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Month 6:8, Week 1:7 (Shibi'i/Sukkot), Year:Day 5939:156 AM
TESHUVAH 8/39
2Exodus 1/40, 66/70 Firstborn Mourning
Gregorian Calendar: Tuesday 2 September 2014
Teshuvah 8
Identifying Sin the Torah Way

    Continued from Part 7

    Introduction

    Shabbat shalom kol beit Yisra'el on this eighth day of Teshuvah and may the grace of our Master Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) be with you all. As we continue with our theme of repentance that began a week ago with the start of the sixth biblical month, let us keep our eyes on Sukkot that is the goal of every truly born-again Torah-believer: the great consummation that is the Mystical Marriage of Messiah.

    We are Poor Judges of Self

    Without exception, everyone - believer and unbeliever alike - believes himself to be more righteous than he actually is. When it comes to our standing with Heaven, we over-estimate; when it comes to our standing with Hell, we under-estimate. We aren't very good judges of others and we're even worse judges of ourselves.

    Have We Repented Enough?

    How, then, do you estimate whether you have made enough teshuvah (repentance) or not? I cannot exactly give you a check list, nor would I want to, but I can and will share some scriptures with you on this very important subject:

      "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Torah-teachers (scribes) and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt.5:20, NKJV).

    Safe Behind a Pulpit and Ministerial Robes

    These leaders were very religious indeed, as we know, yet failed test after test when Yah'shua (Jesus) measured them against the standards set by His Father in Torah. Just read what the Master said about them and you will know what you mustn't do and therefore what you must do. Unfortunately today, as then, our religious leaders for the most part aren't much better. It is easy to hide behind a pulpit and, in many denominations, fancy robes. Teach (what you know) and dress like Yah'shua (Jesus) inwardly and outwardly.

    Repentance is Not Complicated

    The Derech (Way) of the Master is not so complicated:

      "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me" (Matt.18:3-5, NKJV).

    The Evidence of True Conversion

    The evidence of true conversion is that you become as honest and transparent and trusting as a little child unspoiled by the wickedness of the world. You'd be surprised how many people who claim to be believers are unconverted. In fact, the vast majority of them are not, and they do not come with the humility of little children because they are defiled and will not repent of it - they are too proud to be humble:

      "There shall by no means enter [the New Jerusalem] anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life" (Rev.21:27, NKJV).

    Three Questions for Repenters

    To answer the original question we must ask three others:

    • 1. What defiles?
    • 2. What causes an abomination? and
    • 3. What causes a lie?

    The Once Saved, Always Saved Mentality

    People of the 'Once Saved, Always Saved' (OSAS) crowd do not, as a rule, ask these questions because they believe it doesn't matter what they do after they are born again, as they suppose - they have, as they claim, 'eternal security'. And they certainly don't believe in graded salvation, let alone that there is such a thing as "greatest" or "least" in "the Kingdom of Heaven" even though Yah'shua (Jesus) contradicts them:

      "Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah (Law) or the Nevi'im (Prophets). I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Torah (Law) till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these mitzvot (commandments), and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt.5:17-19, NKJV).

    Graded Salvation

    And herein lies the problem - they are too proud to admit what Scripture says and unlike the little child which takes Yahweh's Davar (Word) at face value, they work hard to twist or explain that Davar (Word) away. That is not making teshuvah (repentance) - that is stubbornly clinging onto man-made tradition and the intractable arrogance of the flesh. Such do not enter the Kingdom. And are you actually hearing what Yah'shua (Jesus) is saying to the religious leaders of His day? He's saying that heaven is graded and that if you fail to obey the Torah, even though have trusted in Messiah by receiving Him, you will be least in the Kingdom. Why? Because your teshuvah (repentance) is not complete.

    Stubborn Refusal to Obey

    Remember what Yah'shua (Jesus) said after saying these things?

      "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Torah-teachers (scribes) and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt.5:20, NKJV).

    Will, you, then, continue stubbornly to refuse to obey the Torah in the face of such a crystal clear testimony from the Master? Will you still insist on continuing with your pagan traditions? And will you continue making excuses for doing so? What will it take to bring you to true submission? It may well be that the economic collapse, war, and dictatorship is being permitted for such as you.

