Response to a “grace only” Christian

COMMENT FROM A CHRISTIAN: “I totally agree we are not to sin, but we do this not by trying to obey LAWS but by the very heart of God who lives within us"

OUR RESPONSE:

Try telling that to a cop who catches you speeding, or in the process of killing someone! Laws are given for a reason: So that ALL will know what the boundaries are. A lawless society will quickly implode because many, if not most, will do whatever is right in their own eyes and, consequently, end up in trouble in one way or another.

God gave us Divine Rules to follow so that HIS people could know and learn how to be holy - “set apart” - in an evil, pagan world.” Without His Torah (Divine Instruction in Righteousness, which is what Torah means) we would have NO blueprint for moral, holy living!

Even Y'shua didn't do his own will or stray from Torah! (As the WORD – John 1:1, 14) He SPOKE the Torah into being! As YHWH’s human Messiah, he came to do everything his Father commanded….

Luke 4: 43 "But he (Yeshua/Jesus) said, "I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."

Luke 8: 1. And it happened after these things that Y'shua was going around in the cities and in the villages and was preaching and declaring the Kingdom of Elohim.

And take a look at this:

Acts 28: 23 "From morning till evening the Apostle Paul explained and declared the Kingdom of God and tried to convince people about Yeshua from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets."

Acts 24: 14. But this indeed I (Paul) acknowledge, that in that same doctrine of which they speak, I do serve the Elohim of my fathers, believing all the things written in Torah and in the prophets.

So, while His death, burial, and resurrection are an important part of the Good News, it's not the whole story! God isn't just in the business of "saving" people. As Creator and law giver, He is in the business of teaching us how to be good subjects in His Kingdom to come!

If "Jesus abolished Torah at the cross" then why was EVERY believer completely Torah observant for one hundred years after Yeshua's death, including the Apostle Paul who was "caught" being Torah observant 29 years after Yeshua's death (Acts 21:23-24)! Was Paul a hypocrite, saying one thing and doing another; or were his teachings, perhaps, misunderstood?

Humans HAVE to have rules, because their hearts are, by nature, evil, and that is why YHWH said FOUR TIMES IN A ROW that ALL who accept Him must do exactly as HIS people do! (See Numbers 15:12-16.)

Note that there were TWELVE tribes before YHWH on Mt. Sinair, along with a “mixed multitude” – not just “the Jews.”  Yes, YHWH ordered the Tribe of Yehudah to guard His Torah (Genesis 49:10, Micah 4:2) but that didn't mean it was only for "the Jews" as so many erroneously believe. Take a look:

Genesis 49: 10 The scepter will not pass from Y'hudah, nor the ruler's staff from between his legs, until he comes to whom [obedience] belongs; and it is he whom the peoples will obey.

Micah 4: 2 Many Gentiles will go and say, "Come, let's go up to the mountain of ADONAI, to the house of the God of Ya'akov! He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Tziyon will go forth Torah, the word of ADONAI from Yerushalayim.

Mankind MUST have divine rules for holy living because, without them, we tend to get into trouble:

Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes. (CJB)

Proverbs 21:2 Every man's way is right in his own eyes, But ADONAI weighs the hearts. (CJB)

Proverbs 24:12 If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work? (CJB)

Numbers 15: 13 "'Every citizen is to do these things in this way when presenting an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI. 14 If a foreigner stays with you - or whoever may be with you, through all your generations - and he wants to bring an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI, he is to do the same as you.

15 For this community there will be the same law for you as for the foreigner living with you; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations; the foreigner is to be treated the same way before ADONAI as yourselves. 16 The same Torah and standard of judgment will apply to both you and the foreigner living with you.'" (CJB)

Please re-read the above in case you missed it: Any Torah-less non-Jew/Hebrew/Israelite who does not yet believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is an "alien"/foreigner. However, if they do wish to accept Him, then they are to do exactly as those who are already belong to Him!

It is very dangerous to cherry-pick YHWH’s Word – the Word that tells us we MUST have both Torah AND Yeshua…

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged against the woman; and he went to make war upon the remnant of her seed who keep the Commandments of Elohim and have the testimony of Y'shua. (AENT)

Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, See that you do not do this; I am your fellow-servant and of those your Brothers who have the testimony of Y'shua. Worship you Elohim: for the testimony of Y'shua is the Spirit of Prophecy. (AENT)

1 John 2:3 The way we can be sure we know him is if we are obeying his commands. 4 Anyone who says, "I know him," but isn't obeying his commands is a liar - the truth is not in him. 5 But if someone keeps doing what he says, then truly love for God has been brought to its goal in him. This is how we are sure that we are united with him. 6 A person who claims to be continuing in union with him ought to conduct his life the way he did.

How did Y'shua walk? IN TORAH!