The Way of The Master - Keeping Torah

Many of us are familiar with the young man who approached Yeshua, and asked the question, "Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"


But so often, we fail to recognize this story for what it is... evangelism by the Master.  Here we have a true seeker, "... what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 


And the response is amazing!


Mark 10:17-22 ¹⁷ As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" ¹⁸ And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. ¹⁹ "You know the commandments, 'DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'" ²⁰ And he said to Him, "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up." ²¹ Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." ²² But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.


And so here we see, by the Bible's own admission, the "Way of the Master."  It is a little different from Ray Comfort's method of evangelism.  Yeshua points him to the one standard that all men are held to, that of Yahweh's Torah, "you know the commandments..."


And so we see Yeshua's answer to the man's question, keep the commandments.  How can we have missed such an important question so quickly resolved here in the Gospels?  Because of our separation from the God-ordained carriers of the faith, the Torah.  Clearly, this is what Yeshua tells us that we must do to gain eternal life. 


The young man replied, "all these things I have done..."  Does this mean he was without sin?  No, it means that, according to Yhwh's commands, when he had sinned, he made sacrifice at the temple.  But he had a bigger problem.  Being a man of wealth, he had much possessions, and they were an idol for him.  And Yeshua knew that too.  So when he told him to go and sell his possessions, and give to the poor (another aspect of the Way of the Master ~ the fruits of Torah and Spirit-filled living in the life of believers), the young man was dismayed and chose not to follow the rabbi's advice. 


And so here we see that the young man did not love his neighbor as himself.  As so as Yeshua's criticism of the scribes and teachers of the Law, tithing their mint, dill and cumin, but neglecting the weightier matters of Torah, so too did this young man, miss the spirit of the Torah's teaching.


Again we see Yeshua the Messiah stressing that it is not necessarily about our physical, visible rituals we carry out (though that is a part), it is about our heart's identification with the Father's heart.  How is your heart?  Do you carry out the Father's will/desire in your life?  Many protestants question that and do not know how they can clearly identify that in their lives.  But the apostle John helps us with this, and spells it out clearly, "All who commit sin practice lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness," that is, torah-lessness (1 Jn. 3:4).


Matthew 7:19-23 ⁹ "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ "So then, you will know them by their fruits. ²¹ "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. ²² "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' ²³ "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

Changing standards of Rughteosness? Amos 2:4-5

Christian doctrine claims affirms the OT teaching that God does not change, but is the same yesterday, today and forever, where Yhwh says, "I do not change" (Mal. 3:6).  Yet the belief is maintained by nearly all Protestants that they are "set free from the Law (instruction)".  Yet when we read the Prophets, we see that Yhwh's great wrath is aroused for the rejection of the Torah.

"Thus says Yahweh: “For three transgressions of Judah and for four I will not revoke the punishment, because they have rejected the law of Yahweh and have not kept his rules, and their lies have led them astray, after which their ancestors walked! So I will send a fire against Judah and it will devour the citadel fortresses of Jerusalem." Amos 2:4-5

So the question is raised, does Yhwh change?  Will he punish Israel for rejecting His Torah while giving unrighteous pagan Gentiles a free pass, and then continue to judge Israel by the standard of Torah?

Elohim's very word states that He does not change.  Yeshua, the word of God made flesh, is testified by that author of Hebrews, that he is the same, "yesterday, today and forever" (13:8).

The Biblical Path to Good Health!

Does the Bible speak to having/maintaining health? More than you know!

Proverbs 3:5-8 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. 

As Jesus said: "Your Word, O LORD, is Truth!" Jn. 17:17 
Living by wisdom and sound discretion (Pr. 3:21; i.e. obedience to the Lord) is healing for your body, and refreshment to your bones! Don't believe me, believe God! 

