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Monday, May 10, 2010

When did the commandments change?

When did the commandments change?

We know that in the past the commandments were there and valid. I do not think that many people will dispute this fact.  But many believe that sometime after Yeshua’s death and resurrection they changed.   It was no longer about the Will of God but, doing whatever we want as long as we believe, love Him, and others.  But is this really the case?  If it is, wouldn’t it stand to reason that if the commandments were changed, fulfilled, or done away with, that this is how it will be from now on?  Will Yeshua have the same commandments during his reign when he returns?  Lets look to scripture and see.

Isa 2:2  It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it,
Isa 2:3  and many peoples shall come, and say:  Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.  For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Isa 2:4  He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

Here in this very prophecy of  our Lords return, and his reign.  (Isa 2:3  and many peoples shall come, and say:  Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.  For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.) So what is this Law being spoken of here.  Some simply think it will be the command of the King.  And while they are right they should know that these will not be new commands.  They are the same that we have had from the beginning.  The Law here is an English translation of the Hebrew word “Torah.”  Don’t take my word for it, check for yourselves.  So why would our Messiah do away with the Law if it is prophesied that he will teach us His ways, so we can walk in His paths “the Torah,” and after His second coming and during His Millennial reign.  Also, it may be good to point out here that the Law going forth will not just be his voice or speaking, as I have heard and taught it myself in the past.  For the Scripture also states, that along with the Law, the Word will also go forth.

We know that the Law as many call it, was valid in the Past,  we know that the Law will be valid in the future, so why do we think that it isn’t valid now?  How many of us have really pondered this question?  I know I never did.  I was happy in my knowledge that the Law (Will of God, Torah, Pentateuch) was not meant for me, and was either fulfilled or done away with.  And  I never wanted to see the truth of the matter.  I never sought the truth as it pertained to the Law.  Quite simply because I didn’t want the true Will of God in my life.  I liked the idea that I wasn’t really held accountable for my sins.  I liked not having to worship God in His way.  I liked the illusion that I had control over my life,  I was terribly wrong.  And to any out there that I taught these ideas too in the past that read this article, all I can do is apologize for my mistakes.  I have been asked: “Why would you want to follow the Law when we can simply live under grace?”  And the answer is simple, because that is what my God asks of me.  It isn’t about me or what I want!  And, I also point out that they should  take a better look at how grace is defined in Scripture.  We have to be willing to put aside our own pride, and stop pondering these questions on our own.  The fact of the matter is we have instruction to lead us in Gods way, and we have the Holy Spirit to guide us through these very Scriptures. 

So many would try and do away with the Will of God in their lives.  They would rather listen to  flawed men than seek Divine Truth.  I have been given so many excuses in my life, as to why we do not need the Will of God.  It is scary just how easy it is to justify in our hearts, not following the Will of God.  And to say that we no longer need the Law is doing this very thing.  It is through the Law (Torah) that we know God.  It is through the Law (Torah) that we know sin.  And without it we cannot know either.  We are ships crashing in a storm being tossed from one side to the other.  We must seek shelter in the storm, and the only real shelter to be found is in the Word of God.

Now lets look at the past.  Because it is the belief held by many that the Will of God changed from the beginning, to mount Sinai.  So why couldn’t his will change again?  But did the Will of God ever change?  Did even Abraham already have the Law and the Commandments, or was the Law a new invention at mount Sinai?  Once again to find our answer before we start speculating on our own, lets look to Scripture.

 Gen 26:4  I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,
Gen 26:5  because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."

Here we see that according to our Scripture Abraham did in fact have the Will of God.  (Gen 26:5  because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." ).  Were they in the complete form as given on Mount Sinai?  That we do not know, but we know that His Will didn’t change.  We know that there were charges, commandments, statues, and Laws given to him.  So we know the Law (Torah, God’s Will) predates mount Sinai.  We also know that not even sacrifice was only  given to us by God on Mount Sinai. (Gen 4:3  In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground,
Gen 4:4  and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering,)

 Now begs the question who taught Cain and able to sacrifice to God?  Who taught Abraham what was right in the sight of God?  Who taught the Israelites how to worship God?  Who taught the world Love through our Messiah Yeshua?  In all cases it is God, the Father, the creator of all creation, the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac, The God of Israel.  It may also be helpful to remember, to put all things in their proper perspective.  The Law was given at the same time as the history of the world was given.  God gave Moses the History that is the Torah (first five books, Pentateuch), and along with this History he gave us his Will, through His Law.  Why do we intend to change our Gods Will, when He is the one who gives it to us?  That is the way it was in the beginning,  now, and in the future.  We must let our own natures be silenced and follow God, His way, not our own.  This has been said before and it will be said again.  GOD does not change, not his mind, not His Will, not His Plans.  They have been the same from the beginning and they will continue for ever.  We must stop trying to change our God and accept that we are the ones in need of change.  God does not change to fit us.  We change to follow Him.

