The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 8
06/18/16 (4/12) Video Broadcast
The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 8 - Study
Part 8 - Comments and Questions
The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 9 - Study01:43:15
The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 10 - Study01:43:19
Part 10 - Comments and Questions01:59:03
The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 11 - Study01:48:08
Part 11 - Comments and Questions02:41:41
The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 12 - Study01:35:34
Part 12 - Comments and Questions01:44:35
We are now officially
beginning Part 8 of the
Book of Romans
verse by verse.
We're now into our eight
segment and in this
segment we are going to spend a bit of time looking at the so-called doctrine of predestination and free will. I'm not going to devote a whole study to it but we are going to talk about it some because we are coming up on some verses in the Book of Romans that many would use to suggest that we don't have any free will at all but that Yahweh is essentially directing our choices for us either directly or indirectly and so this is a doctrine I don't agree with and part of today's study would include some of the reasons why a belief in a man having free will does not contradict the scriptures. Now I want to make one thing clear before we begin here, while I do believe that man has free
will to choose life, to choose righteousness, to choose evil, I also believe that we would not be able to make that choice unless Yahweh Himself had done the things that He did for us and so we don't get any credit for it. I also believe there are times when Yahweh will interfere with man's free will. There are times when He will choose to intervene. This is an example, the man of Sodom wanting to do evil to the angelic visitors, Yahweh intervened blinding their yes, preventing them from doing what they wanted to do. So while I do believe that Yahweh has given man free will, there are times when He literally stops man from doing what they want and there are even times when He in an active judgment typically would harden men's hearts so that they will not repent. Looking at the Book of Romans, I want to preface today's study by sharing a verse here from chapter 8. But before we do that,we want to get into a summary of Part 7 so we can get a proper lead into Part 8. Our summary is the law of our flesh, our former husband keeps us from doing the things that we wish. The law of the spirit of life coming from our bridegroom,that's the Messiah, gives us life and empowers us to walk in obedience. Walking in the spirit and observing the Torah which is the law of Yahweh are one and the same because the law is spiritual. Trials are not evidence that we're forsaken.
They are a normal part of our life in Messiah. We don't have to be discouraged by them. We, in all of creation groan for redemption and the revealing of the sons of Elohim and Yahweh knows who those sons of Elohim are. Creation was subjected to futility not by its own will but by Yahweh who is subjected in hope so that He would forth a glorious plan of liberty from the bondage of sin. Yahweh knows who is spiritually-minded and based on this makes intercessions by His Spirit in Messiah. The spirit of Yahweh is in Messiah and the Messiah dwells in us. By the Spirit of Yahweh groaning, Messiah makes intercessory groans on our behalf.We need to live and think as one who is predestined to be His children. We must see ourselves as more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Nothing can separate us from His love.Paul desired that he could be accursed rather than his brethren. That's what Yahushua actually did for all of us so He did a very Messiah-like mentality. Not all descendants of Abraham are actually children of Abraham. Yahushua and Paul both made that distinction. Children of Abraham put their faith in Messiah and by faith become children of promise. Children of the flesh like Ishmael are cast out, the son of the bondwoman. I actually put things out of order, but those who put their trust in their own flesh to be obedient rather than in Yahweh's promised righteousness through Messiah will likewise be cast out as a child of the flesh. Jacob was spiritually-minded desiring and pursuing Yahweh's promises and blessings but Esau was carnally-minded, caring not for the promises of Yahweh and so Esau represents the carnal body of flesh and Jacob the second born represents the body of Messiah. We see that, in scripture, the second born will often get the blessings representing the difference between the first born which is the body of Adam and the second birth being born again through the body of the Messiah. That would summarize part 7 and we will continue now into part 8. I'm sorry I didn't include these. We choose what body we want to be joined to. We decide which body we want to be identified with. That determines our destiny. I would disagree with those who believe we have no choice in the matter or free will in the matter.Let's begin in Romans chapter 8. We know all things work together for those who love Elohim,to those who are called according to His purpose. To those who are the called. He doesn't call everybody but to those who are called, He's going to work everything together for our good. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His son that He might be the first born of many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined these He also called, whom He called theseHe also justified. In whom he justified, these He also glorified. It's all Him. He did the calling. He did the justifying and He will do glorifying and so He gets the credit, right? Now I do believe in predestination but I also believe that Yahweh looks down through the corridor of time and based on the choices He already knows that we will make, determines whether or not we are inheritors of eternal life and vessels of mercy, or inheritors of judgment in the lake of fire, vessels of wrath and dishonor.While I do believe that Yahweh gives us free will, it's also true that Yahweh Himself has free will and He can choose to call whomever He chooses to call.
In fact scriptures says that no one can come to the Father unless Yahweh draws him. No one. So while I believe Yahweh gives us free will, it's also true that Yahweh chooses whom He's going to call and Yahweh who knows the end from the beginning knows who will answer that call to repent and receive the Messiah Yahushua. He does call us by His spirit and He may use men as instruments to call people intoHis sheepfold but it's ultimately our choice whether or not we will answer that call.
Looking at the verse here once again, those who have their own free will and volitionanswer His call by repenting and believing Messiah Yahushua, are ultimately the ones that Yahweh has chosen to be His sons and daughters. That's what He says over and over again in scripture. Now the Greek word is translated predestined, literally means determined beforehand.
So there are some who are determined beforehand, they will be conformed to the image of His son.
Who are those that are determined beforehand that will be conformed to the image of His son?
Those who choose to receive Him. He knows who they are. Scripture says actually Yahushua was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Revelation 13:8. From Yahweh's perspective who livesoutside of time, one day is like a thousand years, a thousand years like a day, to him it has already happened, from the foundation of the world and so for the same reason, we consider ourselves dead. We consider Messiah to be alive in us. We consider ourselves saved. We consider ourselves born again although actually the salvation and rebirth officially takes place at Messiah's return. We regard it as being true.
Now, Yahweh did not make our choice for us but by His foreknowledge, He looked down the corridor of time and He saw those who would heed His call and make the right choices and these He what? Determined beforehand that they would be conformed to the image of His son. If we remain faithful to the end, we will be among
those whom Yahweh has chosen to justify and ultimately glorify. Now to the best of my understanding, everything I have just said lines up perfectly with the remainder of what we're going to go into here in Romans chapter 9. We did go overpart of chapter 9 earlier talking about not everyone who's Israel is Israel. There are some who were at Israel who are not really seed of Abraham and there's a difference. Romans Chapter 9 Verse 8 says those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of Elohim, but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.
Children of the promise are counted as the seed for this is the word of promise at this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son and not only this but when Rebekah also conceived by one man, even by her father Isaac for the children not yet being born nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of Elohim according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls.
We examined 8 to 10 already last week so I don't want to focus too much on that but I'd want to zero in here on verse 11. If you missed last week, please go back and watch that but there are people who are spiritually-minded and there are people who are carnally-minded. Esau was carnally-minded. Jacob was spiritually-minded and therefore Yahweh loved Jacob and called him but Esau he did not. Now the word translated election here means to choose. That's what it means but the basis of His choice is how we respond. Whether we yield ourselves to run flesh and are content with doing so or whether we want to be delivered from this body of death and so there's this vessel of wrath and there's a vessel of honor and mercy. But even within our own choice, we have nothing to boast about. For it is not of him who works, it is of him who calls. He's the one that gets the glory, because unless Elohim had chosen to show us mercy and called us and drawn us to His son, we'll be lost. So in the sense of who gets the credit, Yahweh gets the credit because He chose to show us mercy. He could have not chosen to give us mercy but He did. We could have asked for it and not gotten it. We could have repented to our hearts content but unless Yahweh was willing to show us mercy, it would not have mattered. But we know that Yahweh chose to not let us die in our sins, He called us and for that we praised Him. We don't claim our own work saved us, we claim Yahweh's righteousness saves us and it's fully and completely His decision to call us into His sheepfold and for that we should praise Him. Not ourselves, but praise Him.But we did make a decision to answer that call in the informative, we did decide to choose life and that's what Yahweh wants us to do. Look what He says to Israel,I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, Deuteronomy 30 Verse 19, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live. Yahweh did not have to set before them life and death, he could have just said sorry you're going to die, but He's saying I'm giving you this, are you going to take it? Choose life that both you and your descendants may live. Now this would all be a big con game if Yahweh was the one making us choose life. It'll be all like a big puppet charade or some kind of a show or something you're watching, rather than something you're actually participating and doing but he's saying choose life. How else can you determine whether or not we have a choice? He could have just as easily said I'll make you choose life and I'll make you choose death, depending on what I want but that's not what He said. He said choose life. That, by nature tells us that we have free will. Now, Yahweh called Israel out of Egypt and Israel answered the call. We likewise have the choice to come out of Egypt, the world because Yahweh has called us and we should thank Him every day for that,but He didn't have to. He never had to, but He chose to because He loved us and for that, we praise Him. For the children not yet being born nor having done any evil at the purpose of Elohim called according to the election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls. It was said to her. Who is He talking about?
Son of promise. The older shall serve the younger. Jacob I've loved. Esau I've hated.I shared last week that we can see
in scripture why Yahweh loved Jacob and why he hated Esau. It was because Jacob pursued the blessing with everything he had, but Esau did not care about the blessing. He despised his birth right. He traded it for a pot of soup.
But to those who might not understand or might assume Yahweh is somehow unjust for choosing Jacob and rejecting Esau, they might say this, but shall we say then is there unrighteousness with Elohim? He chose Jacob. He didn't choose Esau. Certainly not. For He said to Moshe, I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy. I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion so then it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs but of Elohim who shows mercy.
Yahweh gets the credit. Now Yahweh's decision to have mercy and compassion on Jacob was not just random. They were the reasons why He had mercy upon him, he had mercy. There are things He liked about Jacob's decision making. As I mentioned, Jacob would not let the angel go until he got the blessing. Yahweh chose to grant mercy to Jacob. He did not like Esau and his carnal mentality.
Now we see the same thing how he chose Moshe. Moshe defended the Israelite men from being harmed by the Egyptian. He tried to stop two Israelites from fighting against each other. He was passionate for righteousness and the riches of Egypt did not have a hold of him unlike Esau who wanted the riches and so looking here at this verse, it's actually a quote from Exodus 33. Yahweh said to Moshein verse 17, I will also do this thing that you have spoken for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name. He said please show me your glory and he said I will make my goodness pass before you. I'll proclaim the name of Yahweh before you. Proclaim the name of Yahweh before you. I will be gracious. To whom I'll be gracious? I will have compassion upon him I will have compassion. Who found grace? Moshe did. Moshe found grace. There are others to whom He's willing to show grace. He will decide who that is as He will have compassion and grace on whom He chooses. There's a method behind his decision making. It's not just random. Yahweh bases His decisions of those who to call on the grounds of what kind of man this person is going to be, this free will, even unbelievers. Yahweh can see something good in them and Yahweh can choose to call them but if He knows or nothing but wicked to the core, He's not going to bother and so those are the types of people who answer His call. People like Moshe. What kind of man was Moshe? He was a humble man, the meekest man on the face of the earth. The basis upon which Yahweh had the kind of relationship he had with Moshe was because Moshe was willing to be faithful, he was faithful, as scripture says, with all his house, in all his house, he was faithful, and so he gave grace to Moshe. Yahweh who knows the hearts of man, knows to whom grace and compassion belong and to whom it does not belong, he tells us over and over again, choose life, pursue righteousness, walk in love, keep his commandments, do his will. If those things are impossible, it wouldn't make any sense. But we do have free will. If we had no choice but to keep his commandments, in my estimation, the whole thing would be a big sham. It would be like telling a child, "Hey, don't eat pork", and then making him eat pork. If you have no free will, let's think about this. You tell a child not to eat pork and you shove a pork chop down his throat and then you punish him for it. It would be like a local county judge putting somebody in prison for a crime the judge himself made the man do. It goes against every principle of justice that can be found in society, in every principle of justice that can be found in the Holy Scriptures. Yahweh specifically told us not to punish a child for the sins of the parents. Would our heavenly Father put us to death for something He actually made us do? Would He punish us for something He caused us and made us to do? To me that's ludicrous. Yahweh cannot be unrighteous. Everybody knows it's not righteous character to do such a thing, to say that Yahweh forces us to sin against Him, whether directly or indirectly. Now it's true in our bodies, there's nothing good, and that left to our natural state, is no good thing. But as Romans 7 demonstrated, we do have a will that is separate from our body.