For those who still are not convinced of this, take a look at Deut. 7:15 and ch. 28:58-61, making special note of the phrase "diseases of Egypt" to understand covenental timing and the immuteable character of God.  (Hint: Paul told us all about it in Rom. 6:23; 1 Cor. 11:27-31; cf. Jas. 5:15-16)

Christians - Living in Slavery

Liberation theology:

Roman Catholic movement that originated in the late 20th century in Latin America and seeks to express religious faith by helping the poor and working for political and social change. It began in 1968, when bishops attending the Latin American Bishops' Conference in Medellín, Colom., affirmed the rights of the poor and asserted that industrialized nations were enriching themselves at the expense of the Third World. The movement's central text, A Theology of Liberation (1971), was written by the Peruvian priest Gustavo Gutiérrez (b. 1928). Liberation theologians have sometimes been criticized as purveyors of Marxism, and the Vatican has sought to curb their influence by appointing more conservative prelates.

http://www.answers.com/topic/liberation-theology; accessed April 2, 2010


Scripture seems to make the case that Liberation theology, whose goal is “helping the poor and working for political and social change,” is a little askew. Realistically, there is little in the New Testament about rebelling against or takeover of ungodly governmental systems.

Romans 13:1-2 says “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.”

What should the Christians’ goal be, living in the midst of an unjust world-system? “ 5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; 6 not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. 7 With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free. 9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him” (Eph. 6:5-9).

Paul tells us of his Spirit-led approach: 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. 1 Corinthians 9:19

Why did he make himself a slave? To win more men. Win them to what, a liberated-political system of equality and justice? No. He MADE himself a slave to win people to the gospel of Christ, into freedom from their enslavement to sin. Jesus came the first time, not to set people free from unjust political regimes, which the Jews of ancient (and modern) Israel were (are) looking for. You could say the ancient Jews believed a form of liberation theology. But Jesus said to an unjust ruler, who had power to put him to death or set Him free, “If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm" (John 18:36).

But there is an enslavement that everyone overlooks, an enslavement we’re comfortable with, that goes to the very core of our being. This enslavement the apostle Paul calls an enslavement to sin! He discusses it at length in Romans ch. 6. Here are a few excerpts from that.


Romans 6:4-6, 20-22 6 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life… 6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin…


Romans 6:20-22 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.


Paul teaches that the reason we were set free from sin, is to live a life in slavery to God. Are you a Christian? If you truly are, if you’re truly part of His Church, then you live every single day as a slave to the Most High.


The apostle Paul continues this teaching to the Corinthians:


1 Corinthians 7:19-24 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God. 20 Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called. 21 Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that. 22 For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ's slave. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. 24 Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.


Some theology movements teach us that God is all about blessing us, and by the term ‘blessing,’ they mean person financial enrichment or healing. Some of the greatest saints in the Bible “went about din sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38 (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground” (Hebrews 11:37-38).

Some of these religious teachers teach their congregations that God is our servant, to bless our lives and make us happy, healthy and wealthy. They suppose that godliness is a means of gain (1 Timothy 6:5). But God is not about serving us. When a person is crucified with Christ through faith, He sets us free from our sinful nature, not to be recipients of earthly, physical blessings, but to be His slaves. “Having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” Romans 6:18.

What does this look like, being a slave of righteousness? Let’s look at the final command that our LORD gave us:

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt 28:18-20 (HCSB)


Nowhere in the New Testament does scripture tell us to advocate for or fight against a particular type of government. We are commanded as New Covenant saints to live our lives in such holiness and separation from the ways of the world, and to teach them all that the Lord has taught us in His holy revealed word.

We are told that the nations will rebel, and mock the holy Lord until the end (Ps. 2; Zech 14). They will try to set up their own system of world-dominion apart from God, much as the time at Babel (Daniel 7:7-8, 19-25, 9:26). But when these things are done, and the gospel has been preached to all the world as a witness to the nations (Mt. 24:14; Mk.13:10), then the Messiah will return and finally judge the unjust peoples on the earth who do not obey the gospel (2 Thess. 2:6-10). After this, He will set up His reign of perfect rule and righteousness on earth.

9 On that day Yahweh will become king over all the earth —Yahweh alone, and His name alone. 10 All the land from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem will be changed into a plain. But [Jerusalem] will be raised up and will remain on its site from the Benjamin Gate to the place of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the royal winepresses. 11 People will live there, and never again will there be a curse of destruction. So Jerusalem will dwell in security. Zech 14:9-11 (HCSB)


So the one who is to change government, and to rule in righteousness, and to set free the oppressed, is Jesus Christ Himself, when He comes in power with His glorious angels and destroys antichrist and the armies of the nations of the world. Some may live to see this day. In fact, at the rate things are going, some people on MyChurch might see that day. When you look at scriptures, and see the rate at which prophecy is being fulfilled, you might say it’s “coming like a flood.”