Transcript for:
119 Grace, Faith, and Obedience 2

foreign hello and welcome to another teaching from 119 Ministries our ministry believes that the whole Bible is true and applicable to our lives today if you would like to learn more about what we believe and teach please visit us at testeverything.net if you enjoyed this video please click the like button and subscribe to our Channel by clicking the Subscribe button below we hope that you enjoy studying and testing the following teaching thank you [Music] thank you [Music] welcome back to our study on Grace faith and obedience in part one of this teaching we defined Grace faith and obedience as a result of defining obedience we in turn revealed how the scriptures defined the law of God we then proceeded to demonstrate how obedience is the evidence of our faith here in part two we will continue to explain the relationship between grace faith and obedience let's proceed by showing how love is the foundation of the law of God number three obedience is loving God and loving others now remember as established earlier Grace is God's demonstration of his love for us scripture also says in first John 4 19 we love because he first loved us so we are to love God back because he loved us first God gives us Grace and we give him faith and obedience the question then becomes how do we love God are we to invent our own way to love God or does God tell us how he wants to be loved scripture says in first John 2 verses 3 through 6 and by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his Commandments whoever says I know him but does not keep his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him but whoever keeps his word and him truly the love of God is perfected by this we may know that we are in him whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked first John 5 3. for this is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not burdensome thus keeping God's Commandments is the means that God gave us to love him back the way to love God is through keeping his Commandments John 14 if you love me you will keep my Commandments all love is defined through the keeping of God's Commandments thus if we find a commandment from God in the Bible God intends that to be a means to love God and or love others second John chapter one and this is love that we walk according to his Commandments this is the Commandment just as you have heard from the beginning so that you should walk in it this is nothing new God's law has always been about loving God and loving others this is what the believer's walk should be the Commandments Yeshua walked are the same Commandments we should walk we should not walk differently than Yeshua himself if you walk differently than Yeshua are you really following him many forget that Yeshua was a sabbath-keeping clean eating Feast observing and tassel wearing Jew these are the Commandments our Messiah walked out as an example for us you do not see many Believers following those Commandments that are Messiah walked sometimes it's wise to stop and ask the question why why do I walk differently than my Messiah first John chapter 2 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked how did Yeshua walk what was Yeshua obedient to Yeshua kept God's Commandments perfectly he showed us his love for the father and love for others perfectly in his perfect obedience to God's law are we to not at least strive for the same yes it is true we are unable to walk perfectly like he did and we will occasionally fail but that is what the whole purpose of his grace is for we are still commanded to walk and follow him the best that we can with the spirit leading and supporting us the whole way it is because of God's grace that we should want to love God back and scripture defines loving God back as the keeping of all of his Commandments not just some of them this is why it is such a tragedy if anyone remotely suggests that we should focus more on God's grace which is God loving us instead of obedience which is US loving God back who in their right mind would want to tell Yeshua when he returns that it was more important to focus on God loving us Grace then loving him back in obedience what type of relationship would that be would you tell your spouse that you're not as interested in loving them back but it is more important that they should love you of course not our relationship with God is intended to be a two-sided relationship with Grace's love and obedience is love not a one-sided relationship or just Grace now what is more important to you Grace or obedience what is more important loving back or being loved do you not see why scripture says many will be ashamed at his return He will ask many why didn't you love me scripture says at his coming many will be ashamed we are called to be obedient to him so that we will not be ashamed this is why Yeshua stated in Matthew 22 and he said to him you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind this is the great and first commandment this is a quote from Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 5 which is a part of the law of Moses and a second is like it you shall love your neighbor as yourself this is a quote from Leviticus 19 Verse 18 which is also a part of the law of Moses on these two Commandments depend all the law and the prophets so love is the basis for the law and the prophets love is not a brand new idea that Yeshua introduced in his ministry it was an old idea from the law of Moses and because Yeshua also taught us to observe the law he taught this as well Yeshua stated the most important commandment in God's law love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind as we reviewed scripture clearly declares that loving God is accomplished by observing all not just some of God's Commandments if obedience is the act of loving God then it logically follows