Why we Need both Torah and Messiah – Part 2
02/17/18 (11/30) Video Broadcast
We are now ready to get
started on this study
portion, for
today's broadcast.
And we're going to go into
part two of "Why we Need
both Torah and
Messiah, Part Two".
And we did share part one
last week, and we need both.
We need our Savior; we
also need instruction for
how he calls us to live.
We also need Torah to
teach us that we need a
Savior to begin with,
without Torah you don't
have even
necessity for one.
Why do you need a Savior?
Nothing to save you from.
You've done nothing
wrong right?
So we're go into this and
it's just that; we kind of
have this mentality that
we've inherited; that you
know Torah and Messiah,
okay we recognize that
Messiah is going to go
here to the end of the age.
But then after Torah the
first 4000 years well
after Yahushua came then
we have; do we have Torah
or do we not have Torah?
What do we have?
We have maybe not Torah,
maybe we've Paul now for
the last couple of
thousands years, and
next 3000 years,
we've got Paul.
So which is it?
Is it Torah or is
it Paul's writings?
Some believe, I know
people who would say, well
New Testament writings.
But they cancel out
some of the things that
Yahushua says because they
say well that was before
he died for our sins and
so you can't, you know you
kind of pick and choose
what you want out of
Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John.
And then after that you
have Paul's letters,
taking up the vast
majority books in the New
Testament and then James
and John and Peter and
Jude and so...
But you know you don't
really have all that much else.
So the most of it it's
Paul, so but I know that
no one really
believes that.
Now we have Paul instead
of Moses, but it almost
seems to me like in
practice that's really
what it boils down to.
And I don't he insultive
in one bit, but that's
just what I observe.
It does seem like he has
dominated the discussion.
And the studies that are
done are dominated by our
beloved brother Paul and
I don't think he ever
intended for that
to be the case.
So anyway, so we are going
to look at this question,
it's an important
question.
Where does the Torah begin, we know where it begins; where does it end? Let's start first with understanding what the word law means. What's the actual meaning of the word law? According to theological book of the Old Testament, the three most frequent uses of this root, deal with shooting arrows. Shooting arrows is one of the important meanings of Torah, sending rain and teaching, interesting.
And the word teaching, being the primary meaning; the word Torah means basically teaching. Whether it is a wise man instructing his son: or Elohim instructing Israel. So it has to do with teaching and so does Yahweh's teaching end at 4000 year mark? Do you understand what I'm getting at? We really understand the Hebrew root of the word; things just don't quite make sense like you may have originally thought. So looking here the word Torah, we have to understand what it means, has to do with teaching and instruction.
Now in Romans chapter 7, in verse 9 it says; I was alive once: without the law but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. So the commandment was there to bring life, to teach the people the way of life, but then he says he found that it actually brought death. And why is that? Why would a commandment that was intended to give life bring death? Basically the commandments, do teach the way of life, the problem is we have not walked in the way of life and therefore we are deemed worthy of punishment and judgment. And therefore we deserve death for having violated Yahweh's standards. But this whole thing is predicated upon the understanding that the law is the standard. The reason why we have sin is because we have violation of the law. And because we have violated Yahweh's law, we deserve death and that's what the whole statement is based on. And so the entire statement here is based on the idea that the Torah still stands, as is standard for us to live by. But, you know that's not what's commonly talked today, well we don't have to keep the law anymore, we now have the Messiah. But the word law, in a narrower sense, has to do with the law that was given through Moshe, Moses. But in a broader sense, can really refer to all of Yahweh's word. And both senses are used in scripture, so, but they Torah again is simply Yahweh's teaching and instruction of how he expects us to live and that's why he gave commandments. And everything is really about teaching us how to love. And you know, we don't have to believe that there is this split in the Holy Scriptures and then there's this idea that, where there's a teaching that's in the Old Testament and something brand new in the New Testament comes along and replaces it. And that Yahweh in the old testament is this angry Jehovah God and now he's kind of become grandpa now, he's calm down because the Savior came in and took the edge off his anger, that's not how it is. I don't think anybody actually comes out and says that, but there's sort of this mentality toward the old testament that there was no grace in the old testament, everything was about judgment, everything was about you live right, and fly straight or he's gonna come down and wipe you out in a second. But then you have to acknowledge the new testament, a couple of people try to lie to the Holy Spirit and they died on the spot.
And Yahushua himself said to the woman, who was Jezebel, says I will kill your children with death and put you on a sick bed. Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 11 that, because people are not partaking the body and blood of Messiah worldly, that some sleep and some are sick, some have died because of it. So there's still judgment in the body of the Messiah today, this is and always was judgment in the Old Testament. And there was grace in the Old Testament and mercy in the Old Testament just as much as it was in the New Testament, and as it is today. Yahweh is not a chameleon, he's not a partial judge, and he's impartial. Just because you happen to live during one time period, he's not going to be on the Day of Judgment say, well because you live in the year 2000 years before Messiah came I'm going to sentence you to the lake of fire. But then you live 2000 years after Messiah came and then he says well enter into the joy of your Master. He is not an unfair judge; he does not show partiality dependent on when you live. You have no control over when you're born, no control whatsoever. So it is not that he has changed, the issue is we have been taught that he changed and where does all this come from? Where does the mentality even come from? There was a man who lived from the year 85 to the year 160, first generation after the apostles, all kind of died off and went on. He was a son of a Bishop named Marciano of Synop, and early Christianity according to Marciano the deity of the old testament, let me call the Demiurge, I don't know how you say that. The creator of material universe is a jealousy, tribal deity of the Jews, whose law represents legalistic, reciprocal justice and punishes mankind for its sins through suffering and death. Contrastingly, the God or deity that Jesus professed is; an altogether different being, a universal God of compassion and love who looks upon humanity with benevolence and mercy. Mercy and also produces end of this thesis, contrasting the Demiurge of the Old Testament with the heavenly father of the New Testament. And this man, while he was rejected as a heretic, some of his mentality, I see carried over even into today's church.
He says "the church centered on the mercy, honest interpretation of the Christian gospel, expanding greatly within Marciano's lifetime became a rival to the orthodox Christian church; and retained it's following from more than a century". It survived Christian controversy and imperial disapproval for several centuries more. So it was rejected by some church members, but its influence is still here to this day. And so the church I think places a disproportionate amount of attention to Paul's letters and even though Paul's writings if you go according to the volume of words, instead of the volume of books, just go by the number of words, you can do the word count. Paul's letters are only 5 percent of the bible, 5 percent and much of modern Christianity places undue emphasis on the 5 percent. And if you only put your emphasis on 5 percent of the bible you're going to have an imbalance view of what scripture teaches as a whole, as a full counsel of our heavenly father. According to Peter, it can be dangerous, Paul's
letters can be dangerous, and he said so. Not because of Paul, or anything that Paul said, but because he is widely misinterpreted. According 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 13-14 says, nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved: looking forward to these things (what things? This new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells), be diligent to be found by him in peace, without spot, and blameless. He's urging obedience; he's urging the need to be without spot and blameless, looking forward to a new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells, since righteousness is going to dwell there. Seek to be blameless and without spot, that's what he's saying. And consider that the longsuffering of our Master is salvation; so while you are seeking to be without spot, without blemish, don't forget it is what Yahushua went through for us; that bring us salvation. Our own righteousness does not save us, but it is a longsuffering of Yahushua which saves us, as also our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given to him as written to you. As also in all his epistles: speaking in them of these things (what things?
That the longsuffering:, of our Master is salvation. He spoke a lot of that, it is by his death for us that we are saved, not of our own works, he says); but in which (in which what? This concept of Yahushua being our salvation not our own righteousness), there are some things hard to be understood, which untaught and unstable people, twist, to their own destruction as they also do the rest of the scriptures. So what's going on here, who is twisting Paul's
letters? Some would say, I twist Paul's letters to suggest that we should still today keep the Torah, keep the law of Yahweh. Others like me, say that those who are twisting Paul's letters are those who believe we don't have to any longer practice and observe Yahweh's law, so which is true? Let's take a look, are we really free to disregard and disobey two thirds of the bible?
That's what's at stake, it is that important, significant question, you cannot take this lightly, because two thirds of the bible; in fact almost 95 percent of bible. Let's say 85 percent, 95 percent it's probably really what's at stake. But the Old Testament is about two thirds and some believe we can completely ignore and disregard any commandment that's in the first two thirds of the bible. But then the commandments after that, New Testament yes we should obey. This is a very important question, who is twisting Paul's letters? Does the Torah and Messiah continue or does it disappear upon the arrival of Paul the apostle?
Important question or alternately a Yahushua sacrifice, here's why I believe Paul was speaking of Torah breakers, not Torah promoters. The untaught and unstable, he says twist to their own destruction. The untaught: and the unstable twist to their own destruction. What does it mean to be taught? Taught what? What is the root word for law? Is it not teaching?
So those who do not have a solid understanding of the teaching would be the ones who are untaught. Does that make sense? I mean, I hope it makes sense that those who are untaught would be the ones who don't have Torah; they don't understand or comprehend Torah. They are people who are unstable, they don't have a foundation. It's when people don't have a foundation that they are unstable, right? It's when a house is lacking a solid foundation; it's going to be unstable. Well what was the Torah? The first two thirds of the bible, therefore to be a foundation upon which everything is taught in the New Testament is even truer, make any sense. And so it is the Torah, it is the first two thirds of bible that is the foundation for the last third, make sense? I hope it makes sense, and so it is the untaught, those who lack that foundation, and those who don't have Torah, who are twisting Paul's letters to their own destruction. Okay, so I think it's important. I'm not just making this up. Look it says here Romans 2:17; indeed, you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make you boast of Elohim. And know his will (there is one, how do we know his will? Because we learn from the teaching, the law), and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed (from what? ) out of the teaching (You are instructed out of the teaching). And are confident: that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light of those who are in darkness. An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having a form of knowledge and truth in the law. I mean right there in black and white, well, red, we have him acknowledging knowledge and truth are in the law. You can approve the things that are excellent out of the law, you know his will because of what the law says, and you can instruct a foolish one, and that you are a guide to the blind, and a light to those who sit in darkness. I mean he could have got, I don't see how he could.
So if you're not learned, it's because you haven't been instructed on the law, that's the teaching has not yet come into you for you to learn properly, okay. So all right reason number two, Peter interprets his own word by saying you also, in the remaining verses, all right. Because he says, you therefore: being because of what I just said. Beloved, seeing you know this beforehand, beware lest you also, (like who else? like the untaught and the unstable people) fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked. Now look up this word wicked in the Thayer's lexicon and you're going to find a very interesting definition, it says one who breaks through the
restraint of law and gratifies his lust.
