Paul’s Laws
and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:30 NASB
Saved – Virtually every evangelical believer knows this passage. The Roman jailer is ready to kill himself because an earthquake has opened the prison doors and he assumes that all the prisoners have escaped. But Paul shouts out, “We are all here.” The jailer is dumbfounded. Why would these men stay when they could have been free? Nonplussed, he brings Paul and Silas out of prison and asks the fateful question. We naturally think that this is a question of spiritual significance. We interpret his inquiry as if he were just given a copy of the Four Spiritual Laws. We expect him to recite the sinner’s prayer and shout, “Hallelujah, Jesus forgives me.” But I think we are overlooking the actual context of this story – and the implications that go with it.
First, the Greek verb used in the jailer’s question is sozo. It does not mean spiritual salvation. It is not about getting to heaven, being forgiven or applying the blood of the Lamb. It is a straightforward request to be delivered from danger. In its typical use in Greek, this word is about being made safe, being rescued or being preserved from some immediate threat to life and limb. I doubt that the jailer had any thought at all about his eternal soul. He was worried about one paramount thing – the imminent threat of punishment that would result from his failure to keep the prison locked up.
In this regard, it’s important to notice that the jailer asks, “What must I do?” not “What must I believe?” The text uses the verb poieo, “to act, to perform.” From his perspective, some action must be taken to avoid punishment. He has to take steps. He just doesn’t understand what those steps are. When we read this verse as if it is a request for theological understanding or spiritual direction, we import our evangelical interpretation into the passage. As far as I can see, no such thought crosses this man’s mind.
But that doesn’t mean Paul doesn’t take advantage of the ambiguity in his question. Does Paul convert the question about immediate safety into a question about eternal destiny? We would like to think so, but I am not so sure. Paul’s answer is once again an action statement. Paul doesn’t tell this distraught man to believe as we understand believe. Paul is not saying that he needs to recite the sinner’s prayer and everything will be fine. For Paul, believing is not a cognitive affirmation. It is a complete shift of paradigm to a new way of living. To believe is to do something, not just think something. This is precisely what the jailer is asking. “What should I do?” Paul answers, “Become an active follower of the King.” Change your life, not just your thoughts.
Oh, and by the way, changing the jailer’s life does not remove the threat of punishment. It simply re-prioritizes the consequences. The world happens. The question is not escaping the consequences but rather learning how to deal with them differently.
Paul may convert the jailer’s naïve question into an opportunity to speak about the good news, but that doesn’t mean Paul offers this man his version of the Four Spiritual Laws. Life probably will not improve for the jailer. God’s wonderful plan most likely includes accepting some very harsh realities. But if Paul is right, everything changes even if the consequences stay the same. Maybe that’s why Paul can include the entire household in the offer of rescue.
What did you expect when you asked to be rescued? Did God use your naivety to draw you in? Did you think salvation meant escape? Or did you realize that deliverance changed the perspective of the outcome, not necessarily the actual events?
Topical Index: saved, sozo, Acts 16:30
The answer is: (D) “All of the above” He has given unto us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness”
He that spared not His own Son but delivered Him up for us all – how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
G-d is “both” a Lover and a Giver. G-d “SO” loved the world.. G-d so loved..- He gave. And what did He give? His very best. We have no clue concerning Calvary. Calvary was not plan B. The cross, the tslav, the execution stake of the Messiah was not an “uh-oh”. G-d did not nor does not “err.” The cross was (and is) central, crucial to our redemption, -our deliverance- our salvation.
Let’s head straight for “sozo”. Sozo right here- right now. Sozo today. Will G-d show up? (Have we become blind to our blessings?) Sozo “in the midst” of us- not only “there” in the sweet by and by, but “here” in the nasty now and now. Sozo in the lion’s den. Was Daniel “delivered?” Sozo when Abraham offered Isaac- did G-d provide the Sacrifice? Sozo again and again as the children of Elohim crossed journeyed through the desert- Did G-d “save”/deliver them? Where they given food to eat and water to drink? Did YHWH care for them?- or have we forgotten just as those sheep did?