that what scripture is teaching is We should strive to be obedient to his Commandments to love God with all of our heart all of our soul and with all of our mind as it was covered earlier it should be our whole purpose Ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 13. this should not be a surprising conclusion to arrive at but to make it even easier Yeshua draws the conclusion for us in the very next verse he does not even Force us to know the rest of scripture and he draws the correct conclusions he tells us the exact same thing Yeshua teaches us this principle which was not a new principle in the very next verse in Matthew 22 verse 40 when he stated that all of the law and Prophets depend on these two Commandments this means that not having Idols is an important way to love God likewise keeping his Sabbath is also just as important and loving God if Yeshua himself stated that all the law and Prophets is the way to love God and to love others then why in the world would we begin to believe that some Commandments no longer have anything to do with love imagine two strings at the top of one string it says love God and at the top of another string it says love others at the end of both of these strings is every single other Commandment found in God's word all of the law and Prophets this is why every commandment of God is important because loving God and loving others is important in summary how you love God can be directly measured by how much you desire to keep his Commandments as loving God is defined by keeping his Commandments if we are to love God because he first loved us and loving God is defined by keeping his Commandments then disobedience is simply being ungrateful for his grace disobedience is the exact opposite of loving God in his eyes every time we sin we might as well look at our Lord and state that we do not love him yes he forgives Us in his grace but nonetheless this is what our sin means to him this is the same God who sent his son to die for us for no other reason than to express his love for us number four obedience is the same as not sinning Yeshua taught us to go and sin no more John chapter 5. afterward Yeshua found him in the temple and said to him see you are well sin no more that nothing worse may happen to you John chapter 8. she said no one Lord and Yeshua said neither do I condemn you go and from now on sin no more is it a fair thing to say that God does not want us to sin for anyone who has read even a portion of scripture it does not take long to learn that God does not want his people to sin every believer should already understand that God does not want us to sin and that we are to avoid sin at every opportunity John said it well we are to strive to not sin but if we do then the grace of Messiah Yeshua covers Us in our faith first John 2 1. my little children I am writing these things to you that you may not sin but if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the father Messiah Yeshua the righteous the question then becomes what is sin if God wants us to avoid sin he should at least clearly Define it for us so that we do not need to play The Guessing Game on these matters right sin is simply defined in scripture as the breaking of God's law breaking his instructions it really isn't that complicated First John 3 4 everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness sin is lawlessness Romans 3 20 for by The Works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight since through the law comes knowledge of sin Romans 7 7. What then shall we say that the law is sin by no means yet if it had not been for the law I would not have known sin for I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said You shall not covet thus being obedient to God's law is the same thing as avoiding sin Yeshua also taught us that it is our inward heart that either breaks or keeps God's law if we hate a brother then such thoughts can lead to murder if we lust that can lead to adultery thus not only is the written code to be obeyed but the spirit or premise behind the law is to be obeyed as well our Messiah taught us that is not just our actions that break God's law but our heart does as well in fact it is the heart soul and mind that drives all our Behavior if you hate someone there is something wrong with your heart and it should be dealt with so that it does not lead to sin this is not a new teaching because this is what the Old Testament clearly teaches however in the first century leadership had completely lost the purpose of God's law and their Doctrine and teachings they forgot that the purpose of the law was to teach us how to love Yeshua is simply bringing them back to the basics now is it clear why scripture commands us to love God to keep his Commandments with all of our heart soul and mind it is the inward Heart That Matters to God because whatever we believe inwardly with all of our heart all of our soul and with all of our mind is what we will Express outwardly through our actions he wants a new heart that is for his Commandments not against them so not only do we want to desire and practice the law as it is written where we also want to understand the premise or Spirit behind the law in our heart soul and mind and thus practice that understanding outwardly in our lives this is precisely why obedience is the evidence of our faith and our trust in God in his word the reverse is also true disobedience is the evidence of our lack of faith and trust in God asking ourselves the question do we want to avoid sin or not is the same as asking ourselves do we want to be obedient to God's law or not when we habitually and continuously sin by not being obedient then we enter the state of being rebellious here's what scripture teaches will happen to us if we practice such acts of Disobedience Hebrews chapter 10. for if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins but a fearful expectation of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without Mercy on the evidence of two or three Witnesses how much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God and has profaned the blood of the Covenant by which he was Sanctified and has outraged the spirit of Grace for we know him who said vengeance is mine I will repay and again the Lord will judge his people it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God number five obedience to his law makes us his treasured possession Exodus 19. now therefore if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my Covenant you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples for all the Earth is mine Deuteronomy 26. and Yahweh has declared today that you are a people for his treasured possession as he has promised you and that you are to keep all his Commandments Paul also stated that obedience is associated with being the Lord's possession Titus Chapter 2 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works Peter also wrote that not being disobedient and being in the light or walking in the law is what makes us the Lord's possession First Peter chapter 2. and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense they stumble because they disobey the word as they were destined to do but you are a chosen race a royal priesthood a holy nation a people for his own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of Darkness Into His Marvelous Light the world finds obeying God strange and peculiar but we are called to follow God's ways not the world's ways when we follow God's ways we are acknowledging that we belong to him number six obedience is righteousness all scripture is instruction and righteousness even the Commandments that some teach have been supposedly abolished according to his word anything scripture commands is instructions for righteousness that certainly destroys most mainstream theological paradigms but truth is often not what is common just ask the Pharisees the leaders and teachers of the day who thought they had everything figured out shame on us for being so arrogant to believe that we could not make the same mistake in our bias and pride just because a Doctrine is common or popular does not necessarily make it right in reality it happens to be the cyclical pattern in the Bible with God's chosen people second Timothy 3 16 all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching for reproof for correction and for training in righteousness John stated that whoever does righteousness is righteous First John 3 7. little children let no one deceive you whoever practices righteousness is righteous as he is righteous John also taught that if we decide not to do righteousness then not only are we not of God but we do not love others either first John chapter 3 and this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God nor is he who does not love his brother in fact Peter states that it is better to not have known the way of righteousness than to turn from it after we understand it on the day of judgment for believers we will be judged more harshly by what we should have known through the reading of his word and by what we should have taught others second Peter chapter 2 for it would have been better for them never to have known their way of righteousness than after knowing it turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them unrighteousness is sin first John 5 17. all unrighteousness is sin James 4 17 to know to do right and not do it is sin and as defined earlier sin is transgression of the law First John 3 4 thus unrighteousness is breaking God's law and righteousness is obedience to God's law this would also be why First John 3 10 connects righteousness back to love because righteousness is defined by the law and the law teaches us exactly how to love God and love others however practicing righteousness by keeping God's law will never be righteous enough to save us it takes the righteousness that we receive in faith in Christ who was the perfect righteousness on our behalf because we all fall short that is the righteousness we need first Philippians 3 9. and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law but that which comes through faith in Christ the righteousness from God that depends on faith complete righteousness cannot come from our own obedience we have all failed and can do nothing to redeem ourselves Galatians chapter 3. is the law then contrary to the promise of God certainly not for if a law had been given that could give life then righteousness would indeed be by the law Paul teaches us that through God's grace we receive perfect righteousness because of Christ's finished work on the cross our complete righteousness comes from the work on the cross by grace through faith Galatians chapter 2. I do not nullify the grace of God for if righteousness were through the law then Christ died for no purpose but Paul also taught that there is a righteousness that comes from obeying God's law this seems almost contrary to what he just taught in the previous scripture Romans chapter 10. for Moses writes about their righteousness that is based on the law that the person who does the Commandments shall live by them Romans 10 4. for Christ is the end or goal of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes Romans 6 18 and having been set free from sin have become slaves of righteousness Romans 6 verse 16. do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves you are slaves of the one whom you obey either of sin which leads to death or of obedience which leads to righteousness so we are to practice and do righteousness as obedience to the law to not sin but Christ is also our righteousness how does this work exactly why was Paul teaching on what seems to be two types of valid righteousness just like the