Salvation - Eternal Life
(How to obtain it and how to keep it)
Salvation is a necessary topic for Christians to study as well as non-Christians. The reason is because most people do not understand what it entails if one wants to 'stay saved' after they get their sins forgiven by being born-again. There is no such thing as 'once saved, always saved'. I will prove this with the Scriptures.
Most Christians are living in sin of one sort or another and need to fix this. And many more are lukewarm in their 'faith', and need to fix this also! We are saved by grace through faith, but grace is misunderstood by most professing Christians.
And most do not know the definition of sin, which we are to STOP living in once we get born-again - you remember our Messiah telling people to "go and sin no more"? Grace does not give us a license to keep on living in sin after our past sins are washed away by receiving the loving sacrifice of Yahushuwah (aka Jesus) our Messiah. It actually empowers us to overcome the urge and desire to sin. Let's learn about salvation, grace, faith, power in Messiah, and sin! And then get set free from sin! First, here are some basic Scriptures about salvation.
Salvation is a free gift, by His grace, through faith, and not of works.
Ephesians 2:8-9 King James Version
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of Yahuwah:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Romans 10:9-11 King James Version
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Mashiach Yahushuwa, and shalt believe in thine heart that Yahuwah hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
There is no WORKS that we can DO that will get our sins forgiven. If we try to get saved based on our own merits, we will fail, because not one sin can enter into heaven because He is holy and pure, and does not tolerate sin, and we have all sinned. Our sins MUST be forgiven before we can enter heaven. And that is done by the free gift of grace through faith. Our Messiah gave us the gift of grace, which gives us favor that we didn’t earn and do not deserve, and Yahushuwa’s blood that was shed on the cross washes away our sins so they are no more, when we repent of them.
Ephesians 2:8-9 King James Version
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of Yahuwah:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Romans 10:9-11 King James Version
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Mashiach Yahushuwa, and shalt believe in thine heart that Yahuwah hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
There is no WORKS that we can DO that will get our sins forgiven. If we try to get saved based on our own merits, we will fail, because not one sin can enter into heaven because He is holy and pure, and does not tolerate sin, and we have all sinned. Our sins MUST be forgiven before we can enter heaven. And that is done by the free gift of grace through faith. Our Messiah gave us the gift of grace, which gives us favor that we didn’t earn and do not deserve, and Yahushuwa’s blood that was shed on the cross washes away our sins so they are no more, when we repent of them.
Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Yahuwah is eternal life through Yahushuwa ha Mashiach our Lord.
He paid the penalty of death for our sins, so that we don't have to die for them.
Romans 3:23-25 King James Version
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of Yahuwah;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Mashiach Yahushuwa:
25 Whom Yahuwah hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of Yahuwah;
Sins that are PAST – His grace does not cover FUTURE willful sins unless we repent of them.
Romans 6:6 King James Version
6 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.
Being born-again is dying to our old sinful self and coming alive in Messiah with His Holy Spirit of life, so that sin no longer controls us like slaves. We can, with His help, overcome sin.
John 3:3-21 King James Version
3 Yahushuwa answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of Yahuwah.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Yahushuwa answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of Yahuwah.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
*****
16 For Yahuwah so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For Yahuwah sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of Yahuwah.
John 3:3-21 King James Version
3 Yahushuwa answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of Yahuwah.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Yahushuwa answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of Yahuwah.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
*****
16 For Yahuwah so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For Yahuwah sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of Yahuwah.
When we really 'believe' in Him, we will 'obey' Him. We'll get into that shortly.
After repenting of sin we are supposed to bring forth fruits for repentance – the next verse shows us that the fruits are works – that we make the changes necessary to show that we’ve really repented, because repentance is not just a feeling of sorrow for our sins, but is an action to rectify the sins.
Luke 3:3-14 King James Version
3 And he (John the Baptist) came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
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7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That Yahuwah is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
He was telling them to correct the things that were wrong in their lives. That’s showing fruits for repentance, action and not just lip service.
After people get born-again they need to be taught what sin is, so they can know what to stop doing and what to start doing. Sadly, most pastors and preachers are not teaching the whole word about what sin is. They are only teaching some of it, like fornication, adultery, murder, stealing, lying, nine of the ten commandments, etc.
Some of them don’t know that they’re only teaching some of it. They were brainwashed in Seminary and don’t even know what sin actually is, according to the Scriptures. Others do know, but they don’t want to change, or to admit they’ve been teaching wrong, or are afraid they’ll lose members and financial support if they change anything now.
Luke 3:3-14 King James Version
3 And he (John the Baptist) came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
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7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That Yahuwah is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
10 And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?
11 He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
12 Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?
13 And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.
14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
He was telling them to correct the things that were wrong in their lives. That’s showing fruits for repentance, action and not just lip service.
After people get born-again they need to be taught what sin is, so they can know what to stop doing and what to start doing. Sadly, most pastors and preachers are not teaching the whole word about what sin is. They are only teaching some of it, like fornication, adultery, murder, stealing, lying, nine of the ten commandments, etc.
Some of them don’t know that they’re only teaching some of it. They were brainwashed in Seminary and don’t even know what sin actually is, according to the Scriptures. Others do know, but they don’t want to change, or to admit they’ve been teaching wrong, or are afraid they’ll lose members and financial support if they change anything now.
The Holy Spirit can teach the believer, but most Christians do not actually listen to Him. Most listen to their pastors and ministers who do not tell them the truth about many things. It is upsetting to hear Christians insist that they follow the Holy Spirit who teaches them all things,
(John 14:26 King James Version
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.)
yet they do not obey Yahuwah's laws, when the Bible says that the Holy Spirit is given to us to cause us to obey Yahuwah's laws! It should be understood that He will bring the things you read in His word to your remembrance, because that is how He speaks to you.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 King James Version
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and CAUSE you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and CAUSE you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
If they are not obeying Yahuwah's laws, they are not following the Holy Spirit and letting it teach them. And the ones who read their Bibles don’t usually know how to understand many of the topics. You need to know the context of the verses to understand many of them, because they are translated in a way that doesn’t explain the context, and so they are understood wrong.
1 John 3:4 King James Version
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law
1 John 3:4 King James Version
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law
1 John above tells us the definition of sin – it is to transgress the law. This means to disobey Yahuwah’s law. This is New Testament saying this. So, the people in Matthew 7 were living in un-repented sin – refusing to obey Yahuwah’s law! That is the case with the majority of Christians today. And most will not receive correction. Most reject the knowledge of the truth when it is shown and explained to them.
Matthew 7:21-24 King James Version
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
So, in Matthew 7 we have 'Christians' who believed in Him and did miracles in His name (and it takes Yahushuwa’s supernatural power to do miracles), yet He says they were workers of iniquity. What does iniquity mean? The Strong’s Greek Concordance tells us. It is #458 anomia, and #459 anomos, and means violation of law, unrighteousness, transgression of the law, lawlessness, destitute of the Mosaic law - it refers to a premeditated choice, to continue iniquity (lawlessness) without repentance. In other words, they were living in sin by refusing to obey His laws.
These people were believers and really thought they were going to heaven, so much so that they argued with Yahushuwa! And yet, they were wrong! In the phrase ‘never knew you’, the word ‘knew’ has to do with INTIMACY and oneness with the person. These people got born-again, but never developed real intimacy with Yahuwah which comes from doing His will (obeying His commandments - law.) When we obey His law, it shows that we trust Him, and trust is deeply involved in intimacy. It not only shows that we trust Him, but it is HIS WAY of us showing Him that we love Him. All of the gushy gooey FEELINGS that we get when we pray or sing about Him, that we call love, are not the thing that He requires of us to show our love for Him.
3 For this is the love of Yahuwah, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1 John 5:3 Expanded Bible
3 Loving Yahuwah means [For this is the love of Yahuwah:] ·obeying [keeping] his commands. And Yahuwah‘s commands are not ·too hard [burdensome] for us.
They are nice feelings to have, but His requirement for us to show love for Him is that we obey His commandments, and commandments are the same thing as law, instructions, Torah, judgments and statutes.
Notice how in Matthew 7:21 it says that those who will enter heaven are “he that DOETH the will of my Father”…. So many like to say that we do not have to do a thing in order to be saved – that ‘God’ does it all for us – but this and many other verses, which I will show you, say otherwise. He who does the will of the Father ties in with where He says to depart from Him because they practiced iniquity which means lawlessness. The will of the Father is in the Old Testament law and expounded upon by our Messiah in the New Testament. In the New Testament it gives the definition of sin in 1 John 3:4, saying it’s LAWLESSNESS.
This is what most preachers do not teach their flock. Most teach that the law was done away with, in spite of verses like this, and many teach that the Messiah made a different and new set of rules that only include loving God and loving each other. When Yahushuwa told the people about those who say “Lord Lord!” and said they didn’t obey the law (iniquity), He was referring to the Old Testament law! That’s all they had at that time! There was no New Testament yet!
Notice how in Matthew 7:21 it says that those who will enter heaven are “he that DOETH the will of my Father”…. So many like to say that we do not have to do a thing in order to be saved – that ‘God’ does it all for us – but this and many other verses, which I will show you, say otherwise. He who does the will of the Father ties in with where He says to depart from Him because they practiced iniquity which means lawlessness. The will of the Father is in the Old Testament law and expounded upon by our Messiah in the New Testament. In the New Testament it gives the definition of sin in 1 John 3:4, saying it’s LAWLESSNESS.
This is what most preachers do not teach their flock. Most teach that the law was done away with, in spite of verses like this, and many teach that the Messiah made a different and new set of rules that only include loving God and loving each other. When Yahushuwa told the people about those who say “Lord Lord!” and said they didn’t obey the law (iniquity), He was referring to the Old Testament law! That’s all they had at that time! There was no New Testament yet!
Matthew 5:17-18 King James Version (Yahushuwa is the one who said this!)
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
The Greek word for fulfill in verse 17 is pleroo. It is #4137 in the Strong’s Concordance and means to make replete, to furnish, satisfy, execute, finish (a period or task), verify, accomplish, complete, end, expire, fully preach, perfect supply, carry through to the end, to carry into effect. Matthew 5:17 is better translated “I am not come to destroy, but to verify, fully preach, carry through to the end, the law of Moses.” It cannot mean that He came to do away with it because He said not one jot or tittle (not one punctuation mark) of it will be done away with until heaven and earth pass away, and heaven and earth have not passed away yet, and that doesn’t happen until after the tribulation and the Millennium. And He said until ALL is fulfilled, and He hasn’t yet fulfilled the last three feast days that commemorate His taking up of His bride, His second coming and the great white throne judgment.
In verse 18 the word ‘fulfilled’ is Strong’s Concordance #1096 qinoma and it means brought to pass, ended, finished, found, assembled,… Even though these two words are similar, the first one has some choices that have to do with a process going on, and the second one has to do with a final event and is linked to AFTER heaven and earth pass away. With no explanation of the meaning of the original words, one would think they are exactly the same thing. This is what I mean by the translations don’t explain some of the words and so they are not understood correctly!
Yahushuwa came to show and teach us how to keep His law correctly (fulfill, fully preach, verify). Every time they talk about ‘Scriptures’ or ‘it is written’ in the New Testament, they are referring to the Old Testament law and prophets, because that is the only Scripture they had. The majority of the New Testament is teachings from the Old Testament, how to understand and apply the law correctly, and part of it is historical events that were recorded, including things that our Messiah said and did while He walked the earth as a man.