Romans 7:16, it's I then, I do what I will not to do, I agree the law is good. But now it's no longer I who do it but sin that dwells in me, for I know in me nothing that's in my flesh, nothing good dwells for to will is present with me. But how to perform what is good, I do not find?
We have this body of death that goes against what we really want, and we have this choice as to whether will yield to that vessel of destruction or be conformed to the body of the Messiah which is a vessel of honor. Those who cry out for deliverance from the body of death will receive it.
Looking again our text here, which shall we then, is there unrighteousness with Elohim? Certainly not for he says to Moshe, "I will have mercy upon on him, ever I'll have mercy, I'll have compassion on him, ever I'll have compassion. Then it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs but of Elohim who shows mercy. Now verse 16, many would quote and suggest, we don't have free will, this is a violation of our free will, Yahweh decides. But again, unless Elohim had shown mercy, it
wouldn't matter what are will was, it wouldn't matter how well we ran the race, and so who gets the credit? Yahweh gets the credit because he chose to show us mercy. He could have chosen not to give us mercy, but he did. We could have asked for it. He wouldn't have given it to us. We could have ran the race in vein because Yahweh chose to let us die in our sins. We can't boast. The key is not what we will. The key is the one who showed mercy. That's the key. It's not of works that we our saved. It's about the kindness and love of our Elohim our savior appeared, not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. That's the key part, not our own works but the fact he had mercy. Titus 3:4-5, it was he who saved us not we who saved ourselves. Even though we desire eternal life, we would not have had internal life if it were not for Yahweh choosing to be kind and loving and saving us according to his mercy.
Looking again, it says for the scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I've raised you up that I may show my power in you and that my name may be declared in all the earth." Let's take a look at that scripture where he says that to Pharaoh. He says, "but indeed for this purpose I have raised you up that I may show my power in you and that my name may be declared in all the earth". What's he saying here? On the surface it sounds like Pharaoh was like a puppet in Yahweh's hand, he just caused Pharaoh to be born and raised him up as the king so he would ultimately harden Pharaoh's heart and do whatever he wanted with it. But the Hebrew words translate it "raised you up". It's actually a word, meaning, it's amad, it means to stand, so "caused him to stand" is how you
read it in Hebrew because in hifil, were causative sins. That means Yahweh caused Pharaoh to stand, "For this reason I caused you to stand." Now if you look at in context, it makes perfect sense because look what it actually says here in context, he said, verse 15, "Now if I had stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence then you Pharaoh would have been cut off from the earth, but indeed for this purpose I have caused you to stand. For this reason I didn't kill you yesterday, I allowed you to stand through all of these things for this reason that I may show my power in you and that my name be declared in all the earth". That's the context, that's the meaning in the Hebrew, that's what it means.
Yahweh explain to Pharaoh he could have destroyed them in instant but Yahweh's choice to allow Pharaoh to continue living was an act of mercy actually on Pharaoh with the intent that he would show his power in Pharaoh and that Yahweh's name might be declared in all of the earth. Now Yahweh can choose to have mercy upon him, he has mercy. In the case of Pharaoh even though it was an act of mercy that he remain alive, in one way, it was an act of judgment because there're other things he was going to do later. But that moment, he allowed Pharaoh to remain alive. He's going to show his power in Pharaoh.
Just looking back at Romans 9, for the scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this purpose I have cause you to stand that I may show my power in you and that my name may be declared on all the earth", therefore he has mercy upon whom he wills.
One of those, once he willed to have mercy was Pharaoh, but he also hardened Pharaoh's heart.
Was that an act of mercy?
That's the question. Some will say to me at that point, "Wait a minute, he chose not to have mercy on Pharaoh when he hardened Pharaoh's heart", I could probably agree with that. But listen, I know some are saying right now, "There you go, he took away Pharaoh's free will. See it right there. Look, he hardened his heart." Good answer, I'll say, "Yes he did. He took away Pharaoh's free will. He hardened his heart. No question". I'm not going to deny that. He took away Pharaoh's free will with that particular decision to not let the people go.
As I said to the outset of the study today, sometimes Yahweh chooses to interfere with man's free will like he did when Sodomites wanted to violate the angelic visitors, he stopped them. Now on their case, he didn't change their will. He only prevented those Sodomites from carrying out what they wanted to do by blinding them. But in Pharaoh's case, he took another step and hardened Pharaoh's heart so he would not have that will to let the people go. But the question that needs to be asked is why? Was Yahweh just and righteous in hardening Pharaoh's heart and essentially taking away his freewill for that moment? Yes he was. It was an act of judgment I would suggest on Pharaoh. Pharaoh was not the kind of person who wanted to be delivered from this carnal body. He wanted to be carnally minded. That was already very clearly evidenced. Remember, Pharaoh was the one who ordered the shedding of innocent blood when he commanded every Israelite baby boy to be murdered by being thrown into the river. Pharaoh had exalted himself over the children of Abraham by putting them in slavery.
Pharaoh deserved to die for his grievous sin.
But Yahweh didn't cause Him to die, just harden his heart instead. Yahweh despises the shedding of innocent blood, how much more the innocent blood of the children of Abraham. It was because of Manasseh shedding innocent blood in Jerusalem, he would not pardon the city for its crime and He sent the children of Israel into Exile. 2 Kings 24:3, surely at the commandment of Yahweh this came upon Judah to remove Him from his sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed, for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood which Yahweh would not pardon, would not pardon it.
Yahweh already had it in his mind to judge Pharaoh for his crime. They told Pharaoh he would not harm him through all the judgments in the nation of Egypt, because he wanted to show His power through Pharaoh, that His name would be great in all the Earth and Yahweh can harden the hearts whomever he wills. But we see the pattern here with Pharaoh. His hardening of heart was predicated upon what he'd already done with his free will. Pharaoh's sin was so wicked, Yahweh would not pardon. As I mentioned, there are other times Yahweh chooses to intervene with man's free will. For instance say, a man might have plans to do one thing, but then Yahweh changes the person's circumstances so they're not able to do it. Proverbs 19:21, there are many plans in a man's heart; nevertheless Yahweh's counsel that will stand. A man's heart plans his way, but Yahweh directs his steps. A man's steps are of Yahweh, how then can a man understand his own way. These scriptures are often used by those who do not believe man has free will. But listen, even in these manners we see there's a difference between man's will and Yahweh's will,
man's heart and Yahweh's counsel. The difference between man and Yahweh, there's a difference. By that alone we see that man has his own will.
Right, we see there's two different wills happening here. One is preventing the other from doing what it wants. We do have our own will, otherwise, you don't have this dynamic. The dynamic would not exist. Man has his own will but Yahweh steps in and says no, were going to do it this way. Look at the context here, what's happening? A man is planning to do something, many plans in his heart, what's happening? He's got all these thoughts of what he's going to do, but then circumstances of life changes actual steps, what he actually ends up doing.
I'm sure we've all experienced this. We have plans to do something. I need to tell you right here. We have plans to do something but then circumstances change or make it impossible to do what we had planned.
How does Yahweh change the circumstances, he can cause judgment to come upon us? We planned to buy that property over there but then Yahweh came in and we are on a sick bed and we got tubes hanging out of us everywhere. We make our plans, but with Yahweh, he wants something to go in certain way that's how it's going to go? He can cause climate and He can cause sickness or some other event. He could lead us to something even better than what we planned. This is certainly a violation of where Yahweh is actually changing and directing man's own will. Otherwise, you don't even have the dynamic of Yahweh's will versus man's will it's all the same thing. We have, as men, wanting to do certain things, and then Yahweh is saying no were going to do it this way based on various circumstances that are making those steps that we plan to make no longer even valid or possible or whatever. How many times have you planned to do something, it didn't go the way you wanted it to? That's what we're talking about here. Now, there are other times Yahweh will actually interfere with our free will and even direct our hearts like he did to Pharaoh, hardening Pharaoh's heart. Men in powerful positions of government are most likely to have their decisions directed by the hand of Yahweh. It says the king's heart is in the hand of Yahweh like rivers of water. He turns it wherever he wishes.
An example is Rehoboam who was asked to ease the burden. Solomon was very burdensome in his leadership. The son of Solomon, people asked him, Rehoboam would you lighten the load? Instead, Rehoboam listened to the counsel of the young people he grew up with and told them, he would burden them even more than Solomon did, saying, my little finger would be thicker than my father's waist. The king did not listen to the people for the turn of events was from Elohim. That Yahweh might fulfill his word which he spoke by the hand of Ahiyah to the Shilonite to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Yahweh can direct a man's daily affairs and even cause a man to make certain decisions as an act of judgment on his soul when the case of kings, judgment on the people or to direct the affairs a certain way he wants it to go. But when it comes down to our ultimate foundational choice of whether we are going to pursue righteousness, deliverance from sin, whether we want Yahweh in our life or in our case whether we want deliverance from this body of death. The repentance and faith of Messiah, Yahweh does not make that choice for us, we make that choice.
In terms of our choice to do good or to do evil, Yahweh does not make a man do evil. He does not set things in course that we will intentionally, that He would make it so that we would choose evil. He may choose to allow the tempter to come to us, withdraw His protection and then we get drawn away by our own desires. As it says James 1:13, Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by Elohim. Don't even say that, for Elohim cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he, himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by what? By his own desires and his enticed. When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin and when it's full grown, brings forth death. Everyone is tempted by their own thing. He doesn't tempt anyone. He's doesn't make anybody sin. He doesn't even tempt someone to sin, let her known direct that will towards sin. That's what scriptures says. We have to reconcile all scripture. It's our own desires causing us to sin, not Yahweh's hand. Yahweh does not tempt us to sin, much less cause us to do it. Yes, he may allow the tempter to come to a king, knowing that the king is going to do the devils bidding, like when a lying spirit came to Ahab. He may prevent Satan from having access to the king and by that turn the decisions of that wicked king, one way or the other. But if the king is a righteous king, he's already in hot pursuit of Yahweh's will and desire. Yahweh will reveal to the heart of that king what His will is, and the king will do his will. To those who believe, we don't have any free will, not at all. You're concerned that we might be giving ourselves credit for our decision to repent and believe in Messiah. I understand that concern, but like I said, Yahweh
gets the credit. He's the one that showed the mercy. While I understand that concern with this understanding that he directs our will, we don't have free will, comes this honestly horrifying thought that if Yahweh forces us to make the righteous decision to repent and receive Messiah, he's also personally responsible for making us sinners as well and that would essentially make Yahweh an accomplice to every crime against humanity that's ever been committed. He would be ultimately the directing force behind every murder, every torture. Behind Adolf Hitler's murder of millions of Jewish people and beyond, behind every horrific crime ever committed humanity, child rape, abortions you name it. He would be the cause of it, he will be the accomplice of it, because he wanted those things to take place. If Yahweh should demand the credit for a man choosing righteousness, he would also need to be responsible for every wicked act ever committed since man was created. It's an unconscionable, it's incongruent with who he reveals himself to be. He says he does not love, does not know Elohim for Elohim is love, that's what Yahweh is he can't be anything other than that. Every crime committed on the earth is the absence
of choosing love and so it's a manifestation of what happens when a person distances themselves from Elohim who is love. Evil is not a manifestation of Yahweh's will, it's the manifestation of what happens when a man disregards Yahweh's will, the very opposite.
Now someone say well how can a man ever go against the will of Yahweh? How is that even possible? Wouldn't that call Yahweh's sovereignty into question? To that I say, well what if it was Yahweh's will, that he would give you a free choice. What if that's what he wanted? That would make it impossible for us to violate his plan and his purpose because his plan and purpose was to give us free will.
Is it possible for him to do that, no. Just meditate on that for a little while. We're not going against Yahweh's will by making a free choice we are exercising that very will.
That's what He wanted, He wants the people who would choose to love Him of their own free will and volition. Anything else would not be true love at all. It would be like coming to a child and forcing their mouth to say I love you dad, I love you mom there's no glory in that. When a child of their own free will and volition comes up to you and just says, I love you dad, I love you mom, that's true love.
The same way, if you program the computer to love you or to hate you, why would you blame the computer? Why would you smash the computer? In reality, the computer can't even love you it's you programming it to love you, it's like it's doing what it's programmed to do. If we're just a bunch of programmed robots we have no capacity to really even manifest true and genuine love. I don't see this no free will doctrine in the
scriptures. Now, others will say, well didn't Peter say he wasn't going deny Messiah, but then Yahushua told Peter he would deny him three times. See it doesn't that show that Peter wanted one thing, but Yahweh made it so that Peter will do something else. No, Yahweh didn't force Peter to deny Messiah. Remember, the flesh loves against the spirit so you don't do things you wish.