    What's Your Particular Issue?

    Now I am not saying that Torah-obedient Messianics are the greatest and lawless Christians are the least in the Kingdom. Far from it. Messianics have their own basket of issues to deal with. They too suffer from pride and rebelliousness. There are many I know who are very cocky indeed and think they know it all. Though they would never admit it, many believe they are saved because of their superior Torah-knowledge and application and are all too willing to condemn Christians to hell for mispronouncing the Name of Deity. Some of them, at any rate. There are no 'righteous categories' based on confessions of faith. Righteousness is in the walk, not the talk. You can be like that rich young ruler who was perfect in everything but one - his love of money - and be excluded from the Kingdom. What's your particular issue?

    Self-Examination

    As I said at the beginning, it is so easy to believe that we are streaks ahead of where we really are. Do you believe that you "love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere emunah (faith)" (1 Tim.1:5, NKJV). Do you believe that this has to apply to you, in the face of the evidence of your behaviour and actions screaming the opposite, because some preacher has told you so based on some theological dogma? Why else would Paul say:

      "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the emunah (faith). Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) is in you? -- unless indeed you are disqualified" (2 Cor.13:5, NKJV).

    Can The Saved Be Disqualified from Heaven?

    Except by some convoluted reasoning, this makes no sense to the 'once saved, always saved' believer because by definition they cannot be disqualified - Messiah is in them no matter what. And if that is the case, why bother to examine or test yourself? How could one possibly be disqualified.

    Face it - believers can be disqualified precisely because Yah'shua (Jesus) isn't in them any longer because of their habitual and consistent disobedience.

    Remaining in Messiah In Spite of Sin

    I have been there myself too many times to be able to contradict Paul and hide in some false theology of self-justification. That's why we continue to need to make teshuvah (repentance) and be reminded of it annually. That is why we can never rest on our laurels. Does that mean that we must live in constant fear? By no means. Being in Yah'shua (Jesus) does not mean we are perfect. Being in Yah'shua (Jesus) does not mean we have stopped messing up. Being in Yah'shua (Jesus) means facing Him continually, repenting when we mess up, and continually "work[ing] out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil.2:12, NKJV). He does extend grace - lot of it, praise Yah, giving us time to make teshuvah (repentance), but it is not indefinite and we dare not exploit it because of laziness because one day that grace will be gone if we keep procrastinating. So make a choice - repent, do something about it. Plain and simple

    The Error of Protestantism

    The big error of Protestantism is in believing that salvation-past (the day we made our committment to Messiah and were born again) is the only kind of salvation there is (from whence comes the 'OSAS' doctrine) but as we see in 2 Corinthians 13:5 there is both salvation-present (making sure we have not been disqualified) and satvation-future (our final spiritual status when Messiah returns at Yom Teruah and judges mankind at the final Yom haKippurim), otherwise we wouldn't be required to keep working on it. There is not room for an inch of complacancy yet there is also freedom and shalom (peace) for those who keep facing and moving toward Yah'shua (Jesus). That is what it means to be living as a talmid (disciple), that is what it means to be overcoming sin (what else could it possible mean to be an "overcomer"?), that is what it means to remain saved. And that is what it means to have godly fear for:

      "The fear of Yahweh is His treasure" (Isa.33:6, NKJV).

    The Born Again Overcome the World

    Is anyone uunconvinced still? Perhaps, then, we need to let the Scriptures speak even more plainly to us. Are you born again? If you are, then you have a mandate from Heaven:

      "For whatever is born of Elohim (God) overcomes the world" (1 John 5:4a, NKJV).

    How Do We Overcome?

    If you are truly born again, then you overcome the world. How do you do this overcoming?

      "And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our emunch (faith)" (1 John 5:4b, NKJV).

    Biblical Faith is Not Passive

    I use the Hebrew word emunah because it means more than simply believing. Even the devils believe but are not saved, nor are they overcomers:

      "Even the demons believe -- and tremble!" (James 2:19, NKJV).

    Biblical "belief" or "faith" is much more than passive assent, for emunah is faith that leads to action! What are we to actually believe in and what action does that lead us to?