There is no new set of laws that replace the old laws. There are, however, some laws that are done differently because of the time and place where we are. Any laws that violate the laws of our land cannot be done, because we are also told to obey the laws of our land, and our civil system is not Biblical. People aren’t stoned for adultery and other crimes in our legal system. The whole system is done differently than the Bible’s instructions. And the sacrificial and temple laws are done in a different way because of Yahushuwa’s sacrifice on the cross.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
The Greek word for fulfill in verse 17 is pleroo. It is #4137 in the Strong’s Concordance and means to make replete, to furnish, satisfy, execute, finish (a period or task), verify, accomplish, complete, end, expire, fully preach, perfect supply, carry through to the end, to carry into effect. Matthew 5:17 is better translated “I am not come to destroy, but to verify, fully preach, carry through to the end, the law of Moses.” It cannot mean that He came to do away with it because He said not one jot or tittle (not one punctuation mark) of it will be done away with until heaven and earth pass away, and heaven and earth have not passed away yet, and that doesn’t happen until after the tribulation and the Millennium. And He said until ALL is fulfilled, and He hasn’t yet fulfilled the last three feast days that commemorate His taking up of His bride, His second coming and the great white throne judgment.
In verse 18 the word ‘fulfilled’ is Strong’s Concordance #1096 qinoma and it means brought to pass, ended, finished, found, assembled,… Even though these two words are similar, the first one has some choices that have to do with a process going on, and the second one has to do with a final event and is linked to AFTER heaven and earth pass away. With no explanation of the meaning of the original words, one would think they are exactly the same thing. This is what I mean by the translations don’t explain some of the words and so they are not understood correctly!
Yahushuwa came to show and teach us how to keep His law correctly (fulfill, fully preach, verify). Every time they talk about ‘Scriptures’ or ‘it is written’ in the New Testament, they are referring to the Old Testament law and prophets, because that is the only Scripture they had. The majority of the New Testament is teachings from the Old Testament, how to understand and apply the law correctly, and part of it is historical events that were recorded, including things that our Messiah said and did while He walked the earth as a man.
I'll say it more than once - the word Torah means law, commandments, instructions, judgments or statutes. They all mean *exactly* the same thing. So, when we talk about His law, we are talking about His commandments or instructions. I heard a pastor tell my husband “I obey the commandments but don’t talk to me about that law! I won’t talk about the law! It’s done away with!” He’s hung up on my husband for trying to talk to him about the law, as if it was a dirty word! He wouldn’t even discuss it with him! He died recently and we are hoping he isn’t going to hear those words of Matthew 7, but it doesn’t look good for him. He was warned by someone who loved him, and he rejected the correction.
It is VERY important to find out the actual meanings of the original Greek or Hebrew words in order to understand a verse. And historical content is important too (who was he talking to, what were their lifestyles, what was he addressing with them, was he telling them something or quoting something THEY said or believed, etc.)
First of all, if someone repents of their sins, getting born-again, and then dies right afterwards, I believe they will go to heaven. The problem is when they live on, and have the time to learn and grow, and yet don’t start learning and practicing to walk away from their sins and walk with Yahuwah. Repenting means turning and going the other way, not just feeling sorry for our sins. True repentance is an inward change and also an action. Our Messiah says to ‘go and sin no more.’
Most Christians say that His law was done away with, but our Messiah Himself said it wasn't (Matthew 5:17-18). Even after they are shown what Yahushuwa says about it, some will still insist it’s done away with, like they know better than Yahushuwa and don’t you DARE tell them otherwise or else they will stop being your friend, denounce you as their relative, call you a hater, a false prophet, a liar, un-Christlike, unloving, legalistic, hateful, etc! Most of them have NO desire or intention of hearing you out to see if you are showing them the truth.
Where the Bible says ‘my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because they reject knowledge…..” this fits for most Christians when you try to teach them what sin really is and how to stop living in sin. They believe they already have it figured out and by golly don’t you DARE tip their apple cart or they will lynch you! Most Christians want to hear a gospel that makes their ‘itching ears’ feel better. They want to hear a gospel that makes them ‘feel good’, even if it’s not the truth! And most have too much pride to admit they are wrong.
Hopefully you who are reading this are not one of them and will hear me out to the end, because I am warning you of danger, and trying to show you the way out of the danger. I don’t want you to end up like the people in Matthew 7. I am putting this message out there because I care. Telling the truth in love isn’t always a gishy gooey attitude that makes you FEEL good. Sometimes love steps on your toes and doesn’t feel so good, but the end results if you receive it is that you get set free.
2 Timothy 4:2-5 King James Version
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
Verse 2 and 5 is what my husband and I do, and verse 3 and 4 is how the majority of professing Christians respond. It’s very sad. But because some will listen and learn, and make the necessary changes, it is worth it.
After you get born-again you need to start studying the Scriptures, and you need to learn how to study them in their proper context. Reading the topics on this website/blog will help you learn how to do that. The links I provide will also be helpful. Yahuwah does not expect you to learn and understand everything all at once. Start keeping the 7th day Sabbath by not working on it, and stop eating unclean meats, learn and celebrate Yahuwah's feast days and give up pagan man-made holidays, and you'll be off to a good start. Then learn more little by little as you study to show yourself approved, by studying the Scriptures in more depth. Yahuwah is very patient, and will help you get back up when you stumble or fall if you just keep a humble attitude and are quick to repent when you do stumble and sin.
2 Timothy 4:2-5 King James Version
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
Verse 2 and 5 is what my husband and I do, and verse 3 and 4 is how the majority of professing Christians respond. It’s very sad. But because some will listen and learn, and make the necessary changes, it is worth it.
After you get born-again you need to start studying the Scriptures, and you need to learn how to study them in their proper context. Reading the topics on this website/blog will help you learn how to do that. The links I provide will also be helpful. Yahuwah does not expect you to learn and understand everything all at once. Start keeping the 7th day Sabbath by not working on it, and stop eating unclean meats, learn and celebrate Yahuwah's feast days and give up pagan man-made holidays, and you'll be off to a good start. Then learn more little by little as you study to show yourself approved, by studying the Scriptures in more depth. Yahuwah is very patient, and will help you get back up when you stumble or fall if you just keep a humble attitude and are quick to repent when you do stumble and sin.
2 Timothy 2:15 King James Version
Study to shew thyself approved unto Yahuwah, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 King James Version
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of Yahuwah, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of Yahuwah may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
In ALL THREE of those verses (2 Timothy 4:2-5 being the first one), the instructions were given BEFORE the New Testament was written! Therefore, they are referring to the Old Testament where it says to preach the WORD – They tell the evangelist to make full proof of his ministry by preaching the Old Testament instructions, to use it to reprove, to rebuke, to exhort, to teach the doctrine from it. It tells us to study the Old Testament to shew ourselves approved, to rightly divide the word of the Old Testament of truth – it CANNOT mean the New Testament because it didn’t exist yet! And ALL SCRIPTURE of the OLD TESTAMENT is given by inspiration of Yahuwah, and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness, to perfect the man of Yahuwah! Just use a little common sense here. This is so simple.
Now I’m not saying that the New Testament is not to be used for these same things. The Bible is ONE BOOK, consisting of two volumes. NONE OF IT IS DONE AWAY WITH! Those who consider themselves ‘New Testament Christians’, and do not submit to the laws in the Old Testament (those which apply to them – I will explain that in this book) are living in sin (I will also explain that and prove with the Scriptures of O.T. and N.T.)
Most Christians like to insist the Old Testament is done away with and the Torah/instructions/commandments/laws/judgments/statutes (all the same thing by the way) are not to be followed anymore. Their pastors, evangelists, teachers all taught them these lies, and no one taught them how to understand the Scriptures in context. This is why I don't recommend that you attend a church that meets on Sunday, or even a 7th Day Adventist church, because they all teach so much error.
If you can find a good Messianic congregation or a Torah Observant one, they will teach and practice more truth than lies. But get grounded in the word first by using our website/blog as a guide, and any pages I've linked to, because even some of them will be off in some areas. Not that I'm perfect, but I and my friends with the links I provide are more accurate than so many others and when you learn the accurate things first you'll be less apt to fall for error.
Romans 3:31 King James Version
31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Yahuwah forbid: yea, we establish the law.
James 2:18 King James Version
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
We also need to realize that the Word of Yahuwah does not contradict itself. We need to put all the related verses together, in context, and according to who was being spoken to and what their historical situation was, and see how they fit together.
The next verse shows that we are to DO something rather than think He is going to do it all FOR us.
Isaiah 1:16-17 New International Version
Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. Learn to do right; seek justice…….
Isaiah 1:16-17 King James Version
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
We’ve heard people say that our salvation has NOTHING to do with OUR actions, yet these verses say He judges according to our actions. People say that He does it ALL for us, and we don’t have to do a thing except receive Him as our Lord and Savior, yet Scriptures tell us to make ourselves clean, take evil deeds out of His sight, STOP doing wrong, LEARN to do right! Our salvation initially is by His action of dying on the cross for our sins, and raising from the dead (He took the punishment of death for our sinning.) But once we’re born-again, we are supposed to stop doing the sinful things we have been saved from, and learn to do the things He instructs us to do. Does that make sense? If it doesn’t, we need to study our Bibles much more closely. Or RIP those verses out of there and continue to live in sin and end up in the Lake of Fire. It’s our choice.
This next verse in Revelation shows us that a new heaven and earth will come down from Yahuwah out of heaven, and the ‘New Jerusalem’ comes down, and it goes on to tell of Yahuwah dwelling with His people, wiping away their tears, and how there will be no more death, crying, sorrow, pain – all things will be made new – this is the eternity we’ve been waiting for – eternity in heaven and it will be on earth, right AFTER this present heaven and earth have passed away. As you can see, this all happens AFTER the Millennium, which happens AFTER the tribulation. THAT is when the law will be fulfilled as in ‘finished’. In the meantime, it still stands. The next verse is about the 1,000 year Millennium, and the one after that is about what happens after the Millennium:
Revelation 20:4-6 King James Version
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Yahushuwa, and for the word of Yahuwah, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Yahushuwa a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of Yahuwah and of Yahushuwa, and shall reign with him a thousand years
Revelation 21:1-6 King James Version
21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from Yahuwah out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of Yahuwah is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and Yahuwah himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And Yahuwah shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Christians tend to believe that Yahuwah’s laws are bondage, but it’s the Pharisees additions to Yahuwah’s laws, the man-made laws, that are bondage. Yahuwah’s laws are not a burden. It’s even called the law of liberty, but again, the verses below imply that we are to DO something.
James 2:12 King James Version
12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
James 1:25 King James Version
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
These verse show that the law of liberty includes action on our parts. It does not mean that we are at liberty to do whatever we please, to break Yahuwah's laws, to ignore His Old Testament instructions - James 1:25 shows us that within that law of liberty we are to DO the word and not just hear it or ignore its instructions.
What is Grace? Grace means the divine influence upon the heart, according to the Greek Concordance. It means unmerited favor, undeserved favor. But what does grace do?
Titus 2:11-15 New International Version
For the grace of Yahuwah has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Yahushuwa ha Mashiach, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
Titus 2:11-13 King James Version
11 For the grace of Yahuwah that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Yahushuwa ha Mashiach;
So Yahuwah’s grace provides us forgiveness of sin, and it teaches us to live right, or to obey Yahuwah’s commandments. It empowers us to live right, to keep the law. It is NOT a license to keep on sinning (violating Yahuwah’s commandments).
2 Corinthians 12:9 King James Version
9 And he said unto me, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Yahushuwa may rest upon me.
According to Yahushuwa, power and grace go hand in hand. His grace helps us obtain His power to overcome, because we are weak and He is strong. Again, grace doesn’t give us a license to sin, it empowers us to stop sinning, to start obeying our Creator.