Let’s dissect sozo down to the (numbered)hairs on our heads. Sir, Madam.. – what must I do to be “saved?” Tell me. The prison doors are open and no one has left the building- Why?
Right before I was saved, almost 27 years ago, I had been deeply involved in the occult. I was a tormented soul, and unable to get a good night’s sleep. Continually, bad things happened in my life. I had “stumbled” into a charismatic Episcopal church renewal conference with sound Biblical teaching. After listening for two days I accepted Jesus as Lord and savior to see if He could stop the torment and give me sleep. He did.
Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight
Rolls a melody sweeter than psalm;
In celestial-like strains it unceasingly falls
O’er my soul like an infinite calm.
Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love!
What a treasure I have in this wonderful peace,
Buried deep in the heart of my soul,
So secure that no power can mine it away,
While the years of eternity roll!
Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love!
I am resting (right now) in this wonderful peace,
Resting sweetly in Jesus’ control;
For I’m kept from all danger by night and by day,
And His glory is flooding my soul!
Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love!
And I think when I rise to that city of peace,
Where the Anchor of peace I shall see,
That one strain of the song which the ransomed will sing
In that heavenly kingdom will be:
Peace, peace, wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love!
Ah, soul! are you here without comfort and rest,
Marching down the rough pathway of time?
Make Jesus your Friend ere the shadows grow dark;
O accept this sweet peace so sublime!
Peace, peace, -wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above!
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love!
“What must “I” do to be saved? An excellent question. One of the top five questions asked in our Bible. -And the answer is?.. (Not “do”, but “done”.) In His words: “it is finished..” Accomplished, -“paid in full.”
All the worlds religions except for one want to know this: “what must I do to be saved?” to earn my ticket.. So, you want to buy me a Lamborghini?- Here, let me help.. here’s five dollars. lol!
No, salvation is the gift of G-d. Anything from me and salvation would no longer qualify for a gift. Salvation/deliverance is not spelled “do” -it is spelled “done.”
Nothing in my hands I bring.. -simply to Thy cross I cling. These for sin could not atone- Thou must save- and Thou alone. Salvation is free, but far from cheap. Consider the price that was paid for our deliverance. It only bankrupted Heaven is all..
So tell me too Paul, ..Silas,- what must I do to be saved? And what is this “saved” stuff anyway? Saved from what? – shall we start a list? It’s going to be a long one- I assure you.. “So great salvation” – we don’t know the tenth of it..
Saved from the penalty of sin. Saved from the power of sin. Saved from the presence of sin. (we may have to wait awhile for this one..) “He saved others- Himself He cannot save..”- truer words were never spoken. “Behold, the Lamb..” -“this blood is for you”
Carl, just replied with thanks, and much more, but it did not go, said that I had sent it twice, but had not— so will not try to rewrite it. be blessed today. shalom L.B.
Thank you LaVaye.. let us together join our voices with this choir..-in praises to our King!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8UiNxJk_
Hi Skip
Often you tell us what the Greek word was and usually tell us what the Hebrew word would mean, showing us where the Greek word used was wrong. You didn’t do that here so are you saying the Greek word sozo. Why could not the jailer have been responding to the supernatural experience of the jail doors being unlocked in answer to the the prayer and praise that was given while Paul & Silus were there. He knew who they were and what they believed in. He may even have heard THE message of the finished work of the cross. Isn’t that what Yeshua commanded them to go and do ! How can you assume he just wanted to be delivered from immediate trouble.and your perception. That is not why all of us come to the Lord.
Sometimes I feel that through your writings you are trying to clear out any assemblence e of ‘Christianity’ almost like Constatine (spelling) tried to rid all assemblence to the Jews. I know it’s not that extreme but it seems so at times. You find so much wrong with it.