Yahweh had foreknowledge that Peter would not be willing to stand there in the courtyard and be approached by different people and stand and say, no, I was with him. He knew that Peter would be willing to deny Messiah if put under pressure. Yahweh knew that Peter would deny Yahushua with three times of his own free will and volition. Can't we say that at some points in our life? I mean, we have every intention to making right decisions, then pressure comes, temptation comes and we voted, shame to say? I've been one of those. That's what happened to Peter, nothing more, nothing less. Yahushua knew Peter would, just didn't have it in him, not that moment. He knew Peter would not stand up to the pressure, he knew that would happen. It doesn't mean Yahweh made a decision for Peter. It just means he had the foreknowledge of what Peter would do because he knows the end from the beginning. He can look down through the quarter of time and know, Peter you're not going to stand; you're going to forsake me, you going to deny me.
In the fact before the rooster crows, this is all going to happen. He saw it coming.
Getting back to our text, therefore he has mercy upon whom he wills and whom he wills, he hardens. You will say to me then why does still find fault, for who has resisted his will. But indeed old man, who are you to reply against Elohim, all the thing formed that say to him who formed it, why you have made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay from the same lump to make one vessel for honor, another for dishonor? What if Elohim, wanting to show is wrath and make his power known, endured with much long suffering, the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that he might make known the richest of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared before Him for glory. Even us whom he called, whom he called, not the Jews only, but also the gentiles.
Close attention here, upon whom he called. Israel he did call, he did grant mercy, but Pharaoh he did not call. Jacob he didn't call and grant mercy, Esau he hated. Now we learn some of the reasons why certain people are called and he grants them mercy, other people he hardens. Some people he just hardens their heart, as in the case of Pharaoh. Why? He just does, he doesn't want them coming into the faith, He's not interested and then becoming a believer, He doesn't allow them to come in.
Now, because I believe Yahweh is righteous, I believe he has righteous reasons for not calling people like Pharaoh and a ship fold. Maybe people like Pharaoh would come into the faith for some time and then because it's not really in them to walk under Yahweh's authority, they would just fall away and do more harm to believers than good. Hence for that reason I really believe Yahweh doesn't just show up here on the Earth and manifest Himself openly to everybody. But Yahweh in choosing to not reveal Himself openly to everybody, those who truly seek Him and find Him are actually protective from those who will not love him. Just because they see Him don't mean they're going to love him. Those who don't want His authority and want their so called freedom to do what they want. Well today they can claim he's not real and there by separate themselves from believers and we have a sense of protection in that. But if you think hypocrisy among believers is bad now, imagine how much worst it would be if he just open they showed himself to everybody. There will be people, oh yeah, He's real, not deny His existence. But that would not necessarily mean their hearts turned to the true way of love as defined by him and they will be thorns in our sides and traps and pits in our snare, and snares for the remnant. It would be complete mess, so I understand. One atheist says, why you hide yourself? I can see why, that's one reason why and why doesn't He manifest Himself openly as we really pursue him,
so that we as a body of Messiah are protected and that's also why, in my understanding, one reason why certain people's hearts are hardened. He doesn't want them to come in and do damage to the remnant. He knows what's in their hearts. They've already manifested what they're all about, and that's one of the reasons I've considered the possibility in my meditations on that question. But He doesn't want them coming in, they'll ruin everything. I won't teach his doctrine, but that's what makes the most sense to me. Look at the later verses here, what if Elohim
wanting to show his wrath and make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels wrath prepared for destruction. He might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he prepared beforehand for glory even us whom he called we are the vessels of mercy, Jew and Gentile both. Either way it's not for us to call Yahweh's character into question. Yahweh is the potter and we are the clay. He's not forming us in the sense that we have no free will to do anything. But whether we are a vessel of honor, and vessel of mercy, or a vessel of destruction,
that's our choice. Whatever we want that's what he will form us into. We're not always privy to the reason why but there are plenty of people in this world who've never been called. They're vessels for dishonor and Yahweh allowed them to be such. Okay, so gentiles Yahweh says endure it with much long suffering, the vessels of wraths so he would make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy.
Now, as an example as similar as we can see to what Yahweh did with Pharaoh, we can also see
what describes in the Pharisees, many of whom were vessels of wrath. Okay, they were vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, but he actually showed mercy in longsuffering on the Pharisees and the scribes who were killing his Son, his only begotten Son.
He didn't kill them right then, He let them do it. Why? Why? He wanted to make known the riches of his glory. He allowed it to happen, so that we could be vessels of mercy.
Concerning those who were carnally minded like Esau, physical descendants of Judah who were vessels of wrath, he chose to bare with their sin, not destroy them in that moment because like with Pharaoh, He wanted to show His might, His power through them when they, by Him hardening their hearts, put Messiah to death.
You may think I'm crazy at this point but hear me out here. By this the riches of Yahweh's glory are upon of remnant and the children of Abraham who are the vessels of mercy. All of these things ties in with the earlier things we shared in Romans chapter nine, where examined at length, our previous segment, about the vessel of wrath being children of Esau and the Esau like character, and the Pharaoh like character, in the scribe and Pharisee like character and I'll probably even extend that the King Saul as well who pursued innocent blood in trying to kill David, but there are certain people who fit the bill and regenerate. Where is the evidence that Yahweh hardened the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees. Take a look at Mark chapter four verse 11 through 12, he said to them, to you that has been given to know the mystery of the kingdoms to the disciples of Elohim but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that seeing they may see and not perceive, hearing they may hear and not understand unless should turn and their sins be forgiven them. Nowhere else is that more clearly seen than the scribes in Pharisees, he didn't want them. He has reasons for rejecting them. As we see they're walking in the same way Pharaoh did. Scribes and Pharisees like Pharaoh we're willing to shed innocent blood for political gain.
Yahushua called those men children of the devil. He said, why do you not understand my speech in John 8:43 because you're not able to listen to my word. You are of your father the devil, the desires of your father you want to do. They don't want to be delivered from the body of death, they wanted to do the desires of their father the devil. He was a murderer from the beginning. It does not stand in truth because there's no truth in him when he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources for he is a liar and the father of it. They were in hot pursuit of the will of the devil and so like Pharaoh Yahweh closed their eyes, hardened their hearts to the truth. In another verse we see similar, Yahweh give us a
strong delusion to those who want to believe that lie. They have no desire for righteousness in their hearts. Yahweh gives us the strong delusion so they believe a lie and do not come to the knowledge of the truth. These men claim to be the children of Abraham by the way 2 Thessalonians, these men claimed to be child of Abraham but they were not. They'd already demonstrated what kind of children they were. They already demonstrated what they would bring to the table if he called them into his sheepfold, and so he rejected them. By that he protected his sheep, it actually was an act of love not to bring all this political sectarianism into the body of Messiah. In conclusion while I do believe their instances where Yahweh will interfere with man's free will, in some circumstances I don't believe we're completely controlled by Yahweh and have no freewill of our own. I also believe there are just reasons for his hardening of hearts and those reasons are based on certain freewill choices once already made, and have the proclivity to do. They don't want to be delivered from the body death. They want to subscribe to it.
But to believe something else that Yahweh makes us do evil, is to make Him an accomplice and directing force behind every crime committed on the earth no matter how awful or how heinous and that's not His character. He is love. Therefore he cannot do anything unloving. I think we would all agree if we told a child not to eat pork and then we shove the pork chop down his throat and made him eat it and then we punish them for it, that would not be a loving thing to do.
To put Yahweh in total control of our every choice and take away our freewill completely from us and enforce us to do evil essentially by how He creates us and then in wicked crimes, He would then punish. That would be an unloving thing to do with His creation. That's not His character and that's not who He says he is. He is love. I'm choosing to believe that. That's where I'm going to put my faith.
Moving on in Romans chapter nine, as He also says in Hosea, I will call them my people who are not my people and her beloved, who was not beloved and it shall come the past and the place where it was said to them you're not my people, there they shall be called sons of living Elohim. Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel though the number of the children of Israel be as a sand of the sea, their remnant will be saved, for He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness because Yahweh will make a short work upon the earth. The verses he's quoting here in Isaiah actually references to Israel. Some of whom were mingled amongst the Gentiles. When Yahushua died for our sins, He called us and we answered that call and we who are not His people, He made us His people. He made us sons of living Elohim.
Now He said, if we will draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. James 4:8, draw near to Elohim and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners, purify your hearts you double minded. As we become the remnant the true seed of Abraham through the body of Messiah, these all happens because we chose to draw near to Elohim and then He will draw near to us. There's two choices involved here, but only one choice saves us ultimately, Yahweh choosing to have mercy upon our souls. Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel though the number of the children of Israel being the son of the sea, the remnant that's who's saved, the remnant will be saved. There's a difference between the stock of Israel and the descendants of Israel and the remnant. Among the children of Israel there's only a remnant who are saved and like Paul said earlier in the chapter, they are not all Israel who are of Israel. Those who are the children of the flesh are formed into vessels of dishonor. Those who are children of promise are formed into vessels of mercy. Yahweh will not let those who walk after the flesh become vessels of mercy. Therefore, their hearts and their eyes will be blinded and their hearts will be hardened so they will not turn to Messiah and have their sins forgiven them. Yahweh takes the clay and he will mold us into the vessel of dishonor if we are manifesting Pharaoh, Esau like and Pharisee like character traits but will mold us into vessels of honor and mercy if we're manifesting Moshe like, David like character traits. Probably the greatest character trait, which is humility. As scripture says, "Humble yourselves in the side of Yahweh and he will lift you up." You do this and Yahweh will do this, clear, we have a choice.
What shall we say then? Romans 9:30, the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained to righteousness
even the righteousness of faith, not at works. But Israel pursuing the law of righteousness has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith but as it were, by the works of the law. What's the works of the law? The work of the law is, I'm going to tell you what righteousness is. That's what the law does. It never says the law will make you righteous. He just doesn't want to tell you what it is. Of course, if you are doing what He said, then you will be found righteous. The problem is we haven't done it.
Israel was not humble themselves in the side of Yahweh. They were choosing to rely upon their own righteousness to the works of the law. They pursue the law of righteousness but did not attained it because he did not keep it.
The law cannot make you righteous, only demonstrates how unrighteous we are. Why? Because we haven't kept it. Therefore we must humble ourselves and walk by faith and the just will live by faith, Habakkuk 2:4, and for that reason we can only attain righteousness by faith in Yahushua. The one in whom true righteousness dwells. The Gentiles, they were not pursuing righteousness, they weren't trying to follow the law but because they are humble, recognize they were sinners in need of a savior, many of them received the Messiah and obtained unto righteousness through faith.
But many of the Jewish people did not attain to righteousness because they did not seek it by faith, rather they rejected the Messiah and sought to establish their own righteousness by works. That's all they had because without Messiah it's impossible for a person to be considered righteous. Since none of us have kept Yahweh's Law perfectly, the law, its work is only going to work wrath because it's going to demonstrate that we have not been righteous. When Yahushua came, many Jewish people rejected him, stumbling over that stumbling stone. A stumbling stone, a rock of offense. But why do they stumble? They were not humble. By that, Yahweh was actually able to go into Israel separate the sheep from the goats. The difference between the vessels of mercy and vessels of dishonor were much more clearly seen.
In that way, the vessels of dishonor could not have quite the impact, having infiltrated to the vessels of honor. Because of that, the early disciples were able to work a tremendous ministry by the Spirit of Yahweh. In fact the greatest work of ministry this world has ever known, reaching millions of people who otherwise would not have been reached had Yahweh not allowed this to happen, this stumbling to happen. Since that time, Satan has come in again and muddied the waters. For me, I'm anticipating, as this world gets more and more wicked, there's going to be this time in the future where Yahweh will arrange circumstances in such a way, we're going to know exactly who are brethren are. It's already happening in some segments. This going to be a great work of ministry during this great tribulation, I think. But that's another topic altogether. He's doing these things, separating things. He separated the Israelites from Pharaoh, he separated those who were Israel seeking fleshly things with the two people left who are willing to pursue righteousness and he separated the scribesand Pharisees, the Jewish people from the true believers who were humble and were willing to follow Messiah and humble themselves before Yahweh. Through this stumbling stone, the true vessels of mercy were made known and the vessels of wrath were exposed.
