We are ready to begin Part 2 of our teaching series here about: “Does the Law of Messiah Abolish the Law of Moshe?” And that is the question we are looking to find the answer to based on careful examination of both “Old Testament” and “New Testament” scripture.

I have put them in quotes because I do not exactly feel comfortable with putting names on portions of the Bible that way, because if you were to look in any Bible that is printed today, you will find one uninspired page in it, and that is the page that says “New Testament.”

That is not actually in the Bible, but we will get into that in Part 3 of this study series. So there is a third part coming up.

But we are ministers of the New Covenant and the question is: Does the New Covenant contain the same set of laws as the Old Covenant? That is an important question for us to find the answer to.

In the previous segment, I shared about how many of the things Yahushua taught were already being taught in what is commonly called the Old Testament portion of Scripture.

And some of those in traditional Christianity will build on those things that they think are new and consider them to be a part of some kind of new and improved law that believers in Messiah are now supposed to follow.

It is sometimes believed that the Law of Moshe (the Law of Moses) is actually being replaced by this new and improved law, the Law of Messiah. And there are various scriptures that are used to support that viewpoint.

One of them is found in John chapter 14, and we are going to go through several verses here in John 14. This is Messiah speaking:

John 14:15 – If you love Me, keep My commandments.

And someone might point out, “Well, yes, keep Messiah’s commandments,” as if those commandments that Messiah gave are somehow different now or perhaps even in direct opposition to the Law of Moses.

I have encountered some in my walk who when I quote this verse to support the importance of keeping the Torah (Yahweh’s commandments) as evidence of our love for Yahweh, they will literally dismiss what I say by simply telling me, “Oh, well, those are Messiah’s commandments, not the Law of Moses.”

Well, let’s continue reading and see what else is being written here.

John 14:16 – And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever —

17 – the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

Notice there is a progression here of steps. The progression of steps is: Love Him. If you love Him, then you will keep His commandments. And what will happen? He will pray to the Father, and the Father will give you a Helper. That Helper is the Spirit of truth. Yahweh will give you the Spirit of truth.

This is different than the strong delusion that causes one to believe a lie. He will give you a Spirit of truth because you are making the conscience choice to love Yahweh. The Spirit of truth the world cannot receive. It neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

So the evidence for our love for Messiah is that we choose to keep His commandments. And then He will give us the Holy Spirit. That is also confirmed in the book of Acts when the Apostles were speaking to the Sanhedrin. They said:

Acts 5:30 – The Elohim of our fathers raised up Yahushua whom you murdered by hanging on a tree.

31 – Him Elohim has exalted to His right hand [to be] Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

32 – And we are His witnesses to these things, and [so] also [is] the Holy Spirit whom Elohim has given to those who obey Him.

Essentially the same thing Yahushua was saying– “If you love Me, keep My commandments, and I will send you My Spirit.” So there is a condition that is presented here in what is called “New Testament” scripture.

And the more you love Him and the more you obey Him, the more of His Spirit is going to be in you, and the more power is going to be manifesting in your life. So Yahweh is willing to give us His Holy Spirit if we are willing to obey Him.

This is essentially the same thing Yahushua was teaching, only this time we are saying, “If you love Yahweh. If you love Elohim.” Elohim is the Father, right? Now if Yahushua and Yahweh are having like two different sets of laws, to me that is crazy to think that way.

I mean, are they in a boxing match fighting over whose commandments man should follow? Is it the Old Testament in one corner and the New Testament in the other corner and they are both kind of duking it out and the New Testament wins? Is that how things go?

Is it like Yahweh the Father’s commandments and the Law of Moses over here and then Messiah comes along and makes it a little easier on us? Although, He also makes it harder on us. Something doesn’t make sense.

And then Yahushua wins and frees us from that old, Old Testament that brought us into bondage and into hardship, and now we are allowed to walk in Messiah’s commandments, which are not so harsh and so strict, and yet, they deal with the heart, so they are harsher? I don’t know. Something does not line up, with modern theology.

I don’t know if I have ever heard anybody come out and say what I have just presented to you about the boxing match and everything. I have never heard anybody actually teach that.

But it is the impression I get… as if Yahushua came to deliver us from this big, bad Law of Moses that was wrong-headed, externally focused, seeking to bring us into bondage and He came to free us from all that. I mean, how can a law make you be in bondage, really?

If I said to my son or my daughter, “Will you love me?” am I trying to bring them into bondage? No. Why would loving be bondage? So the Law that Yahweh gives cannot bring someone into bondage, in and of itself. Now if we disobey the Law, we put ourselves in bondage for our own disobedience, our own sin.

But the Law itself cannot make someone go into bondage. If we kept all of its precepts like Yahushua did, we would not have been in bondage to our sin. We would not even need a Savior.

It is our disobedience that will bring us and result in our being in bondage, not the Law. The Law is a good thing. The Law is just, holy and good.

So, Romans 3:19. It says:

Romans 3:19 – Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before Elohim.

Who are the ones who are under the Law? I ask that question. Who are the ones who are under the Law?

Well, some say just the Jewish people are under the Law; it is the Law of Moses given to the Jews. But then it says, “Whatever the Law says, it says to those who are under the Law, that EVERY mouth may be stopped and ALL THE WORLD may become guilty before Elohim.”

Now if the Law that was given through Moshe was only for the Jews, then how could it be that the entire world becomes guilty and the entire world is placed under that Law?

It says:

Romans 3:20 – Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin.

