DO
YOU LOVE ME?
(Or
Legalism v Obedience Part 2)
Yahanan / John 14:21 “He who possesses My commands and guards them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I shall love him and manifest Myself to him.”
As I observe “Christendom” in the 21st
century I find I am astounded by the great array of differing expressions of
love and devotion, which believers publicly display, all over the world, to
proclaim their personal faith in their Savior, “Jesus”.
Seemingly, everywhere you look one can
witness believers confessing their faith via “Christian” jewelry, t-shirts,
hats, ties, music, movies, concerts, magnets, bumper stickers and most recently
permanent body tattoos. Because of the
way the modern “gospel” has been presented most believers never even give a
second thought as to whether or not any of these displays of faith are contrary
to “The Scriptures” and therefore displeasing to Yahweh Elohim.
The way the average believer has learned
“the gospel” the TaNaKh is the Old Testament and it was for the nation of Yisrael
and it is completely irrelevant to the way believers are to conduct their life
today. “Jesus” came to die so the
gentiles can be saved because “the Jews” denied their Messiah and the first
century writings are the New Testament written for / to the church!
Thus the thought process, of the average
believer, becomes, the old is bad, the new is good, the old is legalism and the
new is freedom, the old is law, the new is grace, the old is Jewish, the new is
gentile. However, is this what “the
Scripture” teaches? NO!!! A Thousand times no!!! Nothing could be farther from the truth!
“So
you have nullified the command of Elohim by your tradition.” ~ Mattithyahu
15:6b
It is high time “the church” audit its
anti-nomian (or Torahless) belief system and closely examine the fruit it has
been, and is currently, producing. After
almost 500 years since the Protestant reformation it has proven to be by and
large the
2nd largest failure in the history of “Christendom”. The first being the Roman Catholic
church. In differing ways, both have
presented “another Messiah” and “another gospel” of which the apostle
strenuously warned us against. (Gal. 1:6-9)
WHAT
IS SIN?
If you were to ask the nominal believer
to define sin you would get many various and abstract answers. However, “the Scriptures” plainly tell us
what sin is, with nothing left to our vain imaginations!
1Yahanan
(John) 3:4 “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the
law.” i.e. “The Torah”
Sin
is defined as transgressing “the Torah” of Yahweh.
Q. Where do we find “the Torah”?
A. In the first five books of Mosheh (Moses) in
the TaNaKh (OT).
Q. How can you know what sin is apart from “the
Torah”?
A. You cannot know what sin is apart from “the
Torah”.
Romans
7:7 What, then, shall we say? Is the Torah sin? Let it not be! However, I did not know sin except through the Torah. For also the covetousness I knew not if the
Torah had not said, “You shall not covet.”
The
average believer does not believe the plain meaning of these “Scriptures” and
thus must exercise a complicated series of mental gymnastics to assure
themselves that they do not have to obey “the Torah” because they are no longer
under “the Torah”, but under grace. However,
this is not what the apostle said, nor what he meant. Read it again, very carefully!
For
sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
v.15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under
grace? God forbid. v.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? Romans 6:14-16
All
throughout the entire passage found in Romans 6 the apostle instructs us to
abstain from sin and not to let sin rule over us. Again, the $64,000 question is what is
sin? How does the average believer
define sin if “the Torah” has been done away with? The sad reality is the average believer is
left to define sin in abstract and non-descript terms and not definitively,
according to “The Scriptures”.
The
end result of this “gospel” is very telling indeed. Most believers who regularly read their
Bibles, almost completely ignore the TaNaKh (OT) altogether. After all, why should they waste their time
reading or studying ancient texts that are not relevant for today? Almost universally the new believer is
instructed to start reading their Bibles in the “Gospel of John”. Why is this?
Ironically,
the opening line of the author is “In the beginning”! A direct reference to Bereshith or
Gensis1:1. It is almost as if Yahweh
Elohim knew we were going to misdirect the new believer in the last days and so
He knowing all things gave a huge clue of redirection to start reading at the
beginning! After all, name me one other
book, in all of the world, that people are instructed to start reading towards
the end?
The
fruit of this belief system has produced a “Christian” populous who do not know
“the Gospel” and whom live their lives indiscernibly different from their
worldly contemporaries. It is a known
fact that almost every sin that is prevalent in the world is just as prevalent
in “the church” today. That is, for
those who dare to call it sin, but you cannot call anything sin if you have
done away with “the Torah”, now can you?