      "Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Yah'shua (Jesus) is the Son of Elohim (God)?" (1 John 5:5, NKJV).

    Faith Without Works is Dead

    The demons believe Yah'shua (Jesus) is the Son of Elohim (God) - indeed, they know it better than we do for they are witnesses of all heavenly transactions - but none of them are saved by that believing or knowing, because knowledge does not save. Knowledge salvation is called gnosticism and all other religions subscribe to it. We trust in Yah'shua (Jesus) and are saved but true emunah (faith, trusting) always leads to the good works that stem from obeying Torah - Yahweh's Law. That is the true response of emunah (faith). That is why the apostle James tells us that emunah (faith) without a response leading to action "works") is useless:

      "Know, O foolish man, that emunah (faith) without works (action) is dead" (James 2:20, NKJV).

    Seven Questions for Those Who Claim to Be Born Again

    Do you believe in being kind is the will of Yahweh? So do the demons. But are they kind? No. They believe but not unto salvation. Their emunah (faith) is empty. So be kind. And that goes for every mitzvah (commandment) of Torah. It's common sense yet you would be amazed how brainwashed Christians have become by their preachers. So let me ask you a series of questions to determine whether you have understood me thus far:

    • 1. Do you believe, because you are born again by faith in Yah'shua (Jesus), you are already, or one day will be, eating from the Tree of Life?
    • 2. Do you believe, because you are born again by faith in Yah'shua (Jesus), that you will not be hurt by the second death?
    • 3. Do you believe, because you are born again by faith in Yah'shua (Jesus), that you will one day be given some of Heaven's hidden manna to eat?
    • 4. Do you believe, because you are born again by faith in Yah'shua (Jesus), that you have been given power over the nations?
    • 5. Do you believe, because you are born again by faith in Yah'shua (Jesus), that you will be clothed in white garments in Heaven and will have your name inscribed in the Book of Life?
    • 6. Do you believe, because you are born again by faith in Yah'shua (Jesus), that you will become a pillar in the Temple of Yahweh and be forever with Him, receiving a New Name?
    • 7. Do you believe, because you are born again by faith in Yah'shua (Jesus), that you will inherit all things?

    Receiving Jesus and Saying the Sinner's Prayer

    I dare say if you are a Protestant that you believe in most if not all of these things. Because you received Jesus into your heart and said the sinner's prayer, accept the orthodox Creeds on the Trinity and related teachings, attend church, and are 'good' as you understand the word, that you will receive all the rewards of the faithful, even if you do not obey Yahweh's Torah fully.

    The Eight Overcomings

    Well if you believe that, you are greatly deceived, because the Scriptures declare all these beliefs to be false if you are claiming these rewards simply by believing in Messiah without obeying the mitzvot (commandments) and leaving a consecrated, qadosh (holy, set-apart) life. The Scriptures say otherwise and so we are going to read all seven of them. As we do, pleasae notice what links all these passages together, and then consider that that common denominator actually means:

    • 1. "To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of Elohim (God)" (Rev.2:7, NKJV);
    • 2. "He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death" (Rev.2:11, NKJV);
    • 3. "To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it" (Rev.2:17, NKJV);
    • 4. "He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations" (Rev.2:26, NKJV);
    • 5. "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His malakim (angels)" (Rev.3:5, NKJV);
    • 6. "He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My Elohim (God), and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My Elohim (God) and the name of the city of My Elohim (God), the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My Elohim (God). And I will write on him My new name" (Rev.3:12, NKJV);
    • 7. "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (Rev 3:21, NKJV); and
    • 8. "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his Elohim (God) and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Rev.21:7-8. NKJV).

    How Does One Overcome the World?

    What is the common denominator here? What kind of believer is Yah'shua (Jesus) speaking of whose rewards are detailed? "He who overcomes", which as we saw in 1 John refers to specifically overcoming "the world". What does it mean to "overcome the world"? It means to resist and defeat the temptation to break any and all of Yahweh's mitzvot (commandments) in Torah which Satan, and the world system over which he is prince [1], hate so vehemently. To overcome - to be an 'overcomer' - means to have full victory over the flesh, not just for its own sake, but so that we are freed to implement, through our obedience to Torah, the qodesh or holy divine lifestyle. When we repent from sin, we are not only turning away from ungodliness but we are also turning to godliness - to concrete, visible action. Now recall what the fourth of the passages I just read to you says we are liberated to do through our overcoming in the resurrection power of Messiah (for this is not possible in our own strength) - "He who overcomes, and keeps (or 'observes' - AENT; or 'guards' - ISRV) My works until the end..." (Rev.2:26a, NKJV). What does that mean? What does "keep[ing] [Yah'shua's/Jesus'] works"?