Do you believe this statement: “By the law is the knowledge of sin”? The Law of Moshe (this is what he is talking about here, right?) instructs you as to what sin is. That is its purpose. So the Law convicts the entire world as being under sin.

Now if we were under the Law, instead of under grace, we would be condemned, because the Law cannot justify us. It cannot declare us righteous. By our own deeds, by this work of the Law, the Law itself, in and of itself, cannot justify us. It can only condemn us because we have not kept it. It can only show you what your sin is.

It informs you that you are a sinner in need of redemption. It informs you that you need a Savior. It comes as an informant and as an instructor. Now once we receive the Messiah, does the Law stop showing us what sin is? Is there some new law that we are looking to? That is the question.

Some believe the Law of Moses ceases to be the correct definition of what sin is and it has been replaced by this new law– the Law of Messiah.

For instance, the Law of Moses says we should keep the Feast Days. Some believe the Law of Messiah makes no mention of the Feast Days, and so, we are free to disobey those commandments that tell us to keep the Feast Days. And therefore, the Law of Moses is no longer a suitable or correct source for determining what sin is.

But that is not what I am reading here. It is talking about the Law of Moses, the Law that people were under, right? It says by the Law is the knowledge of sin. So if the Law tells you to keep the Feast Days and you choose not to, it is informing you, it is giving you knowledge that you have committed a sin.

Very simple logic here I would hope to say. I mean, it is not too complicated. But we are taught today, “Oh, no. Just read the New Testament.” “By the New Testament is the knowledge of sin.”

Well, I would say, yes, the New Testament does inform us what sin is and what sin is not, just as the Old Testament does. But to say that the Law no longer is a standard by which we can determine what sin is and what sin is not is simply unbiblical according to Paul’s writings here in Romans 3:20.

But let’s continue our reading of John chapter 14. Moving on from verse 17, Yahushua says:

John 14:18 – I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

19 – A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.

Speaking of His resurrection here.

John 14:20 – At that day you will know that I [am] in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

21 – He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.

The more we love Him, the more He will show us what He is all about, the more He will show us His love and how He loved man and how He loved Yahweh. And we will keep more and more commandments as we understand the Father’s will for us.

So Yahushua is simply affirming that those who have His commandments and keep them, those are the ones that are “loved by my Father” and loved by Messiah. And it is a progression. It is not instant “you know everything.” It is a process of learning more and more.

And the more you learn of what you are supposed to do, the more Yahweh will set His love upon you as well and the more He will show you His ways, the more He will show you the Messiah Yahushua.

And so, then Judas asked the question:

John 14:22 – Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, Master, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?

He answers by basically saying, “Well, the world does not keep My commandments, so they are not going to know Me.

John 14:23 – Yahushua answered and said to him, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

We will become the temple of the Holy Spirit. Both the Father and Son will dwell in us. The Son will dwell in us, and therefore, the Father, who dwells in the Son, will dwell in us.

John 14:24 – He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

“The one that does not love Me [that is the world] does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine [do you get that?] but the Father’s who sent Me.”

So when He says, “My commandments,” He is really saying, “My Father’s commandments,” right? Yahushua says He will manifest Himself to us, not to the world, when we keep His word. He makes His home with us. Then He says, “Well, My words really are not even My words. My words are My Father’s words.”

So, again, there is no difference between the words and commandments of Messiah and the words or commandments of Yahweh the Father. They are both one in will, in thought, in purpose. They are not divided against themselves. If they were, the Kingdom would never stand, right?

Now in a later chapter, in John chapter 15, verse 10, it says:

John 15:10 – If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

11 – These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and [that] your joy may be full.

12 – This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

But remember, this is also the heavenly Father’s commandment. Now some may use that to say there is a difference between Yahushua’s and Yahweh’s commandments. But Yahushua just told us (John 14), every commandment He gave are the words of the Father who sent Him, right?

So just as Messiah loves us, we are called to love each other. This is Yahweh’s and Yahushua’s commandment. Every commandment Yahushua gave was authorized and authored by Yahweh the Father.

So in light of this, we do see a new commandment. And that is all right because Yahweh gave it. We do not want to go to the other extreme and say, “Well, Yahweh can never add anything to His own Word, to His own Law. Of course, He can.

And especially since Messiah has now been manifested, we are told and commanded by Messiah and by Yahweh to love each other as we are loved by Messiah. Wonderful words.

John 15:12 – This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

13 – Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

14 – You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

Conditional. Do you want to be His friend? Do what He says. Yahushua’s commandment is that we love one another as He has loved us. That love would include laying down our lives for each other. That is certainly a new commandment.

But notice that Yahushua said He was actually abiding in His Father’s love by keeping His Father’s commandments. Remember that.

So if we are loving as Yahushua loved, then we are actually keeping the Father’s commandments. This is how He loved. How did He love? He says, “I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” So if we want to love as He loved, then we will keep the Father’s commandments– just as He did.

And with that, other scripture agrees:

1John 2:1 – My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yahushua Messiah the righteous.

2 – And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

3 – Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

And some people, again, say, “Well, that is the Messiah’s commandments,” as if there is some difference between the Father and the Son and their commandments.

1John 2:4 – He who says, I know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Whoa! What are they? They are a liar. Now I did not write the mail here, but you cannot claim to know Messiah unless you keep His commandments. And the truth will not be in you until you keep His commandments.

Now I am not promoting a works-based salvation and neither is John. But this is the evidence that He dwells in us, that we are living as He lived.

1John 2:5 – But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of Elohim is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

See, the love of Elohim and the love of Messiah is all one and the same.