We also have His Holy Spirit, our comforter and helper, which most believers do not know that one of the reasons He was given to us is to help us obey the law! It’s interesting that the LAW was given to Moses on Pentecost, and later the Holy Spirit was given to believers on Pentecost! The Holy Spirit CAUSES us to obey His law! (If we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh – most Christians refuse to cooperate and let it cause them to obey the law.)
Ezekiel 36:26-27 King James Version
26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and CAUSE you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yahushuwa ha Mashiach for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Holy Spirit)
Yahuwah gave us His Holy Spirit so that it would cause us, as our helper, to walk in His laws, and not just to be our comforter. And it will empower us to stop sinning and to be successful witnesses of our Messiah as well.
Acts 1:8 King James Version
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
The verse below tells us to keep His commandments, and live.
Proverbs 7:2 King James Version
2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
But Christians will say “That’s the OLD Testament!!!!” as if it doesn’t count anymore. But this next verse says:
Matthew 19:17 King James Version
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, Yahuwah: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Well, how about that?! They both say the same thing! O.T. and N.T. both tell us to keep His commandments to live! And the N.T. verse in Matthew is Yahushuwa Himself saying it! Fancy that. There are actually several more verses in the N.T. that say to obey the law in order to enter heaven. Like this one:
Revelation 22:14 King James Version
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
But I’ll talk more about that a little later. Many like to say that is ‘works religion’, but it’s in the Bible and you can either take a marker and block these verses out and ignore them (and get in trouble with Yahuwah for that), or you can study this out and learn why they say that, and adjust your beliefs to the Scriptures and move away from your preconceived ideas. It is not ‘works’ religion. We cannot get born-again by our works, as I will soon show you that Paul taught about that. But ‘works’ (doing the commandments) comes AFTER getting born-again, and is a PART OF FAITH, and His grace EMPOWERS YOU AND TEACHES YOU HOW TO OBEY THE COMMANDMENTS. Faith without works is dead, and dead faith will do nothing for you.
In Matthew 19:17 above, it does not mean that Yahushuwa is saying that HE is not good. He is implying that they call Him good because they know that He is Yahuwah who came in the form of a man.
Obeying Yahuwah’s laws, instruction, commandments (one and the same) do not come BEFORE salvation, as our ‘works’ cannot save us, but are necessary AFTER getting born-again. When we are born-again, we are forgiven of all of our sins of the past, thereby being released from the penalty for sinning, which is transgressing Yahuwah’s law, and that penalty we are released from is death, as Scripture says that the wages of sin is death - we are released from the law of sin and death!
Getting born-again means believing in our heart and confessing with our mouth that Yahushuwa died on the cross and rose from the dead for our sins. It includes confessing our sins and giving them up, asking forgiveness for them (example: Father I am a sinner and I ask You to forgive me), confessing Yahushuwa as our Savior (I thank You Yahushuwa for dying for my sins), dying to ourselves (Help me to live my life YOUR way and not my own), our own ways, and beginning the journey of learning to live His way. Obeying His instructions comes AFTER getting born-again, as He accepts us where we are and then helps us change.
1 John 1:9-2:2 King James Version
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yahushuwa ha Mashiach the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
See, we are to CONFESS our sins (to Yahuwah, not a priest), receive forgiveness for them and be cleansed from them, and then we are to ‘sin not’ (learn to stop sinning, to stop transgressing His laws, start obeying His laws.)
Getting baptized is important also. It is an outward sign of the inward commitment we made to Yahuwah – dying to our own selfish ways (getting buried in the water) and coming alive in Him and His will (coming up out of the water as a re-born soul) – when a baby is born it comes out of the water in the mother – baptism is symbolic of being born-again and at the same time symbolic of dying and being buried and then coming back alive out of the burial. So, after we get born-again we should obey Him and get baptized, and then learn how to keep the commandments.
Romans 6 King James Version (my comments in parenthesis)
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin (transgression of the law), that grace may abound?
2 Yahuwah forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Yahushuwa ha Mashiach were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (this is referring to being born-again.)
6 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.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Yahushuwa, we believe that we shall also live with him: (born-again)
9 Knowing that Yahushuwa being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto Yahuwah.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto Yahuwah through Yahushuwa ha Mashiach our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto Yahuwah, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto Yahuwah.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (We are not under the law of sin and death – we don’t have to die for our sins – if we repent, His grace covers us and we get forgiven, and His grace and His Holy Spirit helps us to stop sinning, therefore, sin doesn’t dominate us anymore.)
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Yahuwah forbid. (You see, not being under the law does NOT mean we are free to break the law! It is sin to transgress/break His law. We are freed from the PENALTY of breaking the law, death, free from the law of sin and death, IF we walk in the Holy Spirit, which CAUSES us to obey His law.)
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Look at that – sin unto death covers the law of sin and death, and our choice is that OR OBEDIENCE! Obedience, that grace helps us achieve, brings us to righteousness!)
17 But Yahuwah be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. (There’s that word again – OBEYED from the heart – not just an action but also a heartfelt obedience – for instance, if you get circumcised or get baptized but your heart isn’t submitted to Yahuwah and you are just going through the motions, it will mean nothing to Yahuwah and it will not benefit you.)
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity (iniquity means lawlessness); even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin (sin means transgression of the law), ye were free from righteousness. (So when they were transgressing the law, they were NOT righteous.)
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to Yahuwah (servants obey their master’s instructions, the law), ye have your fruit unto holiness (holiness involves obeying the laws – I will show you that shortly), and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Yahuwah is eternal life through Yahushuwa ha Mashiach our Lord.
Grace empowers you to obey the law – to stop sinning. Stop transgressing the law – start obeying it. Some think this has changed in the N.T., as if Yahuwah used to be one way and now has changed. But the Bible says He and His word changes not. Below are four verses that tell us that:
Hebrews 13:8 King James Version
8 Yahushuwa ha Mashiach the same yesterday, and today, and forever.
Malachi 3:6 King James Version
6 For I am Yahuwah, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Psalm 119:160 King James Version
160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
1 Peter 1:25 King James Version
25 But the word of Yahuwah endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
He doesn’t change and His word doesn’t change!
There are a lot of different kinds of laws in the Bible. Which one are we ‘not under’ anymore? Not Yahuwah’s laws! Yahuwah’s laws do not go away until He makes a new heaven and earth. To not let sin reign in our mortal bodies we must not let lawlessness reign in our mortal bodies, meaning we must obey His laws.
Romans 5:12 King James Version
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Romans 6:23 King James Version
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Yahuwah is eternal life through Yahushuwa ha Mashiach our Lord.
Ezekiel 18:20 King James Version
20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die……
1 John 2:1 New King James Version
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yahushuwa ha Mashiach the righteous.
But we are not under the law of sin and death, because we have an advocate with the Father if we sin, and can repent and not have to suffer the wages of sin, which is death, but can be forgiven instantly, and continue to have eternal life to look forward to.
Romans 8:1 King James Version
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Mashiach Yahushuwa, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
(Notice that there is a condition here – you are not condemned if you are born-again IF you walk in the Spirit instead of walking under the lusts of your flesh – if you don’t let your flesh, your mortal body’s desires, rule over and control you. Eating pig, shellfish, catfish, etc., celebrating pagan holidays, refusing to bother with celebrating Yahuwah’s commanded feast days, Sabbaths, etc., are all doing the lusts of our flesh and not walking by His Holy Spirit. And what does Yahuwah’s Spirit do when you walk in it? It helps you obey His laws, and so does His grace. Yes, Yahuwah’s grace is a free gift, but YES YOU HAVE TO DO THINGS TO KEEP IT. You cannot use it as a license to sin. You must use it to help you to stop sinning and walk in the Spirit instead of your flesh.
Here is more of that verse. I LOVE this verse! We must, however, understand it correctly:
Romans 8:1-17 King James Version (my comments in parenthesis)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Mashiach Yahushuwa, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Mashiach Yahushuwa hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (there ya go – we are free from the law of sin and death, NOT Yahuwah’s commandments)
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, Yahuwah sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; (and if we obey the lusts of the flesh then we will be under the law of sin and death) but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (But if we obey the laws of Yahuwah, then we will continue to have life – eternal life.)
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against Yahuwah: for it is not subject to the law of Yahuwah, neither indeed can be. (the carnal mind doesn’t submit to Yahuwah’s law – it’s of the flesh.)
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please Yahuwah. (See, we cannot please Yahuwah if we live in our fleshly desires instead of subjecting ourselves to Yahuwah’s law.)
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of Yahuwah dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Yahushuwa, he is none of his.
10 And if Yahushuwa be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (born-again = dying to ones own sinful ways.)
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Yahushuwa from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Yahushuwa from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: (law of sin and death) but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (…and not be under that law of sin and death.)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of Yahuwah, they are the sons of Yahuwah. (Ahhh, we become sons of Yahuwah – we are adopted in to His family – and while adopted sons and daughters receive the same benefits as the natural-born children, they also have to obey the same household rules/laws/instructions – no separate rules for Jews and Gentiles – we are all one.)
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of Yahuwah:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of Yahuwah, and joint-heirs with Yahushuwa; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Many will say “Wow, why all this stuff about obeying His laws?" Even grace teaches us to obey His laws. Even His Holy Spirit helps us (causes us 'if we walk in the Holy Spirit and not the flesh, as it doesn't MAKE us do it) to obey His laws. Many think our whole purpose in life is to get born-again and do what makes us happy and comfortable. They will mentally tear this verse out of their Bibles!
Ecclesiastes 12:13 King James Version
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear Yahuwah, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (Commandments and law are the same thing.)
So why don’t Christians want to hear anything about Yahuwah’s law? Why do they get mad and walk away from relationship with us when we tell them the law is still valid? This verse Galatians 4:16 “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” is the way it goes. They don’t understand that His laws/commandments/instructions are for our benefit! They are good for us, give us life, health, happiness, wealth, etc. And they’re daddy’s rules. If we don’t obey them, we suffer negative consequences.
Matthew 7:21 King James Version
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Doing His will means obeying His commandments/laws, and this is Yahushuwa talking about the Father’s laws – which is the same thing as Yahushuwa’s laws, because they are One God.)
Really pay attention to that one! It says that not everyone who calls our Messiah ‘Lord’ will go to Heaven (in other words those who accept Him as their Lord and believe He is their Lord). Only those who do Yahuwah’s will, which means obeys His commandments/laws/Torah will go to Heaven!!! (Rip rip!!! I can hear professing believers tearing THAT one out of their Bible!....)
Here is a verse that Christians love to use out of context to justify breaking Yahuwah's laws! Most don't know any better, but most reject the knowledge of the true meaning of the verse even after they are shown and taught, because they don't want to give up their beliefs that were obtained through lies of the clergy and poor translations of the Bibles.
1 John 1:9-2:2 King James Version
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yahushuwa ha Mashiach the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
See, we are to CONFESS our sins (to Yahuwah, not a priest), receive forgiveness for them and be cleansed from them, and then we are to ‘sin not’ (learn to stop sinning, to stop transgressing His laws, start obeying His laws.)
Getting baptized is important also. It is an outward sign of the inward commitment we made to Yahuwah – dying to our own selfish ways (getting buried in the water) and coming alive in Him and His will (coming up out of the water as a re-born soul) – when a baby is born it comes out of the water in the mother – baptism is symbolic of being born-again and at the same time symbolic of dying and being buried and then coming back alive out of the burial. So, after we get born-again we should obey Him and get baptized, and then learn how to keep the commandments.
Romans 6 King James Version (my comments in parenthesis)
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin (transgression of the law), that grace may abound?
2 Yahuwah forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Yahushuwa ha Mashiach were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: (this is referring to being born-again.)