Going on to chapter 10, brethren my heart's desire and prayer to Elohim for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for Elohim, but not according to knowledge. They're zealous, but they're not getting it. For they, being ignorant of Elohim's righteousness
and seeking to establish their own righteousness have not submitted to the righteousness of Elohim. Israel pursued righteous through their own flesh to the works of the law, through their own vessel which is inherently we're a vessel of dishonor inherently but they did not obtained righteousness. He sought to establish their own righteousness because they did not receive the Messiah.
When we don't have Messiah, we have no other place to turn to, to get righteousness except through our own works and through the law we're hoping one day we'll say, "Hey, we've been righteous." Problem is, the law is not going to show us that we've been righteous. That's the problem and they're ignorant of that and they're not submitting themselves to Elohim's righteousness which is offered through the Messiah Yahushua. Hopefully, if you've watched the previous segments, you will understand what I'm talking about here. For Messiah is the end of the law, for righteousness
to everyone who believes, he's the end of the law for righteousness. The work of the law will not bring you righteousness only Messiah will bring you righteousness. Look carefully, he's not saying Messiah is the end of the law as if the law ended when Messiah came and now we can disobey it, not keep it anymore. The verse is saying, and the context is saying Messiah is the end of the law for righteousness.
Once the Messiah came, it was revealed to the world. There is a place from which we can get righteousness and that place is Yahweh himself. Elohim's righteousness that was in Yahushua. Through Yahushua, we can receive Yahweh's righteousness and therefore be cleansed.
But the only way to obtain righteousness from the law is to do the things the law said to do. That's why it says here in verse five, Moshewrites about their righteousness which is of the law. The man who does these things shall live by them. This word live, meaning eternal life, the one who does them will live or have eternal life by them. But since we haven't done them, we cannot live or have eternal life by them and therefore by the works of the law we can't be justified. Therefore, when Messiah came he brought about an end of the law for righteousness because the law can't make you righteous, to everyone who believes. Those who believe in Messiah and recipients of Yahweh's righteousness understand Messiah is the end of the law for righteousness. You can forget it. It's not going to make you righteous. You can try to do it, but it's a plan that will not work because you've not been one who actually did those things that are in the law. Nobody has except Messiah. He alone could be justified by the law. Now, some people believe this word translated end
from the Greek word telos doesn't actually mean "end" instead they've tried to say this word means "go" or "aim" or like Messiah is the goal of the law for righteousness. In a sense that when a law was given, the goal was Messiah would come and keep it, and he did or perhaps some other way of interpreting the text but this interpretation is only divorcing this very verse from its context. It's also not true, in my opinion. The word translated "end" does actually mean "end". In fact that word telos what is translated "end", is actually translated "end" 35 out of 42 times. That's 83% of the time, it's translated "end".
Look at some of the places where it's translated, here is one, Luke 1:32 through 33, he will be great and he'll be called the son of the highest and Yahweh Elohim will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no goal, there will be no aim. No, there will be no end, end means end.
That's what the word telos means, "end". That's why it's translated "end" so many times. You can make that fit into that verse. Another place Mark 13:13, you will be hated by all for my name's sake but he who endures to the aim will be saved. Okay, maybe we could try to fit that in there, but what does mean end? Another place 2nd Corinthians 11:15, therefore it is of no great thing if his ministers, he's talking about Satan's ministers, also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. Satan's messengers. Another place Hebrew 7:1-3, this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high Elohim, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being translated King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem and in peace;Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, goal of life? I don't see it, but made like the Son of Elohim; remains a priest continuous. To me "end" is the correct translation. It does mean like the end of something now, the end of an age, the end of a life, no end to the kingdom. I don't really buy this idea that "goal" is the correct translation. Just kind of pull that out of the air and say this is what we're going to make it, except that it might be "end goal" or "end" but that's not what it's saying, it's just saying "end". I appreciate the desire to not interpret the
scriptures in such a way that you believe the law has come to an end, I can appreciate that, in the sense that now we can disobey it because it's come to an end. But if we really look at the context here, what he saying is Messiah is the end of the law for righteousness, because you can't be justified by the works of the law. You can't be justified by your own deeds and your own righteousness. Messiah is the end of anyone trying to use this law to make you righteous to everyone who believes. Not the ones that don't believe and it is not the end of the law for righteousness because we're still trying to use it to make them righteous. What Paul has been communicating all throughout the book of Romans is the law cannot be used to justify us. We cannot be declared righteous by the law and it makes perfect sense, the Messiah for us is the end of the law for righteousness because the law's not going to make me righteous, it's Messiah who's going to make me righteous. I am among those who believe and that's true of me. Now it does not say that the law no longer teaches us but righteousness is. It does not say, the law's no longer the standard of righteousness that we're expected to live by. It's saying what Paul has been saying in the whole context here even back into chapter 9 that, if we're ignorant of Yahweh's righteousness, if we're not believers we're going to be relying upon the law to justify us. But for those who believe, the Messiah is the end of the law for justification and righteousness to everyone who believes.
If we're ignorant of Yahweh's righteousness, try to establish our own righteousness, we have no choice but to try and be righteous according to the law. But the only problem is, only the man who does those things is going to be the one living or having eternal life by them, and therefore we're not going to make it. Does it mean we should not pursue the righteous conduct that the law requires of us; it just means we recognize our own righteousness, is not going to be enough. What the law offers us as righteousness is not going to be enough. We need Elohim, Him to come down and give us the righteousness we're looking for and so we must accept righteousness by faith in Messiah, the one in whom Yahweh's righteousness dwells. For those of us who believe, Messiah is our righteousness, not the law, not our own righteousness. The law only tells us what righteousness is, it does not make us righteous. But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven, that's to bring Messiah down from above or who was descendant to the abyss, that is to bring Messiah up from the dead but what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth, in your heart, that's the word of faith which we preach. Now listen, notice that the word and the Messiah
is one as the same here. He's saying, who will ascend into heaven and bring us His, word or bring Messiah down from above, who would descend into the abyss and bring the word up from the abyss. Let's bring Messiah up from the dead but the word is near you, in your mouth, in your heart. That is the word of faith which we preach, that's Yahweh's word. This is actually a quotation from the Tanakh or the Torah, the law of Yahweh which says Deuteronomy 30:11-14, for this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off the commandment. It is not in heaven, that you should say, who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us. That's the commandment, the word, that we may hear it and do it? We're looking for some way to do it, right? Well here we are, here's the method. Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us to bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' But the word is very near you, in your mouth, in your heart, that you may do it. This is actually a prophetic reference to the Messiah, who came down from heaven and he was raised from the grave. Look at what he's saying here, let's take a look. The comparison is here between the word and the Messiah who was sent to heaven and bring Messiah down from above, bring Messiah form the dead, the word is near you in your mouth. We see John 1:14, the word became flesh and dwelt among us, we be held as glory, the glory of that the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Yahushua is the living word that became flesh. The living Torah, the living commandment, the living law that became flesh and dwell among us and so this comparison arises here. The comparison is really good because listen, the comparison is awesome because the Torah shows us the way, but it can't get us there. Yahushua is the way. The Torah can show us the truth but it can't get us there, Yahushua needs to bring us and make us a part of him that we might be the truth.
The Torah shows us the way of life, but Yahshua is the life, the way, the truth and the life. The Torah is the word of Yahweh, Yahushua is the living word of Yahweh that became flesh and dwelled among us. The Torah shows us the way of life but it can't give us life, and so here we go.
Commandment which was to bring life, I found to bring death, presenting occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it, it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, the commandment holy and just and good. Yeah it's holy, but it killed me because I'm not holy, I'm not just, I'm not good. But Messiah was holy, he was just, he was good and so the Messiah being the living manifestation of Yahweh's word because he kept Yahweh's law perfectly, being perfectly holy, being perfectly just and perfectly good in light of all these things, Paul says this, don't say he will ascend into heaven and bring Messiah down for us, reference to the word and became flesh and dwelled among us. That's already happened, don't say it. The righteousness of faith will not say "hey, bring Messiah down from heaven." The righteousness of faith will not say, "well who's going to bring Messiah up from the dead?" We'll know it, we'll recognize, he's risen already. No, we're going to say Yahushua is near us, he's in our mouth, he's in our heart, the word is near us in our mouth, in our heart. That's the word of faith we preach, that's the Torah and Messiah. Torah and Messiah, everything is about Torah and Messiah, that if you confess with your mouth, the Master Yahushua and believe in your heart, Elohim is risen from the dead, you will be saved and actually this is a scripture in the Torah predicting that very thing.
Do we see it? Pretty awesome, really, if you think about it, that's pretty amazing, my opinion, it's really amazing, because what is the new covenant that the
law will be in our hearts, in our minds, why? Just to hang out there and say hello? No, so we may do it. That we may be made righteous to the word of Yahweh's residing here, Yahushua's residing here, one and the same. The word became flesh and dwelled among us and so the living Torah is residing right here in our hearts and we confess it, we don't say the word somewhere off and how that we can't get to it? We don't say the words down, the Messiah is down in the grave, we can't get to him, he's risen and now he's here. Unlike the anti law preachers who say the law is dead, we're gonna say no, the word, the Messiah are living. In fact, the Torah and Messiah are living right here, right now in my heart that I may do it I confess that, I believe that. Through our faith, through our belief, we believe unto righteousness, believe unto righteousness, that we may be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness Beautiful! And with the mouth confession is made unto salvation This scripture in the Torah is illustrating that very thing, isn't that amazing? Just staying in awe of Yahweh's word for a minute here. Through our faith and belief, we'll believe into righteousness, that means we're made righteous through Messiah, the living word of Elohim dwelling in us and we're also empowered to walk in righteousness, to do those commandments by this faith as well as we've been talking about it length in previous segments. By faith we overcome temptation, by faith in what Yahweh has made us and formed in us, we overcome. We are regarded as righteous before Yahweh. For the scripture predicts, whoever believes on him, Jew or Gentile, will not be put to shame for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. Same master overall is rich to all who call upon him, for whoever calls on the name of Yahweh shall be saved. That's Joel 2:32, and so whether you're a Jew or Gentile I don't care what language you speak, call upon the name of Yahweh. He says you'll be delivered. His name will be made great among all the nations and that's why I do proclaim the name of Yahweh to the whole world, I don't hide it, I don't take it out of the scriptures, I don't substitute it with something else. He says whoever calls on that name will be saved, why would I want to hide it? I want to tell the whole world about it. I don't care if you're a Jew or Greek, call on Yahweh's name, he said so. Actually names, my name is still Martincic whether I go to Israel or I go to Russia or wherever I go my name is still Martincic. Yahweh's names don't translate it transliterate across language that's why we say Abraham, that's why we say these other names because we're trying to vocalize what that vocalization is in our language. When we're looking at Yahweh's name, we want to vocalize what is our language not translate or substitute or remove or change. Everything I've been sharing with you and one of the biggest things this ministry is about.. is Torah and Messiah. These things are both being upheld here in the book of Romans and the name. That's another area that I think is important. These things are not, I'm not going through the book of Romans and finding all kinds of things that contradict my faith and my belief that Yahweh's law should be heeded and obeyed and listened to and regarded, it's actually proving that what I believe is actually true and hopefully many of you as well and if you don't see these things please watch the book of Romans, the whole study verse by verse, there's not a single scripture yet we come across in the book of Romans that tells us the law of Yahweh has been abolished or done away with or set aside or that somehow we don't have to obey anymore, everything we've found so far upholds the idea that we should, because Yahweh's spirit in us seek to walk in it. Do we seek to walk in it? I say we ought to, not by our own righteousness, by our own works, but by the strength Yahweh gives us through his spirit. Why don't we do this? Why don't we call upon the name of Yahweh? Yahweh you have promised in your word, we call upon your name that we are amongst those who you will save. We put our faith and our trust in the Messiah Yahushua. We make our confession with our mouth, Messiah is not far off, he's near me, he's in my mouth, he's in my heart. The word of faith which we preach and we confess with our mouth, the master Yahushua, and we believe in our heart that Yahweh you've raised him from the dead and you say that you will save us and we believe you. With our heart, we believe unto righteousness, the righteousness that you're willing impart to us as we become joined to the body of Messiah and our sin being placed upon his crucified body. With our mouth, we make this confession unto righteousness, because we want to be righteous in our conduct, we want to be manifestations of the body of Messiah on the earth. We know father Yahweh, You have said and we trust in Your word that whoever believes in him we will not be put to shame for whoever calls upon the name of Yahweh will be delivered. To that we make our confession and we believe, for truly, You are Elohim the one true most high Elohim, and there is none equal to You and we praise You. Let our life, let our attitude and let the actions that come forth from us be manifestations of praise to You oh mighty Yahweh and now we just want to praise You. In Yahushua's name we do, amein.
segment we are going to spend a bit of time looking at the so-called doctrine of predestination and free will. I'm not going to devote a whole study to it but we are going to talk about it some because we are coming up on some verses in the Book of Romans that many would use to suggest that we don't have any free will at all but that Yahweh is essentially directing our choices for us either directly or indirectly and so this is a doctrine I don't agree with and part of today's study would include some of the reasons why a belief in a man having free will does not contradict the scriptures. Now I want to make one thing clear before we begin here, while I do believe that man has free
will to choose life, to choose righteousness, to choose evil, I also believe that we would not be able to make that choice unless Yahweh Himself had done the things that He did for us and so we don't get any credit for it. I also believe there are times when Yahweh will interfere with man's free will. There are times when He will choose to intervene. This is an example, the man of Sodom wanting to do evil to the angelic visitors, Yahweh intervened blinding their yes, preventing them from doing what they wanted to do. So while I do believe that Yahweh has given man free will, there are times when He literally stops man from doing what they want and there are even times when He in an active judgment typically would harden men's hearts so that they will not repent. Looking at the Book of Romans, I want to preface today's study by sharing a verse here from chapter 8. But before we do that,we want to get into a summary of Part 7 so we can get a proper lead into Part 8. Our summary is the law of our flesh, our former husband keeps us from doing the things that we wish. The law of the spirit of life coming from our bridegroom,that's the Messiah, gives us life and empowers us to walk in obedience. Walking in the spirit and observing the Torah which is the law of Yahweh are one and the same because the law is spiritual. Trials are not evidence that we're forsaken.
