Having observed (to some slight degree) the U.S. holiday of Independance Day this past 4th of July, the concept of “freedom” came to my mind. Indeed, the U.S. celebrates its freedom from British rule every 4th of July and has done so since the year 1776. We all know historically about the hardships the American forefathers endured as a result of being under direct subjection to British rule during the early years of this nation. Many early Americans lost their lives in pursuit of life that was free from British subjugation. In fact, the earliest forefathers came to this country to be free to worship God as they had been so led and thus freedom from the Church of England and the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Since earning her freedom, this nation has been the destination of countless millions of souls, longing and searching for freedom in one form or another. In the last 5-10-years I’ve heard repeated by some that Torah Observance is not a requirement because Christians have freedom in Christ. Typically, the context in which this doctrine of “freedom in Christ” is used is centered around believers not being bound to anything, and that includes men, sin and of course Torah. Indeed, the Bible clearly describes the freedom that believers enjoy in the context of being free from sin and being free from our old sinful nature and life. But is this all to this conceptually amazing spiritual truth? By now you should know that nothing that comes from this website and this ministry settles for just the subtle gloss over that is common to denominational churchianity. This is Torah Living–What’s the Full Meaning of Being Free in Messiah? The one key piece of reality that we all learn very early on in our walk with Messiah is that human beings are not free agents. As much as we’d like to think that we are, and indeed, many people throughout the world will beat their chests and atest that they are free agents and that they are not bound to any individual or entity. But those of us who are spiritually in the know, realize that humans by nature are bound to something or someone. On a micro-level, men are bound to multiple things: habits (some good, some bad); governments (some good, some bad); jobs (some good, some bad); relationships (some good, some bad); the cares of life; health; and religion. On a macro-level, everything that binds men can be summed up as being in 2-realms or camps: one is either bound to sin or one is bound to the Yehovah. In other words: in this world, there are 2-masters: satan and Yeshua. Now this two-sided model (for lack of better descriptor) can be further broken down in to the physical and the spiritual. In other words, whether one is bound to sin or one is bound to the Master, he or she experiences the ramifications of this in their day-to-day physical living or they realize this reality in their spirit life. If we are bound to sin, it is reflected in our day-to-day experiences–in how we think, talk, and carry ourselves. Equally so, if we are bound to sin, it is reflected in our relationship, or better, the lack thereof, with the Father. You see, Yehovah will not foster or maintain any relationship with us if we are not in an acceptable spiritual state. Now I realize that this flies in opposition to the teachings of denominational churchianity that contends that one simply needs to “come” to Jesus “just as they are.” Well, the plain and simple truth of the matter is that our Father has established standards whereby man must meet and maintain if any substantive relationship is to be had between God and man. This concept that one can live according to the way he or she prefers to live and at the same time maintain a substantive relationship with Father is utterly rediculous and quite frankly a lie from the pit of hell. Here’s a news flash dear Christian: we are the created beings. We are His children. We have been purchased with a price (reference 1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23). Thus we are not our own (reference 1 Cor. 6:19). We have absolutely no right to call the shots here, especially as it relates to our relationship with the Father. We are so fortunate to have received such truths and promises. Thus it is with a humble, willing heart, we are required to submit to the ways of Yehovah. But going back to this issue of being bound to one master or another: denominational chuchianity has done a brilliant job of minimalizing the significance of this crucial concept. Essentially, a simple formula emerged from the depths of Calvanism that has led millions of believers in the Jesus of popular Christianity over the centuries to secure their perceived salvations and relationships with the Almighty through a response to a calling made by a preacher or someone who introduces them to Christianity and then a recitation of the “sinners’ prayer.” Note that I did in fact say perceived salvations and relationships. I said perceived because there is no Biblical support for such a formula nor does Yehovah in anyway suggest that one can have a true relationship with Him going through this formula. In fact Yeshua made it pretty clear that our concepts of salvation and relationships with the Father do not jive with that of the Father: 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Mat 7:21-23 KJV) Everything must come down to the central question at hand: who do we serve? Yes, there is that servant aspect that is tied to this question and there is no getting around it, many people are adamantly opposed to being considered a servant or slave to anyone and that includes Messiah. Why? Because being a servant–a true servant–requires one to be obedient to their master. In the case of believers, being a servant requires that we obey Yeshua HaMaschioch– 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. (Joh 14:15 KJV) The irony of the matter is that the vast majority of people on this earth do not want to be servants or slaves to anyone and many will fight to the death to be freed from any oversight by other men. Yet, each of these are unwittenly servants to satan and they are easily loyal and obedient to satan. Some even obey and are loyal to satan with gusto and pride. Why? Because our flesh agrees with the ways of the enemy. Yet it is that same flesh that is in vehement opposition to the ways of Yehovah.