Do you trust Messiah?
A simple question, right?
Do you?
Do you trust your Messiah?
Do you believe the things He said?

Why would I ask such a thing?
Well, for many good reasons.
When I show people what Yeshua Messiah said in scripture, direct quotes of the Word become flesh (see John 1:14), I get lots of strange replies.

“Yes, but Paul said…”
“Yes, but my pastor said…”
“Yes, but He did away with that…”
“Yes, but that isn’t what it means…”

There are many rebuttals that have become catch phrases within the Christian culture.
These catch phrases seem to be deployed without any thought given.  It seems we’ve been conditioned to respond a certain way, without actually evaluating any information.  We have believed what we believe for so long, the responses are just automatic.
It isn’t anyone’s fault.  We’ve simply been taught some things our whole lives. But are these things true?

If you have to choose who you will trust, will it be:
1. Paul
2. Your Pastor
3. What you’ve been taught those direct quotes ACTUALLY mean

For example, here is a direct quote from Yeshua our Messiah:
John 14:15
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

Do you read this and simply believe it, and therefore obey it?
Or do you reply with, “Yes, but…”?
Have you read Hebrews 10:26-31, where we are given consequences for not believing and obeying this direct quote of Messiah?
For if we keep on sinning willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but only a terrifying expectation of judgment and a fury of fire about to devour the enemies of God.  ²⁸ Anyone who rejected the Torah of Moses dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much more severe do you think the punishment will be for the one who has trampled Ben-Elohim underfoot, and has regarded as unholy the blood of the covenant by which he was made holy, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know the One who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “Adonai will judge His people.”  ³¹ It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

I don’t know about you, but that is quite the eye-opener for me.
“But that can’t be right.  That isn’t what my church teaches.”

I’m sure your church has taught you John 3:16.
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
But has your church taught you John 3:36?
He who trusts in the Son has eternal life. He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
[NOTE:  Most translations say “does not believe” instead of “does not obey.” If you look at the two Greek words used in this passage, you will find one word meaning “believe” is used in the first sentence, and another word meaning believe/obey/comply is used in the second sentence. Many English translations have this wrong, either by mistake or on purpose]

Oh boy, another serious eye-opener.

Here is another direct quote of Messiah:
Matthew 5:17-18
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. ¹⁸ Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif shall ever pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass.”

Do you read these words of your Messiah and believe them, or do you say, “Yes, but…”?
Have you ever been shown a direct quote of Yeshua and responded with, “Yes, but what that really means is…”?

Let’s check the definitions of these words:
abolish ~ (transitive verb)
to end the observance or effect of (something, such as a law)
to completely do away with (something)
to annul abolish a law abolish slavery
fulfill ~ (transitive verb)
to carry out, or bring to realization, as a prophecy or promise.
to perform or do, as duty; obey or follow, as commands.

I’ve been told so many times that Jesus fulfilled the law, and therefore it is done away with, that we don’t have to do it.
In the direct quote of Messiah in Matthew 5, He specifically and intentionally tells us He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it instead.
Using the definitions of these words, it is quite clear that he “did the law” as opposed to “did away with the law.”

And yet, millions upon millions of people will respond to this bit of scripture and say
“Yes, but my pastor said…”
“Yes, but it doesn’t really mean that…”
“Yes, but later Paul said…”

Are there any consequences associated with these replies? Are there any consequences for rejecting what your Messiah told you?
Matthew 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?’ ²³ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”

Another direct quote from our Messiah tells us to depart from Him, for what?
For following the law?
Nope.
Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.

And still, even after explaining these things using scripture, people will say, “Yes, but Paul teaches us that…”

Paul teaches us many things. Paul is reputed to have been an absolute genius. Paul literally memorized the Torah as a child.
Paul teaches what he teaches within the context of the Torah instructions. But our churches teach us that the writings of Paul mean something else, outside of the context of Torah.

I wish there was something recorded in scripture to help us decide which interpretation to go with.
Do we believe Paul’s teachings within the context of Torah?
Or do we believe Paul’s teachings support doing away with the Torah instruction.
If only scripture would just come out and tell us what to do…

It does.
Did you know that?
The paragraph header in my bible even labels this bit of scripture as “Final Advice”.
Teachers often save their most important lessons for last.
What was Peter’s final advice to us?