    Breaking the Power of the Nations

    The context of this passage is Psalm 2:

      "Ask of Me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron; you shall dash them into pieces like a potter's vessel" (Ps.2:8-9, HRV).

    Separating Yourself from the World System

    You cannot break the power of the nations over you, or their territorial demons from off your home and life, if you share in their spirit, ways and lifestyle. You have to be separate or set-apart. That is what qadosh or 'holy' means - to be separated from in spirit and behaviour, not following their traditions, calendar, holy days, eating habits, dress style, ethics, morality, and so on. Making teshuvah (repentance) includes doing that - completely, without compromise, no matter what the cost, albeit it with the wisdom of serpents and the harmlessness of doves (Mt.10:16). Scripture specifically tells us that toqef or authority is given to the overcomers to judge the nations - the same overcomers, incidentally, who have access to the Tree of Life, who will not be hurt by the second death, who are clothed in white garments, whose names are in the Book of Life, who become pillars in the Temple of Yahweh in the New Jerusalem, and so forth. What works do these believers guard, or keep or observe? The opposite that we find, amongst many others, recorded in the seventh passage which lists those who are excluded from the New Jerusalem: "the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars". Their fate is what? "The lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Rev.21:7-8, NKJV).

    Will You Wait Until Murderers Come to Your Door Before You Will Obey?

    Entrance to the Kingdom of our Elohim (God) is not, after all, as simple as getting a ticket to a fun fair, is it? Do you still not believe the testimony of the Davar Elohim (Word of God)? Or must you have some murderous thugs from the Islamic Caliphate intend on beheading you or raping your womenfolk and selling them into slavery, or even from your own government to put you into some FEMA Gulag and guillotine you, come to your doorstep one day before you will be persuaded of the emet (truth) of what you have not yet done but should have? Do you need further proof? We have seen Yah'shua's (Jesus') list of those who are disqualified - those whose salvation is annulled, if they ever really had any, but let's also look at the apostle Paul's list of those disqualified too - do you perhaps belong to one of the categories in that list as a Christian or a Messianic? Let's see:

      "Don't you know, that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of Elohim (God)? Make no mistake! Neither sexual sinners, not idol-worshippers, not adulterers, not the corrupt, nor men who lay down with other men, nor the oppressors, nor thieves, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, will inherit the Kingdom of Elohim (God)" (1 Cor.6:9-10, AENT).

    Categories of Sin and Different Torah Punishments

    Incidentally, none of these are of those category of sin that makes you "least" in the Kingdom that Yah'shua (Jesus) speaks of in Matthew 5:17-20, so don't try and kid yourself into believeing that you can get away with any of these and so hope to just scrape your way into Heaven. Torah teaches that there are different categories of sin with different punishments and what that means is that you can still get into Heaven if you trust in Yah'shua (Jesus) occupying its lowest places whilst committing one catgory of sin. But the other category of sin will exclude you altogether. And whilst I am not by any means encouraging you to be lax when it comes to that category of sin which will not exclude you from Heaven (which provision is by the grace or undeserved loving kindness of Elohim (God)) I most of all don't want you to fool yourself into believing, because of some false teaching of your church or messianic synagogue, that you can possibly hope to get by with any of the sins listed in 1 Cor.6:9-10 and elsewhere. By the way, that short list is not exhaustive or complete!

    You Must Study the Tanakh Too!