According to “the Scripture”, No Torah = No Sin! Are you beginning to see the problem?
This
brings me back to my original point. Most
believers will never see any of their public expressions of faith as sin
because they do not have a “Scriptural” definition of what sin is. However, “the eternal Word of Elohim” as
found in “the Torah” will indict us guilty of both the sins of commission and
omission regardless of what we believe to be true, when Yahoshua comes in His
esteem. (Matt 7:21-23) I will give two specific examples in this study.
HOW
DO I LOVE THEE?
As
I stated in my opening remarks a growing trend in “Christendom” is to express
your faith through permanent body tattooing.
As a general rule, over the last 20-30 years, tattoos have become much
more acceptable in society and in “the church” as long as the tattoo is not
offensive to the sensibilities of what is generally considered acceptable as
art by the majority of the congregation.
However,
Tattooing is expressly forbidden by “the Scriptures”.
Way
yiqra / Leviticus 19:28 ‘And do not make any cuttings in your flesh for the
dead, nor put tattoo marks on you. I am יהוה.
You
will most likely never hear this mentioned from the pulpit or in a “Christian” Bible
Study, because the forbidding of tattoos is only found in “the Torah”. And if it is mentioned, it will most likely
be with the sweeping remarks about why it was not ok for Yisrael, but how it is
ok for the believer today.
Verses
26-27 in this same passage are related to verse 28. All three verses have to do with abstaining
from specific elements associated with the practice of “Sun”
worship. Of course the believer who has permanently
tattooed in “honor” of his Savior will argue that he / she did not get a tattoo
to honor the “Sun”, but rather “the Son”.
To
this person “the Torah” speaks expressly, yet again! According to the testimony of “the
Scriptures” this makes the offense even more regrettable.
v.29
“When יהוה your Elohim does cut off from before you the nations which you
go to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, v.30 guard
yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed
from before you, and that you do not inquire about their mighty ones, saying, ‘How did these nations
serve their mighty ones? And let me do so too.’1 (Footnote: 1See
also 18:9, Lev. 18:3, Jer.10:2, Ezek. 11:12 & 20:32, Eph. 4:17, and 1 Peter
4:3 v.31) “Do not do so to
יהוה
your Elohim, for every abomination which יהוה
hates they have done to their mighty ones, for
they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their mighty ones. v.32 “All
the words I am commanding you, guard to do it – do not add to it nor take away
from it.1 (Footnote: 1See also 4:2, Prov. 30:6, Rev.
22:18-19). Debarim / Deuteronomy
12:29-32
As
you can see the plain reading and understanding of “the Scriptures” says your
tattoo is an abomination to Yahweh and he hates it! You are trying to honor Elohim (“God”) in the
same way pagans honored their elohim (“gods”).
This offense is compounded when the name of Yahweh or other Hebrew words
are substituted with names or words that originate from pagan elohim (mighty
ones / “gods”).
I
recently saw a tattoo that read “Soli Deo Gloria”. This is actually a very common “Christian” term
in the Latin. I am quite sure the person
who bore the tattoo has no idea that the names Deo and Gloria both originate
from pagan worship as the names of pagan elohim, Zeus and Gloria, respectively. Once again this is strictly forbidden in “The
Torah”! Here the “Word of Yahweh”.
Shemoth
/ Exodus 23:13 “And in all that I have said to you take heed. And make no mention of the name
of other mighty ones, let it not be heard from your mouth.”
I
could give many, many more examples of public professions of faith in the Savior
that are just as sinful and even called abominations by our Heavenly
Father! What would be the point of doing
so, however? If the ear is deaf it cannot
hear and if the eye is blind it cannot see and if the heart is hard it will not
receive the love of “the Truth” no matter how many examples it has been
given.
For
the life of me I will never understand how mainstream “Christendom” cannot
understand the plain meaning of “the Scriptures”.
Malaki
3:6 “For I am יהוה, I shall
not change, and you, O sons of Yaʽaqoḇ, shall not come to an end.
Ibrim
/ Hebrewa 13:8 יהושע Messiah is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.
Ya
‘acob / James 1:17 Every good gift and
every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change,
nor shadow of turning.
Once
again the mental gymnastics most “Christians” are willing to engage in to
discount the plain rendering of these “Scriptures” is truly remarkable. From the beginning to the end every “Word” in
“the Scriptures” is the very “Words” of “the Word”, Yahoshua ha MaShiach. You cannot separate His Words in the TaNaKh
and the first century writings.
