To belong to YHWH/Yeshua, we must be able to “see the whole picture” and “be all we were created to be”….

EXAMPLE #1: Knowledge, wisdom and faith are nothing without love, 1 Corinthians 13:

1 Corinthians 13:1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body [a]to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. (CJB)

EXAMPLE #2: Faith without works is dead, James 2:

James 2:14. What is the use, my Brothers, if a man say, I have faith; and he has no works? Can his faith resurrect him?[1] 15. Or if a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16. and one of you say to them, “Go in peace, warm yourselves, and be full;” and you do not give them the necessities of the body, what is the use? 17. So also faith alone, without works, is dead.

NOTE 1: Literally “restore life”, not “save” as often translated.

James 2 (continued):

James 2:18. For a man may say, you have faith and I have works; show to me your faith that is without works and I will show to you my faith by my works. 19. You believe that there is one Elohim; you do well; the demons also believe and tremble. 20. Would you know, O weak man, that faith without works is dead? 21. Awraham our father, was not he justified by works[2] in offering his son Yitz’chak upon the altar?

NOTE 2:

Some theologians allege this teaching to be opposite of the Pauline Epistles, such as Galatians. The reality is that Paul was grossly misquoted whereas Ya’akov (James) was not. Rav Shaul (Paul) did not accept empty ritual devoid of proper spiritual focus. He was Torah Observant; he kept the Moedim (feast days), the Shabbat, and took one or more Nazirite vows; he fasted on Yom Kippur, ate “clean” food and lived a Set Apart life in Mashiyach Y’shua. The fact is that Romans 7:12 totally harmonizes Galatians with, and complements, Galatians and Ya’akov.

James 2 (continued)

James 2: 22. Do you realize that his faith aided his works, and that by the works his faith was rendered complete? 23. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says: Awraham believed in Elohim, and it was credited to him for righteousness and he was called the Friend of Elohim.

24. You see that by works a man is justified[3] and not by faith alone. 25. So also Rahab the harlot, was she not justified by works when she entertained the spies and sent them forth by another way? 26. As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. (AENT)

NOTE 3: The Hebrew word for a righteous soul = tsadiq; righteousness = tsedeq; justified = tsadaq; notice they are the same word. A soul without righteousness can never be “justified” regardless of what theologians claim. The original root word for justified relates to righteous action.

However, mainstream Christianity teaches that a person is “justified” solely on the merits of belief in Y’shua, and that observing Torah is impossible. Even in Ya’akov’s (James’) day, some individuals wanted cerebral belief to “justify” themselves, which is impossible.

Y’shua’s person (example) and Spirit is meant to literally be imparted into us; this must be evidenced by our actions, otherwise we do not belong to him. Theological, or cerebral “belief” without works, is dead religion; but active literal Faith comes to life in Mashiyach. Torah Observance/obedience is clear evidence that we have passed from death to life. See John 5:29, Matthew 7:23.

EXAMPLE #3: Fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:

Galatians 5:19. For you know the works of the flesh, which are these: adultery, impurity and lasciviousness, 20. idolatry, witchcraft, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, stubbornness, treacheries, heresies, 21. Envy, murder, drunkenness, revelry and all like things. Those who do things like these, they will not inherit the Kingdom of Elohim. 22. The fruits then of the Spirit are these: Love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faith, 23. meekness, self-control. Against these there is no instruction(4) put in place.

24. And those who are of Mashiyach have put to death their flesh with all its passions and lusts. 25. Let us therefore live by the Spirit and surrender to the Spirit. 26. And let us not be of vacant glories that cause us to ridicule one another and envy one another. (AENT)

NOTE 4: In this context, namusa, the Aramaic cognate for torah, is better understood at its root level, meaning “to instruct,” rather than as a formalized title. Otherwise, Rav Shaul might be construed as saying that these “Fruits of the Spirit” are not taught in Torah, when (the fact is) they are. His point is that there is no instruction against fulfilling these fruits of the spirit.

CONCLUSION:

After reading just these few scriptures, it is evident that it’s not only “all about love”; rather, the “whole package all rolled into one.” YHWH expects a lot out of His people – and ultimately, it’s all about learning how to be good subjects in the Kingdom.