1John 2:6 – He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Just as Yahushua walked. No difference. You walk as He walked, and you will be abiding in Him.

How did He walk? I love asking that question. I really do. Because it is a question for myself. It is a question for all of us.

How did Messiah walk? If we are keeping the Messiah’s commandments, we are going to walk just as Messiah walked.

He kept the Father’s commandments as revealed in the Law of Moses. He did. And some say today, “Oh, well, except those.” That is not what it says here– “JUST AS HE WALKED.” No different. Live the way He did. Because the reality is, there is no difference between keeping the Law of Moses and following Messiah.

There is no difference between keeping the Law of Moses and walking as Messiah walked. Why? Because that is a manifestation of love. We love Yahweh, and the evidence of our love for Him is that we keep those commandments. Just as Messiah loved the Father, we love the Father, we love Messiah.

And that is why John said, “By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and keep His commandments.” (1 John 5:2). That is how you know you love the children of Elohim. That is how you know you love your neighbor. By loving Yahweh and keeping His commandments.

“For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” That is 1 John 5:3.

So we need to completely set aside and walk away from this mentality, or this notion, that there is some kind of difference between keeping the Messiah’s commandments and keeping the Father’s commandments. There is no difference. There is just no difference.

Revelation 14:12 – Here is the patience of the saints; here [are] those who keep the commandments of Elohim and the faith of Yahushua.

These are who the saints actually are identified as. This is their identity in the book of Revelation. They believe, they have faith in Messiah and they also keep the commandments of Elohim. That is our identity in the book of Revelation. We accept both the commandments of Elohim and the faith of Messiah.

And there is no difference listed here between the Messiah’s commandments and the Father’s commandments (Elohim’s commandments).

In fact, Yahushua is actually called “The Word of Elohim.” It says:

Revelation 19:13 – He [was] clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of Elohim.

That is His identity.

Revelation 19:14 – And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

15 – Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty Elohim.

Whoa! So much for a babe in a manger. He comes back as a lion, right? This sharp sword is the Word of Elohim. He is called the Living Word of Elohim because He walked out the Word of Elohim perfectly.

John 1:14 – And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

So Yahushua is called the Word of Elohim that became flesh dwelling among us. And He can legitimately be called the Word of Elohim because He is the living manifestation of Yahweh’s Word being lived out. He did not fail to keep any command of the Father at any time in His life. He was and is in perfect obedience to the will and Word of Elohim.

And so, it is His life that is supposed to be our pattern on how we ought to live. It is His life the early believers sought to emulate. And anyone saying, “Oh, no, do not imitate that part of Him,” what are they teaching? Don’t be like Messiah. Don’t be like Him.

Whereas, the Apostle Paul says:

1Corinthians 11:1 – Imitate me, just as I also [imitate] Messiah.

Right? “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Messiah.” This is different than what we are hearing in traditional Christianity.

Traditional Christianity says, “Oh, no. Do not imitate Messiah when it comes to keeping the Sabbath day on the 7th day of the week… or Feast keeping… or eating clean foods only… or other examples of where He kept His Father’s commandments and was a living manifestation of the Word of Yahweh as revealed in the Law of Moses.

No exception given here. I do not see an exception in 1 Corinthians 11, or 1 John 2, or John 14. Paul himself kept the Sabbaths just like Yahushua did.

Acts 17:1 – Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

2 – Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

It does not look like he was going off to work that day.

Acts 18:20 – When they asked [him] to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent,

21 – but took leave of them, saying, I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, Elohim willing. And he sailed from Ephesus.

He is going to keep the Feast. “Imitate me,” he said, “as I imitate Messiah.”

Acts 25:7 – When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove,

8 – while he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.

The “law of the Jews” is the Law of Moses. He was a Torah keeper. Unquestionably! A Torah keeper.

So unless Paul was a liar (and I do not believe he was a liar), he was fully Torah observant. He did keep the Law of Moses.

So if Yahushua is our example and He kept the Law of Moses, and if Paul says, “Imitate me, as I imitate Messiah,” and he keeps the Law of Moses, why would we believe that following the Messiah would exclude the idea of keeping the Law of Moses in favor of some new Law of Messiah that somehow abolishes the Law of Moses?

Now, again, I understand, Messiah introduced some new things. I am not denying that. But He did not take away anything.

In Galatians 6, verse 1, it says:

Galatians 6:1 – Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who [are] spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

2 – Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Messiah.

Now this is the only place in what is called New Testament scripture that actually speaks of the Law of Messiah. But notice this Law of Messiah is that we should bear each other’s burdens.

That is exactly what Yahushua’s commandment was in John, to: “Love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

Just as He bore our sin and did not lash out, did not retaliate, we are called to walk in that Law of Messiah, bearing one another’s burdens, correcting each other in gentleness and patience, just as Messiah does for us. That is love.

So we lay down our lives for one another, following this new commandment that He gave to love one another as He has loved us. That is indeed a law of Messiah.

Yahushua also taught us to be baptized in His name. That was not something found in the Law of Moses. He taught us to partake of His body and His blood, symbolically, through partaking of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine.

These are new commandments, but remember, Yahushua said:

John 14:24 – He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.

Whose? “The Father’s who sent Me” So every commandment He gave came from the Father. And I would dare say, if Yahweh came down to you in a vision, and said, “Go into the city of whatever and tell them, preach to them, about Me,” that is a new law for you, right?

I mean, He added to His own Law for you. He can give you a new law anytime He wants to. He can come down in a bolt of lightning and tell all of us to hit the road and just do not look back. And that is a new law for us. That is a commandment. All right?