I
have documented this indisputable reality in the study I have published to my
blog, “The ANGEL (MESSSENGER) OF YAHWEH”.
(http://robertarthurmcduffie.blogspot.com/2012/02/angel-messenger-of-yahweh.html)
The
second example I will offer the reader is the sin of omission of not publicly
displaying our devotion to our Savior in the way He has commanded His people in
His Torah. I must admit, I myself was
stubborn in not wanting to obey His commandment concerning this very public
display of covenant. Until I was willing
to obey with my whole heart and not by routine, my Heavenly Father would not
let me experience the favor He has given me through obeying Him. This public display I am speaking of is found
in Bemidbar / Numbers 15:37-41 and Debarim / Deuteronomy 22:12
15:37
“And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying, v.38
“Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl, and all you shall say to them to make tzitziyot1 on
the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue
cord in the tzitzit1 of the corners. v.39 “And it shall be to you
for a tzitzit, and you shall see it, and shall remember the commands of יהוה and shall do them, and not search
after your own heart and your own eyes after which you went whoring, .40 so
that you remember, and shall do all My commands, and be set-apart unto your
Elohim. v.41 “I am יהוה
your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, to be your Elohim. I am יהוה your Elohim.”
22:12 “Make tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover
yourself.”
The tzitzit are tassels that are to be worn by
every believer. At least one of the
cords in the tassels must be blue. The
primary purpose of wearing the tzitzit is so we will remember Yahweh’s Torah to
obey it. However, quite naturally
everyone who sees us wearing the tzitzit will bear witness there is something
peculiar about us. Should they inquire
why we are wearing the tassels with the blue cord, we should be ready to give
an answer. (1Kepha / Peter 3:15)
Incredibly, most believers who have no problem
whatsoever expressing their faith publicly through every medium imaginable will
find it absolutely distasteful to wear the tzitzit. Why is this?
Is it because they want to be “free” to express their faith in their own
way, even if that way is sinful, rather than to obey their Creator in a spirit
of set-apartness?
TORAH? WHAT’S THE TORAH?
Most of the time “the Torah” is translated as
“the law”. However, 38% of the time
“law” in “the first century writings” (NT) is not referring to “the Torah” at
all, but rather man’s law and natural law.
In addition “the Torah” is much more accurately understood as “the
instructions”, “not the law”. If we
throw “the instructions” away then how are we supposed to know how to live our
lives as believers in Messiah?
Also, the Hebrew language is a very idiomatic
rich language. It has been estimated by
some that as much as 60% of “the first century writings” are Hebraic idioms. Many of these idioms can be correctly
understood if you know the TaNaKh (OT).
For example: both Kepha (Peter) and Yahudah
(Jude) described false prophets, preachers and teachers as being without life
giving water.
2Kepha
2:17 “These are wells
without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist
of darkness is reserved for ever.”
Yahudah
1:12 “These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you,
feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees
whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots.”
These
Hebrew idioms, used by both authors, expressly means they are false because
they do not preach “the Torah” as the way of life for the believer in
Messiah. I know this is the correct
understanding from studying “the Torah” and the rest of the TaNaKh.
In
addition Hebrew is a picture rich language and one of the primary pictures of “the
Torah” is clouds that bring rain or “living water”. If you want to prove this to yourself just do
a concordance study on the words living water(s), rain and bitter water(s) from
the very beginning until the very end of “the Scriptures”.
Many believers will tell me that “the Torah” is
no longer for today because that which was written on stone is now written on
their hearts and on their minds. (Ibrim / Hebrews 8:10 & 10:16) To these believers I would say wouldn’t that
mean all the more we should keep “the Torah”.
When the commands were written on stone they were outside of us and
apart from us, however, now they are written on our very minds and hearts,
meaning they are a part of who we are, our very nature.
