To know Jesus in such a way we must believe in Him by faith. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The Gnostics, it can be assumed, werent even trying to keep Gods commands.[5]. There are twenty thousand laws on the books regulating gun ownership alone. God never said that we don't need to keep His Commandments and that those who do are being too "legalistic"! This God of absolute power is not a capricious tyrant, not some cranky deity who wields raw and unbridled authority without any regard for his creatures. This correlates to the over all theme of 1 John which deals with the fellowship of joy. Opera News furthermore does not condone the use of our platform for the purposes encouraging/endorsing hate speech, violation of human rights and/or utterances of a defamatory nature. You will find some very interesting and inspiring words given to Israel and all those like you who have entered into a covenant relationship with Israel. We can ascertain someones true identity (believer or unbeliever) by whether or not they are keeping His commandments. Do you feel that you are growing? Even churches that have been committed to the restoration of the New Testament Church have never even taken one serious step in the direction of first study and second implementation of a restoration. The same is true of us. This distinction is comforting when we look at extreme sin, assuming we are not involved in extreme sin. In conclusion I would like to draw your attention to the following commentary: The point of the admonitions to be obedient, to live righteously or to follow the example of Jesus is not to get us to start doing a number of things simply for the sake of doing them. We are his treasured possession (Ex. If we are going to believe something, we must be convinced that it is true. They establish who God is and why we should obey him. When you drive on a switchback on a mountain pass, do you curse the guardrails that keep you from plunging to an untimely death? However, the stronger our fellowship with the Lord, the more consistent our walk with Him will be. [6] The Holy Bible: King James Version. We must totally and completely trust in Him. However, it must be stated here that keeping this command of Gods word does not indicate that you dont have love for those idolatrous and immoral people, some of which could be your own relatives. The act of believing comes through the avenue of faith. 1. Gods promises are not mans promises. The stronger our fellowship is with Christ the more like Him we will behave. Must we obey all commands perfectly? If you would like to live out the instructions of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom that the Lord gives us in this text you would be considered in most churches as a radical, loveless, and ungracious, person. Joseph said every year in the reading of this text of Leviticus that he has seen every one of these promises of the Lord fulfilled with his own eyes and in his own flesh. You can walk in the streets of Jerusalem or any other town or village in Israel and see Jews of every color, and race walking the streets. Check out the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in John 15:10, "If you keep my Commandment, you shall abide in my love even as I kept my father's Commandment and abide in his love", 2. - Keeping God's Commandments means to Love The curses are mostly the other side of the blessings: But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. Any/all written content and images displayed are provided by the blogger/author, appear herein as submitted by the blogger/author and are unedited by Opera News. All you have to do is read the letter of Paul to the Ephesians 2:11-18, and see that through and in Christ you have inherited the covenants of God (in the plural) and that you who were strangers to the commonwealth of Israel have now through the blood of the Messiah (Christ) received all the good things that as pagans you did not have. Ron writes, "The church is one but made up of people from every nation. You show them love and grace and encourage them to see the light of the Messiah and the wisdom of His words and be a good example and watch out for the traps and pitfalls that they will put in front of you to test you! This does not mean we will never slip back into the ways of the world and find ourselves contending with our sin nature. What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality. Our goal is to be more like Jesus every day. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. [2] Kruse, C. G. (2000). We know that we are truly born again if the love of Christ is being perfected in us. [4] The Holy Bible: King James Version. [3] Akin, D. L. (2001). We forget that God means to give us abundant life (John 10:10) and true freedom (John 8:32). No, someone put them there at great expense, and for our good, that we may travel about freely and safely. To know Jesus is to have a personal relationship with Him. The main issue in Johns day was the exodus of people leaving the church to follow worldliness and false doctrines. Am I a Christian, or am I a liar? So let's see the benefits of keeping God's commandment. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. Many people today claim that it is not very necessary to keep God's commandment because we are saved by grace and not by the law. #kehilanewsisrael #messianic #messianicnews #biblestudies, Every time I say Im Palestinian and Im from Bethlehem, they are shocked, Hala Gharib said. Not religion but faith and observation and obedience to the Lords judgments and commandments. As we walk in that course we are reminded to ask ourselves, do these actions belong in the circle of light? ~ David Silver Dont miss the obvious: Exodus 19 comes before Exodus 20. News ), Opera News is a free to use platform and the views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent, reflect or express the views of Opera News. Their response was: I dont care what the Bible says, I am going to do what I want to do. My friend, someone with such an attitude is not a true believer Christ. Now you have it all! And He (= Jesus) has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." I mean totally stop, stop ploughing, stop sowing the seeds, and harvesting, just leave the fields untended for a whole season of 12 months. God is not trying to crush us with red tape and regulations. The situation of the Christian churches today is actually working against this text. And if we love God, we do keep His Commandments! He goes on to add, . And we are happy about it, because keeping His Commandments means to live in righteousness and respect towards ourselves, others and God. Children are best at this. If the content contained herein violates any of your rights, including those of copyright, and/or violates any the above mentioned factors, you are requested to immediately notify us using via the following email address operanews-external(at)opera.com and/or report the article using the available reporting functionality built into our Platform Join a #shabbat service at Kehila HaCarmel It shows that we are friends of Christ. In other words: the rituals (such as circumcision, animal sacrifices for atonement of sin, etc. We are Gods people, set apart to live according to Gods ways. We are reading the last two portions of the book of Leviticus, Behar and Bechukotai, Leviticus 25:1 27:34. The God of the Ten Commandments is revealed not just as the Lord, but as the Lord your God (Ex. 8:31). We cant disdain the law without disrespecting the Lawgiver. ", Asher writes, "Did you know that King David was anointed with oil three times to be king? http://ow.ly/spzZ50JYR8P A life of obedience is the sure evidence of a life that has been glorious changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Meaning of Keeping God's Law: (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Jn 2:6). The law is an expression of the Lawgivers heart and character. We may not keep them perfectly. By Businesshub1 (self media writer) | 1 year ago. People from around the world, Christians, are reading the word of God on their own and discovering false teachings, and false holidays, false teachings that divide and estrange a brother from brother and a sister from sister over nonsensical issues that have no root or mention in the holy scriptures, that they hold to and some are maintaining. The Old Testament identifies several ways in which the third commandment can be violated. It will make God to grant all our heart desires, Jesus Christ told us to seek first the kingdom of God and every other thing will be added unto us. I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude (Vol. But, of course, its more important that we obey them. Then you will see history unveiled and all of Gods promises fulfilled. But even if you get impatient when youre at a red light, try to zoom through the yellow, and turn left on a very stale pinkoverall, arent you glad that there is some semblance of law and order? To know Jesus, we must believe everything there is to know about Him. The condition to have such confidence is if you are keeping His commandments. Consistent spiritual growth is the tell all sign that someone is genuinely saved. Seeking first the kingdom of God involves keeping Christ commandments. Are you closer to the Lord now than you were when you first believed? The sabbatical year teaching from this portion of the Torah is connected with the Jubilee year that is seven Sabbatical years that come to a total of 49 years with the 50th year being the Jubilee year. As Christians, we too are a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (1 Pet. Opera News does not consent to nor does it condone the posting of any content that violates the rights (including the copyrights) of any third party, nor content that may malign, inter alia, any religion, ethnic group, organization, gender, company, or individual. As believers in Christ, our fellowship with God depends on our obedience in keeping His commandments. Here are some interesting points that make these chapters so interesting: Every seven years the Shmita (Sabbatical year). The letters of John (p. 78). I violated one of Gods commands just last night. Christians around the world are discovering the lies that the Christian denominations have spread, fake news and fake good news. We reap the reward of God's blessings by seeing ourselves changed and receiving eternal life with Christ. This process started in the book of Acts with Cornelius the Roman centurion and his family, but more than 2000 years later the process continues. In these chapters there are the blessings and the curses. The Torah portion of Leviticus chapters 25-27 is one of great importance. They tell us what matters to God. (2009). No One Knows, February 7, 2013, accessed January 27, 2018, http://www.kowal.com/?q=How-Many-Federal-Laws-Are-There%3F. Please note the following text: O