Alright so let's plug this into the verse, you therefore, beloved, seeing you know these beforehand, beware lest you also, fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of (one who breaks through the restraint of law). That is as plain as, he's saying that there are people out there who are untaught, unstable and they twist his letters to say you that you can break through the restraint of law and do what you want. You don't have to obey the law. All right. Reason number 3, everything I read in the scriptures is that commandment breakers are destroyed, not commandment keepers. Have you ever seen, where in the bible does it say, depart from me you who keep my commandments, how dare you keep my laws? Nowhere, I'm not trying to be a mockery here or anything, I'm just saying reason with me here, and where does he say depart from me you who keep my laws? You commandment keepers: how dare you do what I say? I don't see that anywhere, now I could see him saying well you thought your own righteousness is going to make? No not good enough, you need a Savior. I could see him saying that, but is he really going to say I'm twisting Paul's writings to my own destruction, because I believe that Paul teaches, we should keep the law. No I don't see that at all, so he says here look for where righteousness dwells new heavens and new earth, and be diligent be found by him without spot blameless. He is advocating obedience, so he's okay with that, but remember that is you know, ultimately it is the long suffering our Master Yahushua that brings us salvation. And so I understand people are concerned that you know, you're trying to be saved by your own works or something and I get that. But again, please reason with me here are we earning our salvation? Because I've noticed that, the minute we start doing things like keep the Sabbath, keeping Festivals, choosing to eat only clean meats and observing the Torah, that bingo. Because you do these four things, automatically you're seeking salvation by works, okay. What is it about these commandments, couldn't someone just as easily be trying to go out and give to the poor? And they think that well because they give to the poor they're going to be saved. Now someone could be be, it's not the commandment you keep, it's your motivation for keeping it. There are people who go to church every week because they think that because they go to church every week they will get saved. That's not how it works, it's not by you doing any one righteous act, that you will ever be saved. It's because you are seeking to be saved by your own deeds, that you're minimizing what Yahushua did for you and that was a mistake of those who were in Galatia. He says, are you so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, you are made perfect by the flesh? I understand that because, along comes a bunch of men saying you're not saved yet, not until you go under the knife and you get circumcised.
And so they are being seduced by a group of men who were teaching falsehood, a different gospel. And it's because of these comments in Galatians, I understand why there are many Christians today who think that because you do something that looks Jewish, that automatically you're trying to be saved by works. But you forget that in Acts chapter 16, Paul himself circumcised Timothy was he trying to kill Timothy's salvation? I mean, it wasn't the fact that one get circumcised, it was your reason for it. It was your reason for it, promoter for getting circumcise based on the idea Yahushua's offering is not enough to cleanse me. Then we're believing in a perverted gospel, but there were Jews that believed you could not receive eternal life until you were circumcised. Which basically means it is circumcision that saves you and not Messiah and his righteousness that saves you. It would be just as easy to say, well you aren't saved until you attend church regularly or someone to say well you're not saved until you fill in this questionnaire and you join our church. And, or you're not saved until you give a certain amount of money the church every week. And there are people who approach their life in Messiah with this kind of mentality and they're in danger. So again, it's not the command you keep it is your mentality you have, the approach in a motive for keeping these things. If you're doing these things, going to church regularly, if you're going and giving to the poor because you love your heavenly father, there's nothing wrong with that. And so yeah, you can do all these wonderful
things, you can keep Sabbath, you can keep the Festivals which are amazing, awesome, you can eat clean so you could stay healthy, you can observe all things that are in the Torah, not because you're trying to be saved by it, but because of loving Yahweh. How about that? And then you're not being saved by works, you're responding to his love for you, by wanting to do the teaching, wanting to follow his teaching.
And so it's okay to do whatever it is he's asked us to do, as long as your motive is love.
The historical Christianity has taken Paul's letters and because the church fathers many of whom were pretty much any Semitic, they took his letters and twisted them, to say well you can disobey certain things out of his word. Whereas scripture itself said this is the love of Elohim that we keep his commandments, and so you are trying to put us under that yoke of those old laws, well his commandments are not burdensome. They are not, not when you love him, now if you don't love him very much, yeah his commandments will be a burden to you. But the more we love him, the easier it is for the sin that we may struggle with to be overcame, because we just love him so much, we don't want to offend him. We don't want to do things that are offensive to him and so if it's out of love that I am choosing to do anything out of his word, it's not because I'm trying to be saved by it and I think my own righteousness is going to be a good enough for him, to go okay well your good outweighs your bad. That's the wrong approach, but if I I'm doing it because I love him there's nothing wrong with that. So we got to understand that very thing, now look at what he says here. Looking forward to these things be diligent to be found by him in peace without spot and blameless. Because in the new heavens and new earth, righteousness dwells. And consider the long suffering of our Master's salvation. So it's okay to seek to be without spot and blameless, as long as you remember that your righteousness only comes through what Yahushua did for you. Your salvation will come from him and not from you,
and so looking to this new heavens and new earth. What do we see happening? It says, it shall come to pass, from one new moon to another, and one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before me.
So in a future time where righteousness dwells, from one Sabbath to another and from one New Moon to another, all flesh shall come and worship before Yahweh. Looks like the Torah is quite alive and well and news of its death are greatly exaggerated. So, and they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against me. For their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched (talking about the lake of fire); and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh. So this is all futuristic stuff here, if you look at the verse before this it talks about a new heaven and new earth. So it's pretty plain to me that this is our future,
so that's why you know last night we had a new moon broadcast. And today we're having a Sabbath broadcast, because the day is going to come when one new moon and one Sabbath to another, everyone we'll come and worship our heavenly father. We're just practicing and rehearsing for the future,
rehearsing for the awesome future we have. Now some have gone so far as to say that, you know we don't really need repentance, you know. We just need Jesus, we don't have to worry about, you know once you've made a profession of faith then you're in. All is well, you're set, and that's what sometimes people actually teach. I know that's not every Christian, but there are some who believe that and I want to address that very thing because Acts 26 verses 19 - 20.
Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision: But declared first to those in Damascus, and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent turn to Elohim, and do
work befitting repentance. In other words you met your works match your repentant attitude and who is he teaching this to? Everybody, everyone gets the same message, Gentiles
and everyone in Judea.
Everybody gets the same message, repent, turn to Elohim and do works worthy repentance.
Now Paul's letters have been often used to proclaim all grace through faith and that's it, grace through faith. But there's more to it, than just grace through faith, sorry I didn't know what that little thing is. But the grace through faith alone and that's it, you don't have to repent, you just put your trust in the Messiah. But wait a minute, if it's real faith, if it's genuine faith, then it's going to have works attached to it and so James agrees with Paul. James says, what does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food and one of you says to them, depart in peace, be warmed and be filled; but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body; what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Is dead law is alive and well, and your faith is supposed to be alive and well and Yahushua is alive and well and your faith should be alive and well and contain works. But someone will say, if you have faith and I have works show me your faith without your works, I'll show you my faith by my works. By my works, I'll show you my faith, are we doing that and that's important? Otherwise our faith is nothing more than dead, if your faith is dead that means it's not living, it's useless. Your faith is not alive it's dead, you believe there is one Elohim; you do well: even the demons believe (there is one Elohim), and tremble at the thought. They believe there is one Elohim, but do you want to
know of foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, (which was activated by his faith of course) when he offered Isaac his son on the altar. Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed Elohim, has looked out for him to him for righteousness and he was called the friend of Elohim. You see then that the man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? For as the body: without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
So your faith, yes it is faith, it is our faith that often ultimately, and our faith in Yahushua that is ultimately bringing us salvation. But that faith has to be a living faith, that can't be dead faith. It's gotta have some kind of works attached to it, and so the way I like to put it is I'm saved by a faith that works.
And it does, it should work, it's not a dead flabby laying on the ground faith it's just mere words or mere thought process. It's a living faith that bears fruit, that's why Yahushua said by their fruits you shall know them, right. Here in Titus chapter 3 verses 4 through 7 says, when the kindness and love of Elohim our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Whom he poured out on us abundantly: through Yahushua Messiah our Savior. That having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. So, but Paul himself also understood that, our faith in him, our faith in what he has done should contain works, because he said, let's back up and look at it again. He said, I should tell the gentiles you've got to repent, and do works but that's not what saves you. It is what he did for you that save you and your faith in him. But your faith is a faith that works. I hope I'm making sense to you, if I said "well
here's a nice pair of parachute, it's a wonderful parachute, I like the look of it, it looks very safe I'm sure the man who packed the parachute was tremendously careful, so it would not get all tangled when it unravels and you know? And I just think it's those wonderful parachutes in the world." I am professing faith in the parachute but it's not until I put on the parachute and actually use it, that my faith is genuinely real; it's not just empty words. And so my faith in Messiah is more than just, well yeah he did a great thing, there's one Elohim, there's one Savior who came toward men. My faith has to have some kind of trust attached to it, my faith needs to have that because I love him, I trust him, I want to put that parachute on and show that I really do believe in him. And it's not just an empty set of words, has to have some action to it. So now, the purpose of the Torah: and the purpose of Messiah. The purpose of the Torah is to teach us righteousness, that's its purpose to show us the way of love, to show us the way in which we are supposed to live. The purpose of the Messiah is to make us righteous,
we need both. And so what's our relationship to both?
Our relationship to the Torah and Messiah, the relationship to the Torah is we receive it by repentance. I'm saying, I'm gonna to turn away from breaking it. I recognize I have violated it, and I need to be forgiven for having violated. My relationship to the Messiah is, I receive him by trusting in his righteousness through me. His righteousness is being imparted to me. His righteousness flows through us and fills us and so our relationship to Torah is I turned away from it. My relationship to the Messiah is I receive him by trusting in his righteousness to cleanse me and make me righteous. If I only receive the Torah and repent of breaking it, I become like those in Galatia. He says, O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Yahushua Messiah was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you, did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? By the works of law, the law is it because you repented and you did, or you started doing the right thing is that why you got the spirit, was because you heard what Yahushua did for you and Yahweh accepted you right there and there? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? How is one seeking to be made perfect by the flesh, but by rejecting the righteousness that is imparted to us through Messiah.
So two mistakes are available to us, two mistakes, one is rejecting Torah and the other is rejecting Messiah. We must have both, that's why we need both Torah and Messiah. If you only received Messiah, you're in danger too, because he says; or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of Elohim leads you to repentance?