Let me illustrate, if I have a glass full of water
and I am holding it over my head I am under the water and it is distinctly
separate from me. However, if I drink
the water now it is inside of me and it has become a part of who I am. To the believer who insists that “the Torah”
is not for today I would seriously question, “Has “the Torah” been written on
your heart?” (1Cor 11:28-31)
Again many would argue “the Torah” is for Yisrael
or “the Jews” and I am a gentile so I do not have to keep “The Torah”. To these I would answer are you under the re-NEW-ed
covenant? If your answer is yes, you
better look again and see who this covenant is for. In both the TaNaKh and the first century
writing the re-NEW-ed covenant is for the house of Yahudah (the Jews) and the
house of Yisrael. (Yirmeyahu / Jeremiah 31:31-37, Ibrim / Hebrews 8:8-12 &
10:16-17
From the beginning to the end the full counsel of
“the Scripture” always refers to gentiles as those who are “out of covenant”
with their Creator. By the very context
of usage, if words have any meaning at all, it is impossible to be a gentile
believer. It is 100% an oxy-moron. By the spirit of adoption every gentile joins
the house of Yisrael. If you are a
believer in Messiah, make no mistake about it, you are Yisrael and therefore
“the Torah” is written to you and for you. (Eph 2:11-22, Rom 8:14-17 &
9:4-8)
Even
still many will argue the only law that exists today is the law of love. They site the Words of Yahoshua as recorded
in Mattithyahu 22:37-40,
And
יהושע said to him, “ ‘You shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart,
and with all your being, and with all your mind.’ v.38 “This is the first and
great command. v.39 “And the second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbour
as yourself.’ v.40 “On these two commands hang all the Torah and the Prophets.”
Once again believers, conveniently, completely ignore the
preposition “hang” as if it wasn’t there at all. Think of a hanger in your closet.
Q. What is the
purpose of a hanger?
A. Obviously, to
hang a garment on.
In other words without a garment to hang upon the hanger
the hanger is essentially without purpose.
In the same way all of “the Torah” and all of the words spoken by the
prophets are the garment which hangs upon the two great commandments, both of
which are first written in “the Torah”.
In other words without “the Torah” and the prophets you
are essentially without a garment.
According to Yahoshua you are indeed naked, blind, poor, pitiable and
wretched! (Rev 3:17)
At this point most believers will argue that it is
impossible to keep “the Torah” and that is essentially why Yahoshua had to
die. To this I would answer, “the Torah”
says otherwise as does the first century writer Luke.
Debarim
/ Deuteronomy 30:11 “For this command which I am commanding you today, it is
not too hard for you, nor is it far off.”
Luke
1:5-6 “There was in the days of Herodes, the sovereign of Yehuḏah, a certain priest named Zeḵaryah, of the division of Aḇiyah. And his wife was of the
daughters of Aharon, and her name was Elisheḇa. v.6 And they were both righteous before Elohim,
blamelessly walking in all the commands and righteousnesses of יהוה.”
1Yahanan
/ John 5:3 “For this is the love for Elohim, that we guard His commands, and His commands are not heavy.”
It is
absolutely true that no one can be justified by keeping “the Torah”. Salvation can only be obtained by Heavenly
favor through faith in the finished work of the death of the Messiah and His
resurrection. However, how are we to
live once we have been saved? The
apostle said we must forsake our sin!
Again, how do we forsake something that does not even exist a part from
“the Torah”? Who or what defines sin if
there is no “Torah” for us to hear and obey?
Every now
and again I will get a sarcastic reply asking me if I keep all 613 commandments
of “the Torah” perfectly. My answer is
always, “Of course I don’t!” Many of
these commands are specifically directed toward the opposite sex so obviously I
cannot keep those. Others commands are
specifically toward children living in their parents house and I am grown and
living out of the house. Still others
are specifically for those living in the land of Yisrael and I do not. Finally, most of the commands concern the
Lewites, the Lewitical priesthood, service in the Tabernacle / Hekal, the very
high priesthood service or offerings and sacrifices all of which no longer
apply to the Messianic believer.
Of the 613
commandments a careful study will soon find there are very few “Torah”
instructions which apply to the average believer today. As a matter of fact most people have to know
and follow more commandments to obtain and keep a valid driver’s license than
they have to know and keep “the Torah”.
It is a
sad commentary indeed that most of the western “Christian” pastors will tell
you that you absolutely have to follow all of the man made laws, no matter how
ridiculous or unjust, but the laws that came from Heaven you can disregard
altogether.
For these
pastors the clear testimonies found in Mizmore / Psalm 19 and 119 must be void
of all meaning as well as the testimony of the Messiah Himself who said in Matt
24:35,
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words
shall not pass away.”
YOU
PHARISEE!!! YOUR 2 LEGALISTIC!!!