You know, Yahweh can add to His Word anytime He wants to. There is nothing wrong with that. But that does not mean it is replacing something that He already said. It does not mean He is taking away from what He told us to do before.

I mean, imagine that. Every time we tell our child a new commandment, they think the old commandments we gave them did not mean anything. It doesn’t make any sense. It is progressive revelation. We learn more and more as we grow.

Now I want to examine some other scriptures here that some may use to suggest, “Oh, there is a new law that replaces the Law of Moses.” It is in James chapter 2, and also, chapter 1. We are going to look at chapter 2 first.

In James chapter 2, verse 8, it says:

James 2:8 – If you really fulfill [the] royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well;

There is this “royal law.”

James 2:9 – but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

You are convicted by what? “The law as transgressors.”

Now some suggest this “royal law” is the new Law of Messiah that supplants or takes the place of or replaces, or whatever, the Law of Moshe (that is the Law of Moses).

But this royal law is actually from the Law of Moses. Here it is, the royal law: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Some people believe this law replaces the whole Law of Moses. But this law is actually from the Law of Moses.

Leviticus 19:18 – `You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I [am] YAHWEH.

So there is your Levitical law, brothers and sisters, from the book of LEVITICUS. This Levitical law is telling you: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That is the royal law, right?

A law coming from royalty would be a law that comes down from a King. Yahushua is obviously a King. Yahweh is a King. The royal law: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Yahushua is the Word that was with Elohim in the beginning, right?

John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim.

2 – He was in the beginning with Elohim.

That is Messiah. He was there. In these latter days, He is that Word that became flesh and dwelt among us, as we read earlier.

And so, who is really the Author of the Torah, the Law of Moses? Yahushua, the Royal King. The royal law comes from Messiah. The entire Law of Moses comes from Messiah because He is the Word in the beginning, and He is the Word being manifested to us in the latter days.

And so, this royal law is coming from Messiah, Yahweh’s Anointed. You know, Yahushua is not just the Word in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. He is the Word in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy– the whole Bible, cover to cover. You cannot exclude that.

So we continue reading here, back in James 2.

James 2:10 – For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one [point], he is guilty of all.

11 – For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

Right? I have had people quote this to me quite often, actually.

James 2:12 – So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.

And people believe this is some new law.

James 2:13 – For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Again, this verse is often quoted by those in traditional Christianity to support the idea it is impossible to keep Yahweh’s Law. They say if you are going to tell us to keep the Law of Yahweh, you are asking us to do the impossible, because if you even break one little, itty-bitty, teensy-weensy, little commandment, you have broken them all.

And therefore, they suggest, “Hey, there is no difference between one who seeks to keep the Law of Yahweh and one who doesn’t concern themselves with keeping it. We all end up breaking them anyway. So, why try? What is the point?”

If you try to tell someone, “Oh, we believe in keeping the Torah,” they are going to say, “Oh, boy. Well, if you even break one, you are going to be condemned.” How many of us have heard that?

And for that reason we are seen as being legalists, trying to place ourselves under bondage of having to keep Yahweh’s Law while they see themselves as the ones who are free and walking in this “law of liberty” and freedom of Messiah. And so, we are under bondage trying to keep “that old law” and they are walking in the law of liberty.

But is that what this scripture is teaching– “Oh, don’t bother trying to keep Yahweh’s Law because you are not going to be able to anyway”? Is that what it is teaching? Let’s look at it very closely, step by step. And we are going to start from the very first verse.

James is talking to the brothers. He is saying:

James 2:1 – My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Master Yahushua Messiah, [the Master] of glory, with partiality.

Do not hold this faith of Messiah with partiality.

James 2:2 – For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,

3 – and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, You sit here in a good place, and say to the poor man, You stand there, or, Sit here at my footstool,

4 – have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

James 2:5 – Listen, my beloved brethren: Has Elohim not chosen the poor of this world [to be] rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

6 – But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?

7 – Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?

So James is clearly speaking against partiality, right? He is saying, “Do not be partial to the rich and dishonor the poor man. You have evil thoughts.”

And so, he goes on to say:

James 2:8 – If you really fulfill [the] royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well;

9 – but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

How are they showing partiality? How are they failing to love their neighbor as themselves? By dishonoring the poor man, by having evil thoughts, right? So James is telling us we are not really loving our neighbor as ourselves if we are showing partiality. We are failing to fulfill this royal law, as if that is our goal to fulfill that law.

That is our goal, to love, right? And so, James is telling us it is a bad thing to show partiality. Therefore, it must logically also be a bad thing if we are failing to fulfill this royal law.

His point is not, “Oh, why try?” His point is, “Hey, we are trying to fulfill this royal law, here. But if you are showing partiality, then you are not doing it. Because even if you keep the rest of the Law, if you stumble in that one point, you are guilty of everything. You are still a transgressor.”

James 2:10 – For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one [point], he is guilty of all.

He is assuming our goal is to fulfill that Law. As Messiah fulfilled the Law, we are supposed to fulfill the Law as well. It is our goal. And so, he is showing us we are failing to meet that goal if we are showing partiality.

For if we keep the entire Law except that one commandment that tells us not to show partiality, we are guilty of all because we are not fulfilling the Law of Yahweh as He desires us to.

In other words, do not take confidence in the idea that you are really loving your neighbor if you are ignoring the commandment in the Law which says do not show partiality.

Leviticus 19:15 – `You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.

That is what the Law teaches. We are failing to fulfill this expression of love in the Law of Yahweh by showing partiality. And so, James is not discouraging anybody from trying to keep the Law.

