Posts
I don’t believe we have understood God’s purpose of His Law, when at the end of the day all we can relate to God is that we haven’t killed anyone, stolen property or coveted our neighbor’s goods. Though that may fulfill the letter of the law, and receive applause in the moralistic secular world, it doesn’t quite qualify as obeying the spirit of the law.
We should be able to see God’s character in each commandment, statute and judgment. If we don’t it is most likely that we are focusing on ourselves and not God. The Law (Torah) is as holy, good and just as God, and every commandment exudes with His glorious attributes. A problem of ascertaining God’s holiness lies in the perplexing decision by the church to discard His law like an old, expired library book, and replace it with superficial teachings that lead to self-indulgence, self-esteem and self-righteousness.
If we are to have the mind of God, we then must emulate God’s character in our daily encounters, as if God himself is touching people’s lives through us. With the same heart felt passion that God loves and cares for us, we are to extend to others. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” means treat others with the same love that God is treating you with, for love is the fulfillment of the Law and covers a multitude of sins.
By grace through faith and submission to His will, we receive the gift of God’s attributes of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—what Paul alludes to as the fruit of the Spirit. “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
Though good works are commendable, they are inadequate for attaining eternal life or heavenly rewards apart from faith alone in Yeshua, who completed the only work that cannot be equaled or surpassed by any mortal being. An imperfect human being, as we all are, cannot perfect himself by his own flawed merits. If this were possible, then it wouldn’t have been necessary for Yeshua, the perfect and unblemished Lamb of God, to shed His blood for the atonement of mankind. The perfection of God can only alter the imperfection of man and put him in a right relationship with Himself.
“But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15,16) I believe that obeying God’s commandments, which shouldn’t be a burden to us, is expressing those godly attributes to others from a heart of faith. We are in essence putting on God’s holiness. This is proof that we are walking in the spirit and not in the flesh; and, in my humble opinion, defines what others might express as being Torah observant. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25) Shalom
We should be able to see God’s character in each commandment, statute and judgment. If we don’t it is most likely that we are focusing on ourselves and not God. The Law (Torah) is as holy, good and just as God, and every commandment exudes with His glorious attributes. A problem of ascertaining God’s holiness lies in the perplexing decision by the church to discard His law like an old, expired library book, and replace it with superficial teachings that lead to self-indulgence, self-esteem and self-righteousness.
If we are to have the mind of God, we then must emulate God’s character in our daily encounters, as if God himself is touching people’s lives through us. With the same heart felt passion that God loves and cares for us, we are to extend to others. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” means treat others with the same love that God is treating you with, for love is the fulfillment of the Law and covers a multitude of sins.
By grace through faith and submission to His will, we receive the gift of God’s attributes of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—what Paul alludes to as the fruit of the Spirit. “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)
Though good works are commendable, they are inadequate for attaining eternal life or heavenly rewards apart from faith alone in Yeshua, who completed the only work that cannot be equaled or surpassed by any mortal being. An imperfect human being, as we all are, cannot perfect himself by his own flawed merits. If this were possible, then it wouldn’t have been necessary for Yeshua, the perfect and unblemished Lamb of God, to shed His blood for the atonement of mankind. The perfection of God can only alter the imperfection of man and put him in a right relationship with Himself.
“But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” (1 Peter 1:15,16) I believe that obeying God’s commandments, which shouldn’t be a burden to us, is expressing those godly attributes to others from a heart of faith. We are in essence putting on God’s holiness. This is proof that we are walking in the spirit and not in the flesh; and, in my humble opinion, defines what others might express as being Torah observant. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25) Shalom