But in accordance with your hardness hardness and impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of Elohim. Who will render to each one according to his deeds. We have to repent, repent from what? From sin, what's sin? It's violating his law, makes sense? So you can't just go all Torah, Torah, Torah and you forget the faith part of it, where our righteousness comes, you can't just go Messiah, Messiah, Messiah. You got to have both, and so the Torah stands and
what Yahushua did for us stands.
And all of Yahweh's commandments whether Old Testament: New Testament has the ability to condemn us. Now some people are going to say, well, Tom, you know, I was talking to a guy last night, Tom, what about their sacrifices and all that? The sacrifices have never saved anybody, if you think that the sacrifices kind of taught of things over until Messiah came as if to say that, all right. Well up the time that the Messiah came, you know the blood of bulls and goats and stuff you know that was good enough, that was what cleanse people of their sins. No it never did, I mean not really it's what it pointed to, see it's what it pointed to and what it pointed to was what Messiah would do for us. Revelation says, Yahushua is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, so his blood covers sins of all mankind from Cain, if you would have repented all the way to the last center on the earth who repented and receive Messiah. So it's all valid and the sacrifices were just
symbols and signs that represented Yahushua would do for us. And that's all there will be, but in the absence of a priest and a temple and all those things, you don't do those things it's forbidden in the Torah itself. Leviticus 17, to do any kind of sacrifice without a tabernacle or temple. So you know, that's not something we have to do because there's no temple, tabernacle, functioning priesthood if they were. Then you have to question what's going on, because we know the anti-Messiah is going to come out of that whole thing. But listen if you disagree with me until today, I don't believe that you are unsaved until now. I just think that maybe you are misunderstanding some things based on what you've been told and sometimes it's a matter of unlearning things. Because, you know listen, I know that in mainstream Christian churches today Yahushua is doing work there. I mean, people are getting delivered from drugs and alcohol and a very awful lifestyle and they're repenting, and they're changing your life and wonderful things are happening there. But you know, but there's more to it than just what you're being taught there, that's all I'm saying. And just as we don't punish our children for something that they're doing wrong and even realize it's wrong. I don't believe Yahweh is going to be different, just to be more harsh than he expects us to be. But you know, but now I call everyone not only to repent and breaking the commandments in the last part of the bible. But to repent of breaking the commandments on the first part of the bible, and when you understand each ministry had a purpose.
And we don't want to be under the law; we want to be under grace. What does it mean to be under the law? It means, if you're under the law and you transgress that law one time, you're condemned. That's what it means to be under the law. To be under grace means you're forgiven for having transgressed that law and you're not condemned, that's the difference. Now you can go under the law by rejecting the grace that comes through Yahushua or by minimizing it and say well I don't need that, what I need is for me to go to church every week and give to the poor and that'll save me, or get circumcised and that'll save me or I keep the Sabbath that'll save me. No one of those things saves you, it is Yahushua who saves you and as a response to salvation you choose to love Yahweh and do all the things that he asks you to do. But if you are under the law, you would not survive even a single transgression, so that's what it means to be under the law. So what's our relationship to Torah? We receive it by repenting of breaking it. Our relationship to Messiah received him by trusting in his righteousness. So we're ministers, Moshe was a minister to give the law; we are a minister of the new covenant because our goal is to bring people to a place for their relationship with the father through the Messiah Yahushua. And now Paul said, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything: as being from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from Elohim, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. Understand that the letter kills, the spirit gives life. What does this mean? The law brings death because of our sin, because of our unrighteousness, and so the letter kills. The spirit is the Messiah's in dwelling, making us righteous. These two ministries are at work here, okay the law apart from having Messiah's in dwelling would only bring us death.
But the law cannot condemn us any longer if we have Messiah in dwelling; it only instructs us and teaches us how we're supposed to live. And if we're repentent people, which we need to repent, then we will be in agreeance to allowing it to teach us, not because we're afraid of death and destruction or whatever but because we are inspired by his love. We love him because he first loved us and every commandment in the law is instruction on how to love. He says, but if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moshe because of the glory of his countenance; which glory was passing away. How will the ministry of the spirit not be more glorious? Why was the law called the ministry of death? Because when the law came, sin revived, I died because it demonstrated I needed a Savior apart from the Savior I would die. So it brought condemnation, it did, the law brought condemnation because we did not have Messiah, we did not have understanding of grace.
But the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. So it's even more glorious to be delivered from death than it is to be condemned, I have to acknowledge that, okay.
All right so even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect because of the glory that excels, the one that gives us life that's through Yahushua, for if what is passing away, doesn't say it already passed away. It says, it is passing away one day we won't need the law anymore, because everyone will be righteous. What remains is much more glorious, that people are obtaining eternal life Therefore since we have such hope we use great boldness of speech. Unlike Moshe, who put a veil over his face, so the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded (why was their minds blinded? He did not understand reading both Torah and Messiah, both this wonderful, awesome law, it teaches us the way of life and reveals to us our desperate condition for his mercy and long suffering). nd we also need grace, but their minds are blinded so this status thing is lifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil it's taken away in Messiah. Now we can read the Old Testament, but we don't have to look at it with say well that's such a bright, amazing standard. There is no way I could ever be righteous before him, instead we can look at it and say okay well here's a righteous standard, praise Yahweh for his grace. And now Yahweh helped me to overcome and obtain this holy righteous standard. And we don't have to look at the law as something so high and lofty. There's no way we could ever obtain anything close to being accepted by him. Now we can look at it and that veil is taken away, we can look at the brightness of his law and say Hallelujah, that's an awesome way of life lets walk in it. But those who do not believe, their minds are blinded and the veils aren't lifted, because they don't believe in Messiah. Messiah is the one who takes the veil away; he says even to this day when Moses is read veil lies on their heart. Because they don't have Messiah who takes that veil away, doesn't say he takes the law away, says he takes the veil away. Nevertheless when one turns to Yahweh, the veil is taken away. They have not yet turned to Yahweh; they are not yet repenting and therefore in receiving Messiah and therefore the veil is still there. Now Yahweh is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of Yahweh is, there is liberty. Because the spirit Yahweh came through our faith in Messiah Yahushua and therefore we are free, we are not in bondage to death any longer, we are free. But we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of Yahweh, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the spirit of Yahweh. So we're beholding as in a mirror, the glory of Yahweh, the Torah.
You know what James say, he says a man who is a hearer of the word not a doer, he looks at the mirror, and he forgets what kind of man he was. Well we look in the mirror, behold the glory of Yahweh, remember the imperfections we have and we see transformation from one glory to lesser glory. The glory that reveals to us what our sin is, and to a greater glory a greater glory that brings us salvation, that brings us cleansing from all our sin and by the spirit of Yahweh it's all done. Does that make sense? So two ministries are at work continually in our hearts, both Torah and Messiah that's what he's teaching here in 2 Corinthians 3. It's just that there are a lot of people in his day putting undue emphasis on Torah, and minimizing the need for a Savior. Today we have the opposite, a lot of emphasis on the Savior and not enough emphasis on the need for repentance and keeping his Torah. And so we're not justified by the law, redeemed from the curse allowed otherwise placed and in fact Yahushua became Christ for us.
But if we're trying to set aside his grace then we find ourselves in place for trying to be justified by the law, saying well because I've done this law and therefore I am considered righteous. Well you become estranged from Messiah if you do that, so I don't set aside the grace of Elohim. For if Messiah, if righteousness comes through the law, then Messiah died in vain. So we can't set aside the grace, it's not the law that brings me salvation. it is Yahushua that brings me salvation, If I thought the law could bring me salvation and Messiah died for no reason at all, we don't even need him.
But no one is justified by the law, that means to be declared righteous by the law, no one is declared righteous by it. Because none of us have kept it, only if we kept could we be justified by it. Then we can stand before Yahweh on that Day of Judgment, saying look I kept your law. But we can't do that, none of us can do that, won't work, won't work at all because we have not kept, therefore we will not be saved by it. So no one is justified by the law on the side of Elohim, the just shall live by faith, what's he quoting here? He's quoting the book of Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 4 and stating the truth is true that those who are just, righteous are going to live (that's having eternal life by their faith). t says the law is not, it says the man who does them shall live by them. Have I done them? I have not done them and therefore I cannot live nor have eternal life by them and therefore I cannot be justified or declared righteous by them. So I am under a curse and Messiah redeemed from the curse of the law having become a curse for us, for it is written curse is everyone who hangs on a tree. Yahushua became cursed for me and for you and redeemed me because he took the curse on himself not the curse of having to obey the law but the curse that came from having disobey the law.
Because the law says you do what this law says and then you'll be blessed. You don't do what the law says and then you'll be cursed. So the curse came about because of our sin. And Messiah became a curse for us. And therefore because he was hanged on a tree, he redeemed us from being cursed. And we don't have to die.
Galatians 5:4 says, you have become estranged from Messiah, you attempt to be justified by law, and you have fallen from grace. Do we understand why he's saying this now?
That if you're trying to be justified by your own works, it aren't gonna work because when you face him on judgment day, he's gonna say well, alright yeah you did those things correctly but there are 5000 other things you did that were not correct, you need a Savior. And the only way that I'm going to give mercy and grace is through Yahushua and he's someone you did not regard as being your righteousness.
And then here in Galatians 3:24, it says therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Messiah, that we should be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. Now before believe he says, the Torah kept us under guard as the schoolmaster, to teach us we needed salvation, we needed redemption, we needed mercy. And it confined us under sin, kept until the promise by faith in Yahushua. So if today we chose to be under a tutor, who's the
tutor? It says the law is our tutor right. The law is our tutor; if we chose to be under the
law then we are no longer under grace.
We can choose to be under the law which is saying, well you better do what it says or you're going to the lake of fire; or you can choose the under grace. I'm gonna say I'm under grace, I'm not under the law, I'm not under the tutor, I'm under grace and
I'm justified by faith. I'm not justified by the tutor; I'm not justified, or declared righteous by the law. The law really actually and all truth condemns me and condemns everybody.
If we were still under the law we would be looking for a way to get out from underneath the confinement that sin placed on us. But we consider ourselves children of Elohim by faith in Yahushua who is a child living Elohim. We're baptized into Messiah, therefore we put on Messiah, therefore it's no longer we who live its Messiah who live in us and therefore we made righteous through him.