6 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.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
8 Now if we be dead with Yahushuwa, we believe that we shall also live with him: (born-again)
9 Knowing that Yahushuwa being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto Yahuwah.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto Yahuwah through Yahushuwa ha Mashiach our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto Yahuwah, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto Yahuwah.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (We are not under the law of sin and death – we don’t have to die for our sins – if we repent, His grace covers us and we get forgiven, and His grace and His Holy Spirit helps us to stop sinning, therefore, sin doesn’t dominate us anymore.)
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? Yahuwah forbid. (You see, not being under the law does NOT mean we are free to break the law! It is sin to transgress/break His law. We are freed from the PENALTY of breaking the law, death, free from the law of sin and death, IF we walk in the Holy Spirit, which CAUSES us to obey His law.)
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Look at that – sin unto death covers the law of sin and death, and our choice is that OR OBEDIENCE! Obedience, that grace helps us achieve, brings us to righteousness!)
17 But Yahuwah be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. (There’s that word again – OBEYED from the heart – not just an action but also a heartfelt obedience – for instance, if you get circumcised or get baptized but your heart isn’t submitted to Yahuwah and you are just going through the motions, it will mean nothing to Yahuwah and it will not benefit you.)
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity (iniquity means lawlessness); even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin (sin means transgression of the law), ye were free from righteousness. (So when they were transgressing the law, they were NOT righteous.)
21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to Yahuwah (servants obey their master’s instructions, the law), ye have your fruit unto holiness (holiness involves obeying the laws – I will show you that shortly), and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Yahuwah is eternal life through Yahushuwa ha Mashiach our Lord.
Grace empowers you to obey the law – to stop sinning. Stop transgressing the law – start obeying it. Some think this has changed in the N.T., as if Yahuwah used to be one way and now has changed. But the Bible says He and His word changes not. Below are four verses that tell us that:
Hebrews 13:8 King James Version
8 Yahushuwa ha Mashiach the same yesterday, and today, and forever.
Malachi 3:6 King James Version
6 For I am Yahuwah, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Psalm 119:160 King James Version
160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
1 Peter 1:25 King James Version
25 But the word of Yahuwah endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
He doesn’t change and His word doesn’t change!
There are a lot of different kinds of laws in the Bible. Which one are we ‘not under’ anymore? Not Yahuwah’s laws! Yahuwah’s laws do not go away until He makes a new heaven and earth. To not let sin reign in our mortal bodies we must not let lawlessness reign in our mortal bodies, meaning we must obey His laws.
Romans 5:12 King James Version
12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Romans 6:23 King James Version
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of Yahuwah is eternal life through Yahushuwa ha Mashiach our Lord.
Ezekiel 18:20 King James Version
20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die……
1 John 2:1 New King James Version
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yahushuwa ha Mashiach the righteous.
But we are not under the law of sin and death, because we have an advocate with the Father if we sin, and can repent and not have to suffer the wages of sin, which is death, but can be forgiven instantly, and continue to have eternal life to look forward to.
Romans 8:1 King James Version
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Mashiach Yahushuwa, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
(Notice that there is a condition here – you are not condemned if you are born-again IF you walk in the Spirit instead of walking under the lusts of your flesh – if you don’t let your flesh, your mortal body’s desires, rule over and control you. Eating pig, shellfish, catfish, etc., celebrating pagan holidays, refusing to bother with celebrating Yahuwah’s commanded feast days, Sabbaths, etc., are all doing the lusts of our flesh and not walking by His Holy Spirit. And what does Yahuwah’s Spirit do when you walk in it? It helps you obey His laws, and so does His grace. Yes, Yahuwah’s grace is a free gift, but YES YOU HAVE TO DO THINGS TO KEEP IT. You cannot use it as a license to sin. You must use it to help you to stop sinning and walk in the Spirit instead of your flesh.
Here is more of that verse. I LOVE this verse! We must, however, understand it correctly:
Romans 8:1-17 King James Version (my comments in parenthesis)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Mashiach Yahushuwa, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Mashiach Yahushuwa hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (there ya go – we are free from the law of sin and death, NOT Yahuwah’s commandments)
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, Yahuwah sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; (and if we obey the lusts of the flesh then we will be under the law of sin and death) but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (But if we obey the laws of Yahuwah, then we will continue to have life – eternal life.)
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against Yahuwah: for it is not subject to the law of Yahuwah, neither indeed can be. (the carnal mind doesn’t submit to Yahuwah’s law – it’s of the flesh.)
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please Yahuwah. (See, we cannot please Yahuwah if we live in our fleshly desires instead of subjecting ourselves to Yahuwah’s law.)
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of Yahuwah dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Yahushuwa, he is none of his.
10 And if Yahushuwa be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (born-again = dying to ones own sinful ways.)
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Yahushuwa from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Yahushuwa from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: (law of sin and death) but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. (…and not be under that law of sin and death.)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of Yahuwah, they are the sons of Yahuwah. (Ahhh, we become sons of Yahuwah – we are adopted in to His family – and while adopted sons and daughters receive the same benefits as the natural-born children, they also have to obey the same household rules/laws/instructions – no separate rules for Jews and Gentiles – we are all one.)
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of Yahuwah:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of Yahuwah, and joint-heirs with Yahushuwa; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Many will say “Wow, why all this stuff about obeying His laws?" Even grace teaches us to obey His laws. Even His Holy Spirit helps us (causes us 'if we walk in the Holy Spirit and not the flesh, as it doesn't MAKE us do it) to obey His laws. Many think our whole purpose in life is to get born-again and do what makes us happy and comfortable. They will mentally tear this verse out of their Bibles!
Ecclesiastes 12:13 King James Version
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear Yahuwah, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (Commandments and law are the same thing.)
Matthew 7:21 King James Version
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Doing His will means obeying His commandments/laws, and this is Yahushuwa talking about the Father’s laws – which is the same thing as Yahushuwa’s laws, because they are One God.)
Really pay attention to that one! It says that not everyone who calls our Messiah ‘Lord’ will go to Heaven (in other words those who accept Him as their Lord and believe He is their Lord). Only those who do Yahuwah’s will, which means obeys His commandments/laws/Torah will go to Heaven!!! (Rip rip!!! I can hear professing believers tearing THAT one out of their Bible!....)
Galatians 5:3-6 King James Version
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Yahushuwa is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Yahushuwa ha Mashiach neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love
Paul was preaching to the Galatians, who came from a group called ‘works of the law’, that taught that you had to get circumcised AS A MEANS to being born-again. He was teaching them that circumcision does NOT come BEFORE getting born-again, but afterwards. He was NOT telling them that if they obeyed Yahuwah’s commandment to be circumcised they were fallen from grace. But because they don’t understand what was really going on here, Christians will be quick to tell you that you have fallen from grace if you teach that you have to obey the commandments. Grace and works go together, but grace through faith comes first, and is the free gift from Yahuwah, and it empowers you to begin to do the works, which is obedience to Yahuwah’s commandments.
Where it says “that he is a debtor to do the whole law” – this means that if one is trying to be justified by the law to receive salvation, he would have to obey every single part perfectly, never slip up and sin, never make a mistake, in order for that to work. We know that no one can do that. We ALL sin and come short of the glory of Yahuwah. Our own righteousness is like filthy rags to Him. Yahushuwa is the only one who was perfect and never sinned, and therefore qualified to atone for our sins.
Isaiah 64:6 King James Version
6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
That line does NOT mean that we are not to even attempt to do the whole law. Again, all it means is that we cannot do it without being born-again first, in order to make it to heaven. Born-again by grace comes first, then obedience of the law is to be done. It’s too bad most pastors do not explain this to their people.
Open your Bible to the 15th chapter of Acts and read the whole chapter. I’m going to put a few of the verses on here but it’s better to read it all.
Acts 15 King James Version
1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
This is what I was talking about – you have men here who were teaching the Gentiles that they could not be saved until after they got circumcised, and of course if this one law was required in order to be saved, all the rest would also have to be required and done perfectly, and that is simply not so. Getting born-again comes first, obedience to laws comes afterwards. We are saved by grace through faith, and it’s a free gift that we cannot earn by our works.
There are many Scriptures that show that these go together, that there are things we need to do if we truly have the faith in our Messiah. Part of having faith is trusting the One we have faith in by obeying His commandments, and reverencing Him enough to obey His laws.
Revelation 12:17 King James Version
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the REMNANT of her seed, which keep the commandments of Yahuwah, AND have the testimony of Yahushuwa ha Mashiach.
This verse above shows that the REMNANT are those who both keep the commandments AND have Yahushuwa as their Messiah.
Romans 9:26-28 King James Version
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living Yahuwah.
27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will Yahuwah make upon the earth.
And that verse above tells us that although there will be an uncountably huge number of Israelites, only a small number, remnant, will be saved. #2640 is the Strong’s Concordance number for remnant, and it means “a few, a small part;” It says a remnant, a few, a small part, will be saved. How sad. But most people choose to do things their own way instead of following Yahuwah’s instructions, and when it comes to Israelites, most of them reject Yahushuwa as their Messiah.
Again, the remnant are those who both keep the commandments AND have Yahushuwa as their Messiah. Those are the ones who will be saved according to this verse. I believe that those who didn’t know any better are probably in heaven after dying, but those who were told the truth and rejected that knowledge will probably be rejected by Yahuwah. “Depart from me ye workers of lawlessness.”
That goes along with this verse which tells us to enter into the narrow gate – implying it’s our choice which way we go:
Matthew 7:13-14 King James Version
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Why would ‘few’ find it? Because even though Yahushuwa tells them how to get there, they refuse to obey Him. He WANTS us to be in Heaven with Him, and He tells us throughout His Word how to get there, but what do we do? Well, many say “But I was taught THIS way and I’m not going to change! I’m too old to change! I’m too young to change – I have my whole life ahead of me! My pastor said the law is done away with!” They refuse to accept that obeying His commandments from the Old Testament and not just the New Testament is to come after getting born-again.
James 2:14-26 King James Version
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (my note – faith doesn’t stand alone – works is part of faith – they go together and if the works is not there with the faith, then the faith is dead! Do you think that dead faith will get you to heaven? If it’s dead, then it’s not faith. Faith is not faith if the works are not part of it. The works are our act of obeying the law because we have faith enough in Yahuwah to trust and obey Him.)
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed Yahuwah, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of Yahuwah.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. (That line gets ignored a lot!)
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (That’s some heavy stuff there!)
That clearly shows how they go together. And next – who are the saints? We already saw who the ‘remnant’ is, and now we will see who the saints are!
Revelation 14:12 King James Version
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of Yahuwah, AND the faith of Yahushuwa.
Again, it shows both faith and works – they are born-again, and they also keep the commandments. This is the Bible, not me, saying these things. It’s time we learn to rightly divide the Word of truth and stop believing every word the preachers tell us and see for ourselves if they lied to us. The saints are described just like the remnant is described.
Most of today's preachers and teachers are the false prophet type, because they lie and tell you that you do not need to obey Yahuwah's laws after you get born-again. They teach that the law was done away with, even though our Messiah says it is not.
Here’s another 2 verses that show that we need both to be saved (have our names written in the Lamb’s book of life) AND obey His commandments. This is referring to the New Jerusalem (Heaven) and entering into it:
Revelation 21:27 King James Version
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Revelation 22:14 King James Version
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
It takes time to learn how to rightly divide His Word – it doesn’t happen all at once, and we learn when we are willing to step away from beliefs that are contrary to His Word, that we were taught by our pastors and other ministers. And we must be willing to be weaned from the milk of the word and grow up and digest the meat of the word.
