BELIEF AND WORKS DEFINED
By #JJD_Peterson
2019-06-19
We hear about "belief" and "works" throughout the writings of Sha'ul, known to us as Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament of our bibles today.
The law contains two parts within itself, just like we have today with civil laws like do not kill, steal, lie, etc, and then we have the court of law deciding how to carry out judgments for those who transgress the civil laws. Can we boast in being a law abiding citizen because we pay our fines or "law of works" to the court of law, or to stop committing the crimes all together, which is the "law of faith"? If we stop breaking civil laws, don't we stay out of court?
Romans 3:27-28 TS2009 27 Where, then, is the boasting? It is shut out. By what torah [or law]? Of works? No, but by the torah of belief. 28 For we reckon that a man is declared right by belief without works of Torah.
We stand right before Elohim when we start keeping the "law of belief or faith", and not by relying on sacrificial court penalties, which is the "law of works".
In the following verse, Sovereign Sha'ul (not the same person), was rebuked by Shemu’ĕl for disobeying the "law of faith", a straight command of Elohim. He chose to sacrifice, the "law of works", instead of to obey the "law of belief".
1st Samuel 15:22-23 TS2009 22 Then Shemu’ĕl said, “Does יהוה delight in ascending offerings and slaughterings, as in obeying the voice of יהוה? Look, to obey is better than a slaughtering, to heed is better than the fat of rams. 23 “For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and stubbornness is as wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word [or command] of יהוה, He also does reject you as sovereign.”
If we obey the commands of יהוה Elohim (God), also known as the "Torah or Law of Belief", we are no longer putting ourself under the "Torah of works" (or the sacrificial court system, which is sacrificing, or payment for sin).
The popular misunderstanding of Galatians chapter three, as well as Ephesians and others, is that if we keep the commandments, then we reject Messiah. If this idea were true, then why does Sha'ul, the same author of Galatians, tell us in Romans 2:13 that "The doers of the Torah (or law will be declared righteous?" And also in Matthew 19:17, Messiah said "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments." Are there divisions in the scripture here? No. There are two different laws going on under all the riddled writings of Sha'ul, as he questions which law we boast on, in Romans 3:27.
Galatians is saying that sacrificing doesn't make a person clean. When a person decides to be clean and sin no more, then Messiah's sacrifice washes us.
The goal of sacrificing was like training wheels to riding a bike. Are we learning to ride training wheels or the bike? The goal is to ride the bike. The goal is to obey the torah of belief, which are the commandments:
Romans 10:8 TS2009 But what does it say? “The word [or command] is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” Deu. 30:14 – that is, the word of belief which we are proclaiming.
Rejection of the Messiah is nearly the same yesterday with the Jews as it is with Christianity today.
When the Jews rejected Messiah, we naturally think they rejected His atonement for sin, but it goes further than that; they reject His call to repentance, which unless one repents, they will perish, Luke 13:3.
While Christians become antisemitic towards Jews for rejecting Messiah, they ignorantly do the same as the Jews, because even in the days of the Jews, they were quick to do the "torah of works" rather than the "torah of belief". It is like speeding down the road, breaking the rules of the road, because we have enough money to pay the fines of getting caught. Rather we should have the mind of Messiah to love the Father and keep His commands.
If we love Him Who promises us forgiveness of our sin, then first we must be done with sin before He will clean us up. To no longer sin means we are walking according to the Torah (or law) of belief.
If you have any questions, please post them below.
May יהוה (Yahuah) be with us to have an obedient belief firm to the end, so that we may receive the promised inheritance.
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