Torah is our way to holiness!

(Reprinted from 2015 since more people need to be exposed to this.)

We at The Refiner's Fire find a lot of people spending a lot of time finding ways to deny any obligation to Torah. The "Law" they say, "...no longer applies"; "I just don't see the sense in all those 'rules' ";  "Jesus paid it all so we don't have to"; "That was just for the Jew"; "We are under grace"; "We have Torah written on our hearts." The excuses go on and on and on.

But I have to wonder if anyone saying these things ever bothered to find out just what "Torah" is, and what it means?

If you aren't already turned off by these first two paragraphs, here's something that may stun you: No one is permitted to come before God unless they are "clean" in mind, spirit, and body. If you do not live by Torah, then you are not "clean", and I'm sorry, but when the time comes, be that in life, death, or rapture, you cannot be in the presence of God.

Ouch!

OUCH! That statement hurts doesn't it? If you are not "holy" then you cannot be in His presence! I'm sorry, but this is not my rule, this is God's rule! Here it is in blue and white:

"For I am Adonai your God; therefore, consecrate yourselves and be holy, for I am holy..." (Leviticus 11:44)

"...you are to be holy, because I am holy" (Leviticus 11:45)

"...you people are to be holy for me; because I, Adonai, am holy; and I have set you apart from the other peoples, so that you can belong to me." (Leviticus 20:26)

You see, God commanded us to "be holy" so we could be in His presence. "In this way you will separate the people of Isra'el from their uncleanness, so that they will not die in a state of uncleanness for defiling my tabernacle which is there with them." (Leviticus 15:31)

"The person who remains unclean and does not purify himself will be cut off from the community because he has defiled the sanctuary of Adonai." (Numbers 19:20)

And lest you think this is just "Old Testament" stuff, look at the situation in the end, when the old earth has passed away and God and Jesus are sitting on the throne and the whole world is the "city" where He dwells: "Nothing impure may enter it, nor anyone who does shameful things or lies; the only ones who may enter are those whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life." (Revelation 21:27).

And look at what Paul wrote: “Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.“ (Hebrews 12:14, ESV).

So how does one "be holy" so you can be in His presence? That would be by Torah! But you'd object "That's Old Testament stuff, it doesn't apply to us today." Really? The command for us to "be holy" somehow would not apply to us today?

Jesus said "If you love me, you will keep my commands". Most all of Christianity accepts/believes that Jesus is God, so if Jesus is God, and Torah comes from God, wouldn't Jesus' commandments be Torah? Even Peter, who valiantly tried to teach us who the Messiah was and what He did for us, said "...following the Holy One who called you, become holy yourselves in your entire way of life; since the Tanakh says, 'You are to be holy because I am holy.' " (1 Peter 1:15-16). Was Peter talking about some other way to be "holy"?

NO! Torah is our way to be holy. Torah teaches us how to behave. Torah teaches us how to have a relationship with God.

So instead of spending time trying to justify that Torah does not apply to you, how about spending some time finding out what it is? It will surprise you, I guarantee it, how wonderful Torah is. Stop looking at Torah as "rules," and try to see it as our expected "way" of life to be holy people. You can begin your journey by studying the many articles on The Refiner's Fire (therefinersfire.org). And if you are truly new, you can begin at the beginning with the inexpensive book "Should Christians be Torah Observant?" by Carmen Welker, on Amazon.com.