- 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. (Rom 8:7 KJV) Being bound and being free have always been primary concerns for men throughout the ages. Slavery and bondage are positions in life that are feared and avoided while freedom is reverred and praised–and this bears true throughout every culture and age. So these two concepts are very powerful in their meanings and ramifications for the individual in question. Indeed, being bound to someone or something has negative conotations associated with it. Often, the life of the one under bondage is miserable and at times even dire. No good comes out of being under bondage. Interestingly, men have over the ages freely bound themselves to others and to things. Additionally, men have over the ages become bonded to a person or a thing unwittenly. Thus the Jews of Yeshua’s day were forcefully subjected to Roman occupation while being freely subjected to their state’s religion: Judaism. Most of the Jews of Yeshua’s day were proud of and loyal to their faith; yet they were unwittenly under bondage to their faith. Additionally, the Jews of Yeshua’s day were mercilessly bound to sin, for Judaism was not a cure for sin as many of their sages and leaders asserted that it was. Yet the Jews persisted in their faith–often living lives of lies as depicted in the following passage: 27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. (Mat 23:27-28 KJV). And so it is with many of us today who are under bondage to religion. So many have placed their all in denominations and have been told and promised by their religion’s leaders that their eternal destinies are guaranteed and that they are inputted holy. I was in that boat. No one could tell me any different. And so I lived a life of lies, thinking I was in the ark of safety. Was I bonded to anyone or anything? I would have likely told you yes and no–that I wasn’t bonded to sin but I was bonded to Christ. The truth of the matter was that I was bonded to sin and I was not bonded to Messiah. If I was truly bonded to Messiah I would be obedient to Him and thus I would be free from sin and hasatan. This reality came only after I learned that I was bonded to my denominations, churches, preachers, doctrines, my home, my job, my lifestyle, my ambitions, and everything else but the true Master. I had been sold the bill of goods that promised that all of the things that I was bonded to were holy and acceptable to Christ. Yet I was in bondage to the wrong masters and that meant I needed deliverance and an understanding of what it meant to be free in Messiah. I needed to learn what it truly meant to have liberty in Messiah. While I was living under these false pretenses, I figured I had it good. But looking back, I really didn’t. I had no relationship with the Father apart from occasional readings of the Bible and occasional prayers that lacked sincerity and understanding. I still harbored anger and hatred and other sins in my life because I felt it was covered by the blood and thus I didn’t need to worry about it. Besides, God knew my heart. Right? It wasn’t until Yeshua came on the scene and introduced the Jew of His day to the truth that many were able to see the error of their ways. It wasn’t until Yeshua introduced to those who would listen and receive the truth, that those who would follow only Him would be able to discern a need to be free from the teachings of the Jewish leaders and from a life of sin. Torah is the only true guide for understanding what is sin and what is Godly. It was Yeshua who came to bring to the full Torah and thus free us from sin and from religion that to this day continues to grip much of the world. Yeshua said: And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin…iIf the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (Joh 8:32-36 KJV) Yeshua’s purpose from coming to this earth the first time was to set men free–consider Yeshua’s own words as He read from the sacred text that described Him: The Spirit of Adonai Yehovah is upon me, because Yehovah has anointed me to preach good tidings unot the meek; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind; to set at liberty those who are bound. (Luke 4:18) Prior to Yeshua’s coming, most Jews saw their lives as burdensome and miserable. Many were and even to this day are resentful. I vividly recall one of my supervisors, upon learning that I celebrated Passover and observed Unleavened Bread, bemoaned the season and having to abstain from certain foods that he loved. He went on to bemoan how God had placed upon him and his people such a hardship, insinuating that wasn’t it enough that they were in bondage in Egypt for so many years and then all of the other misfortunes suffered by his forefathers. I felt bad for Him. I told Him that I treasure the Feasts of Yehovah and I observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread with joy. I can only imagine that there are countless others who hold the same sentiments. Indeed, this man and others like him are enslaved in tradition and religion. What kind of life is that? Yeshua said that He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. (Reference John 10:10) What this