It’s one book, not two or sixty-six, it is a three act play in which the beginning is also the end. It’s one continuous story of redemption, of hope, pointing to a time to come that goes beyond anything we could ever imagine. It’s a love story, it’s an adventure novel, it’s a history book, it’s a prophetic look into the future. It is a collection of writing by many authors but inspired by the same Spirit. It should be read as if it was written to you and your family from your dad. Because, every word of it, was inspired by your Heavenly Father. It is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. It is intended to equip you so that you can be competent in all that the Father has for you.

That page that is found between Malachi and Matthew that says, “New Testament”, rip it out. It has done more harm to the body of Messiah than any other page in your Bible. Not because there isn’t a new or renewed covenant. Because of the separation it has caused the church from Elohim’s people and the covenant. It has put up a dividing line on both sides. There is one God, one story, and one people, one covenant and one way to enter in.

The law of sin and death, death for sin, has been done away with for those who are in Messiah. It is not a license to sin but rather the removal of a sacrifice for sin. Since by one mans death and resurrection the debt of sin has been paid. Repentance, however, has always been and still is a returning to God’s ways. A return to the Fathers instruction. The door remains the same Yahoshua, the Word made flesh is that door. Obedience to the Word, obedience to Yahoshua, is obedience to the Father.

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Messiah Yahoshua were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Messiah was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:1-4

What is sin? Sin as defined by the Apostle John is violation of the Torah. We read in 1 John 3:4 exactly what sin is: “Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.” Again as we have discussed in previous posts the word law is better translated Torah or instruction. Thus lawlessness is being without Torah or without the instruction of God. If this wasn’t enough what does John go on to say in this passage?

“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.“

The word righteousness means; ‘The things commanded by God to be obeyed by man.’ Whoever practices obedience then is righteous and those who do not are without instruction. They are practicing lawlessness. The very thing Yahoshua accused the Pharisees of doing when He said, “you are of your father the devil.” Why? Because they had added to and taken away from the instructions of God. They were putting on the appearance of walking in Torah but it was a show as they were more concerned with their own ways than that of God’s. Indeed they were practicing lawlessness and therefore were of the devil.

So one must ask themselves, “what exactly am I practicing?” If repentance is turning from sin and sin is the breaking of Torah. Then one turns from breaking Torah to following it. This is repentance. It is not legalism to be obedient, to seek out those things God delights in and do them. That label is given by hypocrites who in the same breath will say one should obey God. In the end when Yahoshua is separating His people from those that are not he will say to many, “Depart from Me, I never knew you. You who practice lawlessness.”

What are you practicing? How are you reading? Who are you following? Who are you listening to? These are important questions that only you can answer. And you need to answer them because if you call yourself a believer but are following the traditions of man over the instruction of God . . . things will not end well. Are you walking the Way of the Rabbi?

You are loved,
cj