Written by: Damien Powell
One of the biggest debates is whether Christians have to obey the commandments of The Torah (1st Five books) in The Bible or whether they were only for the Jews. I would firstly like to say that, nobody is saved by works alone because that is exactly what the Pharisee’s tried to do by keeping the commandments in the flesh thinking it would make them holier. We need the blood of YESHUA to save us and atone for our sins and reconcile us back to our Father YHWH, but that does not mean we do not obey Him, plus faith will produce good works.
One of the things I like to remind people is that we serve a Kodesh (Holy) Elohim and disobeying The Word of YHWH is how Adam and Eve were banished from the garden in the first place. It only took one transgression of His command; therefore, it only takes ONE lie for Satan to deceive us. John 14:21-24 YESHUA says
“He who possesses My Commands and guards them, it is he who loves Me. And he who love Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and manifest Myself to him.” Judas-not the one from Qeriyoth-said to Him, “Adonai (My Master) what has come about that You are about to manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” YESHUA answered him, “If anyone loves Me, he shall guard My Word. And My Father shall love him, and We shall come to him and make Our stay with him. He WHO DOES NOT LOVE ME does not guard My Words. And the Word which you hear is not Mine but of the Father who sent Me.”
As we can see YESHUA said that the only way you can love Him is by keeping His Commandments, then He will manifest (reveal) Himself to you and that He and The Father YHWH will love you and make their home with you. Who as a follower of YESHUA doesn’t want that promise? All it requires is Reverence, complete submission and obedience to His will and commands and you will receive this.
John 1:14
“And The Word (YESHUA) became flesh and pitched His tent among us, and we saw His esteem, esteem as of an only brought-forth of a father, complete in favour and truth.”
YESHUA said that He will make his home (pitch His tent) with us if we keep His commandments. This is a very personal and loving statement because we know what camping requires and we are in close quarters with one another and YESHUA said He will be that near to you, dwelling amongst you. Which is why keeping The Feast of Tabernacles (Feast of Booths) is so important because it is symbolic of our Elohim dwelling among us and protecting us as He did the children of Yisra’el for 40 years in the wilderness.
I thought all I had to do was profess YESHUA as Savior and I would be saved?
James 2:17-26
“So also belief, if it does not have works, is in itself dead. But someone might say, “You have belief, and I have works.” Show me your belief without your works, and I shall you my belief by my works. You believe that Elohim is one. You do well. The demons also believe-and shudder! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that the belief without the works is dead? Was not Abraham our ancestor declared right by works when He offered Isaac, his son on the altar? Do you see that the belief was working with his works, and by the works the belief was perfected? And the Scripture was filled which says, “Abraham believed Elohim, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.” And he was called, “Elohim’s friend.” You see, then, that a man is declared right by works, and not by belief alone. In the same way, was not Rahab the whore also declared right by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also the belief is dead without the works.”
This passage from James is very deep because he explains that the false teaching in most churches, of faith alone is dead without works. Most people are taught that all you have to do is say a sinner’s prayer, confess the Name of YESHUA and you are saved for ever no matter how lawless you are and that we can never out sin his mercy.
So you say that you believe in Elohim? Well, that’s just the starting point because even the demons believe and know He exist too just like a believer. In Mathew 8:29 the demons said to YESHUA
“What do you want with us, Son of Elohim? They shouted. “Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?”
As James pointed out, even the demons believe and shudder. So what sets you apart from them? Now it’s time to put that belief into action to show Elohim you trust Him and believe His Word. Abraham believed in Elohim’s word and left his home off of faith and had works to offer his son on the altar. As believers we must have both faith and works to be obedient to our Elohim. Again as James said “Do you see that the belief was working with his works, and by the works the belief was perfected? His righteousness was perfected by him having faith and works, not just saying yes YHWH I believe you and then when it’s time for action you back out because of doubt or believing that your confession of faith was enough. Abraham was willing to sacrifice his own son, it is about complete obedience to His commands and setting your own will aside. Another scripture that confirms faith and works is:
Revelation 12:17
“And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to fight with the remnant of her seed, those guarding the Commands of YHWH and possessing the witness of YESHUA ha’Mashiach.”