Lord, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, The Gentiles shall come to You From the ends of the earth and say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable things. Will a man make gods for himself, Which are not gods? If you are keeping His commandments, then all doubt is removed. So, it is important that you allow God to heal your heart and remove the oppression that keeps you from your full Joy. The Lord knew what He was doing. This is the greatest demonstration of the teaching that the Lord does not test us or challenge us beyond the strength that He has provided us with. Obedience to the Lord is the path to a perfected fellowship with Him. Kevin and his wife, Trisha, have nine children. They are a people set apart. The nations still exist during his millennial reign. There is one thing that is proof of genuine conversion. Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know My hand and My might; And they shall know that My name is the Lord. Jeremiah 16:19-21 [NKJV]. . Opera News does not consent to nor does it condone the posting of any content that violates the rights (including the copyrights) of any third party, nor content that may malign, inter alia, any religion, ethnic group, organization, gender, company, or individual. The biblical definition of freedom is not doing whatever you want. Freedom is enjoying the benefits of doing what we should. If You Found This Helpful, Please Share. Thank you and may the peace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Thanks! If you are not keeping His commandments, then you do have every reason to doubt your salvation. They responded, five years later, that they lacked the manpower and resources to answer such a question.1. The key here is reflection. 2:9). ", Aaron writes, "You may not need a reminder, but there is an alarming surge of antisemitism all over the world today. 1. The issue appears to be whether or not we take Gods commandments seriously and are trying to keep them. - Keeping God's Commandments means to live according to God's righteousness David and Joseph Vactor, the two orthodox Jewish brothers who were among the first members of our ministry in the early 1970s went through the Nazi death camps of Eastern Europe. Israel is saved and safe, and the world, the Gentiles, has come to worship the Lord God of Israel, and abandon idolatry and come to know and worship the Lord God who took us all out of Egypt and brought us into our inheritance forever and ever! Notes: There were different spiritual battles and challenges with each new anointing. Any/all written content and images displayed are provided by the blogger/author, appear herein as submitted by the blogger/author and are unedited by Opera News. (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., 1 Jn 2:4). Keeping His Commandments Provides a Perfected Fellowship. The United States Code, which is just one accounting of federal laws and does not include regulatory statutes, has more than fifty volumes. #kehilanewsisrael #messianic #messianicnews #biblestudies #worshipmusic #messianicmusic #shabbatshalom #shabbatservice, "Angels are sent to do the will of God and carry out His word. If there is absolutely no pattern of obedience and no regard for the things of God, then it is impossible to say that you are a child of God. Crossway is a not-for-profit Christian ministry that exists solely for See More, Opera News is a free to use platform and the views and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent, reflect or express the views of Opera News. ~ One for Israel A joyful fellowship with the Lord and other believers can only come as we walk with Him daily and live in obedience to His Word. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc. [5] Walls, D., & Anders, M. (1999). We must trust in Him for our salvation and in every other aspect of our lives. . Moving toward Holiness. Verse 5 says, But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.[6] Our fellowship with the Lord is strengthened as we grow in Him. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers. Now those churches that were born in the early 19th Century for the purpose of restoring the church of the first century have already given up this important paradigm that gave these denominations their reason for existing. (2009). We are not to be made anxious, but are rather prodded to reflect on what we say and do, how we think, pray, spend our time and money, raise our children, treat our coworkers, spouses and neighbors. And what accord has Christ with Belial? Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. We need this like air itself. We learn the Principles of God's Kingdom (= God's Commandments/God's Law) by studying His Word (correctly translated and carefully interpreted in its context); In D. S. Dockery (Ed. Pastor and best-selling author Kevin DeYoung delivers critical truth about the Ten Commandments as he explains what they are, why we should know them, and how we should apply them today. There are many who say they know Jesus, yet, they have never known Him. These are the benefits of theLove of Godtowards His Children: Blessings of Full Joy for those who keep His Commandments and conform to Christ! The more we obey Him, the more like Him we will be. It would be frightening to the point of death if God thundered from the heavens, I am the Lord! But the divine self-disclosure doesnt stop there. It is possible to know for sure that you know Jesus. We live in a culture that places a high value on proof. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." The deception that today we don't need to do anything to be saved, except accepting Christ, and that God will save us even though we don't deserve it is common among church going Christians, but it is a destructive lie! Examine your life and see if your fellowship with the Lord is where it ought to be. This text from 2 Corinthians 6 is not an easy text to accept and agree with. Clearly, the Bible is not saying that we have to exhibit perfect obedience. Are Love and Authority Mutually Exclusive? Working hard to obey the Ten Commandments from the wrong motivation and for the wrong end is a surefire way to live out our relationship with God in the wrong way. However, that fellowship is easily broken when we sin, thus, the need for confession and forgiveness. However, it is very discomforting when we consider more subtle sin. 1. The young ones often are in the uniform of the army units in which they serve. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? If there is a God, and if he is anything like the God who is revealed to us in the Scriptures, then it would be extremely presumptuous, foolish, and (by all accounts) dangerous for us to crowdsource our own ethical code. They say something about his honor, his worth, and his majesty. Reserved, On this site we use technical, analytical and profiling cookies to offer you a better browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and serve targeted advertisements. Do you know how many laws there are in the United States? 1 John 4:17 - "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have fearless confidence in the Day of Judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world." We had two wonderful orthodox Jews in our congregation from 1972 until last year when David, the younger brother, died at 100 years old. We too often think of the Ten Commandments as constraining usas if Gods ways will keep us in servitude and from realizing our dreams and reaching our potential. ConformingToJesus Ministry - Copyright 2014-2021. The New American Commentary says, The condition put forth by John is that we can have assurance that we know him if we obey (keep) his commandments.[3] Many people struggle with the assurance of their salvation. In 2008 a House committee asked the Congressional Research Service to calculate the number of criminal offenses in federal law. Maybe there are some anarchists out there who think, The world would be a better place without any traffic laws. A few of us drive as if that were so! From the New Testament we read 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. http://ow.ly/zRpz50JZN65 The commandments not only show us what God wants; they show us what God is like. 3. We must believe that He was born of a virgin. Immigrants from more than 103 different countries are still flowing to Israel. I opened the Bible and showed them exactly what Gods Word said concerning the issue. ", Joseph writes, "The portion of Phinehas cant be understood without the background from the previous Torah portion of Balak". If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. To be in right fellowship with God, you must keep His commandments. I say the Christian churches and am not singling out this or the other denomination. God has already identified the Israelites as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex. This is the year that Israeli farmers stop farming their lands. (2009). 20:2). 19:5; 1 Pet. That one thing is: Keeping His Commandments. That is walking as Jesus walked. [10]. It is only when we are in right fellowship with God that we can experience His best for us on a daily basis. People slow down when driving by schools. James argued that grace and law work together just as the body is lifeless without the soul because faith without work is dead. The word Grace means: the knowledge that gives us the power to change (see our teaching on Grace), and change, of course, means, to conform to Jesus in righteousness. Our aim is to live for one master, God alone, in and with all that we do. [8] Poole, M. (1853). City of Life, a Messianic congregation and ministry in Sderot, is facing persecution with a pending court date in September 2022. Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. Leviticus 26:3-5 [NKJV]. We must think about that before we say, I dont care for laws, or before we bristle at the thought of dos and donts. The Biblical definition of theLoveof God is found in: Note dear brothers: Jeremiah is predicting that the Gentiles, the nations, will wake up and see the futility of the worship of idols and worthless statues and unprofitable idols and turn to the Lord. Yes, God is faithful and keeping His promises that He gave to Moses in the wilderness and repeated to the prophets of Israel. The reading from Jeremiah 16:19 is so strong and clear, and we are today seeing this happening all around the world. God isnt impressed by an intellectually careful analysis that puts the Decalogue at the center of Christian discipleship. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. The Holman Concise Commentary says, The revelation of Gods purity and holiness led John to emphasize that obedience to Gods commands provides fellowship with God. And what communion has light with darkness? 1 John 2:3 says, And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.[1]What does it mean to know Him?