I have had
many believers accuse me of being legalistic and of being a Pharisee. This raises some serious questions every
believer should carefully consider.
Q. Was Yahoshua ha MaShiach (“Jesus” the
Messiah) legalistic?
A. He kept every single command of “The Torah”
perfectly. This means he would have always
worn the tassels on the four corners of His garment with the blue cord in the
midst of each one. Obedience to Yahweh’s
command is never defined as legalism anywhere in “the Scriptures”.
Q. Is it necessarily a bad thing to be a
Pharisee?
A. The apostle Paul was a Pharisee until the day
he died and seemingly he was quite proud of it.
Acts 23:6
“Now Sha’ul, perceiving that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees,
cried out in the council, “Men, brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, I am being
judged concerning the expectation and resurrection of the dead!”
26:4-5 “Truly, then, all the Yahuḏim know my
way of life from youth, which I led from the beginning among my own nation at
Yahrushalayim, v.5 since they have known me from the first, if they wish
to witness, that I lived
as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our observance.”
Philippians 3:4 “though I too might have trust in
the flesh. If anyone else thinks to trust in the flesh, I more – v.5
circumcised the eighth day, of the race of Yisra’ĕl, of the tribe of Binyamin, a Heḇrew of Heḇrews, according to Torah a Pharisee,
v.6 according to ardour, persecuting the assembly; according to righteousness
that is in the law, having become blameless.”
Furthermore, it seems the circumstantial evidence
proves that Yahoshua ha MaShiach was also a Pharisee.
Yahanan 1:24-26 And those sent were of the Pharisees, v.25 and
they asked him, saying, “Why then do you immerse if you are not the Messiah,
nor Ěliyahu, nor the Prophet?” v.26 Yoḥanan answered them, saying, “I immerse in water,
but in your midst stands
One whom you do not know,
Yahoshua’s training as a Pharisee would logically
explain why all throughout “The Sermon On The Mount” (Matt 5-7) Yahoshua quoted
from the oral torah flawlessly. All
throughout His message He contrasts the teaching of Rabbi Hillel with Rabbi Shemmi
and then each time He gave His halachic ruling of which one was correct. Finally, this would also explain the last
statement made in Matt 7.
v.28 And
it came to be, when יהושע had
ended these words, that the people were astonished at His teaching, v.29 for He
was teaching them as one possessing authority, and not as the scribes.
The scribes had no authority to make any kind of ruling
how “the Torah” was to be interpreted and lived out on a day to day basis. Only the Pharisees of “The Great Assembly of
120”, established by Ezra and Nehemia, were authorized to interpret “the Torah”
and issue halachic rulings.
Even though Yahoshua was not a part of the great assembly
He was still issuing halachic rulings and He gave this same authority to His
followers. (Matt 18:18-20 & Col.
2:16-17)
“Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind1
on earth shall be having been bound1 in heaven, and whatever you
loosen1 on earth shall be having been loosened1 in
heaven. Footnote: 1Binding and loosening is Heḇrew idiom
for exercising authority (to prohibit and permit). v.19 “Again I say to
you that if two of you agree on earth concerning any matter that they ask, it
shall be done for them by My Father in the heavens. v.20 “For where two or
three are gathered together in My Name, there I am in their midst.”
Col 2:16-17
Let no one
therefore judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a
festival or a new moon or Sabbaths – v.17 which are a shadow of what is to come
– but the Body of the
Messiah.
ITS NOT ONLY WHAT YOU SAY THAT COUNTS! ITS ALSO WHAT YOU DO!
Ya ‘acob / James 1:22- 25 And become doers of the Word,
and not hearers only,1 deceiving yourselves. v.23 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, v.24 for he looks at himself, and goes away, and
immediately forgets what he was like. v.25 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 his doing of the Torah.
2:17-18
So also belief, if it does not have works, is in itself dead. v.18 But someone
might say, “You have belief, and I have works.” Show me your belief without
your works, and I shall
show you my belief by my works.
Twice in the 20th century a popular fad swept
the united States and many parts of the western world. This movement was based on the classic, “In
His Steps” and the fad that followed was “WWJD” or “What Would “Jesus” Do?”.
Sadly, most all of “Christendom” took it upon themselves
to answer this question from their own subjective opinions and feelings and not
from “the Scriptures”. “The Scriptures”
plainly told us what Yahoshua (“Jesus”) actually did and did not do!
