Yeshua or Torah?

In looking back at some of my posts, I thought I'd better take a few minutes to make one thing crystal clear here, just in case there's any doubt. My goal in this journey of faith is to follow Yeshua, to be like Him. Learning about Torah, about Sabbath keeping and the festivals of God, all of that is important only in that it helps me to know Him better and to follow Him more closely.

You've probably heard some preacher somewhere say that "Jesus is the Word made flesh." Well actually, that is in scripture, too: John 1:14 (Amplified) And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth. [Isa. 40:5.] The Word of God includes ALL of His Word, not just the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. So it would be appropriate to say that Yeshua is the Torah made flesh. Through His life and teaching, we learn how to live out the holiness that God commands us to walk in, which was first commanded in the Torah. If you don't believe me, look up these verses: Exodus 22:31; Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2, 20:7, 26, 21:6,8; Numbers 15:40, 16:5; Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2, 21, 26:19, 28:9. They sound surprisingly like 1 Peter 1:14-16! It's amazing how many things in the New Testament can be found FIRST in the Old Testament; there's really nothing "new" at all about the New Testament or anything "old" about the Old Testament. The New Testament builds on the Old Testament and is like commentary on it, helping us learn how to live out the commandments and ordinances of God revealed to us in the Old Testament. It was never intended to replace the Old Testament writings. But anyway, I am getting sidetracked here. By studying and learning how to obey Torah, I am learning how to obey my Father God and to be like Yeshua, Who knew the Scriptures inside out and obeyed His Father in all things.

I do NOT obey the Torah to earn my salvation or to prove myself worthy of salvation. Just as there is no other name given among men under heaven by which we must be saved than that of Yeshua the Messiah, likewise it is only by His blood shed on the cross that my sins have been forgiven and the wages of sin is set aside. The debt that I owed, He paid with His shed blood. There is NOTHING, NOTHING that I or anyone else can do that will make us worthy of God's forgiveness, that will wipe out the record of our sins, that will enable us to live eternally in God's kingdom. We must accept His sacrifice on our behalf and turn from our sins to live a life marked by faith in Him.

Ephesians 2:4-10 (Amplified) But God--so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us, Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation). And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One). He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus. For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

Keeping the Torah cannot save us. It is only through faith in the Messiah that we can find salvation. That does NOT mean there is no value in keeping the Torah, however. Once we are "born again," as Yeshua told Nicodemus in John 3:3, we need to live out our lives like the children of God that He allows us to become. John 1:12 (Amplified) But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name--[Isa. 56:5.] The Torah teaches us what behavior on our parts is acceptable to God the Father. You could say that Torah is His "house rules." Every family has rules that its members live by. Those rules usually aren't written down but nevertheless they are understood by each family member. In this case, we have the benefit of His written "house rules", so we are without excuse when we live in ways that do not honor Him or bring Him pleasure. Remember James 2:17? (Amplified) So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead). Yeshua Himself said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." (John 14:15)

So I base my salvation on the shed blood of my LORD Yeshua the Messiah and I do my best to obey His Torah because I love Him. It's Yeshua FIRST and Torah second. 1John 3:24 (Amplified) All who keep His commandments [who obey His orders and follow His plan, live and continue to live, to stay and] abide in Him, and He in them. [They let Christ be a home to them and they are the home of Christ.] And by this we know and understand and have the proof that He [really] lives and makes His home in us: by the [Holy] Spirit Whom He has given us.