So as we can see even Satan knows the requirement to be a completely obedient believer, because they will be keeping the commandments of YHWH and belief in YESHUA. He only wants to wage war with those who are obedient because if you have one foot in the water and one in the sand then Satan will continue to make you doubt and keep your mind of the things of this world. Many will say the commandments are burdensome, legalistic, etc. But that is exactly what he wants you to believe so he can make you transgress his command just like Adam and Eve. Look at what Scripture says about those who obey The Torah (works) and trust (faith) in YHWH:
Psalms 1:1-3
“Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wicked, and shall not stand in the path of sinners, and shall not sit in the seat of scoffers, But his delight is in the Torah of YHWH and he mediates in His Torah day and night. For he shall be as a tree planted by the rivers of water, that yields is fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither, and whatever he does prospers.” We can see that David was doing, guarding, meditating, the Torah to avoid the wickedness which is works.
Jeremiah 17:7
“Blessed is the man who trusts in YHWH, and whose trust is YHWH. ‘For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its root by the river, and does not see when heat comes. And his leaf shall be green, and in the year of drought he is not anxious, nor does he cease from yielding fruit.”
Trusting in YHWH and keeping the commandments will make you as Psalms and Jeremiah say and both describe that person as a tree planted by the rivers that yields its fruit even in a drought and you will be prosperous. You will spread roots to the river, meaning you are deeply rooted in His Word and cannot be moved, plus you will never thirst. As YESHUA said in John 7:37-39
“And on the last Great Day of the Festival, YESHUA stood and cried out, saying, “if anyone thirsts, let him come to Me, and let him who believes in Me drink. As the Scripture said, out of His innermost shall flow rivers of living water.” And this He said concerning the Ruach (Spirit), which those believing in Him were about to receive, for the Ruach ha’Kodesh (Holy Spirit) was not yet, because YESHUA was not yet esteemed.”
Joshua 1:8
“Do not let this Book of the Torah depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you guard to do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and act wisely.”
How do I have faith and works?
Revelation 12:9 says
“And the great dragon was thrown out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who leads the world astray.”
Satan, through his deception has led the whole world astray with his false doctrine of saying the law is done away with when 1 John 3:4 tells us
“Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”
For sin is transgression of The Torah and The Torah is YESHUA (The Word) and YHWH’s guidelines and instructions for how we should live for our benefit. To show us how to love and protect us from the vices of the wicked one. The common doctrine taught in churches today is that the Torah (1st five books of Bible) are done away with and that is one of the biggest lies ever told to keep believers walking in sin.
YESHUA himself said in Mathew 5:17
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the prophets. I did not come to destroy but complete.”
YESHUA said do not even let it come into your minds that He did away with the Torah. He came to show us how to live it as He lived it, show it was Holy, showed that He fulfilled all the prophecies that were prophesied by the prophets about Him, and to rebuke the man-made traditions that were so widespread (Pharisees). YESHUA also went on to say in Mathew 5:18
“For truly, I say to you, till the heavens and the earth pass away, one yod or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till al be done.” The earth has not passed away yet; therefore, the Torah must be obeyed.
Proverbs 28:9
“He who turns away his ear from hearing the Torah, even his prayer is an abomination.”
This one is overlooked by those pastors saying the Torah is abolished because if you do not obey The Torah then your prayers are an abomination. So let us not delay in being obedient because I’m sure everyone wants their prayers answered and this is a chance to get it right with our Elohim of Yisra’el.
YESHUA said guard His commandments which is an action word, it means to protect so that requires work on the end of the believer. For example, if you are married you can tell your spouse a million times that you love them with your mouth, but as soon as you step outside you go to your neighbor’s house and commit adultery. Your actions showed something completely different than your words, which is why YESHUA says if you love Me, show Me by keeping My commandments. John says it plainly as well in 1 John 2:3-4
“And by this we know that we know Him, if we guard His Commands. The one who says, “I know Him,” and does not guard His Commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” What is truth?