He is simply pointing out that in our efforts to keep Yahweh’s Law we cannot ignore what the Law says when it speaks against being partial to the rich or to the poor. Whether you are rich or poor has nothing to do with anything.

So if you show partiality, you commit sin. It is a transgression of the Law to show partiality, and therefore, you are convicted by the Law as transgressors.

James 2:10 – For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one [point], he is guilty of all.

11 – For He who said, Do not commit adultery, also said, Do not murder. Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

That is our goal, right? to transgress the Law? NO!! Our goal is to NOT transgress the Law.

And so, he continues his theme. He says, “Look, you are a transgressor if you choose to murder.” The same King who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” We would be failing to keep that royal law, failing to love your neighbor as yourself, failing to keep either of those two commandments– love Yahweh or love your neighbor.

So, again, James is affirming that our goal should be to avoid being a transgressor of the Law. He is not saying, “Oh, do not bother keeping that Law. It is impossible.” He is not saying that at all.

He is not saying, “Oh, do not worry about committing murder. Look, you cannot keep that Law anyway. It is impossible.” But that is the way it is presented to me a lot of times. And that is not Biblical. That is not what he is saying at all.

So, then he goes on to say:

James 2:12 – So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.

Now is he talking about some new law? He was talking about the Torah, the Law of Moshe, this whole time. This is Leviticus, right here (James 2:8): “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This is Exodus, right here (James 2:11): “Do not commit adultery,” and, “Do not commit murder.” Right?

Is he talking about some new law now? “So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.”

James 2:13 – For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

So, in context, who is the one failing to show mercy in James 2? It is the one showing partiality to the poor man. He is making the poor man sit at his footstool or stand over there, while the rich man sits in a nice comfy little place, right? We just read this.

James 2:2 – For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,

And actually, the Greek word here (for “assembly”) is: Grk. #4864 “Sunagoge.” It is translated “synagogue” almost every single time, but the times it is not, it is referring to a synagogue. Isn’t that interesting?

Because most people do not realize that out of 55 instances (this Greek word “sunagoge”) this is like the only place they translated it to hide the fact that a synagogue is what is meant. So they use the word “assembly” instead. Look it up.

“So if there should come into your synagogue a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes…” What are they doing in a synagogue if they are Sunday keepers? That is my question.

James 2:3 – and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, You sit here in a good place, and say to the poor man, You stand there, or, Sit here at my footstool,

4 – have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

“Judges with evil thoughts.” “Judgment without mercy (v. 13).” That is what he is referring to, the partiality being expressed here. That is what he is talking about.

So James is saying believers in Yahushua are judges with evil thoughts when they assume a poor man is less deserving of the better seat in the synagogue.

And so, James says:

James 2:12 – So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.

13 – For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

How are they doing that? They were dishonoring the poor man.

James 2:6 – But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?

They were showing partiality, and they had evil thoughts.

James 2:4 – have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

So just as you judge that man for having supposedly done something wrong to deserve his poor status, you will be judged. So speak and do as if you are also going to be judged by the law of liberty, the one that says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The Law of Moshe.

We will not be given mercy from Yahweh unless we also grant mercy. But if we are not willing to show mercy to others, and we judge them with evil thoughts, then Yahweh will judge us by the law of liberty. And if we are willing to show mercy to others in judgment, Yahweh is willing to show mercy to us.

And so, we speak and we do as though we are going to be judged by the law of liberty. It is our standard for life, also, not just for other people. And therefore, we should show mercy to the poor man.

Part of keeping Torah is treating others the way you want to be treated. If we lived in a society where everybody treated everybody the way they wanted to be treated, wouldn’t that be a society where people are free? or would it be a society where people are in bondage?

It would be a society in which people were free, right? They would have liberty. They would be walking in love– a society filled with love. And so, Yahweh’s Law is bringing us to freedom, not to bondage. It is disobedience to the Law that brings us to bondage.

If we are loving our neighbor as we would want to be loved, how would we want to be treated if we were poor? If we are loving our neighbor as ourself, I would try to put myself in his position. If I were a poor man and I walked into a synagogue, and they told me, “Oh, go stand over here,” or, “Go sit on that foot stool,” I would feel disrespected.

And so, a poor man comes into our synagogue, and we say, “Hey, come on in. Have a seat. There is a good seat right over here.” We treat him the way we would want to be treated, with respect– right?

But some suggest this law of liberty is some brand new law only found in what is called the New Testament. But I can show you the Law of Yahweh is a law of liberty. Remember, he is talking about love– loving your neighbor as yourself. This is from the book of Leviticus. It is a law of Moses.

The word “liberty” means “freedom.” A free man is one who is not a slave. Now if we are failing to show love to our neighbor, we are sinning. And therefore, we are walking in a way that ultimately places us in bondage. It is just like Yahushua said.

He said:

John 8:34 – Yahushua answered them, Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.

Right? Now if we do not commit sin and we choose to love, are we in bondage or are we free? We are free! That is why it is called the law of liberty.

What if we lived in a society where everybody loved each other. Would that society be free or would it be in bondage? It would be the most free and wonderful society in the world, right?

So please, understand. The intent of Yahweh’s Law is not to bring a society under bondage. The intent is to free them. The only way the Law of Moses could bring a person under bondage is if they had willfully broken it.

And so, the Law in and of itself is not bringing anybody into bondage. It is the people who refuse to obey the Law that are bringing themselves in bondage. To call Yahweh’s Law a law of bondage is an insult to the King.

