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Five Passages to Change One's Mind About Everything Religious
Shalom Hebraic Roots Mavens!
HEBRAIC ROOTS: Have you gotten through Chumney's CDs for January yet? I thought 4 of 4 was really good and listened to it several times. Especially clear is what the New Testament means by "latter days" and "last days," and how the Messiah actually fulfilled or completed the festivals and ordinances. The teaching is entitled "The Spiritual Application of Passover Part 1." These CDs will be played over and over as we realize the quality of worship and understanding we've been missing all this time. Chumney's a great teacher. If you're not plugged into the Yeshiva Discipleship Program, you may still be a part online. The information is here http://www.hebroots.org/yeshiva/ . The teaching really could not be any better. It's far more instruction, accurate, scriptural and authentic than anything on TV. LAST TIME: On February 3rd, I gave a talk on the difficulty of making the transition from studying Hebraic roots to practicing what we've learned. Here's a continuation of a little of it: Five scripture passages convinced me to start "changing my mind" (repenting, metanoia) and following what I'd learned as best as able at this time. Ten years is a long time to turn around. I know a lot, but am a baby in practice. Here is another of the Scripture passages and what it has meant to me. The rest I'll continue to send in installments if you're interested. DEVO: 1 John 3:6. "No one who abides in him sins." This is a rather startling fragment that has been used as a foundation for personal dogma, especially in juxtaposition with an earlier saying, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." The two seem very much like a contradiction without the context in between. I heard one person claim (by the power of the first saying) that he indeed had no sin; he was sinless now. I had no reason not to believe him. He had made his peace, and the fire fell upon him. The young man found the feet of Yahshua soon after when a freak "accident" took his life. In the case of another, boasting "I have no sin" was sin enough. She was deceiving herself. Many people claim to "abide in Jesus." Some say they are "in Christ" all the time. If so, such spiritual people should also, without hesitation, be able to admit, "I have no sin." If a person does indeed abide, then they are for the time sinless. I believe in entire sanctification - a believer may become perfect in this life. Every believer ought to strive for perfection. The Beloved tells us that he writes so that we may not sin (2:1). Yet what is sin? We can hardly pursue John's idea of perfection until we define John's idea of sin. After love, sin is probably the most misunderstood term in the believer's vocabulary. In fact, on this particular day in the world, Valentine's Day, sin and love have pretty much the same definition. But what did the Beloved Yochanan (John) mean by sin? Anyone who has studied Hebrew roots has the answer. The definition found in context with our passage is "amartia estin h anomia": "sin is the non-law" (3:4) ("sin is lawlessness" or "illegality"). (Roth does a good job of showing us that "law" in 1 John refers to the Torah rather than some other set of Christian rules or bylaws. See Ruach Qadim, 209.) The evidence that we know Messiah - evidence that helps convince us we actually do - is that we keep his (the) commandments. Look! "By this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments" (2:3). Again, the context demands that his "commandments" refers to "no new commandment" but that which you had from the beginning" (2:7). Regarding that other ill-defined word, "love," we find shortly after, "whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for Elohim (God) is perfected" (2:5). Some do indeed say, "I need no other evidence but the feeling I have that Jesus is in my heart." Yet here Scripture gives us a guideline by which we might determine - by an inspired standard - that we love him in perfection. Following him in walking "puts the lid" on what we feel. And following him requires learning and applying what we've learned to life. There are a couple of good outcomes promised for those who understand and follow the advice of the Beloved Yochanan. First, "No one born of Elohim commits sin" (3:9). There's perfection for you. Insomuch as one has sincerely received the testimony of Yahshua the Anointed and observed the righteous practices of his teachings, one may be perfected, completed, fulfilled (or any other definition of the word). In fact, this is what abiding is all about. Some people think abiding is some kind of mystical way of praying or feeling, like hanging around a prayer meeting, watching TBN or hanging like a grape on a vine. But reachable perfection (the kind we all should be moving toward) is about not how one deals with self only, but how one deals with others - in a lawful and charitable manner. Perhaps the greatest secret of living in a righteous manner is living with intention in all matters. Second, we walk in the footsteps of our Master, with him. This is not just a a quiet time of feeling like we are abiding, or hanging out in Spirit-filled places - but we are walking. "He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous" (3:7). There's a lot of doing involved. By the way, have you considered why we follow? It is not so much because we need a discipline in our lives; but rather, that we "do" or "do not" unto others. If your friend is truly walking the Torah, then you need never fear your friend. He may chastise you, but he will never kill you. She may walk away from you, but she will never knowingly betray you. Your enemy may walk Torah. If your enemy is walking the walk, then you need never even fear your enemy. You need only treat your enemy legally. If you treat your enemy legally, you are treating her in love, whether you like her or not. This may sound legalistic, but according to Yochanan, it is true. The ordinances of Yahweh are meant to protect you from others and protect others from you. If all followed, our world would be a paradise. But as it is, our world is anoma - lawless. Modeling the ordinances of Elohim brings in perfect shalom. "The one who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens" (Matthew 5:19). Thirdly, "We receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him" (3:22). I suspect that under the conditions of receiving, abiding, walking and loving, it would be quite difficult (impossible) to make any requests that violate Yahweh's will. However, the asking is still required. The foundation stones of Scripture (Genesis - Deuteronomy) make it very clear that Yahweh loves us to ask. In this way we may apply what the Anointed One said regarding doing unto. Father does as we "command" even as we do as he "commands." We go forth to learn what we should do, then do what we learn, and receive the down payment on the promise. And we practice for that Kingdom which is to come, when all will know Yahweh and obey him, and all nations will be blessed. (Isaiah 19:21, Jeremiah 31:34) Blessings to you for now, Jackson Snyder
If you got this far,
you may want to check out the recently released definition of Christian
Love from Pope Benedict Deus Caritas Est dated December 25, 2005
here:
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