Isaiah 28:9-12 King James Version
9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Hebrews 5:13-14 King James Version
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Let’s not be like those who will not hear. We must gradually learn to obey His commandments. He is patient. He knows when our hearts are willing and we are at least trying to do the right things. Line upon line, precept upon precept. He also knows when we are rebellious and choose to do things our own way instead, and refuse to listen and refuse to be teachable.
There are many Scriptures that show that these go together, that there are things we need to do if we truly have the faith in our Messiah. Part of having faith is trusting the One we have faith in by obeying His commandments, and reverencing Him enough to obey His laws.
Revelation 12:17 King James Version
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the REMNANT of her seed, which keep the commandments of Yahuwah, AND have the testimony of Yahushuwa ha Mashiach.
This verse above shows that the REMNANT are those who both keep the commandments AND have Yahushuwa as their Messiah.
Romans 9:26-28 King James Version
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living Yahuwah.
27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will Yahuwah make upon the earth.
And that verse above tells us that although there will be an uncountably huge number of Israelites, only a small number, remnant, will be saved. #2640 is the Strong’s Concordance number for remnant, and it means “a few, a small part;” It says a remnant, a few, a small part, will be saved. How sad. But most people choose to do things their own way instead of following Yahuwah’s instructions, and when it comes to Israelites, most of them reject Yahushuwa as their Messiah.
Again, the remnant are those who both keep the commandments AND have Yahushuwa as their Messiah. Those are the ones who will be saved according to this verse. I believe that those who didn’t know any better are probably in heaven after dying, but those who were told the truth and rejected that knowledge will probably be rejected by Yahuwah. “Depart from me ye workers of lawlessness.”
That goes along with this verse which tells us to enter into the narrow gate – implying it’s our choice which way we go:
Matthew 7:13-14 King James Version
13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Why would ‘few’ find it? Because even though Yahushuwa tells them how to get there, they refuse to obey Him. He WANTS us to be in Heaven with Him, and He tells us throughout His Word how to get there, but what do we do? Well, many say “But I was taught THIS way and I’m not going to change! I’m too old to change! I’m too young to change – I have my whole life ahead of me! My pastor said the law is done away with!” They refuse to accept that obeying His commandments from the Old Testament and not just the New Testament is to come after getting born-again.
James 2:14-26 King James Version
14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. (my note – faith doesn’t stand alone – works is part of faith – they go together and if the works is not there with the faith, then the faith is dead! Do you think that dead faith will get you to heaven? If it’s dead, then it’s not faith. Faith is not faith if the works are not part of it. The works are our act of obeying the law because we have faith enough in Yahuwah to trust and obey Him.)
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed Yahuwah, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of Yahuwah.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. (That line gets ignored a lot!)
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (That’s some heavy stuff there!)
That clearly shows how they go together. And next – who are the saints? We already saw who the ‘remnant’ is, and now we will see who the saints are!
Revelation 14:12 King James Version
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of Yahuwah, AND the faith of Yahushuwa.
Again, it shows both faith and works – they are born-again, and they also keep the commandments. This is the Bible, not me, saying these things. It’s time we learn to rightly divide the Word of truth and stop believing every word the preachers tell us and see for ourselves if they lied to us. The saints are described just like the remnant is described.
Most of today's preachers and teachers are the false prophet type, because they lie and tell you that you do not need to obey Yahuwah's laws after you get born-again. They teach that the law was done away with, even though our Messiah says it is not.
Here’s another 2 verses that show that we need both to be saved (have our names written in the Lamb’s book of life) AND obey His commandments. This is referring to the New Jerusalem (Heaven) and entering into it:
Revelation 21:27 King James Version
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Revelation 22:14 King James Version
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
It takes time to learn how to rightly divide His Word – it doesn’t happen all at once, and we learn when we are willing to step away from beliefs that are contrary to His Word, that we were taught by our pastors and other ministers. And we must be willing to be weaned from the milk of the word and grow up and digest the meat of the word.
Isaiah 28:9-12 King James Version
9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Hebrews 5:13-14 King James Version
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Let’s not be like those who will not hear. We must gradually learn to obey His commandments. He is patient. He knows when our hearts are willing and we are at least trying to do the right things. Line upon line, precept upon precept. He also knows when we are rebellious and choose to do things our own way instead, and refuse to listen and refuse to be teachable.
Almost all of the Christians we present this to are that way. Yahuwah says His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because they REJECT knowledge He rejects them! The Bible actually says He judges us by our actions. Of course we have to be born-again, but if we get that way but then continue to willingly and knowingly live in sin (transgress His law), then we are choosing to go the wide path that leads to destruction, and it is not His path.
Hebrews 5:9-10 King James Version
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
10 Called of Yahuwah an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
What?! Salvation unto all who OBEY Him?!
Work out salvation:
Philippians 2:12-13 King James Version
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is Yahuwah which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
5401 is the Strong’s number for ‘fear’ and it means fear, dread, terror, reverence for one's husband (Yahuwah is our ‘husband’ as we are His bride.)
5156 is the Strong’s number for ‘trembling’ and it means a trembling or quaking with fear, used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements, but religiously does his utmost to fulfil his duty.
Many will quote the verse about working out our own salvation in order to get someone to leave them alone and not try to teach them this stuff, but they leave off the part “with fear and trembling”. Again, let’s rightly divide the Word of truth and not leave important parts out. We have to ‘work’ and we need to do it very seriously. Notice how it starts with the word ‘obeyed’? Notice how it ends with telling us that Yahuwah helps us to do this? Below are two more verses that use the word ‘obedience’ and ‘fear and trembling’.
2 Corinthians 7:15 King James Version
15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
Ephesians 6:5 King James Version
5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Yahushuwa;
Psalm 2:11 King James Version
11 Serve Yahuwah with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
And Matthew shows us that salvation is a process:
Matthew 24:13 King James Version
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved
Getting ‘born-again’ at the altar is only the beginning of a long journey.
‘Shall be’ is future tense. A lot of people get born-again and think they have a ticket to heaven no matter what they do in the future. Sinning accidentally is one thing. Willfully and knowingly is another. We once heard a Christian radio station DJ say that once you get born-again “You’re IN! God doesn’t have an eraser!” That’s the ‘once saved, always saved’ theology, and it’s a lie from the pit of hell. I’ve already shown multiple verses that prove it wrong. What do these people think backsliding is? It’s sliding back into sin after getting born-again. And what does the Bible say Yahuwah says about backsliders?
Revelation 2:4-7 King James Version
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Backslidden people can repent and be back in right relationship with Yahuwah, but those who don’t repent, lose their place and are lost in the dark, no longer ‘children of light.’
Jeremiah 3:12-13 King James Version
12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith Yahuwah; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith Yahuwah, and I will not keep anger for ever.
13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against Yahuwah thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith Yahuwah.
If the backslider doesn’t repent, that’s another issue. Here is the verse that shows that Yahuwah has an eraser and if they DO repent of their ‘works’ that are not perfect before Yahuwah, He will not use it (which tells us that if they refuse to repent, then He will erase or blot their name from the book of life):
Revelation 3:5 King James Version
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
The Scriptures show us that there is no such thing as the ‘once saved, always saved’ theology.
Hebrews 5:9-10 King James Version
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
10 Called of Yahuwah an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
What?! Salvation unto all who OBEY Him?!
Work out salvation:
Philippians 2:12-13 King James Version
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
13 For it is Yahuwah which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
5401 is the Strong’s number for ‘fear’ and it means fear, dread, terror, reverence for one's husband (Yahuwah is our ‘husband’ as we are His bride.)
5156 is the Strong’s number for ‘trembling’ and it means a trembling or quaking with fear, used to describe the anxiety of one who distrusts his ability completely to meet all requirements, but religiously does his utmost to fulfil his duty.
Many will quote the verse about working out our own salvation in order to get someone to leave them alone and not try to teach them this stuff, but they leave off the part “with fear and trembling”. Again, let’s rightly divide the Word of truth and not leave important parts out. We have to ‘work’ and we need to do it very seriously. Notice how it starts with the word ‘obeyed’? Notice how it ends with telling us that Yahuwah helps us to do this? Below are two more verses that use the word ‘obedience’ and ‘fear and trembling’.
2 Corinthians 7:15 King James Version
15 And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.
Ephesians 6:5 King James Version
5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Yahushuwa;
Psalm 2:11 King James Version
11 Serve Yahuwah with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
And Matthew shows us that salvation is a process:
Matthew 24:13 King James Version
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved
Getting ‘born-again’ at the altar is only the beginning of a long journey.
‘Shall be’ is future tense. A lot of people get born-again and think they have a ticket to heaven no matter what they do in the future. Sinning accidentally is one thing. Willfully and knowingly is another. We once heard a Christian radio station DJ say that once you get born-again “You’re IN! God doesn’t have an eraser!” That’s the ‘once saved, always saved’ theology, and it’s a lie from the pit of hell. I’ve already shown multiple verses that prove it wrong. What do these people think backsliding is? It’s sliding back into sin after getting born-again. And what does the Bible say Yahuwah says about backsliders?
Revelation 2:4-7 King James Version
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
Backslidden people can repent and be back in right relationship with Yahuwah, but those who don’t repent, lose their place and are lost in the dark, no longer ‘children of light.’
Jeremiah 3:12-13 King James Version
12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith Yahuwah; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith Yahuwah, and I will not keep anger for ever.
13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against Yahuwah thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith Yahuwah.
If the backslider doesn’t repent, that’s another issue. Here is the verse that shows that Yahuwah has an eraser and if they DO repent of their ‘works’ that are not perfect before Yahuwah, He will not use it (which tells us that if they refuse to repent, then He will erase or blot their name from the book of life):
Revelation 3:5 King James Version
5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
The Scriptures show us that there is no such thing as the ‘once saved, always saved’ theology.
Here is an Old Testament verse that also mentions Yahuwah blotting someone’s name out of the book of life.
Exodus 32:32-33 King James Version
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
33 And Yahuwah said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Hebrews 12:14-15 King James Version
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see Yahuwah:
15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of Yahuwah; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;
Since the Scriptures say that without holiness no one will see Yahuwah, in Hebrews 12:14, then we need to pursue holiness. Holiness means ‘set apart’ for Him. His grace will empower us to live a set apart (holy) life. I’ll talk more about holiness shortly, as to what it entails. It basically has to do with obeying His commandments. I’ll show you that by the Scriptures.
2 Corinthians 12:9 King James Version
9 And he said unto me, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Yahushuwa may rest upon me.
As I stated before, according to Yahushuwa, power and grace go hand in hand. His grace helps us obtain His power to overcome, because we are weak and He is strong. Again, I say, grace doesn’t give us a license to sin, it empowers us to stop sinning, to start obeying our Creator.
2 Corinthians 6:1 King James Version
1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of Yahuwah in vain.
Did you know that you can receive Yahuwah’s grace in vain? Seems to me that if we are saved by His grace, which He gave us to help us overcome the temptation to sin (transgress His law), that if we don’t use that grace for that reason, we received His grace in vain, because when we continue to live in sin (transgress His laws) we trample underfoot the blood of our Savior and face judgement. (Hebrews 10:26-31). It’s there to empower us, not just to give us a ticket to heaven!
Hebrews 10:26-31 King James Version
26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of Yahuwah, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith Yahuwah. And again, Yahuwah shall judge his people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living Yahuwah.
I don’t want to willfully transgress His laws, break His commandments, do things my way instead of His way. I take this verse seriously. Does that make me legalistic? To actually obey Him? Most Christians believe it does. It says He shall judge HIS people – that means us. This is not a verse for unbelievers. I feel like ignoring these verses is playing Russian Roulette with our salvation, and we are not willing to do that.
