Pull up the scriptures in this study and study like a Berean (Acts: 17:11).
Definition of sin: Both Oxford and Webster’s dictionaries define sin as an offense against YAHWEH or the act of breaking a religious or moral law.
The Bible defines sin in 1 John 3:4.
Hebraic Roots Bible: “Everyone practicing sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is the breaking of the Torah.” Download PDF.
Amplified Bible: “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness [ignoring YAHWEH’s law by action or neglect or by tolerating wrongdoing—being unrestrained by His commands and His will].”
Recap
1. YAHWEH commanded Adam NOT to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. If he did, it would be called sin, and death would surely follow (Genesis 2:16, 17). Hence the Law of Sin and Death.
2. Adam ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which enacted the Law of Sin and Death (Romans 5:12). Since YAHWEH can not lie (Titus 1:2) or go back on his word (1 Samuel 15:29), the Law of Sin and Death remains legal on the Earth.
3. YAHWEH did not leave us stranded in our sin(s) or sinful nature. In Genesis 3:15, YAHWEH promised redemption through the seed of the woman directly after their sin. YAHWEH provided a “LEGAL” way to salvation through His son Yahshua (Romans 5:18, 19).
4. Yahshua, the son of YAHWEH, lived a sinless life, perfectly fulfilling and following the Torah, which made him the “LEGAL” acceptable sacrifice or scapegoat to bear all of our sins (Matthew 5:17, 18).
5. Our sins were violently placed on Yahshua (see Part 1 to see how violent), so much so that He was unrecognizable to His mother. After Yahshua bore our sins through the brutality inflicted on him by the Romans and Jews, He said, “Behold, it is finished.” “It is finished” or “it is completed” indicates that He fulfilled and completed what He was sent to do, and then He died (John 19:30).
6. Through Yahshua’s death, the enacted Law of Sin and Death is “LEGALLY” done away with for those that accept Him as their savior (Romans 8:2, Romans 5:19, John 3:16, 17). However, we must still deal with the Law of Sin in our flesh.
7. If you receive Yahshua and accept him as your savior, YAHWEH gives you grace and forgiveness by faith. Being under grace means that we are free from the PENALTY or CONDEMNATION of sin, which is death (Romans 8:1).
Living Under Grace
Being under grace through faith is the ultimate undeserved gift. This gift does not, however, give us a license to sin freely. We are not to continue in sin freely, ignoring the Torah, commandments, and precepts of YAHWEH (Romans 3:31, Romans 6:1, 2, 15 – Read the entire chapter). “To say that grace causes us to be free from obedience to the Law of YAHWEH wouldn’t make sense. As (Romans 7:7, 8, 9, 10, 11 ,12) tells us that the Law of YAHWEH (Torah, commandments, and precepts) defines sin. Without the Law of YAHWEH, there would be no sin. If there is no sin, then there is no need for grace”. Christian theologies like universalism, once saved always saved, religious syncretism, and anything remotely close to these are false doctrines. Please do not follow or be misled by them.
- Yahshua said: If you [really] love Me, you will keep (obey) My commands. (John 14:15) indicating Love and obedience go hand and hand.
- John the Apostle said: And the one keeping His commandments is guarded by Him, and He will dwell in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He gave to us (1 John 3:24).
- Yahshua said: And then I will declare to them, from everlasting, I never knew you; “depart from Me, those working lawlessness (Matt 7:23). Lawlessness is a state of disorder due to a disregard of the law. The law is the Torah, commandments, and precepts of YAHWEH.
- Paul said: Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of YAHWEH is everything (1 Corinthians 7:19).
- Revelation: 22:14 – Blessed are the ones doing His commandments, that their authority will be over the Tree of Life, and that they may enter by the gates into the city.
- Revelation: 14:12 – Here is the patience of the sanctified ones; here are the ones keeping the commandments of YAHWEH, and the faith of Yahshua
- Duet 4:1, 2, 6, 7 ,8 explains how Israel’s obedience to the Law of YAHWEH (Torah, commandments, and precepts) was to show the Gentiles just how excellent and wise the commandments were. We are also called to be Holy (set apart) by following the commandments to be an example to the world. Unfortunately, in today’s world, there is no real difference between Christians and non-Christians they look and basically act the same.
- (Mark 10:17, 18, 19, 20, 21) A man asked Yahshua what he must do to inherit eternal life. Yahshua told the man of the commandments, surrendering his worldly possession, and following Him (Yahshua).
I know this is not mainstream Christianity and is hard to swallow for many, but this is Bible truth. Yahshua tells us to follow him into life through the narrow gate where the path is constricted and not to take the wide gate with the broad path that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13, 14). The path of a believer is narrow and constricted because YAHWEH is calling us to be holy (set apart) because He is holy. Choosing to be a set-apart believer in this world built to distract us from the Law of YAHWEH (Torah, commandments, and precepts) is difficult. However, YAHWEH promised in (Jeremiah 31:31,32,33,34) a New Covenant that would place the Torah (law) inside us and write it on our hearts. Paul quotes this passage in (Hebrews 8:8,9,10,11,12) when explaining the New Covenant and how the agreement about sin has changed through the blood of Messiah paying the penalty of sin. YAHWEH also tells us in (Ezekiel 36:26,27) that He would place His spirit, the Ruach HaKodesh, in us and cause us to walk in his statutes, judgments, and commands. Yahshua confirmed the Ruach HaKodesh would come and teach us all things (John 14:26). On the day of Pentecost, YAHWEH started placing the Ruach HaKodesh inside of people (Acts 2:1,2,3,4). YAHWEH still places His Spirit in humanity today so we can walk in his statutes, judgments, and commands. Placing His spirit in us so that we can walk in his commandment does not communicate that YAHWEH planned to abolish or do away with His law. Putting His Torah (Law) in us and writing it on our hearts certainly does not express abolishing or doing away with His law.
I’m not saying following the Torah, commandments, and precepts of YAHWEH gains your salvation or that your works/actions do. Salvation can only be obtained through grace and faith by accepting Yahshua. However, we are to obey His commands because we love Him and want to be obedient children, not lawless. Faith, Grace, and Obedience go together, if you continue in disobedience (sin), you are lawless and will be cast into the Gehenna fire. When you surrendered your life to YAHWEH, you gave up your life and will for His, like His son Yahshua did. Yahshua came to do the will of His Father and shut down the added traditions of men (Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes). The Torah, commandments, and precepts of YAHWEH are not traditions of men; they are His laws which include the 7th day Sabbath. Additionally, today there are over 200 Christian denominations in America alone and about 45,000 globally, meaning there are tons of man-made traditions that have nothing to do with the Bible. We cannot serve YAHWEH however we want, as the sons of Aaron did with the strange fire (Leviticus 10:1,2,3) or by following the man-made or manufactured traditions of mainstream Christianity.
Questions to ask yourself and ponder
Why Did Yahshua tell the man about the commandments when asked about eternal life?
Why is Yahshua telling folk to obey the commands to show they love him?
Why is the last chapter of the last book in the Holy Bible still talking about commandments if the law was done away with? ***The penalty of the law of sin and death was done away with, not the law of YAHWEH***.
Who told you that the commandments or Law of YAHWEH was done away with? You might reply the same way Eve did in (Genesis 3:13). Remember that the Bible says Ha-Satan was able to deceive the inhabitants of Earth (Revelation 12:9)
I’m a BBB (Bible Believing Believer), follower of Yahshua, and a child of YAHWEH sounding the alarm for all to hear. Please take heed to this message and pray to YAHWEH for direction.
By David Edwards