We can be so busy doing and performing we have no time to ‘be with Him’ It is THE most wonderful thing ! When we spend time with Him he then tells us what to do in the now
Of course this is just ‘my’ sense of it all . I am not good at expressing it well and there is so much more I have inside . I do know He loves me….sigh
Yes Carl “Behold the Lamb”
Sorry for the typo’s, don’t have spell check on this or a proof reader 🙂
Hi Judith,
I hear what you are saying. Usually the Greek differences result from treating the Greek as if it has classical meaning rather than understanding it from an Hebraic (LXX) point of view. Most scholars understand this and do a good job of pointing out the differences. But ordinary believers are not so astute. Furthermore, since our language is heavily influenced by Greek thought, we often assume that the Greek words have a meaning that we would attach to them. We remove the first century context and read the text as if the assumptions are the ones that we understand. So, we read “save” (sozo) as if it is about eternal, spiritual salvation. But that is not the way the word is used in the first century. In the common language of the time, the Greek term would not usually be associated with “eternal salvation”, especially by a pagan, Roman jailer. Yes, it is possible that he heard the gospel. Yes, it is possible that he knew the offenses that Paul and his companions were accused of. But the text doesn’t give us any reason to believe this. So we should pay attention to the way sozo is used in the common parlance of the day. And that means we need to understand it first as a cry for immediate help. In fact, this is the way the Jews would also think about the word. Sozo as spiritual salvation only comes into common usage sometime after the gospel message begins to affect the culture. Even today Jews would respond to “saved” as “saved from imminent threat.
I know that often I go out of my way to express the considerable differences between the Hebraic thought patterns and the Greek patterns. I do this because so much of what we take for granted as elements of Christian theology is really not founded in Hebraic thinking. It is the result of an accumulation of Hellenization over the centuries. My doctoral work demonstrates that even doctrines as critical as omniscience are, in their present Christian form, the result of the incorporation of Greek philosophical thinking. I don’t mean to suggest that there is nothing good in the Greek text. Obviously, Paul wrote in Greek. But I want us to realize that Paul THOUGHT in Hebrew and that until we can read the text with that perspective, we will probably not understand what he is saying. This passage with the jailer is a typical example. We ASSUME that the jailer is asking an evangelical salvation question, but that assumption isn’t grounded in how a Roman jailer would think. Paul reinterprets the question so that it is directed toward spiritual salvation, but the jailer probably wasn’t thinking about that at all. He is a pagan. His perspective is pagan Rome. He uses a word in his language that would have meant, “Tell me how to escape the immediate threat before me?”
Thank you for replying Skip, however the more it is explained , somehow the more confusing it seems to get ! I don’t know that He wants me this confused 🙁 Not your fault, I don’t think 🙂
I can’t believe the simplicity of the Good News has become so complex. I sure am glad to know what I have been save from !
Precious Judith, I have read your concerns and questions above, and I want to bring some comfort to you. We are all at such different stages, just as God so thoughtful gave us a different thumb-print, we have such different backgrounds, and think & move in unique ways. Example, did you read the comment above from Robin Jeep? Please do so, I had planned to write her, but saw your heartfelt cry to Skip, and stopped to pray over what I should write to you, and when I looked again at the script, Skip had written, I was glad that he took the time to explain with his understanding again, but since you were still in anguish–and I am thankful that you would write/speak that so well. I decided to write to you.
But back to Robin above, another woman that has written several times through the past years, and I see her as truly very unique in her walk with the Heavenly Father. She wrote so bodly above about being involved in an occult, could not sleep, tormented,— and other sad things, some she has written in the past. But she does not hesitate on this teaching to say that she “just happen to come to a group of Charismatic Episcopalian with sound Bible teaching 27 years ago. and she got “saved”. We never know how God will move, and how people will react. Perfect Hebrew or Greek meanings do not stop the “Great I Am”!