    So how are you going to know the emet (truth) about these things? By studying that much neglected book called the Tanakh (Old Testament) and in particular the Torah! When you do, you will be a lot more urgent and serious about your discipleship and the pursuit of Yahweh's righteousness, as Yah'shua (Jesus) was! You can, I would suggest, begin by studying the most serious category of sin meriting the death sentence and I promise you that you will be greatly surprised ... surprised to discover how your own standard of righteousness, fairness and justice differs from Yahweh's! I recommend you start with the 25 sins that lead to death because for one thing it will expose the lie your minister may have taught you that all sins merit death and are therefore equal. They don't! There are different categories of sin and therefore different penalties in the Kingdom of Elohim (God). Dare you not know what they are?

    The Category of Sin That Merits Death

    Let me share them with you now and if this does not shake you out of your complacency I do not know what will:

    • 1. Sacrificing to gods other than Yahweh (Ex.22:20; Lev.27:29);
    • 2. Child sacrifice to Molech - including abortion (Lev.20:1-5);
    • 3. Worshipping Baal Peor (Chemosh) - licentiousness (Num.25:1-9);
    • 4. False prophecy in Yahweh's Name (Dt.13:1-10; 17:2-7; 18:20-22);
    • 5. Necromancy - conjuring up the dead for information (Lev.20:27);
    • 6. Practicing witchcraft (Ex.22:17-18);
    • 7. Blasphemy (Lev.24:10-16);
    • 8. Sabbath-breaking (Ex.31:14; 35:2; Num.15:32-36);
    • 9. Countryside rape of a betrothed woman by a man (Dt.22:25-27);
    • 10. Urban consentual sex with a betrothed woman removing her virginity (Dt.23:23-24);
    • 11. Loss of virginity by a woman prior to marriage to someone other than her husband (Dt.22:13-21);
    • 12. Adultery (by a single or married man) with a married woman (Lev.20:10);
    • 13. Marrying your wife's mother (Lev.20:14);
    • 14. Incest, and specifically with your father's plural wife or daughter-in-law (Lev.20:11-12);
    • 15. Prostitution by the daughter of a cohen (priest) (Lev.21:9);
    • 16. Same sex activity between men (not, incidentally, between women) (Lev.20:13; 18:22);
    • 17. Bestiality - sex with animals (Ex.22:19; Lev.20:15-16);
    • 18. Murder (Gen.9:6; Ex.21:12-14; Lev.24:17-23; Num.35:9-34);
    • 19. Striking a parent (Ex.21:15);
    • 20. Cursing a parent (Ex.21:17; Lev.20:9);
    • 21. Persistent stubbornness and rebellion by a son (Dt.21:18-21);
    • 22. Kidnapping (Ex.21:16; Dt.24:7);
    • 23. Negligent homicide (Ex.21:28-32);
    • 24. Contempt of an authorised court of Yahweh (Dt.17:8-13);
    • 25. False witness to a capital crime (Dt.19:15-21).

    Repent and Change!

    If you are guilty of any of these sins, not having repented of them, you need to get flat down on your face in godly sorrow, make proper teshuvah (repentance), including restitution, and follow up the necessary permanent life adjustments to remain right with Yahweh and in your salvation-present. And if any voice accuses you of 'legalism', rebuke it and set it far from you. The heart is desperately wicked, feelings are not emet (truth) so don't trust your feelings if they contradict the Davar Elohim (Word of God):

      "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, Yahweh, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings" (Jer.17:9-10, NKJV).

    Yahweh is Merciful in the Days of Our Ignorance

    Yahweh is, of course, merciful, long-suffering and forgiving in the days of our ignorance, and expects us to be the same toward others without diluting the emet (truth) in any way. Most believers do not know what the biblical definition of adultery is, or fornication, for that matter. They follow man-made definitions. They do not know the difference between adultery and vow-breaking. Nor do they know what the true Sabbath day is, for example, and there yet remains considerable doubt as to whether an authorised court of Yahweh exists at the present for want of an authorised theocracy which has not existed for 2,000 years.

    Abysmal Ignorance About Yahweh's Sexual Laws

    Most do not know that male and female same-sex activity occupy different categories of sinning in Torah, the one leading to death and the other to a lesser place in the Kingdom of Elohim (God). Because men are heads and have privileges because of that, their judgment for some sins is stricter and harsher in Torah than for women. They are built differently too which is why women are much more sensitive and receptive to the Besorah (Gospel) than men and why far more women get saved than men. Torah takes this into account. That is why Paul is able to say:

      "The Torah (Law) is qadosh (holy, set-apart), and the mitzvah (commandment) is qadosh (holy, set-apart), righteous and tov (good)" (Rom.7:12, NIV).