previous scripture John stated we are to not sin which is righteousness according to God's law but when we fail their righteousness of our Messiah advocates for us to the father first John chapter 2 verse 1. my little children I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin but if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the father Messiah Yeshua the righteous thus we are to strive to practice and do righteousness but when we fail we are covered by grace and our faith this is exactly what Paul taught us about God's law in Romans 3 31. do we then overthrow the law by this faith by no means on the contrary we uphold the law just because Christ covers all of our sin and Grace it does not mean that we can sin we want to continuously strive to be obedient and God's grace picks up where we fail we do not sin just so Grace abounds we are to avoid sin and live a righteous life as defined by God's law number seven obedience is to be our Delight we have learned that obedience is the act of loving God avoiding sin evidencing our faith and it's our whole purpose in life how then should we feel about being obedient it sounds like a strange question but the answer is simple we are to Delight in his law anyone who complains about God's law or speaks about it negatively is simply not expressing a Biblical worldview in fact anyone who claims God's law is bondage a burden Etc is holding to a worldly perspective God calls his law freedom and the world's way is bondage the world tends to call God's ways bondage and the world's ways freedom examine the scriptures already provided and you will find that to be true now keep that in mind the next time you hear someone calling God's Sabbath bondage and realize whose side they are speaking for in that moment Psalm chapter 1. but his Delight is in the law the Torah of Yahweh and on his law he meditates day and night Psalm 119 verse 35 Lead Me in the path of your Commandments for I Delight in it Proverbs 29 where there is no prophetic Vision that people cast off restraint but blessed is he who keeps the law we are to find happiness in our obedience Paul also found his Delight in being obedient to God's law Romans chapter 7. for I Delight in the law of God in my inner being even if we are persecuted because of our righteousness we are to still be happy First Peter chapter 3. but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake you will be blessed have no fear of them nor be troubled amazing isn't it the way that some teach about God's law you would think that God's law is a horrible thing now we can see that that is not biblical at all but just a result of what is in their heart the irony is that the whole point of the New Covenant is for the law to be written on our heart for the Torah to be written on our heart that we will still want to be obedient instead of disobedient Jeremiah 31 behold the days are coming declares Yahweh when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah not like the Covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt by Covenant that they broke though I was their husband declares Yahweh for this is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days declares Yahweh I will put my law Torah within them and I will write it on their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people New Covenant same law New Covenant same Torah number eight obedience leads to blessings and reward obedience does not grant us salvation but is what we do once we have faith as evidence of our faith God's law blesses us when we obey it and curses us when we disobey it Christ removed the curse of the law on the cross for all those who have faith leaving only the blessings in our obedience to God's law this is not to say that sinning cannot have negative effects in this life but at least we are saved from the second death the curse in our faith Deuteronomy chapter 11. see I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse the blessing if you obey the Commandments of Yahweh which I command you today and the curse if you do not obey the Commandments of Yahweh your God but turn aside from the way that I'm commanding you today to go after other gods that you have not known it is a blessing to follow the Commandments of God it's also interesting to note that God considers turning aside from his Commandments is just the same as going after other gods this is because if we are not following his instruction then we're following someone else's instructions if not even our own as a side note this is why Yeshua was tested by teachers of the law several times according to Deuteronomy 13 and 18 if a prophet or teacher taught anything other than the Commandments that were written by Moses then they were considered a false prophet and leading God's people after other gods both Jesus and Paul were tested in this way several times in the scriptures and they always passed the test this is just one of the many evidences available to us that teach us that the law of God has not changed for more on this please see 119's teaching that Deuteronomy 13 test this is just another reason that it is absolutely certain that Yeshua and Paul taught and practiced nothing that was against God's law as written by Moses some actually teach that absorbing God's law is a curse they have it backwards obeying God's Commandments is a blessing it is the Disobedience to them that is a curse here is a sample of verses that teach obedience is really a blessing and who wouldn't want blessings Psalm 112 praise Yahweh blessed is the man who fears Yahweh who greatly Delights in his Commandments Psalm 119 verses 1-2 blessed are those whose way is blameless who walk in the law of Yahweh blessed are those who keep his testimonies who seek him with their whole heart Psalm 128 blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh who walks in his ways Proverbs