— Wow, my husband & I too ran into some of those Episcopalians in Houston about 40 years ago at a church named the Redeemer– I mean people right and left were being “saved”, changed totally, and many were real hoodlums— they rode their motorcycles to church on Sat. night, came in one night to sit by us and our 18 year old daughter was visibly close. I started to ask my husband to change places with her, before I could do that though, the guys took their helments off, whisked out their Bibles and began singing songs of worship! The Guidepost named that Church the Church of the Year— way back during that time. The church group itself went through many transformations through the years.—- Some Charismatic Churches have stayed fairly Biblically correct, but MANY OF THEM HAVE TOTALLY DISTORTED THE BIBLE! But that does not change what God did for people through them when they were indeed walking with Him! Just wanted to point out the great witness above from Robin, she was unashamed to write that. May the Lord continue to give you shalom Robin!
Then I checked this entire chapter of Acts 16, with three different versions of the Bible, including one that is special to me because a woman led the way in the translation from the Hebrew and Greek, along with a Foundation, a committe, and a publisher. It is the Amplified Bible, Expanded translation.—- In the preface, it partially says, ” The Amplified Bible is not an attempt to duplicate what has already been achieved, nor is it intended to be a substitute for other translations. Its genius lies lies in its rigorous attemp to go beyond the traditional “word for word” concept of translation to bring out the richness of the Hebrew and Greek languages.”——— and it agrees with all the other regular translations on Acts 16.
If
you continue reading the chapter– it ends up with a glowing ending— with the jailer washing their wounds, binding them up and family preparing a meal for the. Then they were baptised.
So think on these things, and remember that Skip’s voice is only one of many that knows and teaches Hebrew and Greek. See God gave each one of us a brain and it takes lots of hours of studying, experiences in living, to come to what we believe, and many people are involved in that. Skip does seem at times to hammer down his way very hard, but it is his Web site, and he even gives us the privelege of writing and voicing our thoughts on his topics, and many other things too! I have things printed from his teachings back to 2003, and he too has changed his way of writing.– People change their views and we will be challenged by that, so we must study and be sure of what we have allowed the Lord to work in us, so that we will not fall away.
Forty years ago, I began to learn to listen ,(read) carefully, evaluate, ask God to show me, if I really needed to know, and if not just ignore it. Not to get too upset about it. I have done polls with students, and asked how they passed test with teachers that they totally disagreed with. Everyone said something like, “Oh, I just repeat what they want to hear, and then forget it as soon as I pass the class and get out of there!”
And I hope Skip will forgive me for this one, but I think I recall a few years ago that he wrote that his wife, Roseanne even stated that she was having a hard time following his teachings. If you have two people together, they will disagree on some things. We are so blessed in our land to be able at this point, to speak our own thoughts on the Bible.
May God continue to greatly bless you as another valuable woman in His Kingdom in every area of your life. Shalom, God’s Peace. LaVaye Billings–
Thank you LaVayne !!!!!!
Sorry, spelling again….. LaVaye
By the way , the Amplified has always been my favorite one to help me understand the Word as it expresses so much
Thanks LaVaye. You have reminded me of my own journey. It has been a long and difficult one.
The problem is not the good news. It is the audience. We do not live in the first century, Jewish-Roman culture, with a Jewish history and assumptions. We don’t live in a pagan polytheism as blatant as Rome. We don’t think or speak in the metaphors of the biblical languages. So, we have to WORK at understanding sentences that are NOT written for us. We are the foreigners here, the outsiders. If we want to know what these men are saying, we much enter THEIR world. We cannot expect them to write in OUR language patterns or meanings. That’s all. It’s not complicated. It’s just different. If you begin to interpret the Bible as if the words used always have the same meanings as the words in your modern dictionary, you will certainly make mistakes.
Thanks again Skip I will check the link you sent
Right now I have an honest to goodness headache ! 🙂
Shalom
Sorry
Incomplete…..the Greek word sozo is correct and no other meaning in Hebrew
Judith Jeffries,
Thanks for taking the time to post your comments today. The journey I have had with the body of Messiah has been a long and ardous one. I have had moments of incredible beauty and intimacy with the members of Messiah, and I feel like I have seen and touched the heart of the Father in those relationships…. but alas I feel far from home.