So we are under the law, under grace, if you're under law of transgression once you are condemned. If you're under grace, you're forgiven for having transgressed the law. Now the fact that you're not anymore under the tutor, does that mean you're free to violate it? What does the tutor do? He teaches you, that's what tutor does; a tutor is a teacher, right? A personal teacher, okay. Now, after a person, now the word in the Greek is I think petagog where rich people would have their children under the petagog who would teach them what to do. Teach them the way they're supposed to live, conduct themselves, put them through school basically. Now after he graduated one of the things they needed to learn, does he rebel against the teacher? No, so same is true, yes the law tells you what
your sin is. Do you now because you have a Savior freely disobey what that teacher told you, that you did that cause you to be under condemnation to begin with? Of course not, and that's why it says, what then shall we sin? That means to transgress the law, 1 John 3:4, by the laws of knowledge of sin I would not known sin except by the law. Shall we sin because we're not under law, but under grace? Elohim forbid, absolutely not. Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Don't you know that and what's sin or not known
sin except through the law? But not known covetousness unless the law had said you should not covet. Romans 3:20, therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight: by the law is the knowledge of sin. That's all it does, it tells you what your sin is; it doesn't save you. But unless the law was still for today, you've got no reason to even have a Savior to begin with, because there is no law to condemn you, but the very mere fact that you need a Savior proves the law is for today. The law is to provide us with information on what sin is, would not even know what sin is except the law had taught me what sin is.
So, yes the Torah still stands, don't you know he
says that so many of us. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Elohim forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer in it? You don't live any longer in transgression of his Torah. Don't you know that so many of us as were baptized into Messiah Yahushua were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Messiah was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. So, what does that do with dying here? For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. So our relationship to Torah is we receive it by repenting than breaking it. That means not continuing in sin that grace may abound and a relationship to Messiah is we receive him by trusting in his righteousness through us and therefore both Torah and Messiah stand. Do we make void the law through faith? Romans 3:31. Certainly not on the contrary we established the law through faith. We establish, because it to stand this word here void means to set aside, disregard, null and void. No, we establish it by our faith because faith without works is dead. If you claim to have faith and yet you don't bother to keep any of the laws in the scriptures, your faith is a dead faith. Romans 7:22 says: I delight in the law of Yahweh according to the inward man. Romans 8:6 says: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against Yahweh (why?); for it is not subject to the law of Yahweh (so if you're not willing to be subject to the law, whether you realize it or not, you're still under a carnal mind, you're living in carnality).
Now I didn't write the mail it's just what it says, you may not realize you're being carnal but you are being carnal if you're disobeying the law. It's when you're subject to, that means subordinate to the law, that you are manifesting the spiritual mind. Because the law is spiritual, according to Romans 7; it's we who are carnal, the law is just, holy and good. According to Romans 7, it's we who are otherwise unjust, unholy and certainly not good. But if we want to be just, holy and good then we will choose to be spiritually minded and we will choose to be subject to the law of Yahweh. And for clarification what does it mean? It's actually 1 John 3:4: Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law (KJV). It's accurate, so we need both Torah and Messiah, we
need to stop sinning that means violation of the Torah and we need Messiah to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Relation 14 verse 9 says: the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark on his forehead, or on his hand. He himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of Elohim, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation; he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. Scary thought: And the smoke of their torment ascends for ever and ever: and they shall have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are those who keep the commandments of Elohim, and the faith of Yahushua. You need both Torah and Messiah, doesn't mean that the world's going like you, in fact the world is not gonna like you because you are being influenced by Satan the devil, the dragon who's in raged with the woman he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of Elohim, they have a testimony in Yahushua Messiah. Revelation 22:14: Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, may enter through the gates into the city. Now traditional Christianity has subtracted and divorced the Torah from their walk,
traditional Judaism is subtracted the Messiah from their walk with the saints are those who receive both Torah and Messiah. Both, in the future kingdom there will be Torah and Messiah.
Jeremiah 23 verse 5: Behold, the days are coming, says Yahweh, I will raise to David a branch of righteousness, a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. Eliminating Torah breakers right: In his days Judah will be saved (preaching salvation, offering
salvation to those who repent), and Israel will dwell safely: this is his name by which he will be called, YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Yahweh tsedkinu, he will be called Yahweh Our Righteousness. Because it is through him that Yahweh brought us his righteousness and so he's gonna be called Yahweh our Righteousness. So it is through the Messiah that we get righteousness, and it's through the Torah that we get instruction as to what righteousness really is.
We need both Torah and Messiah, are we willing to subject ourselves to that understanding and embrace both. I hope we are, I hope we're, we see the truth because we have two religions one is focused on Torah, and one is focused on Messiah. But the truth is right down the middle without the baggage of both, because the days are coming the new heavens and new earth. New heavens and new earth, that from one new moon to
another and one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come and worship before Yahweh. Torah and Messiah from Genesis: to all the way through to the end of the age.
Other examples, Zachariah 14:16: it shall come to pass, that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. So those who are left behind, of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will have to go up and keep the feast of tabernacles. It shall be, whichever the families of the earth to not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, on them there will be no rain. Another example, Micah 4:2: many nations shall come, and say (it's talking about Gentiles, nations), Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the Elohim of Jacob; he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion the law will go forth, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords in the plowshares, and their spears in the pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more. Obviously a future event, undeniably a future event.
Everyone shall sit under his vine, under his fig tree; and no one shall make them afraid: for the mouth of Yahweh of hosts has spoken. For all people will walk each in the name of his Elohim, but we will walk in the name of Yahweh our Elohim for ever and ever. More evidence of his name being restored is found in other scriptures, but this is one of them.
And last we heard, Paul dwelt two whole years in his own ridden house, received all who came him preaching the kingdom of Elohim (what kingdom of Elohim? The things we are reading right here). The kingdom of Elohim is the law is going to go forth; the kingdom of Elohim is that everyone will be forced to keep the feast of tabernacles because it's the law of the land, Torah and Messiah. And they're one from one Sabbath to another, one new moon to another, will worship Yahweh. So he's talking about the kingdom of Elohim, he's got included that. And teaching things that concern the master: Yahushua Messiah of all confidence no one forbidding him, Torah and Messiah, Torah and Messiah. From one end to the other: Genesis to Revelation, Torah and Messiah, unbroken, continuous concept from Genesis to Revelation. Someone to take the Torah out and then put it back in again later, fragment the whole thing, I'm telling you. There is an unclean spirit seeking to take away either Torah or Messiah because speaking of this
very time period right here, this time we're living in Yahushua said this very clearly to everybody. He said not everyone who says to me Master, Master shall enter the kingdom of Elohim; but he who does the will of my father in heaven.
Many will say to me Master, Master have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, done many wonders in your name.
I'll declare to them I never knew you depart from me who practice lawlessness.
Now if the problem is lawlessness or Torahlessness wouldn't that come out of this concept that we saw here, Torahlessness.
He's predicting that during this time period that Torahlessness will be what people are practicing and many will say to him in that day. Many will say to him in that day, Paul, Master, Master, it says but not everyone will enter in. For lawlessness look up in Strong's lexicon let's look it up, illegality. Everyone's concerned about being a legalist; I think we need to be concerned about being an illegalist.
Violation of the law, so let's plug the words in here, okay let's put this word in here. Other lexicon has a condition without law, because of ignorant of it, violating it, content in violation of the law, transgression of the law. May as well plug that in, you who practice violation of the law, means you practice it; it's your normal thing, you don't mind it, it's fine. You're okay with practicing violation of the law. See we must do the will of our father in heaven which has been very clear from the very beginning, the whole reason you need a Savior is because you have violated the law. And after you have received the Savior he doesn't set you free to violate the law again. That's the reason why he died for you to begin with, that's the reason why he came, it's because you violated the law. Why would he then say okay, abuse me, violate it all you want, just abuse me all you want. His love is precious, let's not abuse him, and let's seek to live like him and to me that's what my faith is all about.
I receive and want to live like him, he who says he abides in him on himself also to walk just as he walked. Did he keep the Torah, did he keep the Sabbath and the feast days and all these other things? If he didn't he couldn't be our Savior, he would be a sinner himself because he lived during the so called Old Testament time right? But he's perfect without spot and he's the same yesterday, today and forever, Hebrews 13:8. And he teaches us repeatedly because I beg of you, walk as he walked. If there is ever any doubt about how you understand Paul's letters of whatever get this, walk as he walked and we know he kept Torah.
So that's our answer, it's pretty sad, because if one man says you have to leave the church to live like our Savior. I mean that's really what you have to do sometimes, because they're not gonna accept you; they are not gonna like you, because they've been taught wrong. See, it's when we embrace both Torah and Messiah that we are actually proclaiming the kingdom, because when Yahushua sets up his reign that's exactly what the rule will be doing. It's when we embrace both Torah and Messiah that the bible really begins to make sense. Because on one hand he's saying keep the law, on the other hand he's saying don't worry about it. The reason he's saying don't worry about it is because his people thought they are gonna be saved by it, it will be better to be in a position where you put your trust in Messiah for your righteousness and then earn more, rather than setting Messiah aside and saying well I'm not saved until I do one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. So it's when we embrace both Torah and Messiah that Yahweh's word can be really seen as one sweet unified word of truth. And it's not this broken division, cracking everywhere and things being placed. It doesn't make any sense until we see it as being in unity with everything that came before it. It's when we embrace both Torah and Messiah the true image of Messiah is gonna be manifested on the earth today, because we gonna stick to, show people how we live the way he lived. It's when we embrace Torah and Messiah that maybe, just maybe some Jewish people will begin to go, wait a minute, he wasn't a rebellious son, who changed the father's laws and picked up a bunch of Pagan ones? You mean he kept Torah? Yes he kept Torah, I've never heard of that before. I've talked to many of the Jew, never heard of it before that a believer in Messiah will keep the Torah, never heard of it, never heard of it. That's sad, he had never heard of a single man who believed in the Messiah Yahushua who walked as he walked, not one. And it's until we embrace Torah and Messiah that we can truly say, it is no longer I who live, it is Messiah that lives me. And the life which I now live, I live by faith in the son Elohim who loves me and gave himself for me. He's a living Torah dwelling in us, the new covenant promises, is because he lives in us, the law of Yahweh and the Torah is being written in our hearts. If the Torah is being written in our hearts, then obedience to that Torah will reflect on the outer layer, right. So let's set aside the traditions and doctrines of men. Let's embrace the fullness of Yahweh's word.
Well if there's one thing we have in common with the things that Messiah was dealing with in his days, that traditions of men have yet again replaced the commandments of Yahweh.
So let's do the very thing our Savior will be doing when he returns, proclaiming Torah and Messiah. Let's pray, O father Yahweh I pray in the name
of Yahushua that eyes will be opened to the words that you have inspired me to say during this study. And the words they see on the screen, open blind eyes father, that not the fear of what people will say, what parents will say, what relatives will say, what co-workers will say, have any influence on whether someone receives the message I just shared. Let it be father totally, that they are willing to lay aside their own will, they might see clearly what your will is for them.