Chapter 8. now therefore listen to me my children for blessed are those who keep my ways Isaiah 56 blessed is the man who does this and the son of man who lays hold of it who keeps from defiling the Sabbath and keeps his hand from doing any evil for those who mistakenly distinguish a difference between Old and New Testament as if the Old Testament is not scripture here is a sample of verses in the New Testament stating the exact same thing Matthew Chapter 5 blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied Matthew 5 blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Luke 11 but he said blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it Yeshua is referring to the whole word of God that includes Leviticus 11 and Leviticus 23. when our Messiah said this the New Testament had not been written yet the only word of God our Messiah could have been referring to is the Torah James chapter 1. but the one who looks into the perfect law the law of Liberty and perseveres being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts he will be blessed in his doing first Peter 3 but even if you should suffer for righteousness sake you will be blessed have no fear of them nor be troubled revelation 22 blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city in the end all believers will be judged on how well they understood and practiced God's word obedience is rewarded when he returns and will either be least or greatest in the Kingdom as a result revelation 22 behold I am coming soon bringing my recompense with me to repay each one for what he has done if we teach and act like God's law has been abolished then we will be least in the Kingdom of Heaven at best is only those who teach all of God's Commandments and practice them that will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven for example if you teach that God abolished his sabbaths the Eternal sign of his Covenant then you will be least in the Kingdom of Heaven Matthew chapter 5. do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them for truly I say to you until Heaven and Earth pass away not in Iota not a DOT will pass from the law until all is accomplished therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these Commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven we will receive reward for our works on the day of Judgment at his return for some there will be so little works that they will be saved but basically have no additional rewards First Corinthians chapter 3. each one's work will become manifest for the day we'll disclose it because it will be revealed by fire and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done if the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives he will receive a reward if anyone's work is burned up he will suffer loss though he himself will be saved but only as Through Fire all of our works are to be judged and they're all factored into the formula resulting in our Eternal rewards second Corinthians chapter five for we must all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body whether good or evil again everyone will be judged Romans 14. why do you pass judgment on your brother or you why do you despise your brother for we will all stand before the Judgment seat of God for it is written as I live says the Lord every knee shall bow to me and every tongue shall confess to God at this judgment we will give an account of everything we did in our life Romans 14. so then each of us will give an account of himself to God those who strive to practice righteousness like Paul will receive the crown of righteousness second Timothy chapter four I have fought the good fight I have finished their race I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will award to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing again this judgment may not be judgment for salvation but is a judgment nonetheless we want to come into God's kingdom as good and faithful servants who are blessed by the father summary of obedience in Scripture obedience is our purpose obedience is the evidence of our faith obedience is loving God and loving others obedience is the same as not sinning obedience to his law makes us his treasured possession obedience is righteousness obedience is to be our Delight obedience leads to blessings and eternal Rewards this obedience is the opposite of all of those things it was said that years ago a man was about to push a wheelbarrow across a tightrope over Niagara Falls he asked the crowd how many believed he could make it many held up their hands he asked them how many had enough Faith to ride in the wheelbarrow true faith is shown by our actions by what we are willing to do now God doesn't want us to ride in a wheelbarrow over Niagara Falls but he does want us to have enough Faith to obey his word he doesn't just want us to Proclaim that we believe him he wants to see our belief in action in closing here are some additional verses to consider Proverbs chapter 10 verse 8 the wise of heart will receive Commandments but a babbling fool will come to ruin First Peter chapter 4 verse 17 for it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God and if it begins with us what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God revelation 22 14. blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the city in Acts chapter 5 verse 29 but Peter and the apostles answered we must obey God rather than men we hope that this study has blessed you and remember continue to test everything shalom [Music] it is because of you our generous supporters who make it possible to offer these high quality teachings completely free of charge if you feel led to support 119 Ministries so that we can continue this effort please visit testeverything.net and click on the support 119 tab learn how you can partner with us to take the whole word of God to the Nations foreign