Hitting the Default Button on our Faith–STAR 33

by | Oct 17, 2015 | Podcasts

Hitting the Default Button on our Faith

 8 ¶ Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
  9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
  10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
  11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
 (Exo 20:8-11 KJV)
  • Lessons learned during the 8-days of Sukkot and after
    • Fellowship is vital to our growth and effectiveness as disciples of the Master
    • There’s a ton of work to do out there and there are so few of us to do it
      • The Great Commission
      • The Harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few–more than ever, we have an open door for evangelism. We tend not to evangelize in the Hebraic Roots/Messianic Community
    • We’re not going to get to everyone–but we have to keep trying
  • Let me re-introduce myself and The Messianic Torah Observer and Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections
    • Who I am
    • What I’m about
    • Why the Messianic Torah Observer and Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections
    • What we believe
      • One and only one true and living God who’s name is Yahovah
      • His right arm and our Messiah is Yahovah’s son, Yahshua HaMashiyach
      • Yahshua atoned for our sins on the execution stake so that we may have a true relationship with the Father in Heaven. That atoning sacrifice was a once and for all sacrifice that forever replaced the animal sacrifices conducted by our forefathers
      • Torah-Yahshua-style
      • The Bible is our life-instruction manual, providing us instruction on our history, how we are to live and our future as disciples of Yahshua Messiah
      • We are not Messianic Jews–We are truth seekers advocating/encouraging a return to the truth Faith once delivered to the first century saints. Hit the default/reset button to the very beginning where the Master had us start
  • Where do we go from here?
    • Increase our value to you–more postings about practical things related to our Faith
    • More interviews
    • Newsletter
    • More encouraging, useful discussions on things most affecting each of us and our walk with Yahshua Messiah
    • Encouraging a return to the Hebraic Roots of the Faith
    • Critically examining Traditional-Fundamental Christianity as well as Judaism and Messianic Judaism
    • Providing a weekly–temporary alternative to fellowship
    • Encourage discipleship–plain and simple
    • Torah Living Daily Challenge–reworking to make it workable
  • Call to Action
    • Join/Ban together with me to meet together each week and discuss the issues and topics most affecting us in our Faith
    • If you are so led by the Ruach, consider financially supporting this ministry
    • Tell family and friends about our message
    • Opt in to our emailing list and follow us on social media
  • News
    • The Creator’s Calendar and God’s Reckoning of Time
      • Why do we go by the sighting of the renewed moon over the land of Israel?
        • Father instructed us in Genesis
        • Father established this annual calendar in Exodus
        • Our forefathers practiced Father’s reckoning of time
          • Interesting, many in Messianic Judaism ciriticize those of us who adhere to the Creator’s Calendar–critical that it doesn’t make sense to do so for many scientific and sundry reasons. Yet these individuals will hold steadfast to Jewish Traditions without so much as a blink
      • There are no more mandated moedim until Passover
      • Hanukkah holds significant meaning to our Faith and is coming up around December 8th–depending upon the the sighting of the renewed moon at the start of the 9th Biblical Month
    • The Democratic field of presidential candidates held their debate this past Monday
      • This event reaffirmed for me that our nation is in hot water
        • Morally
        • Economically
        • Politically
    • The DOJ launched a new division to counter Homeland Terrorism
      • What does this mean to us as Believers in Yahshua Messiah?
      • What does this mean for our nation?

Have we been Delivered from the Law?