Instruct all of us continually father, we're always in need of your grace.
Forgive us for we failed you; forgive us for we've misunderstood you. Let the cleansing of Messiah Yahushua fill us completely and fully, we receive it. We know our own works are never going to be good enough, we all need grace and I thank you for him.
And what he's done for me and for all of us.
Truly everything in your Torah leads us to him, our need for him and everything in your Torah
is a full detailed explanation of just how he lived. And we love your Torah because we love him. And we love him, and because we love him, we love your Torah because that's how he lived, and we love how he lived. Teach us to live how he lived, for truly yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty and honor. All praise, worship and honor belongs to you, Yahweh Our Mighty One, Yahweh Our Elohim, for ever and ever in Yahushua's great name we pray. Amein.
Where does the Torah begin, we know where it begins; where does it end? Let's start first with understanding what the word law means. What's the actual meaning of the word law? According to theological book of the Old Testament, the three most frequent uses of this root, deal with shooting arrows. Shooting arrows is one of the important meanings of Torah, sending rain and teaching, interesting.
And the word teaching, being the primary meaning; the word Torah means basically teaching. Whether it is a wise man instructing his son: or Elohim instructing Israel. So it has to do with teaching and so does Yahweh's teaching end at 4000 year mark? Do you understand what I'm getting at? We really understand the Hebrew root of the word; things just don't quite make sense like you may have originally thought. So looking here the word Torah, we have to understand what it means, has to do with teaching and instruction.
Now in Romans chapter 7, in verse 9 it says; I was alive once: without the law but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. So the commandment was there to bring life, to teach the people the way of life, but then he says he found that it actually brought death. And why is that? Why would a commandment that was intended to give life bring death? Basically the commandments, do teach the way of life, the problem is we have not walked in the way of life and therefore we are deemed worthy of punishment and judgment. And therefore we deserve death for having violated Yahweh's standards. But this whole thing is predicated upon the understanding that the law is the standard. The reason why we have sin is because we have violation of the law. And because we have violated Yahweh's law, we deserve death and that's what the whole statement is based on. And so the entire statement here is based on the idea that the Torah still stands, as is standard for us to live by. But, you know that's not what's commonly talked today, well we don't have to keep the law anymore, we now have the Messiah. But the word law, in a narrower sense, has to do with the law that was given through Moshe, Moses. But in a broader sense, can really refer to all of Yahweh's word. And both senses are used in scripture, so, but they Torah again is simply Yahweh's teaching and instruction of how he expects us to live and that's why he gave commandments. And everything is really about teaching us how to love. And you know, we don't have to believe that there is this split in the Holy Scriptures and then there's this idea that, where there's a teaching that's in the Old Testament and something brand new in the New Testament comes along and replaces it. And that Yahweh in the old testament is this angry Jehovah God and now he's kind of become grandpa now, he's calm down because the Savior came in and took the edge off his anger, that's not how it is. I don't think anybody actually comes out and says that, but there's sort of this mentality toward the old testament that there was no grace in the old testament, everything was about judgment, everything was about you live right, and fly straight or he's gonna come down and wipe you out in a second. But then you have to acknowledge the new testament, a couple of people try to lie to the Holy Spirit and they died on the spot.
And Yahushua himself said to the woman, who was Jezebel, says I will kill your children with death and put you on a sick bed. Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 11 that, because people are not partaking the body and blood of Messiah worldly, that some sleep and some are sick, some have died because of it. So there's still judgment in the body of the Messiah today, this is and always was judgment in the Old Testament. And there was grace in the Old Testament and mercy in the Old Testament just as much as it was in the New Testament, and as it is today. Yahweh is not a chameleon, he's not a partial judge, and he's impartial. Just because you happen to live during one time period, he's not going to be on the Day of Judgment say, well because you live in the year 2000 years before Messiah came I'm going to sentence you to the lake of fire. But then you live 2000 years after Messiah came and then he says well enter into the joy of your Master. He is not an unfair judge; he does not show partiality dependent on when you live. You have no control over when you're born, no control whatsoever. So it is not that he has changed, the issue is we have been taught that he changed and where does all this come from? Where does the mentality even come from? There was a man who lived from the year 85 to the year 160, first generation after the apostles, all kind of died off and went on. He was a son of a Bishop named Marciano of Synop, and early Christianity according to Marciano the deity of the old testament, let me call the Demiurge, I don't know how you say that. The creator of material universe is a jealousy, tribal deity of the Jews, whose law represents legalistic, reciprocal justice and punishes mankind for its sins through suffering and death. Contrastingly, the God or deity that Jesus professed is; an altogether different being, a universal God of compassion and love who looks upon humanity with benevolence and mercy. Mercy and also produces end of this thesis, contrasting the Demiurge of the Old Testament with the heavenly father of the New Testament. And this man, while he was rejected as a heretic, some of his mentality, I see carried over even into today's church.
He says "the church centered on the mercy, honest interpretation of the Christian gospel, expanding greatly within Marciano's lifetime became a rival to the orthodox Christian church; and retained it's following from more than a century". It survived Christian controversy and imperial disapproval for several centuries more. So it was rejected by some church members, but its influence is still here to this day. And so the church I think places a disproportionate amount of attention to Paul's letters and even though Paul's writings if you go according to the volume of words, instead of the volume of books, just go by the number of words, you can do the word count. Paul's letters are only 5 percent of the bible, 5 percent and much of modern Christianity places undue emphasis on the 5 percent. And if you only put your emphasis on 5 percent of the bible you're going to have an imbalance view of what scripture teaches as a whole, as a full counsel of our heavenly father. According to Peter, it can be dangerous, Paul's
letters can be dangerous, and he said so. Not because of Paul, or anything that Paul said, but because he is widely misinterpreted. According 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 13-14 says, nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved: looking forward to these things (what things? This new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells), be diligent to be found by him in peace, without spot, and blameless. He's urging obedience; he's urging the need to be without spot and blameless, looking forward to a new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells, since righteousness is going to dwell there. Seek to be blameless and without spot, that's what he's saying. And consider that the longsuffering of our Master is salvation; so while you are seeking to be without spot, without blemish, don't forget it is what Yahushua went through for us; that bring us salvation. Our own righteousness does not save us, but it is a longsuffering of Yahushua which saves us, as also our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given to him as written to you. As also in all his epistles: speaking in them of these things (what things?
That the longsuffering:, of our Master is salvation. He spoke a lot of that, it is by his death for us that we are saved, not of our own works, he says); but in which (in which what? This concept of Yahushua being our salvation not our own righteousness), there are some things hard to be understood, which untaught and unstable people, twist, to their own destruction as they also do the rest of the scriptures. So what's going on here, who is twisting Paul's
letters? Some would say, I twist Paul's letters to suggest that we should still today keep the Torah, keep the law of Yahweh. Others like me, say that those who are twisting Paul's letters are those who believe we don't have to any longer practice and observe Yahweh's law, so which is true? Let's take a look, are we really free to disregard and disobey two thirds of the bible?
That's what's at stake, it is that important, significant question, you cannot take this lightly, because two thirds of the bible; in fact almost 95 percent of bible. Let's say 85 percent, 95 percent it's probably really what's at stake. But the Old Testament is about two thirds and some believe we can completely ignore and disregard any commandment that's in the first two thirds of the bible. But then the commandments after that, New Testament yes we should obey. This is a very important question, who is twisting Paul's letters? Does the Torah and Messiah continue or does it disappear upon the arrival of Paul the apostle?
Important question or alternately a Yahushua sacrifice, here's why I believe Paul was speaking of Torah breakers, not Torah promoters. The untaught and unstable, he says twist to their own destruction. The untaught: and the unstable twist to their own destruction. What does it mean to be taught? Taught what? What is the root word for law? Is it not teaching?
So those who do not have a solid understanding of the teaching would be the ones who are untaught. Does that make sense? I mean, I hope it makes sense that those who are untaught would be the ones who don't have Torah; they don't understand or comprehend Torah. They are people who are unstable, they don't have a foundation. It's when people don't have a foundation that they are unstable, right? It's when a house is lacking a solid foundation; it's going to be unstable. Well what was the Torah? The first two thirds of the bible, therefore to be a foundation upon which everything is taught in the New Testament is even truer, make any sense. And so it is the Torah, it is the first two thirds of bible that is the foundation for the last third, make sense? I hope it makes sense, and so it is the untaught, those who lack that foundation, and those who don't have Torah, who are twisting Paul's letters to their own destruction. Okay, so I think it's important. I'm not just making this up. Look it says here Romans 2:17; indeed, you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make you boast of Elohim. And know his will (there is one, how do we know his will? Because we learn from the teaching, the law), and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed (from what? ) out of the teaching (You are instructed out of the teaching). And are confident: that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light of those who are in darkness. An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having a form of knowledge and truth in the law. I mean right there in black and white, well, red, we have him acknowledging knowledge and truth are in the law. You can approve the things that are excellent out of the law, you know his will because of what the law says, and you can instruct a foolish one, and that you are a guide to the blind, and a light to those who sit in darkness. I mean he could have got, I don't see how he could.
So if you're not learned, it's because you haven't been instructed on the law, that's the teaching has not yet come into you for you to learn properly, okay. So all right reason number two, Peter interprets his own word by saying you also, in the remaining verses, all right. Because he says, you therefore: being because of what I just said. Beloved, seeing you know this beforehand, beware lest you also, (like who else? like the untaught and the unstable people) fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked. Now look up this word wicked in the Thayer's lexicon and you're going to find a very interesting definition, it says one who breaks through the
restraint of law and gratifies his lust.