They are a normal part of our life in Messiah. We don't have to be discouraged by them. We, in all of creation groan for redemption and the revealing of the sons of Elohim and Yahweh knows who those sons of Elohim are. Creation was subjected to futility not by its own will but by Yahweh who is subjected in hope so that He would forth a glorious plan of liberty from the bondage of sin. Yahweh knows who is spiritually-minded and based on this makes intercessions by His Spirit in Messiah. The spirit of Yahweh is in Messiah and the Messiah dwells in us. By the Spirit of Yahweh groaning, Messiah makes intercessory groans on our behalf.We need to live and think as one who is predestined to be His children. We must see ourselves as more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Nothing can separate us from His love.Paul desired that he could be accursed rather than his brethren. That's what Yahushua actually did for all of us so He did a very Messiah-like mentality. Not all descendants of Abraham are actually children of Abraham. Yahushua and Paul both made that distinction. Children of Abraham put their faith in Messiah and by faith become children of promise. Children of the flesh like Ishmael are cast out, the son of the bondwoman. I actually put things out of order, but those who put their trust in their own flesh to be obedient rather than in Yahweh's promised righteousness through Messiah will likewise be cast out as a child of the flesh. Jacob was spiritually-minded desiring and pursuing Yahweh's promises and blessings but Esau was carnally-minded, caring not for the promises of Yahweh and so Esau represents the carnal body of flesh and Jacob the second born represents the body of Messiah. We see that, in scripture, the second born will often get the blessings representing the difference between the first born which is the body of Adam and the second birth being born again through the body of the Messiah. That would summarize part 7 and we will continue now into part 8. I'm sorry I didn't include these. We choose what body we want to be joined to. We decide which body we want to be identified with. That determines our destiny. I would disagree with those who believe we have no choice in the matter or free will in the matter.Let's begin in Romans chapter 8. We know all things work together for those who love Elohim,to those who are called according to His purpose. To those who are the called. He doesn't call everybody but to those who are called, He's going to work everything together for our good. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His son that He might be the first born of many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined these He also called, whom He called theseHe also justified. In whom he justified, these He also glorified. It's all Him. He did the calling. He did the justifying and He will do glorifying and so He gets the credit, right? Now I do believe in predestination but I also believe that Yahweh looks down through the corridor of time and based on the choices He already knows that we will make, determines whether or not we are inheritors of eternal life and vessels of mercy, or inheritors of judgment in the lake of fire, vessels of wrath and dishonor.While I do believe that Yahweh gives us free will, it's also true that Yahweh Himself has free will and He can choose to call whomever He chooses to call.
In fact scriptures says that no one can come to the Father unless Yahweh draws him. No one. So while I believe Yahweh gives us free will, it's also true that Yahweh chooses whom He's going to call and Yahweh who knows the end from the beginning knows who will answer that call to repent and receive the Messiah Yahushua. He does call us by His spirit and He may use men as instruments to call people intoHis sheepfold but it's ultimately our choice whether or not we will answer that call.
Looking at the verse here once again, those who have their own free will and volitionanswer His call by repenting and believing Messiah Yahushua, are ultimately the ones that Yahweh has chosen to be His sons and daughters. That's what He says over and over again in scripture. Now the Greek word is translated predestined, literally means determined beforehand.
So there are some who are determined beforehand, they will be conformed to the image of His son.
Who are those that are determined beforehand that will be conformed to the image of His son?
Those who choose to receive Him. He knows who they are. Scripture says actually Yahushua was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Revelation 13:8. From Yahweh's perspective who livesoutside of time, one day is like a thousand years, a thousand years like a day, to him it has already happened, from the foundation of the world and so for the same reason, we consider ourselves dead. We consider Messiah to be alive in us. We consider ourselves saved. We consider ourselves born again although actually the salvation and rebirth officially takes place at Messiah's return. We regard it as being true.
Now, Yahweh did not make our choice for us but by His foreknowledge, He looked down the corridor of time and He saw those who would heed His call and make the right choices and these He what? Determined beforehand that they would be conformed to the image of His son. If we remain faithful to the end, we will be among
those whom Yahweh has chosen to justify and ultimately glorify. Now to the best of my understanding, everything I have just said lines up perfectly with the remainder of what we're going to go into here in Romans chapter 9. We did go overpart of chapter 9 earlier talking about not everyone who's Israel is Israel. There are some who were at Israel who are not really seed of Abraham and there's a difference. Romans Chapter 9 Verse 8 says those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of Elohim, but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.
Children of the promise are counted as the seed for this is the word of promise at this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son and not only this but when Rebekah also conceived by one man, even by her father Isaac for the children not yet being born nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of Elohim according to election might stand, not of works, but of him who calls.
We examined 8 to 10 already last week so I don't want to focus too much on that but I'd want to zero in here on verse 11. If you missed last week, please go back and watch that but there are people who are spiritually-minded and there are people who are carnally-minded. Esau was carnally-minded. Jacob was spiritually-minded and therefore Yahweh loved Jacob and called him but Esau he did not. Now the word translated election here means to choose. That's what it means but the basis of His choice is how we respond. Whether we yield ourselves to run flesh and are content with doing so or whether we want to be delivered from this body of death and so there's this vessel of wrath and there's a vessel of honor and mercy. But even within our own choice, we have nothing to boast about. For it is not of him who works, it is of him who calls. He's the one that gets the glory, because unless Elohim had chosen to show us mercy and called us and drawn us to His son, we'll be lost. So in the sense of who gets the credit, Yahweh gets the credit because He chose to show us mercy. He could have not chosen to give us mercy but He did. We could have asked for it and not gotten it. We could have repented to our hearts content but unless Yahweh was willing to show us mercy, it would not have mattered. But we know that Yahweh chose to not let us die in our sins, He called us and for that we praised Him. We don't claim our own work saved us, we claim Yahweh's righteousness saves us and it's fully and completely His decision to call us into His sheepfold and for that we should praise Him. Not ourselves, but praise Him.But we did make a decision to answer that call in the informative, we did decide to choose life and that's what Yahweh wants us to do. Look what He says to Israel,I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, Deuteronomy 30 Verse 19, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, therefore choose life that both you and your descendants may live. Yahweh did not have to set before them life and death, he could have just said sorry you're going to die, but He's saying I'm giving you this, are you going to take it? Choose life that both you and your descendants may live. Now this would all be a big con game if Yahweh was the one making us choose life. It'll be all like a big puppet charade or some kind of a show or something you're watching, rather than something you're actually participating and doing but he's saying choose life. How else can you determine whether or not we have a choice? He could have just as easily said I'll make you choose life and I'll make you choose death, depending on what I want but that's not what He said. He said choose life. That, by nature tells us that we have free will. Now, Yahweh called Israel out of Egypt and Israel answered the call. We likewise have the choice to come out of Egypt, the world because Yahweh has called us and we should thank Him every day for that,but He didn't have to. He never had to, but He chose to because He loved us and for that, we praise Him. For the children not yet being born nor having done any evil at the purpose of Elohim called according to the election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls. It was said to her. Who is He talking about?
Son of promise. The older shall serve the younger. Jacob I've loved. Esau I've hated.I shared last week that we can see
in scripture why Yahweh loved Jacob and why he hated Esau. It was because Jacob pursued the blessing with everything he had, but Esau did not care about the blessing. He despised his birth right. He traded it for a pot of soup.
But to those who might not understand or might assume Yahweh is somehow unjust for choosing Jacob and rejecting Esau, they might say this, but shall we say then is there unrighteousness with Elohim? He chose Jacob. He didn't choose Esau. Certainly not. For He said to Moshe, I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy. I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion so then it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs but of Elohim who shows mercy.
Yahweh gets the credit. Now Yahweh's decision to have mercy and compassion on Jacob was not just random. They were the reasons why He had mercy upon him, he had mercy. There are things He liked about Jacob's decision making. As I mentioned, Jacob would not let the angel go until he got the blessing. Yahweh chose to grant mercy to Jacob. He did not like Esau and his carnal mentality.
Now we see the same thing how he chose Moshe. Moshe defended the Israelite men from being harmed by the Egyptian. He tried to stop two Israelites from fighting against each other. He was passionate for righteousness and the riches of Egypt did not have a hold of him unlike Esau who wanted the riches and so looking here at this verse, it's actually a quote from Exodus 33. Yahweh said to Moshein verse 17, I will also do this thing that you have spoken for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name. He said please show me your glory and he said I will make my goodness pass before you. I'll proclaim the name of Yahweh before you. Proclaim the name of Yahweh before you. I will be gracious. To whom I'll be gracious? I will have compassion upon him I will have compassion. Who found grace? Moshe did. Moshe found grace. There are others to whom He's willing to show grace. He will decide who that is as He will have compassion and grace on whom He chooses. There's a method behind his decision making. It's not just random. Yahweh bases His decisions of those who to call on the grounds of what kind of man this person is going to be, this free will, even unbelievers. Yahweh can see something good in them and Yahweh can choose to call them but if He knows or nothing but wicked to the core, He's not going to bother and so those are the types of people who answer His call. People like Moshe. What kind of man was Moshe? He was a humble man, the meekest man on the face of the earth. The basis upon which Yahweh had the kind of relationship he had with Moshe was because Moshe was willing to be faithful, he was faithful, as scripture says, with all his house, in all his house, he was faithful, and so he gave grace to Moshe. Yahweh who knows the hearts of man, knows to whom grace and compassion belong and to whom it does not belong, he tells us over and over again, choose life, pursue righteousness, walk in love, keep his commandments, do his will. If those things are impossible, it wouldn't make any sense. But we do have free will. If we had no choice but to keep his commandments, in my estimation, the whole thing would be a big sham. It would be like telling a child, "Hey, don't eat pork", and then making him eat pork. If you have no free will, let's think about this. You tell a child not to eat pork and you shove a pork chop down his throat and then you punish him for it. It would be like a local county judge putting somebody in prison for a crime the judge himself made the man do. It goes against every principle of justice that can be found in society, in every principle of justice that can be found in the Holy Scriptures. Yahweh specifically told us not to punish a child for the sins of the parents. Would our heavenly Father put us to death for something He actually made us do? Would He punish us for something He caused us and made us to do? To me that's ludicrous. Yahweh cannot be unrighteous. Everybody knows it's not righteous character to do such a thing, to say that Yahweh forces us to sin against Him, whether directly or indirectly. Now it's true in our bodies, there's nothing good, and that left to our natural state, is no good thing. But as Romans 7 demonstrated, we do have a will that is separate from our body.
Romans 7:16, it's I then, I do what I will not to do, I agree the law is good. But now it's no longer I who do it but sin that dwells in me, for I know in me nothing that's in my flesh, nothing good dwells for to will is present with me. But how to perform what is good, I do not find?
We have this body of death that goes against what we really want, and we have this choice as to whether will yield to that vessel of destruction or be conformed to the body of the Messiah which is a vessel of honor. Those who cry out for deliverance from the body of death will receive it.
