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Introduction
    In John 12:26, the Messiah says, If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. (The New American Standard Bible is used throughout).
   This idea of serving Him is understood in the context of a slave serving a master, doing what the master instructs him. This is essentially what Yahshua is saying to His disciples who are bond servants. They freely do what He says, because they know He speaks the truth and He is Truth (John 14:6) embodied through His actions (John 14:10).


What is Truth?
    Pilate, when Yahshua came before him, asked, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). That is an easy question to answer from Scripture. We are told directly from both the Scriptures, and from the Messiah Himself,
      • Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth, Psalm 119:142.
      • The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting, Psalm 119:160.
      • Sanctify them (the disciples), taught ones in the truth; Your word is truth, John 17:17.
      • Then the woman said to Elijah, “Now I know that you are a man of Elohim and that the word of Yahweh in your mouth is truth,” 1 Kings 17:24.
      • Be diligent to present yourself approved to Elohim as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth, 2 Timothy 2:15 (see also 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
   When we consider that Yahshua did not do His own will, but His Who sent Him (John 5:30), we can understand more readily Who the Master truly is: The Perfect Sacrifice represented for us, so that we may be saved through His shed blood (Heb 9:22-24). This is also the truth of Who He is, and what He means for us.


What is Sin?
    When Yahshua healed and forgave, it was with the admonition of not continuing in sin. For example, to the woman caught in adultery, we read:
   Straightening up, Yahshua said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Master.” And Yahshua said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more,” John 8:10-11.
   A second example comes to us from John 5 where we read of a sick man at the waters of the pool, at the area of the sheep gate, called Bethesda:
   The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Yahshua said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and [began] to walk. Now it was the Sabbath on that day. So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.” But he answered them, “He Who made me well was the One Who said to me, ‘Pick up [your] pallet and walk’.” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up [your] pallet and walk’?” But the man who was healed did not know Who it was, for Yahshua had slipped away while there was a crowd in [that] place. Afterward Yahshua found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” John 5:7-14.
   Parenthetically, the other things we notice in this account, is that the Pharisaical Jews had added their own Talmudic law of not carrying a bed/mat on the Sabbath. They had other such rules and regulations that countermanded Yahweh’s commandments (Matt. 15:1-9). Yahshua defied their traditions and kept Yahweh’s laws, often pointing out their hypocrisies. (Read Matthew 23.) They were legalistic but we should obey Yahweh, as Lawabiding citizens of His Kingdom.
   Sin is defined succinctly as breaking Yahweh’s laws. Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and 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 sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous, 1 John 3:4-7.


Continue in Sin?
    Obviously, we are not to continue disregarding Yahweh’s instructions, since this is contrary to the salvational process we find laid out in Scripture. The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of Elohim appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of Elohim practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of Elohim. By this the children of Elohim and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of Elohim, nor the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 1 John 3:8-11.
   The Apostle Paul also followed Yahshua, teaching others not to continue in sin, saying, What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Messiah Yahshua have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with [Him] in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be [in the likeness] of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was impaled with [Him], in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Messiah, we believe that we shall also live with Him, Romans 6:1-8.
   For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of Elohim is eternal life in Messiah Yahshua our Master, Romans 6:23.
   From Ezekiel, we read:
   The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed and observes all My statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. All his transgressions which he has committed will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has practiced, he will live, Ezekiel 18:20-22.
   Obviously, we do not want to continue in sin. We desire to do the Father’s will, and not our own. This was Messiah’s attitude, as well (Luke 22:42). Not only His attitude, but His teaching. I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me, John 5:30.
   As we also seek the Father’s will and are obedient to His laws, we are empowered to do what is right in His sight. Regrettably, some don’t get it. Neither in the past, nor yet today!
   Concerning Him (Yahshua) we have much to say, and [it is] hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of Elohim, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes [only] of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil, Hebrews 5:11-14.


Cleaning Ourselves Up!
    A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,” when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye, Luke 6:40-42.
   We have to start looking at ourselves and what we are doing. Are we living to the flesh, or living for Yahweh? Strong warnings are given to those who might think they can submit a little here, and a little there, to the flesh; who might think they need not put away their past, sinful ways and at the same time, be in good standing with the heavenly Father.
   Nevertheless, this contrast between right and wrong has been proclaimed for thousands of years. For example, Jeremiah queries of Judah,
   Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery and swear falsely, and offer sacrifices to Baal and walk after other [so called] elohim that you have not known, then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My Name, and say, “We are delivered!”— that you may do all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by My Name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Behold, I, even I, have seen [it], declares Yahweh, Jeremiah 7:9-11.
   This is the state of many first-day churches today, and, speaks as well, to their religious leaders which teach messages of grace and love, but who reject Yahweh’s laws, ordinances, and statutes. We speak this as a warning to any who profess themselves worshipers of Yahweh, but who manifest themselves as liars because of living contrary to His way. What happened to Israel and Judah – exiled in captivity to Assyria and Babylon, respectively – is recorded in the Scriptures for our learning and admonition, and serves as an exhortation not to do as they did and to incur they punishment they received.
   Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME, AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED [Me] BY TESTING [Me], AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS. THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS’; AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, ‘THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST’.” Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living Elohim. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is [still] called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Messiah, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, while it is said, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS, AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.” For who provoked [Him] when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt [led] by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief, Hebrews 3:7-19.