Before we received this knowledge of the truth, we were probably in good standing with Yahuwah because we didn’t know any better – we were taught that way and didn’t even realize that we should check that out and see if we were taught right, but what I think doesn’t trump Yahuwah’s word, so we have to warn people and encourage them to repent of breaking His laws. Because if we just leave it alone, what if the people will not be okay? We’re in the last of the last days – we don’t have time to play church and take a chance, not that people ever had time to do this, but it’s even more relevant now.
Acts 17:30 King James Version
30 And the times of this ignorance Yahuwah winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
James 5:20 King James Version
20 Let him know, that he which converteth (turn him back) the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
One may say “But you’re talking mostly to believers – you’re preaching to the choir!’ – but if they are not obeying the commandments then they are living in sin and are not righteous, and need to repent. There can be a lot of sin going on in the choir, and in the ministry. Adultery and fornication are a big problem, but even more prevalent is the sin of transgressing Yahuwah’s laws such as the Sabbath, the feast days, the dietary laws, and other ones that people don’t want to deal with. Sitting in the pews, singing in the choir, preaching the sermons, having daily devotions, dancing in worship as they flow gracefully with uplifted hands and a pure innocent look on their faces as they look up towards heaven, reading their Bibles and praying, ALL OF THAT does not mean they’re on their way to heaven if they are not obeying Yahuwah’s commandments – they MUST repent (stop doing wrong and learn to do right) in order to be in right standing with Yahuwah! James 5:20 puts some responsibility on those of us who know better to confront those who do not, and show them their error and try to get them to understand their need to repent. Here’s another one that makes it even clearer:
Ezekiel 3:20-21 King James Version
20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.
So when we see Christians who are not even trying to obey Yahuwah’s commandments, we are responsible to try and steer them in the right direction and help them understand what the Scriptures really teach on the subject of the law/commandments/instructions so they can have the opportunity to make the changes they need to make. It’d be easier on us to just ignore things, but Yahuwah tells us not to ignore them. If they do not listen, at least their blood won’t be on our hands. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.
Once we received all of this information, we could not just say “well, all I know is…… (insert excuse – I have a great relationship with God, I talk to Him and He talks to me, etc).” Because now that we received the knowledge of the truth we don’t dare reject the truth and get rejected by Yahuwah - we had to adjust our lives to accommodate His instructions more accurately. And it feels really good. It wasn’t hard. This is why we do not have to fear Him – because we choose to love Him by keeping His commandments. There is bad fear, that paralyzes us, and good fear, which is the utter most respect and reverence of Yahuwah. His love in us and for us gets rid of the paralyzing fear, yet the good fear is commanded of us.
John 14:15 King James Version
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
The Strong’s number for commandments is #1785 entole, and it means an order, command, charge, precept, injunction, that which is prescribed to one by reason of his office, prescribed rule in accordance with which a thing is done, a precept relating to lineage, of the Mosaic precept concerning the priesthood, ethically used of the commandments in the Mosaic law or Jewish tradition.
John 14:15 Amplified Bible
15 “If you [really] love Me, you will keep and obey My commandments.
Love is not just a feeling – it’s an action. For Yahuwah, it is obeying His commandments, which means the law. Yahushuwa gave some instructions when He walked the earth, but those were giving a fuller understanding of the Old Testament laws rather than replacing them as most Christians believe. Remember, He said He didn’t come to abolish the law but rather to fulfill which means fully preach or expound on it. He is the Word made flesh – the one who wrote the O.T. law. There are not two Gods up there, just one God. So “My commandments” are not a separate thing from Yahuwah’s commandments – they are all the same thing.
Here's some more on the Biblical definition of sin, and afterwards I’ll talk more about fear.
“The apostle John writes, “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (I John 3:4). The Greek word for “sin” is hamartia, an archery term for “missing the mark.” We could say that sin is not just making an error in judgment in a particular case, but missing the whole point of human life; not just the violation of a law, but an insult to a relationship with the One to whom we owe everything; not just a servant's failure to carry out a master's orders, but the ingratitude of a child to its parent.” - Martin G. Collins
“MISSING THE MARK? When the question of sin comes up Christian teachers are quick to point out that sin has to do with "missing the mark". The Greek word Sin hamartia (G264) is derived from the root word hamartanō (G266) which historically was an archers term that means to "miss the mark." (See definitions below) With that in mind, Modern Christianity in an attempt to trivialize willful sin often says something like this: "Therefore to sin merely means to miss the mark; which seems to be a small thing since nobody hits the mark every time - right? After all nobody is perfect." To understand the true meaning it must be understood that the root word meant much more than just missing the bulls eye from time to time. It means to miss the mark and so not share in the prize. For example: Think of a King gathering an army of archers and he had them tested to see if they could hit a target with their bow and arrow. Those who missed the mark were disqualified. That is the sense of the Greek word "hamartanō" The archer did not get more chances - it was miss and out. The word denotes failure with consequences. In the Biblical sense the word "sin" which is derived from "hamartanō" refers to those who miss the mark by breaking God's commandments - that was how John used it in context concerning willful sin. 1 Jn 3:4 “Whosoever committeth SIN transgresseth also the law: for SIN is the transgression of the law.” Those who sin ignorantly have missed the mark God has established in the ten commandments. Those who commit sin (miss the mark) willfuly, are not children of God. 1Jn 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil 1Jn 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;” - Harold Kupp
“A hebraic definition of Torah is "a set of Instructions, from a father to his children, violation of these instructions are disciplined in order to foster obedience and train his children". Notice how the word Torah is translated in the New International Version translation in the following passages.
"Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching [Torah]." (Proverbs 1:8)
"My son, do not forget my teaching [Torah], but keep my commands in your heart". (Proverbs 3:1)
The purpose of a parents Torah is to teach and bring the children to maturity. If the Torah is violated out of disrespect or defiant disobedience, the child is punished. If the child desires to follow the instructions out of a loving obedience but falls short of the expectations, the child is commended for the effort and counseled on how to perform the instructions better the next time.” - Jeff A. Benner
Ecclesiastes 12:13 King James Version
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear Yahuwah, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Proverbs 9:10 King James Version
10 The fear of Yahuwah is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.
Now some believers, actually most, would say that since the Ecclesiastes verse is Old Testament, the 1 John verse cancels it out. But we already know that Yahuwah never changes. The Ecclesiastes verse is talking about the good kind of fear, not the crippling kind. It means we are to totally respect Him, reverence Him, take Him seriously, obey Him, fear His judgment if we choose to live in sin, and that has never changed. The 1 John verse is letting us know that when we have His love, walk in His love, and show that we love Him by obeying His commandments, then we do not need to be afraid of Him, or be tormented because we are in sin and headed for His judgment – we can instead be rested and confident in Him because we are in right relationship with Him.
1 John 4:18 King James Version
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
He who should fear is he who is not keeping His commandments. But he who does keep His commandments is showing that he loves Yahuwah, and that perfect love casts out the paralyzing fear. There are many verses in the New Testament that show us we must keep His commandments if we love Him, and that if we don’t, then we do not love or know Him, and He doesn’t ‘know’ us. It doesn’t mean we haven’t met Him. I believe it has to do with the deep intimate relationship a true believer will have with Him. When Adam ‘knew’ Eve, it means He was intimate with her – one with her. Knowing Yahuwah isn’t about a physical or sexual relationship, but it’s about an intimate one.
John 14:15,21,23,24 King James Version
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
…….
21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
…….
23 Yahushuwa answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Daniel 9:4 King James Version
And I prayed unto Yahuwah my God, and made my confession, and said, O Yahuwah, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments
When we get born-again we get grafted into the olive tree, which represents Israel, and we become part of the same covenant that they are in with Yahuwah. That means we get all the benefits of that covenant, and are required to meet the conditions of that covenant as well. This is explained elsewhere in this message. Daniel 9:4 applies to us and not just the Jews. For those of us who love Him and keep His commandments (which is how we are to show Him our love!), He will keep His covenant with us and be merciful to us.
1 John 5:3 King James Version
3 For this is the love of Yahuwah, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1 John 5:3 Expanded Bible
3 Loving Yahuwah means [For this is the love of Yahuwah:] ·obeying [keeping] his commands. And Yahuwah‘s commands are not ·too hard [burdensome] for us [Matt. 11:30]
Psalm 145:20 King James Version
Yahuwah preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
And who are those who love Him? Those who keep His commandments! And why would they be considered wicked if they don’t keep His commandments? Yahushuwa calls them ‘lawless’ ones and tells them to depart from Him in Matthew 7:23.
Matthew 11:30 Expanded Bible
30 The burden that I ask you to accept […because my yoke] is easy; ·the load I give you to carry [and my burden] is light.”
1 John 2:3-6 King James Version
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of Yahuwah perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
Now, what do we do with those verses? Throw them out? Ignore them? I seriously wonder what you think we should do with those. Most Christians mentally rip them out of their Bibles, ignoring them, or decide that they only refer to Yahushuwa’s instructions to love one another or to feed the hungry.
I said I’d come back to the holiness topic. First of all, here are some verses on holiness.
Hebrews 12:14 King James Version
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see Yahuwah:
1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 King James Version
7 For Yahuwah hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but Yahuwah, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.
Yahuwah did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but Yahuwah,
Romans 12:1 King James Version
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of Yahuwah, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto Yahuwah, which is your reasonable service.
Notice that the next verse says “it is written” – this is referring to the Old Testament. So where is it written? Where does it say “be ye holy, for I am holy” and what is it referring to?
1 Peter 1:14-17 King James Version
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:
How about here? (my comments are in parentheses):
Leviticus 19:1-18 King James Version
1 And Yahuwah spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I Yahuwah your God am holy.
3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am Yahuwah your God. (It’s referring to respecting parents and keeping the Sabbaths!)
4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am Yahuwah your God. (and not worshipping idols)
5 And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto Yahuwah, ye shall offer it at your own will (and sacrifices – which we aren’t doing at this time because of His sacrifice of Himself so we are presenting our bodies as living sacrifices to Him. According to Scriptures, in the Millennium He will have sacrifices going on.)
*****
9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.
10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am Yahuwah your God. (and the harvest)
11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am Yahuwah.
13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.
14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am Yahuwah.
15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am Yahuwah.
17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.
18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am Yahuwah.
IT STARTS RIGHT OUT WITH THE COMMANDMENT TO KEEP THE SABBATH – IN ORDER TO BE YE HOLY. SABBATH KEEPING IS PART OF BEING HOLY AS YAHUWAH IS HOLY – right after instructing to respect our parents. Then it starts listing other parts of His commandments that we are to keep. These commandments are part of the ‘law’. Are they so horrible?
Look how important the Sabbath is to our Creator!
Exodus 31:13-14 King James Version
13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Yahuwah that doth sanctify you.
14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Notice that it says “throughout your generations.” That means it never ends! I will explain in more detail about the Sabbath shortly, since it’s the one that is a sign that shows that we are Yahuwah’s people. There are also extra Sabbaths that go with the feast days. And by the way, it is in the New Testament as well, and I’ll cover that since many Christians ministers insist it’s not in there and therefore, they insist it’s not still relevant (because they believe the Old Testament was done away with – except for the verses on blessings and money – they will use those for their own gain.) One former pastor went as far as to tell us there are only nine commandments now, because the Sabbath was done away with! This is complete nonsense! The Ten Commandments are still valid, and so are the rest of the laws, as you are learning.
Here is another verse that ‘as it is written, be ye holy as I am holy’ covers:
Leviticus 20:25-26 King James Version
25 Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.
26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I Yahuwah am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
Again, it uses the phrase “be holy for I am holy,” and it’s giving the dietary laws, so refraining from eating unclean animals is part of being holy. It’s a holiness issue. If we can’t see Yahuwah unless we are holy, and following the dietary instructions are part of being holy, then don’t you think you ought to start following the dietary instructions? (and all the other ones we just looked at?) No, I am not saying that verses that do not say this are not valid anymore. I’m just showing you how the New Testament is teaching the laws of the Old Testament. None of it is ‘done away with’.