Looking again our text here, which shall we then, is there unrighteousness with Elohim? Certainly not for he says to Moshe, "I will have mercy upon on him, ever I'll have mercy, I'll have compassion on him, ever I'll have compassion. Then it is not of him who wills nor of him who runs but of Elohim who shows mercy. Now verse 16, many would quote and suggest, we don't have free will, this is a violation of our free will, Yahweh decides. But again, unless Elohim had shown mercy, it
wouldn't matter what are will was, it wouldn't matter how well we ran the race, and so who gets the credit? Yahweh gets the credit because he chose to show us mercy. He could have chosen not to give us mercy, but he did. We could have asked for it. He wouldn't have given it to us. We could have ran the race in vein because Yahweh chose to let us die in our sins. We can't boast. The key is not what we will. The key is the one who showed mercy. That's the key. It's not of works that we our saved. It's about the kindness and love of our Elohim our savior appeared, not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. That's the key part, not our own works but the fact he had mercy. Titus 3:4-5, it was he who saved us not we who saved ourselves. Even though we desire eternal life, we would not have had internal life if it were not for Yahweh choosing to be kind and loving and saving us according to his mercy.
Looking again, it says for the scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this very purpose I've raised you up that I may show my power in you and that my name may be declared in all the earth." Let's take a look at that scripture where he says that to Pharaoh. He says, "but indeed for this purpose I have raised you up that I may show my power in you and that my name may be declared in all the earth". What's he saying here? On the surface it sounds like Pharaoh was like a puppet in Yahweh's hand, he just caused Pharaoh to be born and raised him up as the king so he would ultimately harden Pharaoh's heart and do whatever he wanted with it. But the Hebrew words translate it "raised you up". It's actually a word, meaning, it's amad, it means to stand, so "caused him to stand" is how you
read it in Hebrew because in hifil, were causative sins. That means Yahweh caused Pharaoh to stand, "For this reason I caused you to stand." Now if you look at in context, it makes perfect sense because look what it actually says here in context, he said, verse 15, "Now if I had stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence then you Pharaoh would have been cut off from the earth, but indeed for this purpose I have caused you to stand. For this reason I didn't kill you yesterday, I allowed you to stand through all of these things for this reason that I may show my power in you and that my name be declared in all the earth". That's the context, that's the meaning in the Hebrew, that's what it means.
Yahweh explain to Pharaoh he could have destroyed them in instant but Yahweh's choice to allow Pharaoh to continue living was an act of mercy actually on Pharaoh with the intent that he would show his power in Pharaoh and that Yahweh's name might be declared in all of the earth. Now Yahweh can choose to have mercy upon him, he has mercy. In the case of Pharaoh even though it was an act of mercy that he remain alive, in one way, it was an act of judgment because there're other things he was going to do later. But that moment, he allowed Pharaoh to remain alive. He's going to show his power in Pharaoh.
Just looking back at Romans 9, for the scripture says to Pharaoh, "For this purpose I have cause you to stand that I may show my power in you and that my name may be declared on all the earth", therefore he has mercy upon whom he wills.
One of those, once he willed to have mercy was Pharaoh, but he also hardened Pharaoh's heart.
Was that an act of mercy?
That's the question. Some will say to me at that point, "Wait a minute, he chose not to have mercy on Pharaoh when he hardened Pharaoh's heart", I could probably agree with that. But listen, I know some are saying right now, "There you go, he took away Pharaoh's free will. See it right there. Look, he hardened his heart." Good answer, I'll say, "Yes he did. He took away Pharaoh's free will. He hardened his heart. No question". I'm not going to deny that. He took away Pharaoh's free will with that particular decision to not let the people go.
As I said to the outset of the study today, sometimes Yahweh chooses to interfere with man's free will like he did when Sodomites wanted to violate the angelic visitors, he stopped them. Now on their case, he didn't change their will. He only prevented those Sodomites from carrying out what they wanted to do by blinding them. But in Pharaoh's case, he took another step and hardened Pharaoh's heart so he would not have that will to let the people go. But the question that needs to be asked is why? Was Yahweh just and righteous in hardening Pharaoh's heart and essentially taking away his freewill for that moment? Yes he was. It was an act of judgment I would suggest on Pharaoh. Pharaoh was not the kind of person who wanted to be delivered from this carnal body. He wanted to be carnally minded. That was already very clearly evidenced. Remember, Pharaoh was the one who ordered the shedding of innocent blood when he commanded every Israelite baby boy to be murdered by being thrown into the river. Pharaoh had exalted himself over the children of Abraham by putting them in slavery.
Pharaoh deserved to die for his grievous sin.
But Yahweh didn't cause Him to die, just harden his heart instead. Yahweh despises the shedding of innocent blood, how much more the innocent blood of the children of Abraham. It was because of Manasseh shedding innocent blood in Jerusalem, he would not pardon the city for its crime and He sent the children of Israel into Exile. 2 Kings 24:3, surely at the commandment of Yahweh this came upon Judah to remove Him from his sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed, for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood which Yahweh would not pardon, would not pardon it.
Yahweh already had it in his mind to judge Pharaoh for his crime. They told Pharaoh he would not harm him through all the judgments in the nation of Egypt, because he wanted to show His power through Pharaoh, that His name would be great in all the Earth and Yahweh can harden the hearts whomever he wills. But we see the pattern here with Pharaoh. His hardening of heart was predicated upon what he'd already done with his free will. Pharaoh's sin was so wicked, Yahweh would not pardon. As I mentioned, there are other times Yahweh chooses to intervene with man's free will. For instance say, a man might have plans to do one thing, but then Yahweh changes the person's circumstances so they're not able to do it. Proverbs 19:21, there are many plans in a man's heart; nevertheless Yahweh's counsel that will stand. A man's heart plans his way, but Yahweh directs his steps. A man's steps are of Yahweh, how then can a man understand his own way. These scriptures are often used by those who do not believe man has free will. But listen, even in these manners we see there's a difference between man's will and Yahweh's will,
man's heart and Yahweh's counsel. The difference between man and Yahweh, there's a difference. By that alone we see that man has his own will.
Right, we see there's two different wills happening here. One is preventing the other from doing what it wants. We do have our own will, otherwise, you don't have this dynamic. The dynamic would not exist. Man has his own will but Yahweh steps in and says no, were going to do it this way. Look at the context here, what's happening? A man is planning to do something, many plans in his heart, what's happening? He's got all these thoughts of what he's going to do, but then circumstances of life changes actual steps, what he actually ends up doing.
I'm sure we've all experienced this. We have plans to do something. I need to tell you right here. We have plans to do something but then circumstances change or make it impossible to do what we had planned.
How does Yahweh change the circumstances, he can cause judgment to come upon us? We planned to buy that property over there but then Yahweh came in and we are on a sick bed and we got tubes hanging out of us everywhere. We make our plans, but with Yahweh, he wants something to go in certain way that's how it's going to go? He can cause climate and He can cause sickness or some other event. He could lead us to something even better than what we planned. This is certainly a violation of where Yahweh is actually changing and directing man's own will. Otherwise, you don't even have the dynamic of Yahweh's will versus man's will it's all the same thing. We have, as men, wanting to do certain things, and then Yahweh is saying no were going to do it this way based on various circumstances that are making those steps that we plan to make no longer even valid or possible or whatever. How many times have you planned to do something, it didn't go the way you wanted it to? That's what we're talking about here. Now, there are other times Yahweh will actually interfere with our free will and even direct our hearts like he did to Pharaoh, hardening Pharaoh's heart. Men in powerful positions of government are most likely to have their decisions directed by the hand of Yahweh. It says the king's heart is in the hand of Yahweh like rivers of water. He turns it wherever he wishes.
An example is Rehoboam who was asked to ease the burden. Solomon was very burdensome in his leadership. The son of Solomon, people asked him, Rehoboam would you lighten the load? Instead, Rehoboam listened to the counsel of the young people he grew up with and told them, he would burden them even more than Solomon did, saying, my little finger would be thicker than my father's waist. The king did not listen to the people for the turn of events was from Elohim. That Yahweh might fulfill his word which he spoke by the hand of Ahiyah to the Shilonite to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. Yahweh can direct a man's daily affairs and even cause a man to make certain decisions as an act of judgment on his soul when the case of kings, judgment on the people or to direct the affairs a certain way he wants it to go. But when it comes down to our ultimate foundational choice of whether we are going to pursue righteousness, deliverance from sin, whether we want Yahweh in our life or in our case whether we want deliverance from this body of death. The repentance and faith of Messiah, Yahweh does not make that choice for us, we make that choice.
In terms of our choice to do good or to do evil, Yahweh does not make a man do evil. He does not set things in course that we will intentionally, that He would make it so that we would choose evil. He may choose to allow the tempter to come to us, withdraw His protection and then we get drawn away by our own desires. As it says James 1:13, Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by Elohim. Don't even say that, for Elohim cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he, himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by what? By his own desires and his enticed. When desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin and when it's full grown, brings forth death. Everyone is tempted by their own thing. He doesn't tempt anyone. He's doesn't make anybody sin. He doesn't even tempt someone to sin, let her known direct that will towards sin. That's what scriptures says. We have to reconcile all scripture. It's our own desires causing us to sin, not Yahweh's hand. Yahweh does not tempt us to sin, much less cause us to do it. Yes, he may allow the tempter to come to a king, knowing that the king is going to do the devils bidding, like when a lying spirit came to Ahab. He may prevent Satan from having access to the king and by that turn the decisions of that wicked king, one way or the other. But if the king is a righteous king, he's already in hot pursuit of Yahweh's will and desire. Yahweh will reveal to the heart of that king what His will is, and the king will do his will. To those who believe, we don't have any free will, not at all. You're concerned that we might be giving ourselves credit for our decision to repent and believe in Messiah. I understand that concern, but like I said, Yahweh
gets the credit. He's the one that showed the mercy. While I understand that concern with this understanding that he directs our will, we don't have free will, comes this honestly horrifying thought that if Yahweh forces us to make the righteous decision to repent and receive Messiah, he's also personally responsible for making us sinners as well and that would essentially make Yahweh an accomplice to every crime against humanity that's ever been committed. He would be ultimately the directing force behind every murder, every torture. Behind Adolf Hitler's murder of millions of Jewish people and beyond, behind every horrific crime ever committed humanity, child rape, abortions you name it. He would be the cause of it, he will be the accomplice of it, because he wanted those things to take place. If Yahweh should demand the credit for a man choosing righteousness, he would also need to be responsible for every wicked act ever committed since man was created. It's an unconscionable, it's incongruent with who he reveals himself to be. He says he does not love, does not know Elohim for Elohim is love, that's what Yahweh is he can't be anything other than that. Every crime committed on the earth is the absence
of choosing love and so it's a manifestation of what happens when a person distances themselves from Elohim who is love. Evil is not a manifestation of Yahweh's will, it's the manifestation of what happens when a man disregards Yahweh's will, the very opposite.
Now someone say well how can a man ever go against the will of Yahweh? How is that even possible? Wouldn't that call Yahweh's sovereignty into question? To that I say, well what if it was Yahweh's will, that he would give you a free choice. What if that's what he wanted? That would make it impossible for us to violate his plan and his purpose because his plan and purpose was to give us free will.
Is it possible for him to do that, no. Just meditate on that for a little while. We're not going against Yahweh's will by making a free choice we are exercising that very will.
That's what He wanted, He wants the people who would choose to love Him of their own free will and volition. Anything else would not be true love at all. It would be like coming to a child and forcing their mouth to say I love you dad, I love you mom there's no glory in that. When a child of their own free will and volition comes up to you and just says, I love you dad, I love you mom, that's true love.
The same way, if you program the computer to love you or to hate you, why would you blame the computer? Why would you smash the computer? In reality, the computer can't even love you it's you programming it to love you, it's like it's doing what it's programmed to do. If we're just a bunch of programmed robots we have no capacity to really even manifest true and genuine love. I don't see this no free will doctrine in the
scriptures. Now, others will say, well didn't Peter say he wasn't going deny Messiah, but then Yahushua told Peter he would deny him three times. See it doesn't that show that Peter wanted one thing, but Yahweh made it so that Peter will do something else. No, Yahweh didn't force Peter to deny Messiah. Remember, the flesh loves against the spirit so you don't do things you wish.