Imagine your child telling you, “I don’t want to do what you say, Dad. It is bondage.” That is how He feels– disrespected. Do not call His Law bondage. That is disrespectful.

Now it is true that my sin resulted in death. Paul wrote in Romans 7:

Romans 7:10 – And the commandment, which [was] to [bring] life, I found to [bring] death.

Why? Because the commandment was bad? No!!

Romans 7:11 – For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed [me].

Sin is what the problem is here, not the Law. Sin. Because the Law is holy. The commandment is holy. It is just. It is good.

Romans 7:12 – Therefore the law [is] holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

The problem is we have been unholy, unjust and bad. So the problem is not the Law. The problem is us.

The intent of the commandment is to bring life. We found it to bring death, not because there was something wrong with the commandment, but because we disobeyed it.

So the Law itself cannot make us in bondage unless we choose to disobey it. It is our sin that brings us death and bondage, not the Law. The Law is holy. It is just and it is good. But we have not been holy. We have not been just. We have not been good.

The Law is a good thing, but we have not been good. Therefore, it is our sin that enslaves us, not the Law itself. We are the ones responsible, not Yahweh.

So how could a law that speaks righteous precepts be called a law of liberty when ultimately those commandments condemn our behavior? How can it be bringing us to a place of bondage by our disobedience and still be called a law of liberty? That is the question.

There are two ways. Number one: It is showing us the way of freedom, the way of love, the way of truth, the way of life. It is showing us righteousness. But did you know, also, the Law of Yahweh itself contains provisions for mercy and forgiveness?

It is commonly believed the Law of Yahweh does not contain any provisions for mercy, that it is harsh, it is cold, and it is without mercy. But how can that thought be reconciled with Yahushua’s statement in Matthew 23?

Yahushua said:

Matthew 23:23 – Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier [matters] of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

What are “these”? “These” are “paying tithe of mint and anise and cummin.”

“These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.” What are “the others”? “Justice,” “mercy,” “faith,” right?

So mercy is a part of the Law. In fact, it is not just part of the Law. It is a weightier matter of the Law. According to Yahushua Himself, mercy is not only a part of the Law; it is a weightier matter of the Law.

In fact, in the Ten Commandments– thundered from Mt. Sinai, with the earth quaking and the fiery smoke on top of the mountain– did you know that Yahweh talked about His mercy right in the Ten Commandments? In the words of the Ten Commandments, He talked about His willingness to give you mercy as part of the commandment.

Exodus 20:4 – You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness [of anything] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth;

5 – you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, YAHWEH your Elohim, [am] a jealous Elohim, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth [generations] of those who hate Me,

6 – but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Oh, there is that word, a weightier matter of the Law: MERCY! “But showing mercy to thousands, to those who LOVE ME and KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.” It is all one and the same. Interesting, heh? I think so.

Deuteronomy 7:9 – Therefore know that YAHWEH your Elohim, He [is] Elohim, the faithful Elohim who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

10 – and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.

Now if a person is loving Yahweh and keeping His commandments, why do they need mercy? Is He saying, “Only those who are perfect in every little tiny commandment I give, I will give mercy to”? No! I mean, He knows that everybody is going to mess up at some point in their life.

So everyone is going to fail to keep the commandments at some point. They are going to slip. And so, they need mercy. Otherwise, they would not need mercy. What do we need mercy for if you are perfect? But He knows we need mercy if we set our heart on loving Him and keeping His commandments.

Now if a person is loving Yahweh and keeping His commandments, yeah, they are going to need mercy, because Yahweh knows we need forgiveness for those times we have failed. He knows if we fail in one point, we are guilty of being a transgressor and we are in need of mercy.

And so, even in the Old Testament, He is willing to grant mercy to those who are willing to purpose in their hearts to love Him and keep His commandments.

The commandments would result in our death, but even in the Law, Yahweh talks about His willingness to grant mercy and forgiveness and restore us to life if we are willing to love Him. But if we willfully hate Him, we are not going to be granted mercy.

Consider the author of Psalm 119 for a minute. He says:

Psalms 119:55 – I remember Your name in the night, O YAHWEH, And I keep Your law.

He even sounds a little boastful there in the eyes of many– “Oh, are you bragging on yourself there? ‘I keep Your Law.’ ‘I remember Your name.’ ”

Psalms 119:87 – They almost made an end of me on earth, But I did not forsake Your precepts.

But then look what he says in verse 5…

Psalms 119:5 – Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes!

6 – Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments.

The same fellow wrote both verses. Do the scriptures contradict themselves? Was he contradicting himself? No, we are looking at a man, who, though he was committed to loving Yahweh and keeping His commandments, recognized the need for Yahweh’s mercy anyway, because he knew he was guilty of being a transgressor if he even offended in one point.

And so, his expectation was that he would be a recipient of mercy if he was willing to love Yahweh, love His Word and turn his heart toward keeping it. And in his mind, he was a keeper of the commandments and did not forsake the precepts, because the mercy of Yahweh cleansed him from all his sin.

Why? Because he had set his heart and did not want to forget HIs commandments.

And so, the psalmist understood that those who repent and turn their hearts toward righteousness can be expected to be sought out by the Shepherd, because the very last verse (actually, verse 176) says: “I have gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.”

He knew that he would be sought out by the Shepherd and he would be brought back into the sheepfold. And so, is it possible that the Law of Moses, with all its provisions for mercy toward those who set their hearts toward loving Him and keeping His commandments, is actually called a law of liberty? Let’s look at James 1:19 for confirmation.