Alright so let's plug this into the verse, you therefore, beloved, seeing you know these beforehand, beware lest you also, fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of (one who breaks through the restraint of law). That is as plain as, he's saying that there are people out there who are untaught, unstable and they twist his letters to say you that you can break through the restraint of law and do what you want. You don't have to obey the law. All right. Reason number 3, everything I read in the scriptures is that commandment breakers are destroyed, not commandment keepers. Have you ever seen, where in the bible does it say, depart from me you who keep my commandments, how dare you keep my laws? Nowhere, I'm not trying to be a mockery here or anything, I'm just saying reason with me here, and where does he say depart from me you who keep my laws? You commandment keepers: how dare you do what I say? I don't see that anywhere, now I could see him saying well you thought your own righteousness is going to make? No not good enough, you need a Savior. I could see him saying that, but is he really going to say I'm twisting Paul's writings to my own destruction, because I believe that Paul teaches, we should keep the law. No I don't see that at all, so he says here look for where righteousness dwells new heavens and new earth, and be diligent be found by him without spot blameless. He is advocating obedience, so he's okay with that, but remember that is you know, ultimately it is the long suffering our Master Yahushua that brings us salvation. And so I understand people are concerned that you know, you're trying to be saved by your own works or something and I get that. But again, please reason with me here are we earning our salvation? Because I've noticed that, the minute we start doing things like keep the Sabbath, keeping Festivals, choosing to eat only clean meats and observing the Torah, that bingo. Because you do these four things, automatically you're seeking salvation by works, okay. What is it about these commandments, couldn't someone just as easily be trying to go out and give to the poor? And they think that well because they give to the poor they're going to be saved. Now someone could be be, it's not the commandment you keep, it's your motivation for keeping it. There are people who go to church every week because they think that because they go to church every week they will get saved. That's not how it works, it's not by you doing any one righteous act, that you will ever be saved. It's because you are seeking to be saved by your own deeds, that you're minimizing what Yahushua did for you and that was a mistake of those who were in Galatia. He says, are you so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, you are made perfect by the flesh? I understand that because, along comes a bunch of men saying you're not saved yet, not until you go under the knife and you get circumcised.
And so they are being seduced by a group of men who were teaching falsehood, a different gospel. And it's because of these comments in Galatians, I understand why there are many Christians today who think that because you do something that looks Jewish, that automatically you're trying to be saved by works. But you forget that in Acts chapter 16, Paul himself circumcised Timothy was he trying to kill Timothy's salvation? I mean, it wasn't the fact that one get circumcised, it was your reason for it. It was your reason for it, promoter for getting circumcise based on the idea Yahushua's offering is not enough to cleanse me. Then we're believing in a perverted gospel, but there were Jews that believed you could not receive eternal life until you were circumcised. Which basically means it is circumcision that saves you and not Messiah and his righteousness that saves you. It would be just as easy to say, well you aren't saved until you attend church regularly or someone to say well you're not saved until you fill in this questionnaire and you join our church. And, or you're not saved until you give a certain amount of money the church every week. And there are people who approach their life in Messiah with this kind of mentality and they're in danger. So again, it's not the command you keep it is your mentality you have, the approach in a motive for keeping these things. If you're doing these things, going to church regularly, if you're going and giving to the poor because you love your heavenly father, there's nothing wrong with that. And so yeah, you can do all these wonderful
things, you can keep Sabbath, you can keep the Festivals which are amazing, awesome, you can eat clean so you could stay healthy, you can observe all things that are in the Torah, not because you're trying to be saved by it, but because of loving Yahweh. How about that? And then you're not being saved by works, you're responding to his love for you, by wanting to do the teaching, wanting to follow his teaching.
And so it's okay to do whatever it is he's asked us to do, as long as your motive is love.
The historical Christianity has taken Paul's letters and because the church fathers many of whom were pretty much any Semitic, they took his letters and twisted them, to say well you can disobey certain things out of his word. Whereas scripture itself said this is the love of Elohim that we keep his commandments, and so you are trying to put us under that yoke of those old laws, well his commandments are not burdensome. They are not, not when you love him, now if you don't love him very much, yeah his commandments will be a burden to you. But the more we love him, the easier it is for the sin that we may struggle with to be overcame, because we just love him so much, we don't want to offend him. We don't want to do things that are offensive to him and so if it's out of love that I am choosing to do anything out of his word, it's not because I'm trying to be saved by it and I think my own righteousness is going to be a good enough for him, to go okay well your good outweighs your bad. That's the wrong approach, but if I I'm doing it because I love him there's nothing wrong with that. So we got to understand that very thing, now look at what he says here. Looking forward to these things be diligent to be found by him in peace without spot and blameless. Because in the new heavens and new earth, righteousness dwells. And consider the long suffering of our Master's salvation. So it's okay to seek to be without spot and blameless, as long as you remember that your righteousness only comes through what Yahushua did for you. Your salvation will come from him and not from you,
and so looking to this new heavens and new earth. What do we see happening? It says, it shall come to pass, from one new moon to another, and one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before me.
So in a future time where righteousness dwells, from one Sabbath to another and from one New Moon to another, all flesh shall come and worship before Yahweh. Looks like the Torah is quite alive and well and news of its death are greatly exaggerated. So, and they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against me. For their worm does not die and their fire is not quenched (talking about the lake of fire); and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh. So this is all futuristic stuff here, if you look at the verse before this it talks about a new heaven and new earth. So it's pretty plain to me that this is our future,
so that's why you know last night we had a new moon broadcast. And today we're having a Sabbath broadcast, because the day is going to come when one new moon and one Sabbath to another, everyone we'll come and worship our heavenly father. We're just practicing and rehearsing for the future,
rehearsing for the awesome future we have. Now some have gone so far as to say that, you know we don't really need repentance, you know. We just need Jesus, we don't have to worry about, you know once you've made a profession of faith then you're in. All is well, you're set, and that's what sometimes people actually teach. I know that's not every Christian, but there are some who believe that and I want to address that very thing because Acts 26 verses 19 - 20.
Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision: But declared first to those in Damascus, and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent turn to Elohim, and do
work befitting repentance. In other words you met your works match your repentant attitude and who is he teaching this to? Everybody, everyone gets the same message, Gentiles
and everyone in Judea.
Everybody gets the same message, repent, turn to Elohim and do works worthy repentance.
Now Paul's letters have been often used to proclaim all grace through faith and that's it, grace through faith. But there's more to it, than just grace through faith, sorry I didn't know what that little thing is. But the grace through faith alone and that's it, you don't have to repent, you just put your trust in the Messiah. But wait a minute, if it's real faith, if it's genuine faith, then it's going to have works attached to it and so James agrees with Paul. James says, what does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food and one of you says to them, depart in peace, be warmed and be filled; but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body; what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Is dead law is alive and well, and your faith is supposed to be alive and well and Yahushua is alive and well and your faith should be alive and well and contain works. But someone will say, if you have faith and I have works show me your faith without your works, I'll show you my faith by my works. By my works, I'll show you my faith, are we doing that and that's important? Otherwise our faith is nothing more than dead, if your faith is dead that means it's not living, it's useless. Your faith is not alive it's dead, you believe there is one Elohim; you do well: even the demons believe (there is one Elohim), and tremble at the thought. They believe there is one Elohim, but do you want to
know of foolish man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, (which was activated by his faith of course) when he offered Isaac his son on the altar. Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?
And the scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed Elohim, has looked out for him to him for righteousness and he was called the friend of Elohim. You see then that the man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? For as the body: without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
So your faith, yes it is faith, it is our faith that often ultimately, and our faith in Yahushua that is ultimately bringing us salvation. But that faith has to be a living faith, that can't be dead faith. It's gotta have some kind of works attached to it, and so the way I like to put it is I'm saved by a faith that works.
And it does, it should work, it's not a dead flabby laying on the ground faith it's just mere words or mere thought process. It's a living faith that bears fruit, that's why Yahushua said by their fruits you shall know them, right. Here in Titus chapter 3 verses 4 through 7 says, when the kindness and love of Elohim our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Whom he poured out on us abundantly: through Yahushua Messiah our Savior. That having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. So, but Paul himself also understood that, our faith in him, our faith in what he has done should contain works, because he said, let's back up and look at it again. He said, I should tell the gentiles you've got to repent, and do works but that's not what saves you. It is what he did for you that save you and your faith in him. But your faith is a faith that works. I hope I'm making sense to you, if I said "well
here's a nice pair of parachute, it's a wonderful parachute, I like the look of it, it looks very safe I'm sure the man who packed the parachute was tremendously careful, so it would not get all tangled when it unravels and you know? And I just think it's those wonderful parachutes in the world." I am professing faith in the parachute but it's not until I put on the parachute and actually use it, that my faith is genuinely real; it's not just empty words. And so my faith in Messiah is more than just, well yeah he did a great thing, there's one Elohim, there's one Savior who came toward men. My faith has to have some kind of trust attached to it, my faith needs to have that because I love him, I trust him, I want to put that parachute on and show that I really do believe in him. And it's not just an empty set of words, has to have some action to it. So now, the purpose of the Torah: and the purpose of Messiah. The purpose of the Torah is to teach us righteousness, that's its purpose to show us the way of love, to show us the way in which we are supposed to live. The purpose of the Messiah is to make us righteous,
we need both. And so what's our relationship to both?
Our relationship to the Torah and Messiah, the relationship to the Torah is we receive it by repentance. I'm saying, I'm gonna to turn away from breaking it. I recognize I have violated it, and I need to be forgiven for having violated. My relationship to the Messiah is, I receive him by trusting in his righteousness through me. His righteousness is being imparted to me. His righteousness flows through us and fills us and so our relationship to Torah is I turned away from it. My relationship to the Messiah is I receive him by trusting in his righteousness to cleanse me and make me righteous. If I only receive the Torah and repent of breaking it, I become like those in Galatia. He says, O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Yahushua Messiah was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you, did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? By the works of law, the law is it because you repented and you did, or you started doing the right thing is that why you got the spirit, was because you heard what Yahushua did for you and Yahweh accepted you right there and there? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? How is one seeking to be made perfect by the flesh, but by rejecting the righteousness that is imparted to us through Messiah.
So two mistakes are available to us, two mistakes, one is rejecting Torah and the other is rejecting Messiah. We must have both, that's why we need both Torah and Messiah. If you only received Messiah, you're in danger too, because he says; or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of Elohim leads you to repentance?
But in accordance with your hardness hardness and impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of Elohim. Who will render to each one according to his deeds. We have to repent, repent from what? From sin, what's sin? It's violating his law, makes sense? So you can't just go all Torah, Torah, Torah and you forget the faith part of it, where our righteousness comes, you can't just go Messiah, Messiah, Messiah. You got to have both, and so the Torah stands and
what Yahushua did for us stands.
