hearts joys

hearts joys

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Legalism or Love

A couple of years ago I was having a facebook conversation with a friend from a church I grew up in.
He mentioned he worked with someone who observed the Sabbath but that person couldn't tell him why.  I then told him I observed Sabbath out of love for Messiah.  He commented the law had been done away with and I was putting myself back under the bondage of the law.  I mentioned that Yahshua told us in John 14:
Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
I told him I would love to talk more about this with him in private.  After that I never heard from him and later found that both he and his parents had removed me as a friend on facebook. 
  I still would love to be able to talk to those from my past about why I changed what I believe concerning the Scriptures.  I think I may possibly feel some responsibility as I had been president of the youth group my senior year.  Just as I feel a responsibility for not teaching what I now perceive as the whole truth when I was a youth pastor and pastor and a father/shepherd of my family.
    There is so much I need to relearn if I desire to teach/disciple in the whole truth of Scripture.  I need to stop looking at Scripture through the lens of my Baptist up-bringing and allow the Scriptures to speak for themselves.  This is not bondage or legalism. 
   Why obey the commands of Yahweh Elohim?  Isn't that legalism?
I say with a resounding "No"  this is not legalism. 

le·gal·ism

[lee-guh-liz-uhm] Show IPA
noun
1.
strict adherence, or the principle of strict adherence, to law or prescription, especially to the letter rather than the spirit.
2.
Theology .
a.
the doctrine that salvation is gained through good works.
b.
the judging of conduct in terms of adherence to precise laws.
3.
( initial capital letter ) (in Chinese philosophy) the principles and practices of a school of political theorists advocating strict legal control over all activities, a system of rewards and punishments uniform for all classes, and an absolute monarchy.
 
So, why then do we observe and keep the commands of Yahweh Elohim?  Personally we guard to do or keep Torah not because we feel an obligation or coercion or because we put ourselves in bondage.  It comes from love struck obedience as in John 14.  We grieve much to knowingly disobey what Yahweh Elohim asks of His set apart ones. 
   To honor, guard or keep the Sabbath does not make us legalists or make us better than anyone else and it can in no way bring about salvation of our souls as salvation is by faith alone.  To be obedient is simply to acknowledge our love and devotion to our King.  It is part of our uniqueness of being a called out, set apart people of faith as He molds us and shapes us into the image of His Son.  As a result of our guarding and keeping to do His commands He in turn then promises to guard and keep us for 1000 generations.
 
Deu 4:2 "Do not add to the Word which I command you, and do not take away from it1, so as to guard the commands of יהוה

your Elohim which I am commanding you.
Deu 4:6 "And you shall guard and do them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding before the eyes of the peoples who hear all these laws, and they shall say, ‘Only a wise and understanding people is this great nation!’
Deu 4:9 "Only, guard yourself, and guard your life diligently, lest you forget the Words your eyes have seen, and lest they turn aside from your heart all the days of your life. And you shall make them known to your children and your grandchildren.

Deu 7:9 "And you shall know that יהוה

your Elohim, He is Elohim, the trustworthy Ěl guarding covenant and kindness for a thousand generations with those who love Him, and those who guard His commands,
Deu 7:11 "And you shall guard the command, and the laws, and the right-rulings which I command you today, to do them.
Deu 7:12 "And it shall be, because you hear these right-rulings, and shall guard and do them, that יהוה your Elohim shall guard with you the covenant and the kindness which He swore to your fathers,
 

My desire is to be an obedient child of Abba El (daddy God) just as I desire my own children to be obedient to my wife and myself.  It is a demonstration of our deep love for Abba.
 
 

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