We are going to read some verses here in James 1.

James 1:19 – So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

20 – for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of Elohim.

21 – Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

We are going to have to be patient and meek. We are told to receive the Word of Yahweh with meekness. In other words, do not be unmerciful toward your fellow man so that you would be caused to be wrathful and angry over their unrighteousness and forget the fact that you have the sin problem also.

Be slow to wrath, lay aside your own filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and address your own sin problem. And receive with meekness the implanted word with humility, knowing that you also have failed Elohim.

That is a good verse for us fathers. Be patient with our children. Your wrath will not produce righteousness in their hearts.

So the Word of Yahweh, the Law of Yahweh, which is supposed to be implanted, is able to save our souls. How can the Law of Yahweh be something that saves us? I thought it was not the Law that saved us, but it was the Messiah that saved us.

Look at Psalm 19, verse 7. It says:

Psalms 19:7 – The law of YAHWEH [is] perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of YAHWEH [is] sure, making wise the simple;

It does have a role in our salvation. It teaches us that right way to live. The Law in and of itself cannot make us righteous, but it plays a role in the process of salvation.

Number one: showing us the right way to life, revealing to us that we have not lived the right way and bringing us to Messiah for mercy. And then, teaching us the right way so that we may turn away from unrighteousness and grow in sanctification and obedience to Him.

And so, it plays a role in the salvation process. It is not just faith alone without any works attached that brings us salvation, because faith is evidenced by our works. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, they are a liar. They do not know Him.

By this we know that we are in Him, that we walk as He walked.

So when he is talking here (in James 1), he is talking about this implanted word. Just to confirm for you, the implanted word is actually the Law of Yahweh given through Moshe. And I would include the law and the teachings that were given in the New Testament as well.

Remember what Yahushua said about the parable of the sower? He said:

Luke 8:11 – Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of Elohim.

When He is giving the parable of the sower, what was the “word of Elohim” when Yahushua was talking? You know, there was no Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians back then. There was only Torah and the Prophets and the Psalms.

And so, the Word, the seed, it was only the Law of Moshe, right? So that is what He was talking about.

And Hebrews chapter 8, verse 10, says:

Hebrews 8:10 – For this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says YAHWEH: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.

This is the implanted word which we are called to receive with meekness, so that we might be saved.

James 1:21 – “… receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” Receive it.

Yahweh’s Word is like a seed. It gets planted in our minds, in our hearts, and if it is watered and nourished, it will grow and bear fruit. The only Word of Elohim Yahushua knew or proclaimed, or the people even talked about, was the Law given through Moshe.

And this verse here– Hebrews chapter 8, verse 10– it is a quotation from Jeremiah 31, verse 31:

Jeremiah 31:31 – Behold, the days are coming, says YAHWEH, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah —

32 – not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day [that] I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them , says YAHWEH.

33 – But this [is] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says YAHWEH: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.

Now you cannot forget the fact that when Yahweh is speaking this prophecy to Jeremiah and the children of Israel, He is talking to a literal person, a prophet, who was proclaiming these things to the people of Jerusalem. And what law was He talking about?

When Yahweh is speaking through Jeremiah, here, what law is He talking about? There was no Ephesians, Galatians, Corinthians and whatever. It is only the Torah, only the Law of Moshe. There was no Torah 2.0 or some new law that abolishes the old law in those days.

We have to understand the prophecy and context in which it is being spoken. Do not try to inject that into our own mentalities.

We have to realize that when reading the prophets, these are prophets who are literally speaking to the people of Judah and Israel in a specific time period. Jeremiah is speaking from the time that Josiah was a king until the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE.

And so, when he is telling Israel that the Torah (the Law) will be placed in the minds and hearts of Israel– OF ISRAEL, mind you– the only Torah he could possibly have been speaking about was the Torah that had been given, the only one that had been given– the Law of Moshe (the Law of Moses).

And we see this prophecy being fulfilled through Yahushua the Messiah. And so, the implanted word that is written in the hearts is the Law of Moshe. So…

James 1:22 – But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

He says be doers of it. What word is being read to everybody in the synagogue that James is writing to there? Remember he is writing to people who attend synagogue every Sabbath. On what day was the Law of Moshe being read? The seventh day Sabbath, of course.

See, it says: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” What word were they hearing? What word was implanted in them? The New Covenant says the Law of Moshe.

James 1:23 – For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;

24 – for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 – But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues [in it], and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

The law of liberty, right? That is “the word” being spoken of here– “the word.” Go back… “the word” (James 1:22). Go back… “implanted word” (James 1:21). The law of liberty is the Law of Moshe.

And I would include the Law of Messiah, but not to the exclusion of the Law of Moshe, not to the replacement of the Law of Moshe, not to the abolishment of the Law of Moshe. That is where we make a mistake.

“But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” A promise of blessing to those who are doers of this perfect law of liberty.

Psalm 19, verse7, says: “The Law of Yahweh is perfect, converting the soul.” Right? We read that earlier. You want to be blessed.

In the Law, Moshe, in Deuteronomy 28, 29, 30, starts talking about, “Well, if you keep My Law, you will be blessed. If you do not keep this Law, you will be cursed.”

So James is saying meekly receive this Law. Be a doer of the Law rather than a finger-pointer, getting angry at other people for not keeping it, and judging those poor people who are coming into the synagogue with you and telling them, “Oh, you are less than. You stand over there.” Evil judge… evil thoughts.

Be a doer, not just a hearer. We deceive ourselves sometimes. We only hear Yahweh’s Word. And then, we think, “Okay, well, that is why I couldn’t do it before, because I didn’t know this before.” It is not just hearing.

