The summer between my 2nd and 3rd grade year for my birthday my parents bought me a BMX bike. I have written about my bike in this post from 2020, “me and my bike.” It is the greatest gift given to me in the classical definition. However, there is a gift that isn’t money, it isn’t material, it isn’t something you can buy, or sell. It is free, it is available to everyone, it requires only faith.

“Now faith is the assurance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we do not see. This is why the ancients were commended. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command. So that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Hebrews 11:1-3

Faith, by definition is more than belief, it is action. Because one believes in the promises of God, they do. This is where we get the Hall of Faith. Hebrews chapter eleven is our launch point for truly understanding faith. Without knowing what faith truly is it is easy to have a stale belief, pretending to be faith.

We can read how by faith Abel did, by faith Enoch did, by faith Noah did, by faith Abraham did. On and on throughout the Word of Elohim it is the same, by faith the people of Elohim did. The greatest gift of all is the realization that my faith is alive when I do. In other words, I know I have faith because I did that which God commanded. I believed in such a way that I committed myself to action. The gift of faith comes with salvation.

For many salvation means that they no longer have to do, just have faith. But what faith does nothing? Look at the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25. The one who hid his talents earned nothing and in the end lost everything. Yet the two that did, received. So many throw around the word grace, as if it means, license to sin. It doesn’t mean that at all. What grace and its counterpart mercy mean is that the curse of the law was nailed to the cross. This curse was death. Eternal separation from God.

Look at the guy who broke the command of the Sabbath and picked up sticks. He was taken outside the camp and stoned to death. I just read the story of Achan in Joshua 7. “Yahweh said to Joshua, ‘Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.”

In the end it was found out that Achan took these things and hid them in his tent. According to the covenant, he was to be put to death, and he was. “And Joshua and all Israel with him took Achan the son of Zerah. Along with the silver and the cloak and the bar of gold. They also took his sons and daughters. Even his oxen and donkeys and sheep and his tent and all that he had. And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor. And Joshua said, ‘Why did you bring trouble on us? Yahweh brings trouble on you today.’ And all Israel stoned him with stones. They burned them with fire and stoned them with stones.“

The covenant required this of those who transgressed the law. The new covenant isn’t lawless, and it isn’t without penalty. What it has is grace and mercy. No longer is it just a law written on tablets but now it is written on the heart. The commandments stay the same, and faith remains the same, by faith we do. You cannot call yourself a believer in Yahoshua (Jesus), and not do. That was James’ point when he said, “You show me your faith by what you say. I will show you my faith by what I do. For faith without works is dead.”

Yahoshua said, “Why do you call Me Master, Master, and not do what I have commanded?” Yahoshua is the Word made flesh. He is the Torah scroll. On the road to Emmaus recorded in Luke Yahoshua starts at the beginning of the Word. He points out all the places He was present. Confirming the things that must happen and in fact did happen. That He was the Messiah. Then their hearts were open and they recognized Him. They recognized Him the person and the letter. He became complete for them and their passion for living by faith grew. By faith now they did.

This is the call of the believer today. By faith do knowing that the penalty of your sin has been paid. It doesn’t absolve you from living by faith and doing the commands of Yahweh. Show me your faith by your actions. If you believe in Yahoshua, the Son of God, do His commandments. Honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy. After all it is the only commandment that says REMEMBER. But besides the Sabbath, what commandments within the covenant can we honor today? Those you should do, by faith. This is the way of the rabbi.

By faith do,
You are loved,
cj