Yahshua Warns of Consequences
    In John 14:24 Yahshua says, He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.
   And we live, not by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the Father’s mouth (Deut. 8:3; Matt. 4:4). Nevertheless, the Father has chosen to work through the Son to bring us back to a right relationship with Him, that we might be with the Father and the Son – no longer, subject to a death penalty as a just retribution for sin.
   To accentuate this life that we have in Messiah, we are told by the Master,
   If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 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, John 15:6- 10. (See also Matthew 7:21-23.)
    Yes, love, grace, faith – each compliments the other two, together with obedience to the Father and to the Son Who are in agreement. Yahshua’s prayer is that we would also be in agreement with Them (John 17).
   In all of this, Yahshua warns that our righteousness will have to surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees who knew the Law, but didn’t observe It.
   He says, Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill (fill up, bring to fulness). For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches [them], he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses [that] of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven, Matthew 5:17–20.
   As we know, the Pharisees and a number of the scribes were self-righteous, hypocritical, and entertained greedy desires. Rather than being given over to humility, pride and a haughty spirit became their downfall and destruction (Prov. 16:18).


Weightier Matters of the Law
    In Matthew, chapter 5, after declaring the efficacy of the Law, Yahshua then proceeds to magnify It according to a prophecy given to Isaiah:
   Yahweh was pleased for His righteousness’ sake to make the Law great and glorious. Isaiah 42:21. The King James Version 1900 reads a little better saying, Yahweh is well pleased for His righteousness’ sake; He will magnify the Law, and make [It] honourable.
   The Messiah was purposed to “magnify the Law, and make It honourable.” With the Master magnifying and making Yahweh’s Word great and glorious, also comes stringent warnings concerning Its transgression, In Matthew 5:21-22, He said, You have heard that the ancients were told, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER” and “Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.” But I say to you “that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing’, shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool’, shall be guilty [enough to go] into the fiery hell,” Matthew 5:21-22. (See also Leviticus 19:17-18; 1 John 3:14-15).
   You have heard that it was said, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY;” but I say to you “that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell, Matthew 5:27–30.
   The remainder of chapter 5 is concerned with Messiah’s citing four more ordinances from the Torah – the letter of Which, He embellished with the spirit of man’s observance.
   Do we need to make further commentary? Does it sound much as if He had ‘done away with the Law’? Contrarily, it appears that He established the Law, and even magnified It.
   When we obey from the heart, with Yahweh’s Spirit in our lives, we are walking on higher ground. The Pharisees who did not have Yahweh’s Spirit, had to be told about the weightier matters of the law (Matt. 23:23). We should not have to be told. We should automatically express and reflect Yahweh and Yahshua’s loving and divine nature through our actions and attitude toward others, as well as among ourselves, willingly laying down our lives for one another without any hinderance or encumbrance preventing us from doing so (Luke 14:26-27; 33).


Love
    When we talk about love, we consider loving Yahweh with all of our heart, strength, and being. Yahshua after all, proclaimed this is as the first and greatest commandment, with loving one’s neighbor as himself as equivalent, yet secondary to the first.
   Yahshua emphasized that Yahweh is Love, and we prove we are His disciples through expressing His Love to others, as He said:
   For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what [more] are you doing [than] others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect, Matthew 5:46-48.
   Prior to this, Yahshua spoke about loving our enemies. That is a tall order. It is against our human nature to love our enemies. After all, they don’t love us! But that is not an excuse for us as we are to be a reflection of the divine nature of Yahweh. That nature is summed up in one word: Love.
   Consider this: The Fruit of the Spirit proceeds from Its first attribute, Love (Gal. 5:22-23). The others automatically follow.
   In John 13:34-35, Yahshua said to His disciples, A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
   A new commandment does not necessarily negate previous ones. (Incidentally, this “new commandment” is particularly impactful when considering that He gave His life for us on the torture stake.
   In John 15:12-17, Yahshua said to His disciples, This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and [that] your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My Name He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another. (See also Leviticus 19:18; 1 John 3:16.)


In Conclusion
    Because of all the bad news in the world some news media are concluding their sullen reports with wholesome stories of acts of kindness. While negative news seem to prevail, we can offset these by making and magnifying heartwarming stories in our own communities and especially among ourselves.
   The Messiah had disciples. He still has disciples. To certain in His day, He said, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). He is likewise urging men today: “Follow Me!”
   Then, His disciples had first to learn how to love, as Yahshua loved them. Once people saw their love – as they followed Him in laying down their own lives – they who had ears to hear and eyes to see were attracted to this ‘lifestyle’. By this means, Messiah is known through those who follow Him.
   My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given [them] to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch [them] out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are One, John 10:27-30.




- Elder David Brett


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