gentlemen and all others like him are missing is that the Talmud or Judaism is a law of sin and death. On the contrary, Torah is Spirit Life and it was Messiah that brought Torah to this ultimate reality. (Reference Rom. 8:2) Thus the true follower of Messiah is freed from tradition and religion, even though he/she is forever bonded to Yeshua. The Apostle Shaul taught–Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (Gal 5:1 KJV) Man is a created being and thus is subject to one thing or another. Thus, if man is freed from sin, he must become bonded to something other than sin–it is a spiritual rule that can not be broken. If any man desires to be free from sin (or anything else for that matter), then he or she must be bonded to or become a servant of Yeshua. Continuing in this line of reasoning then, upon becoming bound to Yeshua, we are obligated to be obedient to His direction and the Father’s way of life. Once again I take a passage from the writings of Shaul–18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 6:18-23 KJV) Here’s where the rubber meets the road dear friends. This whole servant/bondage or doulos thing comes with a price. I’m not talking about the blood that Yeshua shed to purchase our salvation. Indeed, that was the greatest price ever paid for any soul in the history of this world. I’m talking about the price that comes with us abandoning our former lives for a life in Messiah. Churchianity would have her adherents live their lives with the belief that everything good and holy is automatically imputted to the believer. But as nice and warm and beautiful as that line of thinking may seem, it is horrendously misleading and false. Shaul eloquently spells the truth out for us: being free from sin but then servants of righteousness, we are obliged to yield ourselves to the life that the Father has always wanted for His human creation. The servant’s life in Messiah is fruit driven unto righteousness. It is not a life of liesure whereby a believer simply hangs out and awaits the rapture and from there to live out an eternal life in heaven as some type of angel like being. Indeed! The journey begins in the here and now. We hear and obey. We live according to the pattern established for us by Yeshua. The ensuing bondage that Believers have is not as normal men would reason: that life is a life of freedoms that empower us to live the abundant life that Yeshua spoke of in John 10:10. It is an awesome life. Not only is Yehovah served and made happy through the righteous deeds and life of His children, but mankind is served through our many acts of compassion, love, peace, servitude and our being a light to this dark world. (Reference Matt. 5:14) No one can place a price on this freedom apart from the price paid by Yeshua. We’ve come to learn from Eastern traditions of old that when a slave completed his/her mandatory time in his/her master’s home and oversight, they have the legal right to go free and make a life for themselves. They no longer are required to serve their master. However, there are provisions whereby that same released and now freed slave has an option to return to his former master and commit the remainder of his/her life in servitude to his master. There is a ceremony or tradition whereby that slave’s ear is then pierced to the door post of the master’s home and it is there that the slave pledges to freely serve his master. Blood is spilled and pain is inflicted, but both the spilling of blood and the inflicted pain is submitted to willingly. Then that servant or bond slave is forever in service to his master. We in similar fashion have given over our lives to our Master Yeshua and we become His bond servants. Instead of shedding blood and induring pain however, Yeshua took our place in that. Yet, we are obliged to serve and obey without reservation. Does our obedience and service earn us salvation? Absolutely not. However, because we are bond slaves of Messiah, we are obliged to serve accordingly. Failure to obey and serve disqualifies us from the status of being His bond servant. Any bond servant who fails to please and properly serve His master is subject to harsh punishment and in extreme cases, death. So it remains with us: failure to do what we have committed to do can lead to eternal death. I know this goes against everything that churchianity teaches…I get that. However, we made the choice to subject ourselves to Yeshua and to Yehovah’s way of life. We do not have the liberty to call the shots here or go through our lives believing that we can get over on the Father because He knows our hearts. Indeed, the Father knows our hearts and those hearts are filled with sin. It’s just simpler to submit and give our all to the Master. T+he life to be had in the Father’ house is so much better than any life that one could envision anywhere else in the world. It is a life of liberty that is free from the penalty of sin and freedom to worship the Father without a human or institutional intermediary. We have the freedom to go to the throne of grace and state our case. How marvelous is that!? Since coming in to the true Faith, I have a different view of what it means to be free. I understand clearly the concept of freedom as it relates to Americans and their country: we have freedom to worship as we see fit; we have freedom to pursue our dreams and aspirations; we have freedom to carve out a life that is fitting to us. Granted, those freedoms have over the years eroded somewhat. Nevertheless, we still live in the greatest country on the planet. Yet, with all these freedoms, the vast amount of citizens in this country are under bondage. The great thing is, that no one has to remain in that bondage.
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