I do not do the SMW thing, but I do meet weekly (for the most part) with a small group of brothers and sisters. I found myself in a church service this morning….. this had not taken place for over a year and I was very grieved at the message. The minister talked about grace and he used that word over and over and over and over. I am totally in awe of His magnificiant grace, and I know it is through His total move toward me in the power of the Holy Spirit and the revelation of the person and finished work of the Son, that I have hope and am no longer a stranger! Because of this, I want to be His vessel of light to the world and desire His work to be completed in me. Yet, I did not understand why this minister felt it necessary to continually use this word grace over and over. Maybe we are from differnt planets and we do not share the same orbit, or maybe we are just sending very different signals.
Reflecting this back to what you wrote in relationship to your comments on sozo, and that the standard understanding of this particular passage within a lot of evangelical churches would be that the centurion was asking how to saved from his sins (I disagree with this reading into the text). The journey of bibical understanding is exciting when you begin to view it from its own native ground. We may be uncomfortable with some of the results and conclusions that it brings to the text and our understanding, but that is okay. We are called not to be comfortable, rather, we are called to be discipes and be conformed to our great Master and King.
I believe grace is another word that has been stripped from its cultural milieu and therefore is misused, abused, and possibly errected as an idol within the body of Messiah! I know I might be on shaky ground here and I am willing to be corrected on my conclusion.
I hope I did not muddy up the waters here for you and did not get off the heart of what you were trying to communicate. I am reflecting and writing on my own experience with today and trying to flow within that context and reflect some light on your journey. May our lives be lived out reflecting the power and presence of the advancing kingdom of our King! In His Care, Brian
Hi Brian My first attempt to reply to you got lost so I will try again
Thank you for taking the time to respond
I too have walked a long walk of 34 years with THE WAY.THE TRUTH and THE LIFE. He is faithful and has kept me on the right path and will continue to do so.
Again thank you for sharing from’your heart’
Shalom and thanks to all that replied and are praying
Be glad , this second sending is shorter than the first 🙂
Magnificent and different is how they should have been written out in my comments to you Judith. Sorry, it was a very long day and still struggling with long term illness.
Thank you to all who prayed for my daughter. She is doing very well! Praise Yah!
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free…” (Galatians 5.1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7eZD3TKn_M&ob=av2e
Dear brother Brian- were it not for grace… then what? “For The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Yeshua The Messiah.” (John 1.17)
Here is my proposal. I am Mephibosheth. (Remember him?) Many moons ago, this is the young lad who was invited to sit at the King’s table. Why?- Because David remembered. David the King remembered the blood-covenant he and his covenant-friend Jonathan had made. Mephibosheth brought nothing to the table (so to speak) other than to be born into the right family. I too, have been born into the right family..- the family of G-d. G-d is now “my Father” and I am His son. I have been adopted into the covenant promises of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the G-d I know and love is the very same ONE who loves me with a love I am only beginning to fathom. I am beginning to see the purpose of eternity- it will take us (finite-minded creatures) an eternity to begin to know Him. Heaven, I believe, will be an eternal surprise and every moment will be a “wow!” No more leftovers and we will not have the same thing for breakfast twice! (eye has not seen neither ear heard what YHWH has in store for them who love Him). And speaking of “loving G-d”- what were His instructions? “If you love me.. (demonstrate this love) by keeping my commandments”- All of them. And there are more than “the ten!” I will not be a “disgrace to grace” and continue to live in sin. Why should I? Sin is stupid. Sin, (as brother Skip has pointed out – is a form of insanity) Oh, how I agree! – And the beautiful thing is- I now have a choice. I may choose not to sin. I may choose to obey my Father (whom I love and Who loves me) or I may rebel against Him and place my hand upon the hot stove. (ouch!) Sin is destructive. Body, soul and spirit- sin destroys. Sin separates. Death is the ultimate separation, but we see this separation,isolation, ruination (the evidence of sin) all around us- every day.