Yahweh had foreknowledge that Peter would not be willing to stand there in the courtyard and be approached by different people and stand and say, no, I was with him. He knew that Peter would be willing to deny Messiah if put under pressure. Yahweh knew that Peter would deny Yahushua with three times of his own free will and volition. Can't we say that at some points in our life? I mean, we have every intention to making right decisions, then pressure comes, temptation comes and we voted, shame to say? I've been one of those. That's what happened to Peter, nothing more, nothing less. Yahushua knew Peter would, just didn't have it in him, not that moment. He knew Peter would not stand up to the pressure, he knew that would happen. It doesn't mean Yahweh made a decision for Peter. It just means he had the foreknowledge of what Peter would do because he knows the end from the beginning. He can look down through the quarter of time and know, Peter you're not going to stand; you're going to forsake me, you going to deny me.
In the fact before the rooster crows, this is all going to happen. He saw it coming.
Getting back to our text, therefore he has mercy upon whom he wills and whom he wills, he hardens. You will say to me then why does still find fault, for who has resisted his will. But indeed old man, who are you to reply against Elohim, all the thing formed that say to him who formed it, why you have made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay from the same lump to make one vessel for honor, another for dishonor? What if Elohim, wanting to show is wrath and make his power known, endured with much long suffering, the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, and that he might make known the richest of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had prepared before Him for glory. Even us whom he called, whom he called, not the Jews only, but also the gentiles.
Close attention here, upon whom he called. Israel he did call, he did grant mercy, but Pharaoh he did not call. Jacob he didn't call and grant mercy, Esau he hated. Now we learn some of the reasons why certain people are called and he grants them mercy, other people he hardens. Some people he just hardens their heart, as in the case of Pharaoh. Why? He just does, he doesn't want them coming into the faith, He's not interested and then becoming a believer, He doesn't allow them to come in.
Now, because I believe Yahweh is righteous, I believe he has righteous reasons for not calling people like Pharaoh and a ship fold. Maybe people like Pharaoh would come into the faith for some time and then because it's not really in them to walk under Yahweh's authority, they would just fall away and do more harm to believers than good. Hence for that reason I really believe Yahweh doesn't just show up here on the Earth and manifest Himself openly to everybody. But Yahweh in choosing to not reveal Himself openly to everybody, those who truly seek Him and find Him are actually protective from those who will not love him. Just because they see Him don't mean they're going to love him. Those who don't want His authority and want their so called freedom to do what they want. Well today they can claim he's not real and there by separate themselves from believers and we have a sense of protection in that. But if you think hypocrisy among believers is bad now, imagine how much worst it would be if he just open they showed himself to everybody. There will be people, oh yeah, He's real, not deny His existence. But that would not necessarily mean their hearts turned to the true way of love as defined by him and they will be thorns in our sides and traps and pits in our snare, and snares for the remnant. It would be complete mess, so I understand. One atheist says, why you hide yourself? I can see why, that's one reason why and why doesn't He manifest Himself openly as we really pursue him,
so that we as a body of Messiah are protected and that's also why, in my understanding, one reason why certain people's hearts are hardened. He doesn't want them to come in and do damage to the remnant. He knows what's in their hearts. They've already manifested what they're all about, and that's one of the reasons I've considered the possibility in my meditations on that question. But He doesn't want them coming in, they'll ruin everything. I won't teach his doctrine, but that's what makes the most sense to me. Look at the later verses here, what if Elohim
wanting to show his wrath and make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels wrath prepared for destruction. He might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he prepared beforehand for glory even us whom he called we are the vessels of mercy, Jew and Gentile both. Either way it's not for us to call Yahweh's character into question. Yahweh is the potter and we are the clay. He's not forming us in the sense that we have no free will to do anything. But whether we are a vessel of honor, and vessel of mercy, or a vessel of destruction,
that's our choice. Whatever we want that's what he will form us into. We're not always privy to the reason why but there are plenty of people in this world who've never been called. They're vessels for dishonor and Yahweh allowed them to be such. Okay, so gentiles Yahweh says endure it with much long suffering, the vessels of wraths so he would make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy.
Now, as an example as similar as we can see to what Yahweh did with Pharaoh, we can also see
what describes in the Pharisees, many of whom were vessels of wrath. Okay, they were vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, but he actually showed mercy in longsuffering on the Pharisees and the scribes who were killing his Son, his only begotten Son.
He didn't kill them right then, He let them do it. Why? Why? He wanted to make known the riches of his glory. He allowed it to happen, so that we could be vessels of mercy.
Concerning those who were carnally minded like Esau, physical descendants of Judah who were vessels of wrath, he chose to bare with their sin, not destroy them in that moment because like with Pharaoh, He wanted to show His might, His power through them when they, by Him hardening their hearts, put Messiah to death.
You may think I'm crazy at this point but hear me out here. By this the riches of Yahweh's glory are upon of remnant and the children of Abraham who are the vessels of mercy. All of these things ties in with the earlier things we shared in Romans chapter nine, where examined at length, our previous segment, about the vessel of wrath being children of Esau and the Esau like character, and the Pharaoh like character, in the scribe and Pharisee like character and I'll probably even extend that the King Saul as well who pursued innocent blood in trying to kill David, but there are certain people who fit the bill and regenerate. Where is the evidence that Yahweh hardened the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees. Take a look at Mark chapter four verse 11 through 12, he said to them, to you that has been given to know the mystery of the kingdoms to the disciples of Elohim but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that seeing they may see and not perceive, hearing they may hear and not understand unless should turn and their sins be forgiven them. Nowhere else is that more clearly seen than the scribes in Pharisees, he didn't want them. He has reasons for rejecting them. As we see they're walking in the same way Pharaoh did. Scribes and Pharisees like Pharaoh we're willing to shed innocent blood for political gain.
Yahushua called those men children of the devil. He said, why do you not understand my speech in John 8:43 because you're not able to listen to my word. You are of your father the devil, the desires of your father you want to do. They don't want to be delivered from the body of death, they wanted to do the desires of their father the devil. He was a murderer from the beginning. It does not stand in truth because there's no truth in him when he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources for he is a liar and the father of it. They were in hot pursuit of the will of the devil and so like Pharaoh Yahweh closed their eyes, hardened their hearts to the truth. In another verse we see similar, Yahweh give us a
strong delusion to those who want to believe that lie. They have no desire for righteousness in their hearts. Yahweh gives us the strong delusion so they believe a lie and do not come to the knowledge of the truth. These men claim to be the children of Abraham by the way 2 Thessalonians, these men claimed to be child of Abraham but they were not. They'd already demonstrated what kind of children they were. They already demonstrated what they would bring to the table if he called them into his sheepfold, and so he rejected them. By that he protected his sheep, it actually was an act of love not to bring all this political sectarianism into the body of Messiah. In conclusion while I do believe their instances where Yahweh will interfere with man's free will, in some circumstances I don't believe we're completely controlled by Yahweh and have no freewill of our own. I also believe there are just reasons for his hardening of hearts and those reasons are based on certain freewill choices once already made, and have the proclivity to do. They don't want to be delivered from the body death. They want to subscribe to it.
But to believe something else that Yahweh makes us do evil, is to make Him an accomplice and directing force behind every crime committed on the earth no matter how awful or how heinous and that's not His character. He is love. Therefore he cannot do anything unloving. I think we would all agree if we told a child not to eat pork and then we shove the pork chop down his throat and made him eat it and then we punish them for it, that would not be a loving thing to do.
To put Yahweh in total control of our every choice and take away our freewill completely from us and enforce us to do evil essentially by how He creates us and then in wicked crimes, He would then punish. That would be an unloving thing to do with His creation. That's not His character and that's not who He says he is. He is love. I'm choosing to believe that. That's where I'm going to put my faith.
Moving on in Romans chapter nine, as He also says in Hosea, I will call them my people who are not my people and her beloved, who was not beloved and it shall come the past and the place where it was said to them you're not my people, there they shall be called sons of living Elohim. Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel though the number of the children of Israel be as a sand of the sea, their remnant will be saved, for He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness because Yahweh will make a short work upon the earth. The verses he's quoting here in Isaiah actually references to Israel. Some of whom were mingled amongst the Gentiles. When Yahushua died for our sins, He called us and we answered that call and we who are not His people, He made us His people. He made us sons of living Elohim.
Now He said, if we will draw near to Him, He will draw near to us. James 4:8, draw near to Elohim and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners, purify your hearts you double minded. As we become the remnant the true seed of Abraham through the body of Messiah, these all happens because we chose to draw near to Elohim and then He will draw near to us. There's two choices involved here, but only one choice saves us ultimately, Yahweh choosing to have mercy upon our souls. Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel though the number of the children of Israel being the son of the sea, the remnant that's who's saved, the remnant will be saved. There's a difference between the stock of Israel and the descendants of Israel and the remnant. Among the children of Israel there's only a remnant who are saved and like Paul said earlier in the chapter, they are not all Israel who are of Israel. Those who are the children of the flesh are formed into vessels of dishonor. Those who are children of promise are formed into vessels of mercy. Yahweh will not let those who walk after the flesh become vessels of mercy. Therefore, their hearts and their eyes will be blinded and their hearts will be hardened so they will not turn to Messiah and have their sins forgiven them. Yahweh takes the clay and he will mold us into the vessel of dishonor if we are manifesting Pharaoh, Esau like and Pharisee like character traits but will mold us into vessels of honor and mercy if we're manifesting Moshe like, David like character traits. Probably the greatest character trait, which is humility. As scripture says, "Humble yourselves in the side of Yahweh and he will lift you up." You do this and Yahweh will do this, clear, we have a choice.
What shall we say then? Romans 9:30, the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained to righteousness
even the righteousness of faith, not at works. But Israel pursuing the law of righteousness has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith but as it were, by the works of the law. What's the works of the law? The work of the law is, I'm going to tell you what righteousness is. That's what the law does. It never says the law will make you righteous. He just doesn't want to tell you what it is. Of course, if you are doing what He said, then you will be found righteous. The problem is we haven't done it.
Israel was not humble themselves in the side of Yahweh. They were choosing to rely upon their own righteousness to the works of the law. They pursue the law of righteousness but did not attained it because he did not keep it.
The law cannot make you righteous, only demonstrates how unrighteous we are. Why? Because we haven't kept it. Therefore we must humble ourselves and walk by faith and the just will live by faith, Habakkuk 2:4, and for that reason we can only attain righteousness by faith in Yahushua. The one in whom true righteousness dwells. The Gentiles, they were not pursuing righteousness, they weren't trying to follow the law but because they are humble, recognize they were sinners in need of a savior, many of them received the Messiah and obtained unto righteousness through faith.
But many of the Jewish people did not attain to righteousness because they did not seek it by faith, rather they rejected the Messiah and sought to establish their own righteousness by works. That's all they had because without Messiah it's impossible for a person to be considered righteous. Since none of us have kept Yahweh's Law perfectly, the law, its work is only going to work wrath because it's going to demonstrate that we have not been righteous. When Yahushua came, many Jewish people rejected him, stumbling over that stumbling stone. A stumbling stone, a rock of offense. But why do they stumble? They were not humble. By that, Yahweh was actually able to go into Israel separate the sheep from the goats. The difference between the vessels of mercy and vessels of dishonor were much more clearly seen.
In that way, the vessels of dishonor could not have quite the impact, having infiltrated to the vessels of honor. Because of that, the early disciples were able to work a tremendous ministry by the Spirit of Yahweh. In fact the greatest work of ministry this world has ever known, reaching millions of people who otherwise would not have been reached had Yahweh not allowed this to happen, this stumbling to happen. Since that time, Satan has come in again and muddied the waters. For me, I'm anticipating, as this world gets more and more wicked, there's going to be this time in the future where Yahweh will arrange circumstances in such a way, we're going to know exactly who are brethren are. It's already happening in some segments. This going to be a great work of ministry during this great tribulation, I think. But that's another topic altogether. He's doing these things, separating things. He separated the Israelites from Pharaoh, he separated those who were Israel seeking fleshly things with the two people left who are willing to pursue righteousness and he separated the scribesand Pharisees, the Jewish people from the true believers who were humble and were willing to follow Messiah and humble themselves before Yahweh. Through this stumbling stone, the true vessels of mercy were made known and the vessels of wrath were exposed.
Going on to chapter 10, brethren my heart's desire and prayer to Elohim for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for Elohim, but not according to knowledge. They're zealous, but they're not getting it. For they, being ignorant of Elohim's righteousness
and seeking to establish their own righteousness have not submitted to the righteousness of Elohim. Israel pursued righteous through their own flesh to the works of the law, through their own vessel which is inherently we're a vessel of dishonor inherently but they did not obtained righteousness. He sought to establish their own righteousness because they did not receive the Messiah.