And all of Yahweh's commandments whether Old Testament: New Testament has the ability to condemn us. Now some people are going to say, well, Tom, you know, I was talking to a guy last night, Tom, what about their sacrifices and all that? The sacrifices have never saved anybody, if you think that the sacrifices kind of taught of things over until Messiah came as if to say that, all right. Well up the time that the Messiah came, you know the blood of bulls and goats and stuff you know that was good enough, that was what cleanse people of their sins. No it never did, I mean not really it's what it pointed to, see it's what it pointed to and what it pointed to was what Messiah would do for us. Revelation says, Yahushua is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, so his blood covers sins of all mankind from Cain, if you would have repented all the way to the last center on the earth who repented and receive Messiah. So it's all valid and the sacrifices were just
symbols and signs that represented Yahushua would do for us. And that's all there will be, but in the absence of a priest and a temple and all those things, you don't do those things it's forbidden in the Torah itself. Leviticus 17, to do any kind of sacrifice without a tabernacle or temple. So you know, that's not something we have to do because there's no temple, tabernacle, functioning priesthood if they were. Then you have to question what's going on, because we know the anti-Messiah is going to come out of that whole thing. But listen if you disagree with me until today, I don't believe that you are unsaved until now. I just think that maybe you are misunderstanding some things based on what you've been told and sometimes it's a matter of unlearning things. Because, you know listen, I know that in mainstream Christian churches today Yahushua is doing work there. I mean, people are getting delivered from drugs and alcohol and a very awful lifestyle and they're repenting, and they're changing your life and wonderful things are happening there. But you know, but there's more to it than just what you're being taught there, that's all I'm saying. And just as we don't punish our children for something that they're doing wrong and even realize it's wrong. I don't believe Yahweh is going to be different, just to be more harsh than he expects us to be. But you know, but now I call everyone not only to repent and breaking the commandments in the last part of the bible. But to repent of breaking the commandments on the first part of the bible, and when you understand each ministry had a purpose.
And we don't want to be under the law; we want to be under grace. What does it mean to be under the law? It means, if you're under the law and you transgress that law one time, you're condemned. That's what it means to be under the law. To be under grace means you're forgiven for having transgressed that law and you're not condemned, that's the difference. Now you can go under the law by rejecting the grace that comes through Yahushua or by minimizing it and say well I don't need that, what I need is for me to go to church every week and give to the poor and that'll save me, or get circumcised and that'll save me or I keep the Sabbath that'll save me. No one of those things saves you, it is Yahushua who saves you and as a response to salvation you choose to love Yahweh and do all the things that he asks you to do. But if you are under the law, you would not survive even a single transgression, so that's what it means to be under the law. So what's our relationship to Torah? We receive it by repenting of breaking it. Our relationship to Messiah received him by trusting in his righteousness. So we're ministers, Moshe was a minister to give the law; we are a minister of the new covenant because our goal is to bring people to a place for their relationship with the father through the Messiah Yahushua. And now Paul said, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything: as being from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from Elohim, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. Understand that the letter kills, the spirit gives life. What does this mean? The law brings death because of our sin, because of our unrighteousness, and so the letter kills. The spirit is the Messiah's in dwelling, making us righteous. These two ministries are at work here, okay the law apart from having Messiah's in dwelling would only bring us death.
But the law cannot condemn us any longer if we have Messiah in dwelling; it only instructs us and teaches us how we're supposed to live. And if we're repentent people, which we need to repent, then we will be in agreeance to allowing it to teach us, not because we're afraid of death and destruction or whatever but because we are inspired by his love. We love him because he first loved us and every commandment in the law is instruction on how to love. He says, but if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moshe because of the glory of his countenance; which glory was passing away. How will the ministry of the spirit not be more glorious? Why was the law called the ministry of death? Because when the law came, sin revived, I died because it demonstrated I needed a Savior apart from the Savior I would die. So it brought condemnation, it did, the law brought condemnation because we did not have Messiah, we did not have understanding of grace.
But the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. So it's even more glorious to be delivered from death than it is to be condemned, I have to acknowledge that, okay.
All right so even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect because of the glory that excels, the one that gives us life that's through Yahushua, for if what is passing away, doesn't say it already passed away. It says, it is passing away one day we won't need the law anymore, because everyone will be righteous. What remains is much more glorious, that people are obtaining eternal life Therefore since we have such hope we use great boldness of speech. Unlike Moshe, who put a veil over his face, so the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded (why was their minds blinded? He did not understand reading both Torah and Messiah, both this wonderful, awesome law, it teaches us the way of life and reveals to us our desperate condition for his mercy and long suffering). nd we also need grace, but their minds are blinded so this status thing is lifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil it's taken away in Messiah. Now we can read the Old Testament, but we don't have to look at it with say well that's such a bright, amazing standard. There is no way I could ever be righteous before him, instead we can look at it and say okay well here's a righteous standard, praise Yahweh for his grace. And now Yahweh helped me to overcome and obtain this holy righteous standard. And we don't have to look at the law as something so high and lofty. There's no way we could ever obtain anything close to being accepted by him. Now we can look at it and that veil is taken away, we can look at the brightness of his law and say Hallelujah, that's an awesome way of life lets walk in it. But those who do not believe, their minds are blinded and the veils aren't lifted, because they don't believe in Messiah. Messiah is the one who takes the veil away; he says even to this day when Moses is read veil lies on their heart. Because they don't have Messiah who takes that veil away, doesn't say he takes the law away, says he takes the veil away. Nevertheless when one turns to Yahweh, the veil is taken away. They have not yet turned to Yahweh; they are not yet repenting and therefore in receiving Messiah and therefore the veil is still there. Now Yahweh is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of Yahweh is, there is liberty. Because the spirit Yahweh came through our faith in Messiah Yahushua and therefore we are free, we are not in bondage to death any longer, we are free. But we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of Yahweh, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the spirit of Yahweh. So we're beholding as in a mirror, the glory of Yahweh, the Torah.
You know what James say, he says a man who is a hearer of the word not a doer, he looks at the mirror, and he forgets what kind of man he was. Well we look in the mirror, behold the glory of Yahweh, remember the imperfections we have and we see transformation from one glory to lesser glory. The glory that reveals to us what our sin is, and to a greater glory a greater glory that brings us salvation, that brings us cleansing from all our sin and by the spirit of Yahweh it's all done. Does that make sense? So two ministries are at work continually in our hearts, both Torah and Messiah that's what he's teaching here in 2 Corinthians 3. It's just that there are a lot of people in his day putting undue emphasis on Torah, and minimizing the need for a Savior. Today we have the opposite, a lot of emphasis on the Savior and not enough emphasis on the need for repentance and keeping his Torah. And so we're not justified by the law, redeemed from the curse allowed otherwise placed and in fact Yahushua became Christ for us.
But if we're trying to set aside his grace then we find ourselves in place for trying to be justified by the law, saying well because I've done this law and therefore I am considered righteous. Well you become estranged from Messiah if you do that, so I don't set aside the grace of Elohim. For if Messiah, if righteousness comes through the law, then Messiah died in vain. So we can't set aside the grace, it's not the law that brings me salvation. it is Yahushua that brings me salvation, If I thought the law could bring me salvation and Messiah died for no reason at all, we don't even need him.
But no one is justified by the law, that means to be declared righteous by the law, no one is declared righteous by it. Because none of us have kept it, only if we kept could we be justified by it. Then we can stand before Yahweh on that Day of Judgment, saying look I kept your law. But we can't do that, none of us can do that, won't work, won't work at all because we have not kept, therefore we will not be saved by it. So no one is justified by the law on the side of Elohim, the just shall live by faith, what's he quoting here? He's quoting the book of Habakkuk chapter 2 verse 4 and stating the truth is true that those who are just, righteous are going to live (that's having eternal life by their faith). t says the law is not, it says the man who does them shall live by them. Have I done them? I have not done them and therefore I cannot live nor have eternal life by them and therefore I cannot be justified or declared righteous by them. So I am under a curse and Messiah redeemed from the curse of the law having become a curse for us, for it is written curse is everyone who hangs on a tree. Yahushua became cursed for me and for you and redeemed me because he took the curse on himself not the curse of having to obey the law but the curse that came from having disobey the law.
Because the law says you do what this law says and then you'll be blessed. You don't do what the law says and then you'll be cursed. So the curse came about because of our sin. And Messiah became a curse for us. And therefore because he was hanged on a tree, he redeemed us from being cursed. And we don't have to die.
Galatians 5:4 says, you have become estranged from Messiah, you attempt to be justified by law, and you have fallen from grace. Do we understand why he's saying this now?
That if you're trying to be justified by your own works, it aren't gonna work because when you face him on judgment day, he's gonna say well, alright yeah you did those things correctly but there are 5000 other things you did that were not correct, you need a Savior. And the only way that I'm going to give mercy and grace is through Yahushua and he's someone you did not regard as being your righteousness.
And then here in Galatians 3:24, it says therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Messiah, that we should be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. Now before believe he says, the Torah kept us under guard as the schoolmaster, to teach us we needed salvation, we needed redemption, we needed mercy. And it confined us under sin, kept until the promise by faith in Yahushua. So if today we chose to be under a tutor, who's the
tutor? It says the law is our tutor right. The law is our tutor; if we chose to be under the
law then we are no longer under grace.
We can choose to be under the law which is saying, well you better do what it says or you're going to the lake of fire; or you can choose the under grace. I'm gonna say I'm under grace, I'm not under the law, I'm not under the tutor, I'm under grace and
I'm justified by faith. I'm not justified by the tutor; I'm not justified, or declared righteous by the law. The law really actually and all truth condemns me and condemns everybody.
If we were still under the law we would be looking for a way to get out from underneath the confinement that sin placed on us. But we consider ourselves children of Elohim by faith in Yahushua who is a child living Elohim. We're baptized into Messiah, therefore we put on Messiah, therefore it's no longer we who live its Messiah who live in us and therefore we made righteous through him.
So we are under the law, under grace, if you're under law of transgression once you are condemned. If you're under grace, you're forgiven for having transgressed the law. Now the fact that you're not anymore under the tutor, does that mean you're free to violate it? What does the tutor do? He teaches you, that's what tutor does; a tutor is a teacher, right? A personal teacher, okay. Now, after a person, now the word in the Greek is I think petagog where rich people would have their children under the petagog who would teach them what to do. Teach them the way they're supposed to live, conduct themselves, put them through school basically. Now after he graduated one of the things they needed to learn, does he rebel against the teacher? No, so same is true, yes the law tells you what
your sin is. Do you now because you have a Savior freely disobey what that teacher told you, that you did that cause you to be under condemnation to begin with? Of course not, and that's why it says, what then shall we sin? That means to transgress the law, 1 John 3:4, by the laws of knowledge of sin I would not known sin except by the law. Shall we sin because we're not under law, but under grace? Elohim forbid, absolutely not. Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Don't you know that and what's sin or not known
sin except through the law? But not known covetousness unless the law had said you should not covet. Romans 3:20, therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight: by the law is the knowledge of sin. That's all it does, it tells you what your sin is; it doesn't save you. But unless the law was still for today, you've got no reason to even have a Savior to begin with, because there is no law to condemn you, but the very mere fact that you need a Savior proves the law is for today. The law is to provide us with information on what sin is, would not even know what sin is except the law had taught me what sin is.