He most definitely did not get a tattoo and He most
definitely wore the tzitzit (tassels) on all of His garments. The answer to this question is found in “the
Scriptures” not in the deceitful imaginations of our own hearts! (Yiremayahu /
Jeremiah 17:9)
One of the primary differences between the Greek culture
and the Hebrew culture is the way they learn.
The primary way of learning in the Greek culture is by thinking through
the problem. “I think, therefore I
am.” The primary way of learning in the
Hebrew culture is by repeating the same action habit over and over again.
This was probably the biggest obstacle in my walk of
faith, over the last 10+ years, as I have been exploring the Hebrew roots of
the new covenant fruits. I was and am
the consummate intellectual. I have
always had to know the reason for everything I believe, from “the Scriptures”, and
I have to understand the intent of Heaven for each commandment.
While on the surface this may seems logical and correct,
(Yeshayahu / Isaiah 1:18 & 1Kepha / Peter 3:15), the ever present reality
is we must come to Yahweh by faith in Him. (Ibrim / Hebrews11:6) His Word says it and that settles it! It really does not matter whether I believe it
or agree with it or not!
Yahweh was very merciful to me and He revealed to me my
need obey the command to wear the Tzitzit in a dream. He did it in such a way that I truly desired
to wear them with my whole heart. In my
dream I could hear the set-apart Spirit ask me, “How can 10 men grab a hold of
your Tzitzit and say Yahweh is with you if you are not wearing them?” (Zekaryah
8:23)
Since I have put the Tzitzit on the four corners of my
daily garments I can honestly say it is amazing how they constantly remind me
of “the Torah” written on my heart to guard them and obey them. How I wish I would have been taught to wear
them from my youth and why it was important to always wear them. I am quite certain my life would have been
much different based on the experience I have known first hand this past year.
Consider the following passages of “Scripture” and tell
me how you can possibly explain them apart from their plain intended meaning
that we are indeed supposed to walk in the light of “the Torah”? (Mizmore /
Psalm 119:105)
Mattithyahu 5:17 “Do not think that I came to
destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete.”
5:19 “Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of
these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the
heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the
reign of the heavens.”
28:19-20 “Therefore, go and make taught ones of
all the nations, immersing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Set-apart Spirit, v.20 teaching
them to guard all that I have commanded you. And see, I am with you
always, until the end of the age.” Amĕn.”
19:17 “And He said to him, “Why do you call Me
good? No one is good except One – Elohim. But if you wish to enter into life, guard the commands.”
Yahanan / John 14:15 “If you love Me, you shall guard My commands.”
15:10 “If you guard My commands, you shall stay in My love, even as I
have guarded My Father’s commands and stay in His love.”
1Cor 7:19 “The circumcision is naught, and the
uncircumcision is naught, but the guarding of the commands of Elohim does matter!”
1Yahanan / John 2:3 “And by this we know that we
know Him, if we guard His
commands. v.4 The one who says, “I know Him,” and does not guard His commands, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him. v.5 But whoever guards His Word, truly the love of Elohim has been
perfected1 in him. By this we know that we are in Him. v.6 The one who says he stays in Him
ought himself also to walk, even as He walked.”
3:22-24 “And whatever we ask we receive from Him,
because we guard His
commands and do what is pleasing in His sight.1 Footnote: 1Prov.
28:9, John 9:31, James 5:16. v.23 And this is His command, that we should
believe in the Name of His Son יהושע
Messiah and love one another, as He gave us command. v.24 And the one guarding His commands
stays in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He stays in us, by the
Spirit which He gave us.”
5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children
of Elohim, when we love Elohim and guard His commands. v.3 For this is the love for Elohim, that we guard His commands,1
and His commands are not heavy, Footnote: 1See 5:2, 2 John v. 6,
John 14:15.
SO
WHAT EXACTLY IS MY POINT?
This
teaching really does not have anything to do with tattoos or the wearing of the
tzitzit. This teaching has everything to
do with righteous obedience and its rewards versus disobedience and death. My brothers and sisters will never know the fullest
blessing of Yahweh in their lives as long as they are a slave to their fleshly appetite.
The
wages of the sin of tattooing the body will eventually be experiential poor
health, disease and even premature death for many. (Romans 6:23) How many times have I picked up the paper to
read some stupid person contracted HIV / AIDS or hepatitis from being tattooed
with a dirty needle? How unnecessarily
tragic! The law of sowing and reaping
applies to every man, saved or not.
