in Going Deeper
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Why Bother?
It is often asked, “If the law of God is just there to prove we can’t keep it, then why bother trying?” This is a good and fair question based on a snippet of Scripture being misunderstood. The Law of God instructs us on how to live; in doing so, it does point out our sin, with sin being defined as breaking the law of God (1 John 3:4). The curse of the law, or rather the penalty of it, is death (Romans 6:23); this is known as the law of sin and death (Romans...
1 Timothy 1:8 and the Lawful use of the Law
As "great" as Paul was, as a Pharisee who felt he knew the law and lived by it, he realized that simply following the letter of the law wasn't right, and that he wasn't even living correctly! Note that in 1 Timothy 1:13 he even called himself a blasphemer! The point here is this, Paul realized that only living by the legality of the law wasn’t enough, he also needed the spirit. He was not discarding the requirement of obeying the law, but simply applying another aspect of it, the...
Forgive and Forget - Part 2
Last week we discussed what it means to forgive and why forgiveness is important for both the sinner and the one sinned against. We saw how sin is a burden when one forgives that burden is lifted, carried, or taken away. This week we are looking at the phrase forgive and forget or as Yeshua said for us to “turn the other cheek”. The phrase “forgive and forget” is not found the Scriptures. The closest we come is when we are told that the Father...
Forgive and Forget - Part 1
Many of us are familiar with the mantra “forgive and forget”, but what does this mean? In a fallen world full of people who live in the flesh, it’s easy for us to offend or take offense whenever sin is involved. Yet Yeshua tells us that we are to forgive those who sin against us. Does forgiving someone mean to forget or ignore what happened? As followers of Yeshua, how does this work? What does it mean to “turn the other cheek”? We...
The Heart of Torah - Part 2
In part 1 of “The Heart of Torah” (CLICK HERE to go back and read it) we discussed where our focus should be, and what happens when we lose that focus. This time, in part 2, we are going to discuss what the “The Heart of Torah” is and what it means to walk in it, or follow it. What Is the “Heart of Torah”?Yeshua spoke about the importance of the heart of Torah with His statements to the Pharisees regarding helping a neighbor’s donkey out of...
Righteousness, The Pharisees, and You - Part 5
Part 5: Grace, Faith, & ...Righteousness? We know through faith we receive grace (Ephesians 2:8). We know righteousness is available to us through our belief in Christ because of His faith (Romans 3:22). We know when we sin, we are breaking the law of God and are not righteous (1 John 3:4, Deut. 6:25/Romans 2:13). We know when we sin we deserve death, but because of belief in who and what Christ is, we are saved from the penalty of eternal death (Romans...