So, yes the Torah still stands, don't you know he
says that so many of us. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Elohim forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer in it? You don't live any longer in transgression of his Torah. Don't you know that so many of us as were baptized into Messiah Yahushua were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Messiah was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. So, what does that do with dying here? For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. So our relationship to Torah is we receive it by repenting than breaking it. That means not continuing in sin that grace may abound and a relationship to Messiah is we receive him by trusting in his righteousness through us and therefore both Torah and Messiah stand. Do we make void the law through faith? Romans 3:31. Certainly not on the contrary we established the law through faith. We establish, because it to stand this word here void means to set aside, disregard, null and void. No, we establish it by our faith because faith without works is dead. If you claim to have faith and yet you don't bother to keep any of the laws in the scriptures, your faith is a dead faith. Romans 7:22 says: I delight in the law of Yahweh according to the inward man. Romans 8:6 says: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against Yahweh (why?); for it is not subject to the law of Yahweh (so if you're not willing to be subject to the law, whether you realize it or not, you're still under a carnal mind, you're living in carnality).
Now I didn't write the mail it's just what it says, you may not realize you're being carnal but you are being carnal if you're disobeying the law. It's when you're subject to, that means subordinate to the law, that you are manifesting the spiritual mind. Because the law is spiritual, according to Romans 7; it's we who are carnal, the law is just, holy and good. According to Romans 7, it's we who are otherwise unjust, unholy and certainly not good. But if we want to be just, holy and good then we will choose to be spiritually minded and we will choose to be subject to the law of Yahweh. And for clarification what does it mean? It's actually 1 John 3:4: Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law (KJV). It's accurate, so we need both Torah and Messiah, we
need to stop sinning that means violation of the Torah and we need Messiah to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Relation 14 verse 9 says: the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, if any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark on his forehead, or on his hand. He himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of Elohim, which is poured out full strength into the cup of his indignation; he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. Scary thought: And the smoke of their torment ascends for ever and ever: and they shall have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are those who keep the commandments of Elohim, and the faith of Yahushua. You need both Torah and Messiah, doesn't mean that the world's going like you, in fact the world is not gonna like you because you are being influenced by Satan the devil, the dragon who's in raged with the woman he went to make war with the rest of her offspring who keep the commandments of Elohim, they have a testimony in Yahushua Messiah. Revelation 22:14: Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, may enter through the gates into the city. Now traditional Christianity has subtracted and divorced the Torah from their walk,
traditional Judaism is subtracted the Messiah from their walk with the saints are those who receive both Torah and Messiah. Both, in the future kingdom there will be Torah and Messiah.
Jeremiah 23 verse 5: Behold, the days are coming, says Yahweh, I will raise to David a branch of righteousness, a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. Eliminating Torah breakers right: In his days Judah will be saved (preaching salvation, offering
salvation to those who repent), and Israel will dwell safely: this is his name by which he will be called, YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Yahweh tsedkinu, he will be called Yahweh Our Righteousness. Because it is through him that Yahweh brought us his righteousness and so he's gonna be called Yahweh our Righteousness. So it is through the Messiah that we get righteousness, and it's through the Torah that we get instruction as to what righteousness really is.
We need both Torah and Messiah, are we willing to subject ourselves to that understanding and embrace both. I hope we are, I hope we're, we see the truth because we have two religions one is focused on Torah, and one is focused on Messiah. But the truth is right down the middle without the baggage of both, because the days are coming the new heavens and new earth. New heavens and new earth, that from one new moon to
another and one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come and worship before Yahweh. Torah and Messiah from Genesis: to all the way through to the end of the age.
Other examples, Zachariah 14:16: it shall come to pass, that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. So those who are left behind, of all the nations that came against Jerusalem will have to go up and keep the feast of tabernacles. It shall be, whichever the families of the earth to not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Yahweh of hosts, on them there will be no rain. Another example, Micah 4:2: many nations shall come, and say (it's talking about Gentiles, nations), Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, to the house of the Elohim of Jacob; he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion the law will go forth, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords in the plowshares, and their spears in the pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more. Obviously a future event, undeniably a future event.
Everyone shall sit under his vine, under his fig tree; and no one shall make them afraid: for the mouth of Yahweh of hosts has spoken. For all people will walk each in the name of his Elohim, but we will walk in the name of Yahweh our Elohim for ever and ever. More evidence of his name being restored is found in other scriptures, but this is one of them.
And last we heard, Paul dwelt two whole years in his own ridden house, received all who came him preaching the kingdom of Elohim (what kingdom of Elohim? The things we are reading right here). The kingdom of Elohim is the law is going to go forth; the kingdom of Elohim is that everyone will be forced to keep the feast of tabernacles because it's the law of the land, Torah and Messiah. And they're one from one Sabbath to another, one new moon to another, will worship Yahweh. So he's talking about the kingdom of Elohim, he's got included that. And teaching things that concern the master: Yahushua Messiah of all confidence no one forbidding him, Torah and Messiah, Torah and Messiah. From one end to the other: Genesis to Revelation, Torah and Messiah, unbroken, continuous concept from Genesis to Revelation. Someone to take the Torah out and then put it back in again later, fragment the whole thing, I'm telling you. There is an unclean spirit seeking to take away either Torah or Messiah because speaking of this
very time period right here, this time we're living in Yahushua said this very clearly to everybody. He said not everyone who says to me Master, Master shall enter the kingdom of Elohim; but he who does the will of my father in heaven.
Many will say to me Master, Master have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, done many wonders in your name.
I'll declare to them I never knew you depart from me who practice lawlessness.
Now if the problem is lawlessness or Torahlessness wouldn't that come out of this concept that we saw here, Torahlessness.
He's predicting that during this time period that Torahlessness will be what people are practicing and many will say to him in that day. Many will say to him in that day, Paul, Master, Master, it says but not everyone will enter in. For lawlessness look up in Strong's lexicon let's look it up, illegality. Everyone's concerned about being a legalist; I think we need to be concerned about being an illegalist.
Violation of the law, so let's plug the words in here, okay let's put this word in here. Other lexicon has a condition without law, because of ignorant of it, violating it, content in violation of the law, transgression of the law. May as well plug that in, you who practice violation of the law, means you practice it; it's your normal thing, you don't mind it, it's fine. You're okay with practicing violation of the law. See we must do the will of our father in heaven which has been very clear from the very beginning, the whole reason you need a Savior is because you have violated the law. And after you have received the Savior he doesn't set you free to violate the law again. That's the reason why he died for you to begin with, that's the reason why he came, it's because you violated the law. Why would he then say okay, abuse me, violate it all you want, just abuse me all you want. His love is precious, let's not abuse him, and let's seek to live like him and to me that's what my faith is all about.
I receive and want to live like him, he who says he abides in him on himself also to walk just as he walked. Did he keep the Torah, did he keep the Sabbath and the feast days and all these other things? If he didn't he couldn't be our Savior, he would be a sinner himself because he lived during the so called Old Testament time right? But he's perfect without spot and he's the same yesterday, today and forever, Hebrews 13:8. And he teaches us repeatedly because I beg of you, walk as he walked. If there is ever any doubt about how you understand Paul's letters of whatever get this, walk as he walked and we know he kept Torah.
So that's our answer, it's pretty sad, because if one man says you have to leave the church to live like our Savior. I mean that's really what you have to do sometimes, because they're not gonna accept you; they are not gonna like you, because they've been taught wrong. See, it's when we embrace both Torah and Messiah that we are actually proclaiming the kingdom, because when Yahushua sets up his reign that's exactly what the rule will be doing. It's when we embrace both Torah and Messiah that the bible really begins to make sense. Because on one hand he's saying keep the law, on the other hand he's saying don't worry about it. The reason he's saying don't worry about it is because his people thought they are gonna be saved by it, it will be better to be in a position where you put your trust in Messiah for your righteousness and then earn more, rather than setting Messiah aside and saying well I'm not saved until I do one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. So it's when we embrace both Torah and Messiah that Yahweh's word can be really seen as one sweet unified word of truth. And it's not this broken division, cracking everywhere and things being placed. It doesn't make any sense until we see it as being in unity with everything that came before it. It's when we embrace both Torah and Messiah the true image of Messiah is gonna be manifested on the earth today, because we gonna stick to, show people how we live the way he lived. It's when we embrace Torah and Messiah that maybe, just maybe some Jewish people will begin to go, wait a minute, he wasn't a rebellious son, who changed the father's laws and picked up a bunch of Pagan ones? You mean he kept Torah? Yes he kept Torah, I've never heard of that before. I've talked to many of the Jew, never heard of it before that a believer in Messiah will keep the Torah, never heard of it, never heard of it. That's sad, he had never heard of a single man who believed in the Messiah Yahushua who walked as he walked, not one. And it's until we embrace Torah and Messiah that we can truly say, it is no longer I who live, it is Messiah that lives me. And the life which I now live, I live by faith in the son Elohim who loves me and gave himself for me. He's a living Torah dwelling in us, the new covenant promises, is because he lives in us, the law of Yahweh and the Torah is being written in our hearts. If the Torah is being written in our hearts, then obedience to that Torah will reflect on the outer layer, right. So let's set aside the traditions and doctrines of men. Let's embrace the fullness of Yahweh's word.
Well if there's one thing we have in common with the things that Messiah was dealing with in his days, that traditions of men have yet again replaced the commandments of Yahweh.
So let's do the very thing our Savior will be doing when he returns, proclaiming Torah and Messiah. Let's pray, O father Yahweh I pray in the name
of Yahushua that eyes will be opened to the words that you have inspired me to say during this study. And the words they see on the screen, open blind eyes father, that not the fear of what people will say, what parents will say, what relatives will say, what co-workers will say, have any influence on whether someone receives the message I just shared. Let it be father totally, that they are willing to lay aside their own will, they might see clearly what your will is for them.
Instruct all of us continually father, we're always in need of your grace.
Forgive us for we failed you; forgive us for we've misunderstood you. Let the cleansing of Messiah Yahushua fill us completely and fully, we receive it. We know our own works are never going to be good enough, we all need grace and I thank you for him.
And what he's done for me and for all of us.
Truly everything in your Torah leads us to him, our need for him and everything in your Torah
is a full detailed explanation of just how he lived. And we love your Torah because we love him. And we love him, and because we love him, we love your Torah because that's how he lived, and we love how he lived. Teach us to live how he lived, for truly yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty and honor. All praise, worship and honor belongs to you, Yahweh Our Mighty One, Yahweh Our Elohim, for ever and ever in Yahushua's great name we pray. Amein.