Gal
5:13-18 “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only [use] not
liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word,
[even] in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take
heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
[This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall
not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the
other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”
If
we are fulfilling the lust of our flesh we are not being led by Ruah ha Chodesh
(the set-apart Spirit) to do so. Every
time we yield to our fleshly desires we are under the law once again. One of the primary meanings of “under the
law” is to be criminally indictable for a specific transgression. When we break the law we become criminally
indictable. When we confess and repent
of our transgression we are no longer criminally indictable. (1Yahanan / John
1:9)
I
used the examples of tattoos and the wearing of the tzitzit for this teaching,
but this teaching holds equally true to every heresy and apostasy taught in the
“churches” today. They are a slave to
their heresies and apostasies. They are
criminally indictable under the law for each transgression they commit in the
name of liberty and grace. Ironically
they will call everyone a heretic who does not hold to their Roman / Babylonian
traditions. Sola Scriptora (By Scripture
Alone) was the noble cry of the Protestant reformation. Unfortunately, they never
did it!
No
wonder the papacy cried out loudly, “you Protestants doth protest in vain! You call me the anti-messiah and condemn the
Roman Catholic church as apostate, while crying out “Sola Scriptora” in every
street. Yet you continue to hold to many
of the traditions established by the church alone, you continue to celebrate
many of the established beliefs held by the church, and you continue to keep
sacred Sunday as well as many of the other holy days sanctified only by the
tradition of the church and the Ex-Cathedra of the Papacy and not by holy writ
whatsoever!”
Listen
to the Words of Yahoshua, “Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in
yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.” Luke 11:52
True
knowledge only proceeds from “the Scriptures”.
The key to understanding “the Scriptures” has always been “the
Scriptures”. This is the key of
knowledge Yahoshua was speaking of.
The
Pharisees did exactly what the “churches” do today and have been doing for more
than a millennium. They took “the
Scriptures” away from the people making them believe that the Pharisees were
the only ones who could rightly understand “the Word” of (Elohim). They also stand guilty of adding to “the Word”
of Elohim with “the Oral Torah” which consist primarily of their countless
additional man made burdens.
Yahoshua
defined legalism as the adding to or taking away from “the Scriptures”! This is the exact opposite definition of
legalism that has taken hold in the “churches” today. If you hold to “the Scriptures” alone (as Yahoshua
did) you will be accused of legalism and labeled a heretic or even apostate.
Now
you know why the “church” cannot help but violate most of “the Torah”, the
prophets and the rest of the TaNaKh (OT) and continues to hold onto every
extra-Scriptural Pagan vice, tradition, holiday and belief. Our hearts should grieve for our brothers and
sisters even as Ruah ha Chodesh grieves and is quenched.
Let
us not argue with them or judge them (for they have judged themselves by “the
Scriptures” already). Rather let us pray
fervently and earnestly for them to hear the loud angelic cry “to come out of
Babylon”, before it is too late.
With
grateful hearts this set-apart Sabbath let us rejoice that we have heard His
voice and we ourselves have been called out.
Let us fervently examine ourselves to see, if we be in the faith and if
there is any remains of Babylon within our midst that we may repent with joy.
Shalom
and choice Messianic blessings in the name of Yahoshua Ha MaShiach.
Sincerely,
and In Truth,
Missionary
2 the World!
Robert
Arthur McDuffie ~ Gal. 6:14
Great Teaching Rob! Funny, about 2 months ago, I started wearing the tzit tzit after coming to the realization in Numbers of the truth. A question for you, this command was for "the children of Israel" so doesn't that mean both men and women believers are to obey this command? However under Rabbinical tradition, women do not wear them. What do you have to say?
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DeleteYes, the command to wear the tzitzit on the four corners of our garments is to the whole house of Yisrael, both men and women. It is a tradition of the western culture for both the man and woman to wear a wedding band. While not a command of "Scripture" the custom accomplishes two essential purposes that do help the wearer to fulfill"the Torah". 1) The wearer is reminded of the covenant, to guard it every time they see their wedding band. 2) It proclaims the covenant relationship you are guarding to everyone else who sees it. Is this not the exact function of the tzitzit? To guard the mind and heart of those who are committed to walk in covenant with the Yahweh Elohim of Yisrael and to proclaim His covenant to all who witness our obedience? Shalom, shalom and blessed Pesach season!
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