And we have been instructed to be holy in our everyday living. “Be holy for I am holy.” Like Father- like son. My (new) desire is to be holy and to please my Father in words, thoughts and action. (Yes, brother Skip “in action”) – “doing” the will of the Father. It please our Father when we love one another, and when we speak the truth in love. Yeshua went about “doing good.” So should we. We follow Him, loving as He loved. This love (this agape love) is not “natural” or native to me. One of the first words to proceed out of my mouth (other than “McDonalds”) was “mine.” I was born selfish, (falsely, erroneously) thinking the world revolves around me. Surprise, surprise- it does not.
But I now know Who is the center.. I now know Who is the compass. I now know Who is “in control. I now know Who upholds all things by the word of His power- (and the power of His word!). “It is the LORD.” Amen.
I have no problem with grace. Grace is (absolutely) “amazing.” And friends.. I have no problem with Law either. It is not “either/or”- it is both. Grace and Law fit together like a hand in a glove. “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” Shall we continue? Where would any of us be without the word(s) of G-d? -Lost and living in the land of Lodebar. Wandering sheep- looking for pasture. Eating tin cans with the devil’s billy goats. Strangers to the life (and covenant!) of promise.
And prayer!- Oh were it not for grace-would the veil of the temple been torn in two from top to bottom? We “all” have access to the Father! What a privilege to carry everything to G-d in prayer. When you pray, say “our Father!” (I’d better stop here..-I’m starting to wiggle!) I might have a little of that charismatic “juice” in me. -lol!
TO ALL WHO CHOOSE TO READ, JUDITH– ON THE SPELLING CHECK, I HAVE ” NEW–BUT USED” COMPUTER PARTS/PROGRAMS. I LOST EVERYTHING TWICE THE PAST FEW MONTHS–NO BACK-UPS. BUT AFTER THE LAST CRASH, WHEN I WAS ABLE TO GET BACK ON E-MAIL, I FOUND THAT MY SPELLING CHECK WAS IN ARABIC— i truly thought i could be going crazy, when i ran into an Arabic spelling check.
TWO “EXPERTS” AT SEPERATE TIMES, HELPED ME SEE IF THERE WAS AN OPTION FOR ENGLISH, AND THERE IS NONE! SO IT IS TURNED OFF COMPLETELY. Add to that, WHEN I AM WRITING WITHOUT CAPITAL LETTERS AS NOW, I CAN BARELY SEE WHAT IS ON THE PAGE– I DISLIKE WRITing IN CAPITAL LETTERS, IT SEEMS I AM YELLING AT EVERYONE.
So you may be better off not having a spelling check than trying to do one in ARABIC–ONE OF THE ZILLIONS OF UNBEIVEABLE CRAZIEST THINGS GOING ON TODAY IN THIS OUR CULTURE! Rest and peace– a remarkable way for the Lord God to heal us! L.B.
Brother Carl Roberts,
G-d’s grace has been mega revealed in the life, death, and resurrection of our Messiah, and I continually look to this for my redemption. Because of this grace, I am no longer estranged from Him and the commonwealth of Israel. Also, I am reconnected in a redemptive way to others, myself, and His creation. I fully with my words and deeds bow to the Lordship of King Yeshua. The Ruach HaKodesh has sealed me for the promise day of full redemption, and His presence within me and His power upon me, and through my active obedience shows the world the reality of the G-d of Israel.
The giving of His instructions on Mount Sinai is also a revelation of His grace. This is what grieved me this past Sunday in the minister continual use of the word grace over and over.
It seems to me that the Christian world have no problem embracing His grace for their salvation, and yet refusing to be instructed by the same grace revealed in His commands and teachings. Bowing down to the concept of grace, instead of voluntarily submitting to the ways of the King and His kingdom. Accepting His life for their salvation, but refusing to conform to the way He lived.
Falsely interpreting Yeshua’s words Matthew 5, “I did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but fulfill them” that fulfill here means from the point of view of Yeshua’s death and resurrection, done away with. Instead of allowing the immediacy and the incredible importance of His disciples rightly knowing the full intention of the Law, and by this, producing the good works that will bring salt and light to this world and glory to their Father. Plus, all they need to do to know that the law has not been done away with is by Yeshua’s continual words in Matthew 5 concerning the Law, “For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
Teaching that Paul’s view of the Law, that it has been done away and replaced with with the Spirit of the Life in Christ (Romans 8:1-2), has no historical validity or strength. Refusing to take a fresh look at the context of Paul’s letters and asking all the right hermeneutical questions.