Sanctification isn’t just a New Testament thing as many Christians believe.
I Thessalonians 4:3
Look how important the Sabbath is to our Creator!
Exodus 31:13-14 King James Version
13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am Yahuwah that doth sanctify you.
14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Notice that it says “throughout your generations.” That means it never ends! I will explain in more detail about the Sabbath shortly, since it’s the one that is a sign that shows that we are Yahuwah’s people. There are also extra Sabbaths that go with the feast days. And by the way, it is in the New Testament as well, and I’ll cover that since many Christians ministers insist it’s not in there and therefore, they insist it’s not still relevant (because they believe the Old Testament was done away with – except for the verses on blessings and money – they will use those for their own gain.) One former pastor went as far as to tell us there are only nine commandments now, because the Sabbath was done away with! This is complete nonsense! The Ten Commandments are still valid, and so are the rest of the laws, as you are learning.
Here is another verse that ‘as it is written, be ye holy as I am holy’ covers:
Leviticus 20:25-26 King James Version
25 Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.
26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I Yahuwah am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.
Again, it uses the phrase “be holy for I am holy,” and it’s giving the dietary laws, so refraining from eating unclean animals is part of being holy. It’s a holiness issue. If we can’t see Yahuwah unless we are holy, and following the dietary instructions are part of being holy, then don’t you think you ought to start following the dietary instructions? (and all the other ones we just looked at?) No, I am not saying that verses that do not say this are not valid anymore. I’m just showing you how the New Testament is teaching the laws of the Old Testament. None of it is ‘done away with’.
Sanctification isn’t just a New Testament thing as many Christians believe.
I Thessalonians 4:3
3 King James Version says “For this is the will of Yahuwah, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:”
The verse below shows it’s not only an Old Testament thing but it’s also a “be ye holy for I am holy” thing.
Leviticus 20:7 King James Version
7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am Yahuwah your God. (sanctify means to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be holy, be separate)
Numbers 15:40 King James Version
40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto Yahuwah. (more of His laws listed here – verse about wearing fringes to remind us of His laws.
1 Peter 1:14-16 King James Version
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
You see, the New Testament verse above goes much deeper than what you are normally taught. It covers the law of Yahuwah – the Old Testament law. If you mentally deal with the parts about sacrifices in the temple, and remember that we are presently instructed to practice the sacrificial laws differently for now, by bringing ourselves as living sacrifices which are holy and acceptable to Him, and the sacrifice of praise, and entering into the Holiest place by the blood of Yahushuwa, where we can be in the tangible presence of Yahuwah because our High Priest Yahushuwa takes us there, then the sacrificial laws aren’t so scary now, are they?
And if you mentally deal with the civil laws as realizing we do not live in that legal system presently and neither do the Jews in Jerusalem, so we cannot take it upon ourselves to stone a criminal or adulterer, but must go through and obey the laws of our land when we deal with crimes, then those laws aren’t so scary now, are they? We can go through the verses with laws and learn about them, and seek to obey the ones that do apply to us in our land and situations, and when the Millennial time comes and we are helping Yahushuwa to rule during that time, He will let us know what to do.
Hebrews 12:14 King James Version
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see Yahuwah:
Since holiness is about the Old Testament laws, and we won’t see Yahuwah without it, does this mean if we refuse to stop eating bacon He will not let us into Heaven? Check this out once again, as it’s an important verse to remember:
Isaiah 66:15-18 King James Version
15 For, behold, Yahuwah will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will Yahuwah plead with all flesh: and the slain of Yahuwah shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh (THAT IS PIG MEAT, PORK), and the abomination (THAT INCLUDES OTHER UNCLEAN MEATS), and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith Yahuwah.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
It’s not me who wrote these things. Don’t get mad at me. I’m showing you what Yahuwah, our Creator, says, because your pastor didn’t bother to show you this stuff. If your house was burning down and someone tried to help you get out of it before you burned up, would you get mad at them? The lake of fire is worse than a burning house!
We look for the ones that apply to us and that we understand. Ones we don’t understand we pray about and let Yahuwah know we don’t understand how that one would be something we should do in our time and place and situation, and we go from there. And they’re mostly moral laws that we keep anyway, and feast days, and are not at all hard to keep. It’s easier to do His feast days than to do Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc, and MUCH more peaceful. They are all about Yahushuwa and are designed to bring us closer to Him.
Leviticus 23:2 King James Version
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of Yahuwah, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
Holy convocations is #4744 ‘miqrā' ’ in Strong’s Concordance, and means ‘rehearsal’. So, when we practice the feast days, we literally are ‘practicing’ the feast days. They are a teaching tool to prepare us for the celebrating of the festivals’ fulfillments in the future. Although the feasts are called ‘a type and shadow’, as they are all prophetic about Yahushuwa, we are commanded to celebrate (practice) them, NOT just learn about them. He fulfills them one by one. He only has three more to fulfill, and those are three that He’s fulfilled once at His arriving, and will fulfill again when He returns. After He does this, THEN all will be fulfilled, heaven and earth will pass away, and a new heaven and earth will be made by Him.
That says these are Yahuwah’s feasts, not Jewish feasts or Jewish holidays. And born-again people are children of Yahuwah – His family. Remember, we are grafted in, adopted in, we become part of the commonwealth of Israel, family with the Hebrew children. The spring feasts are about the first of the grain harvests, and the fall feasts are about the last of the grain harvests, and the final feasts in the fall are about the final ingathering of the crops before winter arrives.
Read Leviticus 23, Exodus 12, Numbers 9, 28, 33, Joshua 5, 2 Kings 23 and Deuteronomy 16:1 (and there are more) for information on Yahuwah’s feast days. We observe and celebrate the feasts without doing the sacrifices.
Check this verse out. In the KJV it uses the word believeth both times, but it wasn’t translated correctly, because it actually has a different meaning the second time it is used, as ‘believeth not’.
John 3:36 King James Version
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of Yahuwah abideth on him.
The first ‘believeth’ is #G4100 in Strong’s Concordance, from ‘pisteuo’ which means to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in of the thing believed, in a moral or religious reference, to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something….
And ‘believeth not’ is #G544 in Strong’s Concordance, from #G545 ‘apeitheo’, which means to disbelieve (wilfully and perversely):—not believe, disobedient, obey not, unbelieving.
So the King James Version did not translate it clearly enough, but the English Standard Version did:
John 3:36 English Standard Version
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of Yahuwah remains on him.
Notice how the term ‘believeth’ has to do with obedience as well – just as I said, obedience is PART of faith – they go together – “I will show you faith BY my works.” (James 2:18) – “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17)
Some believe that the Old Testament no longer applies, but they hang on to those blessing verses (but never mind the requirements of obedience to the law in order to get the blessings, or the curses if you don’t obey the law!), and tithe verses, especially if they are ministers and want others to support them, even though they do not qualify for being supported. They like the Psalms and Proverbs, but don’t expect these people to do what the verses say to do.
Their idea of sin are those things listed in the New Testament, but commandments to not have sex with an animal, or a relative, or not to kick the cane out from under a blind person, or move your neighbor’s boundary markers, etc., are not listed in the New Testament. Do you actually believe that these things are no longer sin, because “That’s Old Testament!” There are a lot of perverted people in today’s world who have sex with animals or children. Bestiality is even legal in some places, and groups are trying to get sex with children legalized! These things are against Yahuwah’s law! Yet they are not listed in the New Testament as sins. Yet they are sins just as not honoring the Sabbath, eating unclean animals, celebrating Christmas and other pagan holidays, and refusing to honor Yahuwah’s feast days are sins!
Most Christians, when you tell them this stuff and show them the Scriptures which are proof that it is true, refuse to repent and change. Most just keep on doing what they’re used to regardless of what Yahuwah’s word says about it. That is rebellion. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, according to the Bible. Witchcraft is forbidden by Yahuwah. His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because they reject knowledge and He will forget them and their children (Hosea 4:6).
Living in sin involves more than you thought it did. It’s a sin to refuse to keep His O.T. law! If you refuse the Torah (law) then even your prayers are an abomination (Proverbs 28:9). I didn’t make this stuff up! This is straight from the Scriptures. If you want to gamble your salvation because you want so badly to disregard Yahuwah’s law, then that is your choice. Maybe He’ll squeeze you in. Or maybe He'll tell you to depart (into that place prepared for the devil and his fallen angels), He never knew you, because you are lawless. Heaven or hell is basically your choice, and once you receive this knowledge, and then reject it, the Bible says He will reject you and forget your children!
James 2:24 New International Version
24 “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.”
James 2:24 King James Version
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Many believers don’t know any better, and because a lying preacher told them the Sabbath was changed to Sunday, they believe that – maybe Yahuwah has mercy on them because they don’t know. He IS very merciful and patient. But He also expects us to study His word and rightly divide it, and most believers do not, even when you show them why they should. And when we try to tell them about it, and warn them, they usually shut us out of their lives and refuse to repent. When you show someone what the Scriptures say about this topic and they totally blow you off and refuse to take it seriously and change, that is rebellion. It’s rebellion against Yahuwah’s word and that is a biggie!
I don’t think He expects His beloved children to just up and quit their jobs and let their families starve to death or live under a bridge if they can’t get the Sabbath off, yet when the mark of the beast comes totally into being to where no one can buy or sell without it (it’s already in force in some places – you know, that jab that everyone is supposed to take?), anyone who takes it basically gets a one-way ticket to hell. Since you can’t buy or sell without it, we have to pick the starve under a bridge option and trust Yahuwah to feed and shelter us at that point. Some people have stored a lot of food for this time period, but that is no guarantee that it won’t get stolen from them or destroyed, or that they won’t get captured and taken to a ‘camp’ for punishment or disposal. But most believers don’t even try. And most of them if they do have it off, will do their yard work and laundry and house cleaning on Saturdays, or go out and party on Friday nights, etc. That is like playing Russian Roulette with your salvation!
‘Cut off from His people’ ‘worthy of death’ – we believers really should try our best to honor the Sabbath day! The Sabbath is part of His law, and the definition of sin is transgression of the law, and if we continue to willfully sin, transgress His law, disobey His law, after having the knowledge of the truth we get judged – these are the things that convinced me to take this seriously and not just sluff it off.
Now if you’re thinking that in order to ‘get saved’ you have to earn it by doing works, doing certain laws, then you are wrong, not wrong to do the laws, but wrong to think that they will save you. Get born-again FIRST, THEN start learning how to obey the laws – because the law won’t save you, but refusing to obey it after being ‘born-again’ can condemn you. You’re not supposed to keep on sinning after getting born-again, and saved from your sins, and sin is transgression of the law.
When I care about someone I’ll try to explain this to them. Again, if we are ‘cut off as His people’ for not keeping the Sabbath, then how would we qualify to be raptured, an event when He takes up His people? I seriously believe that if the rapture did turn out to be pre-trib, so few professing believers would qualify to go that it would hardly be noticeable. “Hey pastor, that little ole grandma down the street disappeared yesterday. Does anyone know what happened to her?!”
The verse below shows it’s not only an Old Testament thing but it’s also a “be ye holy for I am holy” thing.
Leviticus 20:7 King James Version
7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am Yahuwah your God. (sanctify means to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be holy, be separate)
Numbers 15:40 King James Version
40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto Yahuwah. (more of His laws listed here – verse about wearing fringes to remind us of His laws.