When we don't have Messiah, we have no other place to turn to, to get righteousness except through our own works and through the law we're hoping one day we'll say, "Hey, we've been righteous." Problem is, the law is not going to show us that we've been righteous. That's the problem and they're ignorant of that and they're not submitting themselves to Elohim's righteousness which is offered through the Messiah Yahushua. Hopefully, if you've watched the previous segments, you will understand what I'm talking about here. For Messiah is the end of the law, for righteousness
to everyone who believes, he's the end of the law for righteousness. The work of the law will not bring you righteousness only Messiah will bring you righteousness. Look carefully, he's not saying Messiah is the end of the law as if the law ended when Messiah came and now we can disobey it, not keep it anymore. The verse is saying, and the context is saying Messiah is the end of the law for righteousness.
Once the Messiah came, it was revealed to the world. There is a place from which we can get righteousness and that place is Yahweh himself. Elohim's righteousness that was in Yahushua. Through Yahushua, we can receive Yahweh's righteousness and therefore be cleansed.
But the only way to obtain righteousness from the law is to do the things the law said to do. That's why it says here in verse five, Moshewrites about their righteousness which is of the law. The man who does these things shall live by them. This word live, meaning eternal life, the one who does them will live or have eternal life by them. But since we haven't done them, we cannot live or have eternal life by them and therefore by the works of the law we can't be justified. Therefore, when Messiah came he brought about an end of the law for righteousness because the law can't make you righteous, to everyone who believes. Those who believe in Messiah and recipients of Yahweh's righteousness understand Messiah is the end of the law for righteousness. You can forget it. It's not going to make you righteous. You can try to do it, but it's a plan that will not work because you've not been one who actually did those things that are in the law. Nobody has except Messiah. He alone could be justified by the law. Now, some people believe this word translated end
from the Greek word telos doesn't actually mean "end" instead they've tried to say this word means "go" or "aim" or like Messiah is the goal of the law for righteousness. In a sense that when a law was given, the goal was Messiah would come and keep it, and he did or perhaps some other way of interpreting the text but this interpretation is only divorcing this very verse from its context. It's also not true, in my opinion. The word translated "end" does actually mean "end". In fact that word telos what is translated "end", is actually translated "end" 35 out of 42 times. That's 83% of the time, it's translated "end".
Look at some of the places where it's translated, here is one, Luke 1:32 through 33, he will be great and he'll be called the son of the highest and Yahweh Elohim will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and of his kingdom there will be no goal, there will be no aim. No, there will be no end, end means end.
That's what the word telos means, "end". That's why it's translated "end" so many times. You can make that fit into that verse. Another place Mark 13:13, you will be hated by all for my name's sake but he who endures to the aim will be saved. Okay, maybe we could try to fit that in there, but what does mean end? Another place 2nd Corinthians 11:15, therefore it is of no great thing if his ministers, he's talking about Satan's ministers, also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. Satan's messengers. Another place Hebrew 7:1-3, this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high Elohim, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being translated King of righteousness, and then also King of Salem and in peace;Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life, goal of life? I don't see it, but made like the Son of Elohim; remains a priest continuous. To me "end" is the correct translation. It does mean like the end of something now, the end of an age, the end of a life, no end to the kingdom. I don't really buy this idea that "goal" is the correct translation. Just kind of pull that out of the air and say this is what we're going to make it, except that it might be "end goal" or "end" but that's not what it's saying, it's just saying "end". I appreciate the desire to not interpret the
scriptures in such a way that you believe the law has come to an end, I can appreciate that, in the sense that now we can disobey it because it's come to an end. But if we really look at the context here, what he saying is Messiah is the end of the law for righteousness, because you can't be justified by the works of the law. You can't be justified by your own deeds and your own righteousness. Messiah is the end of anyone trying to use this law to make you righteous to everyone who believes. Not the ones that don't believe and it is not the end of the law for righteousness because we're still trying to use it to make them righteous. What Paul has been communicating all throughout the book of Romans is the law cannot be used to justify us. We cannot be declared righteous by the law and it makes perfect sense, the Messiah for us is the end of the law for righteousness because the law's not going to make me righteous, it's Messiah who's going to make me righteous. I am among those who believe and that's true of me. Now it does not say that the law no longer teaches us but righteousness is. It does not say, the law's no longer the standard of righteousness that we're expected to live by. It's saying what Paul has been saying in the whole context here even back into chapter 9 that, if we're ignorant of Yahweh's righteousness, if we're not believers we're going to be relying upon the law to justify us. But for those who believe, the Messiah is the end of the law for justification and righteousness to everyone who believes.
If we're ignorant of Yahweh's righteousness, try to establish our own righteousness, we have no choice but to try and be righteous according to the law. But the only problem is, only the man who does those things is going to be the one living or having eternal life by them, and therefore we're not going to make it. Does it mean we should not pursue the righteous conduct that the law requires of us; it just means we recognize our own righteousness, is not going to be enough. What the law offers us as righteousness is not going to be enough. We need Elohim, Him to come down and give us the righteousness we're looking for and so we must accept righteousness by faith in Messiah, the one in whom Yahweh's righteousness dwells. For those of us who believe, Messiah is our righteousness, not the law, not our own righteousness. The law only tells us what righteousness is, it does not make us righteous. But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way do not say in your heart who will ascend into heaven, that's to bring Messiah down from above or who was descendant to the abyss, that is to bring Messiah up from the dead but what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth, in your heart, that's the word of faith which we preach. Now listen, notice that the word and the Messiah
is one as the same here. He's saying, who will ascend into heaven and bring us His, word or bring Messiah down from above, who would descend into the abyss and bring the word up from the abyss. Let's bring Messiah up from the dead but the word is near you, in your mouth, in your heart. That is the word of faith which we preach, that's Yahweh's word. This is actually a quotation from the Tanakh or the Torah, the law of Yahweh which says Deuteronomy 30:11-14, for this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off the commandment. It is not in heaven, that you should say, who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us. That's the commandment, the word, that we may hear it and do it? We're looking for some way to do it, right? Well here we are, here's the method. Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us to bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' But the word is very near you, in your mouth, in your heart, that you may do it. This is actually a prophetic reference to the Messiah, who came down from heaven and he was raised from the grave. Look at what he's saying here, let's take a look. The comparison is here between the word and the Messiah who was sent to heaven and bring Messiah down from above, bring Messiah form the dead, the word is near you in your mouth. We see John 1:14, the word became flesh and dwelt among us, we be held as glory, the glory of that the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Yahushua is the living word that became flesh. The living Torah, the living commandment, the living law that became flesh and dwell among us and so this comparison arises here. The comparison is really good because listen, the comparison is awesome because the Torah shows us the way, but it can't get us there. Yahushua is the way. The Torah can show us the truth but it can't get us there, Yahushua needs to bring us and make us a part of him that we might be the truth.
The Torah shows us the way of life, but Yahshua is the life, the way, the truth and the life. The Torah is the word of Yahweh, Yahushua is the living word of Yahweh that became flesh and dwelled among us. The Torah shows us the way of life but it can't give us life, and so here we go.
Commandment which was to bring life, I found to bring death, presenting occasion by the commandment deceived me and by it, it killed me. Therefore the law is holy, the commandment holy and just and good. Yeah it's holy, but it killed me because I'm not holy, I'm not just, I'm not good. But Messiah was holy, he was just, he was good and so the Messiah being the living manifestation of Yahweh's word because he kept Yahweh's law perfectly, being perfectly holy, being perfectly just and perfectly good in light of all these things, Paul says this, don't say he will ascend into heaven and bring Messiah down for us, reference to the word and became flesh and dwelled among us. That's already happened, don't say it. The righteousness of faith will not say "hey, bring Messiah down from heaven." The righteousness of faith will not say, "well who's going to bring Messiah up from the dead?" We'll know it, we'll recognize, he's risen already. No, we're going to say Yahushua is near us, he's in our mouth, he's in our heart, the word is near us in our mouth, in our heart. That's the word of faith we preach, that's the Torah and Messiah. Torah and Messiah, everything is about Torah and Messiah, that if you confess with your mouth, the Master Yahushua and believe in your heart, Elohim is risen from the dead, you will be saved and actually this is a scripture in the Torah predicting that very thing.
Do we see it? Pretty awesome, really, if you think about it, that's pretty amazing, my opinion, it's really amazing, because what is the new covenant that the
law will be in our hearts, in our minds, why? Just to hang out there and say hello? No, so we may do it. That we may be made righteous to the word of Yahweh's residing here, Yahushua's residing here, one and the same. The word became flesh and dwelled among us and so the living Torah is residing right here in our hearts and we confess it, we don't say the word somewhere off and how that we can't get to it? We don't say the words down, the Messiah is down in the grave, we can't get to him, he's risen and now he's here. Unlike the anti law preachers who say the law is dead, we're gonna say no, the word, the Messiah are living. In fact, the Torah and Messiah are living right here, right now in my heart that I may do it I confess that, I believe that. Through our faith, through our belief, we believe unto righteousness, believe unto righteousness, that we may be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness Beautiful! And with the mouth confession is made unto salvation This scripture in the Torah is illustrating that very thing, isn't that amazing? Just staying in awe of Yahweh's word for a minute here. Through our faith and belief, we'll believe into righteousness, that means we're made righteous through Messiah, the living word of Elohim dwelling in us and we're also empowered to walk in righteousness, to do those commandments by this faith as well as we've been talking about it length in previous segments. By faith we overcome temptation, by faith in what Yahweh has made us and formed in us, we overcome. We are regarded as righteous before Yahweh. For the scripture predicts, whoever believes on him, Jew or Gentile, will not be put to shame for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. Same master overall is rich to all who call upon him, for whoever calls on the name of Yahweh shall be saved. That's Joel 2:32, and so whether you're a Jew or Gentile I don't care what language you speak, call upon the name of Yahweh. He says you'll be delivered. His name will be made great among all the nations and that's why I do proclaim the name of Yahweh to the whole world, I don't hide it, I don't take it out of the scriptures, I don't substitute it with something else. He says whoever calls on that name will be saved, why would I want to hide it? I want to tell the whole world about it. I don't care if you're a Jew or Greek, call on Yahweh's name, he said so. Actually names, my name is still Martincic whether I go to Israel or I go to Russia or wherever I go my name is still Martincic. Yahweh's names don't translate it transliterate across language that's why we say Abraham, that's why we say these other names because we're trying to vocalize what that vocalization is in our language. When we're looking at Yahweh's name, we want to vocalize what is our language not translate or substitute or remove or change. Everything I've been sharing with you and one of the biggest things this ministry is about.. is Torah and Messiah. These things are both being upheld here in the book of Romans and the name. That's another area that I think is important. These things are not, I'm not going through the book of Romans and finding all kinds of things that contradict my faith and my belief that Yahweh's law should be heeded and obeyed and listened to and regarded, it's actually proving that what I believe is actually true and hopefully many of you as well and if you don't see these things please watch the book of Romans, the whole study verse by verse, there's not a single scripture yet we come across in the book of Romans that tells us the law of Yahweh has been abolished or done away with or set aside or that somehow we don't have to obey anymore, everything we've found so far upholds the idea that we should, because Yahweh's spirit in us seek to walk in it. Do we seek to walk in it? I say we ought to, not by our own righteousness, by our own works, but by the strength Yahweh gives us through his spirit. Why don't we do this? Why don't we call upon the name of Yahweh? Yahweh you have promised in your word, we call upon your name that we are amongst those who you will save. We put our faith and our trust in the Messiah Yahushua. We make our confession with our mouth, Messiah is not far off, he's near me, he's in my mouth, he's in my heart. The word of faith which we preach and we confess with our mouth, the master Yahushua, and we believe in our heart that Yahweh you've raised him from the dead and you say that you will save us and we believe you. With our heart, we believe unto righteousness, the righteousness that you're willing impart to us as we become joined to the body of Messiah and our sin being placed upon his crucified body. With our mouth, we make this confession unto righteousness, because we want to be righteous in our conduct, we want to be manifestations of the body of Messiah on the earth. We know father Yahweh, You have said and we trust in Your word that whoever believes in him we will not be put to shame for whoever calls upon the name of Yahweh will be delivered. To that we make our confession and we believe, for truly, You are Elohim the one true most high Elohim, and there is none equal to You and we praise You. Let our life, let our attitude and let the actions that come forth from us be manifestations of praise to You oh mighty Yahweh and now we just want to praise You. In Yahushua's name we do, amein.