There is an intense fear within certain Christian circles of the Father’s instructions. For myself, I grew up in a home where I so longed for my dad’s consistent teaching, instructions, and discipline. I did not receive this basic and fundamental necessity, and because of this it created a lot of turmoil and gaps in my life. The Torah of my Father fills this gap.
The Torah is the instruction manual on how to love vertically and horizontally in fullness. Where men and women have failed to live out this fullness of love as instructed and commanded in Torah, Yeshua has demonstrated to the finest detail and fullest expression! He is my example and He lives in me by His Spirit.
G-d will always have a remnant that will stand in the gap for the rest of the body of Messiah, and this remnant will be a blessing and a beacon of light to the nations. The King is faithful and True!
In His Care, Brian
Brian, – nothing to add to this my dear brother- other than an “amein” and a Hallelujah!
Brian,
I never went to church until age 23. I am an 80 year old who became a singing cowboy entertainer, horseman, and trick-roper on radio and stage at age 18. At 23 I gave up showbiz and became a husband/father, professional engineer, church leader, lay-preacher, award-winning author, and book publisher.
Since giving myself to God at age 20, in solitude reading a tiny Gideon bible, He has never led me into a mandatory torah life. I went through intense spiritual and emotional legalistic turmoil 40 years ago and came out the other side believing this, “The letter of the law brings death, but the spirit of the law gives life.”
But what do I know?
I’m just an ole’ time cowboy author who still performs trick-roping at my book signings. It’s a good thing God heard my youthful prayer, “Now I wish upon a star…” because it’s the only aspiration I recited growing up on a farm in Ohio during the great depression. I’m looking forward to 40 more years of serving the Lord and enjoying the fruits of the Spirit. If this makes you curious about my spiritual journey so far, take a look at: http://www.caipublishing.net
With warm regards, Bill Cummins
Brother William A. Cummins,
Shalom and thank you so very much for taking the time to write to this younger brother in Christ, and inviting me to read some of your G-d story.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:24-27 ESV
We must rest, abide, stay, and make our home in this mystery made known by G-d, (yet still a mystery) Christ in us the hope of glory. The One who loves us the best and the most has made us His home! I am blown away and humbled by this glorious reality and truth. This is the Only True Source of riches of which we can forever revel in and be totally transformed.
At the same time, I am so thankful that He has not asked me to figure out what is right and what is wrong, or how to fully love Him and others deeply and correctly. The revelation of His instruction and teaching given to Moses, for the sake of His people, is the road map that I want to follow. Yes, by truly following this road map I will understand the heart of Yeshua better, and bring glory to my Father by reflecting His character to my world He has called me to.
Now the Living Torah has taken up residence in me, and He has invited me to voluntarily submit my life to His kingdom. His kingdom instructions are found in the Torah and are there for my blessing, usefulness, and fruitfulness to the world. The Torah lived out in the power and presence of the Living Torah is a visible demonstration of the fruit of the Spirit.
G-d’s commands, teachings, and instructions were always meant for our proper and intimate heart relations with G-d and others. His people refuse that intimacy because of fear and seeing G-d as another heavy taskmaster.
Now when all the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightnings and the sound of the trumpet and the mountains smoking, the people were afraid and trembled, and they stood far off and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.
G-d had just spoken the Ten Words to His people and He simply wanted the people to draw near in relational intimacy and allow His commands and instructions to be written on their hearts. They refused it on their hearts, and therefore it was written on stone tablets. The Holy Spirit has written the Torah on our hearts, and yet it seems the body of Messiah is fearful of the very nature that has been written there by G-d.
To put off the old man and put on Messiah is to act and live the very way Messiah demonstrated and lived…. by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
I will check out your site you listed above very soon. In His Care, Brian