Psalms 119:142
“Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and Your Torah is TRUTH!”
The (Torah) law is just for Jews right?
Abraham kept the Torah and all the Commands before the Jews ever existed. Remember that Jews comes from the tribe of Judah, which was one of the sons of Jacob (12 Tribes of Israel.) YHWH is The Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; therefore Abraham was here before the Jews.
Genesis 26:5
“Because Abraham obeyed My voice and guarded My Charge: My Commands, My Laws, and My Torot (plural form of Torah)”
Numbers 15:15-16
“One Law is for you of the assembly and for the stranger who sojourns with you (non-native born Israelite) a Law FOREVER throughout your generations. As you are, so is the stranger before YHWH. One Torah and one Right-Ruling is for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.”
Ezekiel 47:21
“And you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Yisra’el. And it shall be that you divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the strangers who sojourn in your midst and who bear children among you. And they shall be to you as NATIVE-BORN among the children of Yisra’el with you they have an inheritance in the midst of the tribes of Yisra’el. And it shall be that in whatever tribe the stranger sojourns, there you give him his inheritance,” declares the Adon (Master) YHWH.”
Isaiah 56:7
“Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to YHWH, to serve Him, and to love the Name of YHWH, to be His servants, all who guard the Sabbath, and not profane it, and hold fast to my covenant-them I shall bring to My holy mountain, and let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burn offerings and their slaughtering are accepted on My altar, for My house is called a house of prayer for all the peoples.”
As we can see from these passages our Elohim views us in one lens if we say we are following Him. That would make those grafted in the Ger (Gare) one who completely joined themselves to YHWH to the nation of Yisra’el, the Torah, the commands, laws, customs; therefore making you as a native-born Israelite. Modern day Christianity has chosen the route of the Nekar which was the form of stranger who was just passing through and had no intentions of following the Torah, customs, or laws.
Remember, Elijah was a Tishbite which means he wasn’t a native born Israelite but he exposed the pagans in 1 Kings 18 and was one of only two men to be taken into heaven without dying, the other was Enoch. Caleb who spied on the land with Joshua was a Kenizzite, and Ruth was a Moabite who married Boaz which made her in the blood line of YESHUA. These are early examples of how YHWH was bringing non-native born Israelites into His family in The Old Covenant.
Conclusion
So let us as followers of YESHUA show Him we love Him by guarding The Torah and keeping the commandments. Just a reminder Satan doesn’t want you following the true path of faith and works which is why he only wants to wage war on those that do. He wants us to continue to be rebellious and go to eternal torment with him. Let us Do His Word and walk in faith.
Mathew 7:21
“Not everyone who says to Me Adonai (My Master) Adonai, shall enter into the reign of heaven, but he who is DOING the desire of My Father in heaven.”
James 1:22-25
“And become DOERS of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror, for he looks at himself, and goes away, and immediately forgot what he looks like. But he that looked into the perfect Torah, that of freedom, and continues in it, not becoming a hearer that forgets, but a doer of work, this one shall be blessed in all his doing.”
Romans 2:13
“For not the hearers of the Torah are righteous in the sight of Elohim, but the DOERS of the Torah shall be declared right.”
Joel 2:11
“And YHWH shall give forth His voice before His great army, for His camp is very great, for mighty is THE DOER OF HIS WORD. For the day of YHWH is great and very awesome, and who can bear it?
I pray that this has been a blessing to you and encouragement to stand up and follow YESHUA in truth and unlearn the lies. Let us today put His Word into action and not merely profess our faith with our mouths. Many blessings are in store and this is how you will be as YHWH says in Leviticus 19:2 “Be holy for I am holy.” Holy means set-apart and we must set ourselves apart from the world. Remember, that demons believe just as you do; however those demons are not going to obey the Torah because they are wicked. Do not let that be you with your walk with YESHUA. Repent and give your life to YESHUA today so that He can pitch His tent with you. Ahmein!
Blessings and Shalom to you all my brothers and sister in YESHUA.