  • Review of Romans 6:14–“…Sin shall have no dominion over you: your are not under the law, but under grace…”
    • What’s going on behind the scenes?
      • Shaul is speaking to Jews and Gentiles of the Roman Kahila (assembly)
      • The Jews had at one time been expelled from Rome. Upon their return and resumption of their places in the Kahila in Rome, they insisted that Gentile believers confirm to Judiastic practices and traditions as a qualifier to be a true believer
    • We learned that:
      • we are not under the rules and regulations of Judaism
      • we are not under the penalty of Torah–which in most circumstances was death–physical and eternal
      • because of the grace of Yah, we are not dominated by sin
      • Shaul was likely not addressing sin’s influence over our eternal life as some in churchianity might teach
  • Romans 7:1-6 (verse by verse examination for contextual purposes)
    • Vs. 1–the Law (Torah) applies only while a person is alive
    • Vss. 2, 3–when a spouse dies, the surviving spouse is released from the law of marriage (a spiritual example)
      • the aspects of Torah that pertain to marriage and the death of a spouse are such that when a spouse dies, the aspects of Torah that govern that marriage contract are then null and void as it related to that particular union. However, the rules of marriage as a whole and as it relates to that surviving spouse remain in effect for perpetuity (Roth)
      • Example of hourly versus salaried employee
    • Vs. 4–we are now married to Yahshua and thus are dead to the Law (Torah)–the Torah is not the final answer as it relates to our relationship with Father
      • Torah-Torah-Torah–but leave out Yahshua
      • You have become dead to Torah because of Mashiyach, thus you are dead to the penalty and penalties associated with Torah; you are dead to the guilt associated with Torah; you are dead to the draw of sin; dead to the systems that we erect to prevent us from violating Torah
      • It is not Torah that has been made dead through the work of Messiah [I.e., abrogated], nor has man’s responsibilities related to obedience to Torah died either–Romans 7:4
      • Shaul clarifies all this in the subsequent verses 5 and 6
    • Vs. 5–despite living Torah, we were drawn to sin
      • ETH–the affects of sin which are against, wrought powerfully in our members to yield fruits unto death
      • DRA–loosed from the law [of death], we have been called to serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the writing [aka the letter]
      • According to Stearn, Torah railed or stirred up certain emotions or feelings within us
      • sin in us–thus we erect walls of legalism
        • Genesis account where Father told Adam and Eve not to eat the forbidden fruit. They were drawn to it. They ate it. They then realized they disobeyed and they then tried to cover it up by clothing their nakedness
          • If they had sought out and confessed their sins, what would have happened?
      • nomos=law=translated Torah, maybe also rendered “legalism” as seen in Romans 3:20
      • legalism is defined in Romans 3:20: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin”
        • and is a perversion of Torah into a system of rules for earning God’s praise without trusting, loving or communing with God who is the giver of Torah. (Stearn-Commentary)
        • Matthew 23:23–Woe to you, teachers of the Torah and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices–mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the Torah–justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” (AENT)
      • guilt
      • penalties, punishments and curses
    • Vs 6–“But now we are absolved from Torah and are dead to that which held us in its grasp: that we might from now on serve in the newness of the spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.” (AENT)
      • Roth–“Y’shua brought the correct understanding of Torah which is to be written upon the heart, so we don’t continue in sin.”
      • We’ve been made dead to those problematic aspects of Torah–sin, guilt and punishments
      • we are no longer married to legalism but free to marry Yahshua Messiah and perform good deeds
      • our focus is no longer upon violating Torah, but bearing good fruit–pleasing Father–discipling
      • 2 Corinthians 5:17–“If anyone is united with the Mashiyach, they are a new creation.” (CJB) We have a second human nature controlled by the Ruach Kodesh
      • Galatians 5:18–“But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (CJB) With teh infilling of the Ruach, we are not bound to a set of laws and precepts to prevent us from sinning and we are no longer eternally cursed as a result of our sins. Torah is forever written on our hearts and we become one with Torah
      • Yochanan 4:23, 24–“Yet a time is coming, and now has come, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. Elohim is spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him n spirit and in truth.” (AENT)
      • Galatians 2:19–For when I tried to keep the Torah, I realized I could never earn Elohim’s approval. So I died to the Torah so that I might live for Elohim. I have been crucified with Mashiyach.” (AENT)
  • The term “under”=”upo”=to be “controlled by” or “in subjection to” and opens the door to the slavery metaphor
    • Romans 3:9–“…both Jews and Gentiles…are all under sin
    • cf. Romans 7:14–“…the law is subject to grace”
      • Yahshua’s yoke=easy/light burden
      • legalism=burdensome (cf. Acts 15:10)
    • we are to live within the framework of Torah–not “upo” or under subjection to legalism