1 Peter 1:14-16 King James Version
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
You see, the New Testament verse above goes much deeper than what you are normally taught. It covers the law of Yahuwah – the Old Testament law. If you mentally deal with the parts about sacrifices in the temple, and remember that we are presently instructed to practice the sacrificial laws differently for now, by bringing ourselves as living sacrifices which are holy and acceptable to Him, and the sacrifice of praise, and entering into the Holiest place by the blood of Yahushuwa, where we can be in the tangible presence of Yahuwah because our High Priest Yahushuwa takes us there, then the sacrificial laws aren’t so scary now, are they?
And if you mentally deal with the civil laws as realizing we do not live in that legal system presently and neither do the Jews in Jerusalem, so we cannot take it upon ourselves to stone a criminal or adulterer, but must go through and obey the laws of our land when we deal with crimes, then those laws aren’t so scary now, are they? We can go through the verses with laws and learn about them, and seek to obey the ones that do apply to us in our land and situations, and when the Millennial time comes and we are helping Yahushuwa to rule during that time, He will let us know what to do.
Hebrews 12:14 King James Version
14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see Yahuwah:
Since holiness is about the Old Testament laws, and we won’t see Yahuwah without it, does this mean if we refuse to stop eating bacon He will not let us into Heaven? Check this out once again, as it’s an important verse to remember:
Isaiah 66:15-18 King James Version
15 For, behold, Yahuwah will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16 For by fire and by his sword will Yahuwah plead with all flesh: and the slain of Yahuwah shall be many.
17 They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh (THAT IS PIG MEAT, PORK), and the abomination (THAT INCLUDES OTHER UNCLEAN MEATS), and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith Yahuwah.
18 For I know their works and their thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory.
It’s not me who wrote these things. Don’t get mad at me. I’m showing you what Yahuwah, our Creator, says, because your pastor didn’t bother to show you this stuff. If your house was burning down and someone tried to help you get out of it before you burned up, would you get mad at them? The lake of fire is worse than a burning house!
We look for the ones that apply to us and that we understand. Ones we don’t understand we pray about and let Yahuwah know we don’t understand how that one would be something we should do in our time and place and situation, and we go from there. And they’re mostly moral laws that we keep anyway, and feast days, and are not at all hard to keep. It’s easier to do His feast days than to do Christmas, Easter, Halloween, etc, and MUCH more peaceful. They are all about Yahushuwa and are designed to bring us closer to Him.
Leviticus 23:2 King James Version
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of Yahuwah, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
Holy convocations is #4744 ‘miqrā' ’ in Strong’s Concordance, and means ‘rehearsal’. So, when we practice the feast days, we literally are ‘practicing’ the feast days. They are a teaching tool to prepare us for the celebrating of the festivals’ fulfillments in the future. Although the feasts are called ‘a type and shadow’, as they are all prophetic about Yahushuwa, we are commanded to celebrate (practice) them, NOT just learn about them. He fulfills them one by one. He only has three more to fulfill, and those are three that He’s fulfilled once at His arriving, and will fulfill again when He returns. After He does this, THEN all will be fulfilled, heaven and earth will pass away, and a new heaven and earth will be made by Him.
That says these are Yahuwah’s feasts, not Jewish feasts or Jewish holidays. And born-again people are children of Yahuwah – His family. Remember, we are grafted in, adopted in, we become part of the commonwealth of Israel, family with the Hebrew children. The spring feasts are about the first of the grain harvests, and the fall feasts are about the last of the grain harvests, and the final feasts in the fall are about the final ingathering of the crops before winter arrives.
Read Leviticus 23, Exodus 12, Numbers 9, 28, 33, Joshua 5, 2 Kings 23 and Deuteronomy 16:1 (and there are more) for information on Yahuwah’s feast days. We observe and celebrate the feasts without doing the sacrifices.
Check this verse out. In the KJV it uses the word believeth both times, but it wasn’t translated correctly, because it actually has a different meaning the second time it is used, as ‘believeth not’.
John 3:36 King James Version
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of Yahuwah abideth on him.
The first ‘believeth’ is #G4100 in Strong’s Concordance, from ‘pisteuo’ which means to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in of the thing believed, in a moral or religious reference, to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something….
And ‘believeth not’ is #G544 in Strong’s Concordance, from #G545 ‘apeitheo’, which means to disbelieve (wilfully and perversely):—not believe, disobedient, obey not, unbelieving.
So the King James Version did not translate it clearly enough, but the English Standard Version did:
John 3:36 English Standard Version
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of Yahuwah remains on him.
Notice how the term ‘believeth’ has to do with obedience as well – just as I said, obedience is PART of faith – they go together – “I will show you faith BY my works.” (James 2:18) – “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17)
Some believe that the Old Testament no longer applies, but they hang on to those blessing verses (but never mind the requirements of obedience to the law in order to get the blessings, or the curses if you don’t obey the law!), and tithe verses, especially if they are ministers and want others to support them, even though they do not qualify for being supported. They like the Psalms and Proverbs, but don’t expect these people to do what the verses say to do.
Their idea of sin are those things listed in the New Testament, but commandments to not have sex with an animal, or a relative, or not to kick the cane out from under a blind person, or move your neighbor’s boundary markers, etc., are not listed in the New Testament. Do you actually believe that these things are no longer sin, because “That’s Old Testament!” There are a lot of perverted people in today’s world who have sex with animals or children. Bestiality is even legal in some places, and groups are trying to get sex with children legalized! These things are against Yahuwah’s law! Yet they are not listed in the New Testament as sins. Yet they are sins just as not honoring the Sabbath, eating unclean animals, celebrating Christmas and other pagan holidays, and refusing to honor Yahuwah’s feast days are sins!
Most Christians, when you tell them this stuff and show them the Scriptures which are proof that it is true, refuse to repent and change. Most just keep on doing what they’re used to regardless of what Yahuwah’s word says about it. That is rebellion. Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, according to the Bible. Witchcraft is forbidden by Yahuwah. His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because they reject knowledge and He will forget them and their children (Hosea 4:6).
Living in sin involves more than you thought it did. It’s a sin to refuse to keep His O.T. law! If you refuse the Torah (law) then even your prayers are an abomination (Proverbs 28:9). I didn’t make this stuff up! This is straight from the Scriptures. If you want to gamble your salvation because you want so badly to disregard Yahuwah’s law, then that is your choice. Maybe He’ll squeeze you in. Or maybe He'll tell you to depart (into that place prepared for the devil and his fallen angels), He never knew you, because you are lawless. Heaven or hell is basically your choice, and once you receive this knowledge, and then reject it, the Bible says He will reject you and forget your children!
James 2:24 New International Version
24 “You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.”
James 2:24 King James Version
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
Many believers don’t know any better, and because a lying preacher told them the Sabbath was changed to Sunday, they believe that – maybe Yahuwah has mercy on them because they don’t know. He IS very merciful and patient. But He also expects us to study His word and rightly divide it, and most believers do not, even when you show them why they should. And when we try to tell them about it, and warn them, they usually shut us out of their lives and refuse to repent. When you show someone what the Scriptures say about this topic and they totally blow you off and refuse to take it seriously and change, that is rebellion. It’s rebellion against Yahuwah’s word and that is a biggie!
I don’t think He expects His beloved children to just up and quit their jobs and let their families starve to death or live under a bridge if they can’t get the Sabbath off, yet when the mark of the beast comes totally into being to where no one can buy or sell without it (it’s already in force in some places – you know, that jab that everyone is supposed to take?), anyone who takes it basically gets a one-way ticket to hell. Since you can’t buy or sell without it, we have to pick the starve under a bridge option and trust Yahuwah to feed and shelter us at that point. Some people have stored a lot of food for this time period, but that is no guarantee that it won’t get stolen from them or destroyed, or that they won’t get captured and taken to a ‘camp’ for punishment or disposal. But most believers don’t even try. And most of them if they do have it off, will do their yard work and laundry and house cleaning on Saturdays, or go out and party on Friday nights, etc. That is like playing Russian Roulette with your salvation!
‘Cut off from His people’ ‘worthy of death’ – we believers really should try our best to honor the Sabbath day! The Sabbath is part of His law, and the definition of sin is transgression of the law, and if we continue to willfully sin, transgress His law, disobey His law, after having the knowledge of the truth we get judged – these are the things that convinced me to take this seriously and not just sluff it off.
Now if you’re thinking that in order to ‘get saved’ you have to earn it by doing works, doing certain laws, then you are wrong, not wrong to do the laws, but wrong to think that they will save you. Get born-again FIRST, THEN start learning how to obey the laws – because the law won’t save you, but refusing to obey it after being ‘born-again’ can condemn you. You’re not supposed to keep on sinning after getting born-again, and saved from your sins, and sin is transgression of the law.
When I care about someone I’ll try to explain this to them. Again, if we are ‘cut off as His people’ for not keeping the Sabbath, then how would we qualify to be raptured, an event when He takes up His people? I seriously believe that if the rapture did turn out to be pre-trib, so few professing believers would qualify to go that it would hardly be noticeable. “Hey pastor, that little ole grandma down the street disappeared yesterday. Does anyone know what happened to her?!”
Most Christians I’ve met are lukewarm for one thing, which the Bible says in Revelation 3:16 that Yahuwah will vomit them out of His mouth – He hates lukewarm - and even those who are fervent in their dedication to Yahushuwa, when they see the Scriptures that show they are supposed to keep the Sabbath, feast days, dietary, and other basic commandments – they flip out, call us haters, call us the devil, and totally rebel against what the Word says – they don’t even say “wow, I didn’t know that was even in there” or “ I didn’t know that’s what that means” and decide to study and pray and consider that it may be for real.
So, when they respond so fervently negative, and flat out refuse to accept the instructions in the Bible over their habits and traditions, they are at that point in rebellion. It’s one thing to not know any better and be doing the best one knows how to do with what they’ve been taught and practiced for years, but it’s a whole other thing to know about the instructions and just flat out refuse and disobey them – to not even start studying them out to learn the truth. As I said before, Yahuwah’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge BECAUSE they REJECT knowledge and this is referring to the law of Yahuwah.
Hosea 4:6 King James Version
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of Yahuwah, I will also forget thy children.
It says you can’t be a priest to Him – remember “we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation”? Sounds like rejecting the knowledge of Yahuwah’s instructions will make that null and void.
Hebrews 10:26-27 King James Version
For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
1 Peter 2:2-4 King James Version
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that Yahuwah is gracious.
4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of Yahuwah, and precious,
1 Corinthians 3:2 King James Version
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it,
Hebrews 5:13-14 King James Version
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
1 Corinthians 13:11 King James Version
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
Many believers don’t even seem to be on the milk – they act like they are still attached to the umbilical cord! A relative of James who he admonished to give up the pagan tradition of Christmas and celebrate His REAL birthday, Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), got all mad and said “Nopey Nopey! Unless God comes to me visibly and sits on my bed and tells me to stop, I’m NOT going to do it!” even though James showed her the verses in His Word that tell her not to do it. Sounds just like a child.
Luke 9:23 - King James Version
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Most Christians do not want to deny themselves the things that Yahuwah is against – they want to keep doing what they like and feel comfortable with, even if it means they are disobeying His commandments. I’ve even had them say to us “Well, God is just going to have to take me as I am, because I love my bacon and I’m NOT going to stop eating it! If He didn’t want us to eat pork He shouldn’t have made it taste so good!” I say to them “He doesn’t have to do anything but what He says in His word. He’s not changing His rules for YOU.” (This was a neighbor who we like very much.) This is willfully sinning, and this is what Scripture says about that:
Mark 7:13 King James Version
13 Making the word of Yahuwah of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
For more information about being saved:
Here are two excellent articles about Paul and salvation, by Richard L. Wheeler:
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