, are always full and rich, even during the hard times. Do we suffer hard times? Of course we do, but there is that blessed assurance, that in the end; We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, and are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
What
is the meaning of Grace?
According
to Merriam-Webster, Grace in a biblical sense means: 1: help
given man by God (as in overcoming temptation). 2: freedom from sin by divine grace. 3: a virtue coming from God.
What
does the Bible say Grace is?
The Bible says Grace is a spirit.
The Bible says Grace is a spirit.
Zechariah,
12:10 says:
"And
I will pour out upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look
upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one as
one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that
is in bitterness for his firstborn."
(KJV)
Knowing
that Grace is a spirit, it should become obvious that Grace
is a function of the Ruach (Spirit) of Messiah Yeshua, working in our
lives. So, as believers in Messiah, we are to live our lives in such a manner, as
to not grieve the Ruach, and therefore make a mockery of the Grace given
to us by Him. Ephesians 4:30 says:
"Do
not grieve the Ruach haKodesh of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of
redemption." (Tree of Life NT)
I would like for you to think on these words from the letter to the Messianic Believers (Hebrews) 10:26-29:
"For
if we keep on sinning willfully after we have received the
knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for
sins, but only a terrifying expectation of judgment and a fury of fire
about to devour the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the Torah of Moses
dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. How
much more severe do you think the punishment will be for the one who has
trampled Ben-Elohim (The Son of God) underfoot, and has regarded as
unholy the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy, and has insulted
the Spirit of grace?" (Tree of Life NT) [Insert is mine]
Playing
church, is not going to get us into the Kingdom of Elohim. Showing up at the
social clubs some call churches, is not going to get us there either.
Throwing a five dollar bill into the collection plate, is not going to buy us a pass into the kingdom of heaven. Only a heart surrendered to Messiah is going to get us there. Only
by taking up our cross daily, and following Yeshua, is there life eternal. If
you have been playing games with our Creator, and think there is plenty of time,
you need to quit, and you need to quit now! The signs of the times are all
around us, and they have never been as evident as they are today. Once the door
is shut, there is no more chance of getting in. Time is running out.
If you are in a church that is not preaching salvation with an urgency, you need to get out. You need to get out, NOW! I sat in several churches for many years, and never once heard the message of salvation. I have to ask; Why are they there? Why are their doors open, and why do people go to them? They are dead, and the Ruach haKodesh is not active there. They are Babylon (confusion), and Yeshua is saying; "Come out of her, all my people. For the time has come to judge Babylon." Yeshua is standing right in front of us with his arms held open wide, waiting for us to come to Him. He is wanting to rescue us, from the horrible destruction that is about to come upon the whole earth. He wants to give to us His shalom (peace). Ask him to make himself real to you. Ask him to save you, and repent (turn away) from your sins. There is no other way. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which you might be saved. Cry out to Yeshua to save you. He listens to our cries for help. If you call upon Him to save you, He will do it.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
If you are in a church that is not preaching salvation with an urgency, you need to get out. You need to get out, NOW! I sat in several churches for many years, and never once heard the message of salvation. I have to ask; Why are they there? Why are their doors open, and why do people go to them? They are dead, and the Ruach haKodesh is not active there. They are Babylon (confusion), and Yeshua is saying; "Come out of her, all my people. For the time has come to judge Babylon." Yeshua is standing right in front of us with his arms held open wide, waiting for us to come to Him. He is wanting to rescue us, from the horrible destruction that is about to come upon the whole earth. He wants to give to us His shalom (peace). Ask him to make himself real to you. Ask him to save you, and repent (turn away) from your sins. There is no other way. There is no other name under heaven given among men by which you might be saved. Cry out to Yeshua to save you. He listens to our cries for help. If you call upon Him to save you, He will do it.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
Shalom Ahlaychem,
Barry
W. Gaugler
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