    Single Women Cannot Commit Adultery

    The accusation by unbelievers and unsaved lawless believers that the Tanakh and Paul are mysogenous (women-haters) is thus proven to be a lie for Yahweh balances all things out in perfect fairness to both genders. Did you know that according to Torah a single woman cannot ever commit adultery, which is a sin that leads to death? No single woman was ever executed for adultery in the true Heavenly Order! But she can be the instrument of causing a man to break his monogamy-only marriage vows and cause him, and herself, to occupy a lower position in Heaven if there is not proper teshuvah (repentance).

    You Cannot Repent Without Knowing What Sin Is

    Because of ignorance of Torah, Yahweh's Divine Standard by which all sin is judged (and not just because we 'feel' something is wrong), Christians are wrongly judging others and blaspheming the Davar (Word). How can you overcome a sin if you don't know what sin is, or if you judge by human reason something to be a sin when it is not? That is why we do not judge those in our congregations in Africa or elsewhere who live polygamy because Torah nowhere declares it to be a sin or ascribes a punishment for its practice as it does for all true sins. But we do judge those men who entered monogamy-only covenants with their wives and then break them in order to live that lifestyle because Torah does not allow them to do that.

    Know Yahweh's True Order: Do Not Judge Unrighteously

    We need to know the order of Yah's Kingdom if we are not to fall into serious sin ourselves, for as Torah teaches, if we judge someone to be a sinner when he has not committed a sin, and accuse him before the Elders, we receive the punishment as if we had sinned ourselves! And if that is true in the Final Judgment, then we should greatly fear to accuse someone of sin if they are not guilty. Therefore we must exercise extreme caution and why Yah'shua (Jesus) warned His talmidim (disciples):

      "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven" (Luke 6:37, NKJV).

      "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment" (John 7:24, NKJV).

    You May Need to Make Huge Readjustments

    However, most of these mitzvot (laws) are common sense and are not easy to misunderstand. One thing that I do know is this: once you start taking Yahweh's Davar (Word) seriously you will be making a lot of re-adjustments to your thinking, feeling and behaviour. Things you thought were of no consequence (like cursing your parents) will take on a different dimension in your conscience as you plant, water and nourish the Davar (Word) in your mind and heart through developping new patterns of behaviour in your life, and other things which you thought were serious sins may turn out to be in a lesser category. You will be in for some surprises and there will be a lot of overcoming, through prayer and fasting as necessary, of wrong thinking and feeling. But you have got to work hard and do your Scriptural homework thoroughly. Find genuine overcomers - the doers rather than the talkers - and learn from them. The bottom line will remain, though - will you trust your religious tradition or your personal feelings more than the Davar Elohim (God) or not?

    Paul and Torah

    As you make these adjustments, dismissing the lies you have been taught, your whole perspective of Yahweh, Yah'shua (Jesus), the Besorah (Gospel) and of making teshuvah (repentance) will dramatically change. Lies distort and destroy our perception of emet (truth), sometimes creating false guilt in the bargain, sometimes causing the one thus deceived to deny true guilt and live a lie of self-justification. That is why Paul, correctly interpreting the Torah, says that liars cannot enter the Kingdom of Elohim (God). All he and the other apostles do is amplify or underline Heavenly Father's Law. And that is all any of us can rightly do.

    Conclusion

    Whatever sin or sins you may be dealing with, especially if they are new onces you knew nothing about because you never learned Torah properly, know that Yah'shua (Jesus) is not only able to save, but that He is able to "save to the uttermost":

      "He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to Elohim (God) through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Heb.7:25, NKJV).

    We have a faithful Saviour who does a better job at putting human lives right than we ever could. We need only confess to Him, genuinely make teshuvah (repent), and He will wash our sins and guilt away and fill us with the simcha (joy) of His Ruach (Spirit). Amen

    Continued in Part 9

    Endnotes

    [1] John 12:31; 14:20; 16:11

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