2Peter 3:14-18
Final Advice
¹⁴ Therefore, loved ones, while you are looking for these things, make every effort to be found in shalom, spotless and blameless before Him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that the patience of our Lord means salvation—just as our dearly loved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom given to him. ¹⁶ He speaks about these matters in all of his letters. Some things in them are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist (as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures)—to their own destruction.
¹⁷ Since you already know all this, loved ones, be on your guard so that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your sure footing. ¹⁸ Instead, keep growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Yeshua the Messiah. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity! Amen.

Did you catch that?
Some of Paul’s writings are hard to understand.
Why, because uninformed people twist his writings and the rest of scripture — to their own destruction.

Wait, what???
Yes, he said destruction.
If we misunderstand Paul’s writings and build doctrine upon those misunderstandings, it will result in our destruction.
If this is really serious, we would have been given a second warning, just to clarify and avoid any confusion.

Check out verse 17, the second warning in this bit of scripture.
It is the clarification, just to insure we are not confused:
¹⁷ Since you already know all this, loved ones, be on your guard so that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your sure footing.
Do not be led astray by the error of the lawless.

Do you believe the law is still in effect?
I’m not asking what your pastor has taught you.
Based on the words of Messiah, and based on the words of Peter, do you think the law is still in effect?
The consequences for getting this wrong are quite bad, so slow down, think, study, and pray before you answer.

Surely, if the law were still in effect, we’d see other evidence of it, right.
In Matthew 24, Yeshua Messiah tells us to pray we do not have to flee on the Sabbath.
This is in reference to end times, way in the future.
He expects people to be keeping the Sabbath.
Do you keep and honor the Sabbath?
I’m not talking about the garbage your church has made up regarding the Sabbath.  I’m talking about what scripture says about the Sabbath.

Exodus 20:8-11
⁸ “Remember Yom Shabbat, to keep it holy. ⁹ You are to work six days, and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Shabbat to Adonai your God. In it you shall not do any work—not you, nor your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, your cattle, nor the outsider that is within your gates. ¹¹ For in six days Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Thus Adonai blessed Yom Shabbat, and made it holy.

Exodus 31:12-18
¹² Then Adonai spoke to Moses saying, ¹³ “Speak now to Bnei-Yisraelsaying, ‘Surely you must keep My Shabbatot, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, so you may know that I am Adonai who sanctifies you. ¹⁴ Therefore you are to keep the Shabbat, because it is holy for you. Everyone who profanes it will die, for whoever does any work during Shabbat, that soul will be cut off from the midst of his people. ¹⁵ Work is to be done for six days, but on the seventh day is a Shabbat of complete rest, holy to Adonai. Whoever does any work on the Shabbat will surely be put to death. ¹⁶ So Bnei-Yisrael is to keep the Shabbat, to observe the Shabbat throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. ¹⁷ It is a sign between Me and Bnei-Yisrael forever, for in six days Adonai made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and rested.’”
¹⁸ When He had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave the two tablets of the Testimony to Moses—tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.

The book of Revelation is regarding future times, well after Messiah’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension.

Revelation 12:17 [referring to the remnant of the church]
So the dragon became enraged at the woman and went off to make war with the rest of her offspring—those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Yeshua.

The church is made up of those who:
1.  Keep the commandments of God
2. Have the testimony of Messiah

Revelation 14:12 [referring to the saints, the elect, the saved]
Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

The saints, the elect, the saved are defined as:
1.  Those who keep the commandments of God
2. Those who have faith in Messiah

And one last direct quote of Messiah:
Revelation 22:14-15 [saying who is in His kingdom and then who is not in His kingdom]
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

Again we see, straight from Messiah’s mouth:
1.  Keep the commandments

Who is not in the kingdom?
Those who love and practice a lie.
If you have been taught lies for doctrine, it is not your fault.
I was taught the same lies.
But now, if you’ve read this study, you have to decide if you will evaluate these things.
You have to take the things you know and test them against scripture. You have to test these things against the very words of your Messiah.

“I wish scripture would tell us what these lies are, mentioned in Revelation 22:15.”

Well, you are in luck. Scripture does tell us what these lies are.
Check out Jeremiah 16:19-20 [referring to end times]:
O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
²⁰ Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?

Can you believe it?
We are told that in end times, the Gentiles (us) will realize we have inherited nothing but lies.
These lies are worthless.

Are you ready to look into this?
Are you ready to shed the lies?
Are you ready to trust the words of your Messiah?
Or will you continue to trust the words of your pastor, and the misinterpreted words of Paul?
Will you love and practice a lie?
Lies that we have inherited?