I mean, I know how it is. We hear Yahweh’s Word, and we think, “Oh, now I see what I have done wrong.” And we assume the reason why we are doing the wrong thing is because we did not know, but a week or so goes by and we forget what we have read. A month or two goes by and we forget the sin that was exposed in us.

It does not bring the change it is supposed to bring because we are not receiving that with the meekness necessary, humbling ourselves, and saying, “Wow, I really need to make this a priority.” And so, we deceive ourselves into thinking, “Oh, we have heard the Word that will bring a change in our life.” But we have to be doers, not hearers only.

We have a tendency to forget what manner of men we were when we looked in that mirror, right?

Romans 2:13 – (for not the hearers of the law [are] just in the sight of Elohim, but the doers of the law will be justified;

So that word that is being spoken of is the law of liberty, is the Law of Messiah, is the Law of Moshe. It is all one. This law of liberty does not let you sin all you want. The law of liberty is not about, “Oh, go experience all the freedom TO sin.” It is a freedom FROM sin that Yahweh wants to bring us to.

It is showing your sin, right? I mean, the Word of Yahweh shows us where our faults are. It plays a role in refining us and leading us to righteous living. But because we are in Messiah, it cannot condemn us. It cannot place us under bondage of death.

We do not have to look at the Law as something that is hanging over us and we are under its condemnation. We can look at it as something that leads us away from the bondage of sin, which is hatred, and toward the freedom of righteousness, which is love.

The only way Yahweh’s Law could possibly bring you to bondage is if you were among those who are content with being a hearer rather than a doer, because not the hearers are just, only the doers.

Now we have not been this doer of the Law, right? We have not. So we really cannot be justified by the Law. But that is the path of justification. That is the path of righteousness.

So where we have failed to be a doer, we have Yahushua the Messiah, who bore our sin and cleanses us from sin. Only through Him can we be justified. Without a doubt. No question.

But can we not see here in the book of James that we are taught to be doers of this Law? Can we not see this, that we are called, that we should try, that we should make efforts to be doers of the Law, to fulfill the royal law?

James 1:23 – For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;

24 – for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 – But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues [in it], and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

And that is confirmed repeatedly.

Psalms 119:1 – ALEPH. Blessed [are] the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of YAHWEH!

First verse, right out the gate, out of all the verses in the book of Psalm 119. Number one thing: Do you want to be blessed? Walk in the Law of Yahweh.

Joshua 1:8 – This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Psalms 1:1 – Blessed [is] the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 – But his delight [is] in the law of YAHWEH, And in His law he meditates day and night.

His delight is in what? The Law of Yahweh. That is how you get blessed. Meditate in that Law day and night, and you will become just like Messiah.

James is right. The Law has always shown us the way to be blessed. It is just that we have these theologians today, many of whom have chosen to be very impressed with the teaching of church fathers who teach people, “Oh, we are under a new law now, this Law of Messiah,” as if Yahweh had made a mistake before, you know. “He messed up– Oops!”

I mean, as if Yahweh did not really love the Israelites, He just wanted to put them in bondage, slavery. As if Yahweh took the Israelites out of the slavery and bondage of the Egyptians and decided to afflict them even more by giving them these statutes and commandments that were impossible to keep, and therefore, condemn them all to the lake of fire.

As if Yahweh is somehow mean and nasty to Israel, but then, you know, Messiah came and calmed Him down a bit. So with the Church, He is more of a grandfatherly figure. He is not so uptight when you mess up.

Listen, Yahweh is not schizophrenic. He does not have multiple personality disorder. He is and was and always will be merciful and loving, because merciful, loving behavior is righteous behavior. He has always been righteous.

Part of righteousness is being merciful. It is a part of what righteousness is. Being compassionate and longsuffering and patient and not desirous that others would perish is a part of being righteous. He has always been that way. He did not change in the New Testament.

He did not relax His standards and allow people to willfully sin all they want in the New Testament. Sin is still transgression of the Law (1 John 3:4). The Law and the Prophets still hang from the Two Great Commandments to love Yahweh and love your neighbor.

Every precept, statute, ordinance and commandment from the Law of Yahweh is instruction on how to love Yahweh and how to love one another. Yahushua did not come to do away with love. If He had, it wouldn’t make any sense. You cannot do away with love.

He did not abolish love. He came to set us free from our failures to love. He did not come to set us free from this Law. He came to set us free from our sin. He came to deliver us from our transgressions of the Law, not remove the Law entirely so you are not guilty of breaking anything.

He cleanses us of our sin, and now says, “Go, sin no more. Walk in the way of love. I will teach you as a gentle Shepherd. I will lead you.”

Yahweh was patient and merciful with us just as He always has been toward those who love Him and set their heart on keeping His Word. But, just as He always has been, He will judge those who hate Him and reject His efforts to bring them toward love, toward righteousness.

He is the same yesterday, today and forever. I do not know about you, but I love that about Him. I love that He is consistent. It helps me to trust Him. I know what to expect. It teaches me that, like any good father, He is predictably merciful and kind to those who are repentant and seeking to live uprightly.

He is the awesome and great Father– immensely, infinitely, all powerful, yet cares about us and loves us enough to bring us along gently into righteous living. That is the Elohim I serve. He has always been that way. Always. Not just in the New Testament.

I look forward to sharing Part 3. I have more to share, but we are out of time in this segment. And so, brothers and sisters, may Yahweh bless you, and may Yahweh have mercy on us all.