Now comes the idea that all traditions are good and we must simply follow them.  So we need to ask ourselves.  Can we be corrupted or spoiled by mans philosophy, tradition, and principles of the world?


Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

  We must beware of any deceit or tradition that teaches us to walk in any way that is contrary to how our Master walked.  Some would even accuse me of bringing some new deceitful philosophy with these articles.  And in response to these accusations, all I ask is that you put these ideas to the test of Scripture.  Not one passage taken out of context, not one book, but the whole of Scripture.  Look to how our Messiah walked.  Did our Messiah do away with any of God’s Will (Torah)?  Of course not.  When presented with a challenge, or problem, where did our Messiah get his answers?  They came from the Torah, don’t take my word for it look for yourself.  Really look at how our Messiah walked, do a study of true discipleship.  Step away from vain teachings of deceit, and false traditions of man to justify sin.  And look to God for your answers.  Go to Scripture in prayer!  Put all things to the test of Scripture.  Not just these writings, but all writings of men.  I do not claim to have a patent on truth.  As a matter of fact I am just as wrong on many things as anyone else.  Never take, any mans word for anything, without putting it to the test in Scripture, and through prayer.  We must guard our hearts.  There are false traditions of men in this world.  Just because one comes claiming to be a man of God be weary for he may be a wolf in sheep clothing.   If anyone brings a gospel that is not congruent with scripture, turn and flee from it.  When a man tells you that we are to be rich with worldly possession because that is what is needed to be happy flee from it.  If one brings a gospel that teaches you to walk in any way outside of the example set for us by our Messiah flee from it.  Take the time to read and see how our Messiah truly walked on this earth, and when we go forth in study of Scripture we must keep this in mind for a true prospective, and context. The idea that our Messiah only walked in Gods Law (Torah, God's Will) before his crucifiction, simple does not hold water when put under the scrutiny of Scripture.  The Law wasnt done away with after the resurrection.  In Acts 1:1-4, Yeshua taught His Apostles about the Kingdom of God and not one place in Acts do the Apostles, including Paul, say the Law is done away with.  Just as we have no right to change our God or His Will, we have no right to change our Messiah.

In conclusion The Law (Torah) has been with us since we were created.  God instructs His people in His ways.  It was this way for Adam, Abraham, Moses, and us today.  It hasn’t changed.  There is no indication in Scripture to point that this has not ever been the case.  The Law (Torah, Will of God) does not change.  We are the ones that change.  We are to become closer in relationship with our God.  That is the purpose of the Law (Torah, Will of God) in our lives.  So we can learn His teachings, His way.  So we can walk in a covenant relationship once again.  So we can come in the presence of our God without being destroyed.  It shows us sin so we can remove it from our lives to be closer to Him.  We know through Scripture that the Will was there in the beginning.  And our Father taught us his Will throughout time.  We also know that the Will of God will be just as valid in the future as it was on Mount Sinai.  So why in our arrogance do we seek to change the Will of God and say it isn’t valid now?

The council in Jerusalem acknowledged the foundation of the Law (Torah) when James stated that Moses was preached and read in the synagogues on every Sabbath (Act 15:19  Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, Act 15:20  but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. Act 15:21  For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues." ) It is stated here that the new converts first had to be taught to refrain from the things that will break a covenant relationship with God. And immediately continues by stating that the Law of Moses (Torah, Law, Will of God) is taught every Sabbath in the synagogues.  James believed that gentile followers of the Master would naturally become imitators of Messiah as they heard and observed the Torah (Law, Will of God) week after week.  It was a process of growth. It wasn’t meant to happen over night.  And now 2,000 years later it is the mission of many including this ministry to recover the truth found in the Torah (Law, Will of God) to become imitators of Yeshua our Messiah as well.  To get back to the roots of our faith, and become true disciples of Yeshua our Messiah.


As always I hope, this article has helped us all in some way to gain a closer walk with our Messiah.  I pray that as we go forth to put these ideas to the test, in Scripture, that we are given eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the Glory of Yeshua our Messiah.

16 comments:

  1. goodness gracious. Abraham did not have the Law of Moses. Paul says very plainly that Abraham was justified by faith 400 years before the Law was given. Yes, he had commandments that were given to him by God. Yes, he followed them. This does not mean that they were the same commandments.
    In a similar way, you will have rules for your younger daughter that don't apply to your older daughter. You may have a rule now (like "hold hands when you cross the street") that won't apply when they are older. If you change these rules, it won't mean that you have changed. It will mean that circumstances are different.

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  2. Hello my friend. I am still waiting on the big reveal of your identity :) But I did not say that Abraham had the Law of Moses in its entirety. You need to go back and reread the article my friend :). And just as the rules are different for my daughters, doesn't mean they are any less valid. Just because they are expounded on as they grow, it does not do away with the basic truths I taught them when they were younger. The rule you stated (holding hands when crossing the street) is not done away with just because they are now old enough to look for them selves. The idea of being careful when crossing the street is still there no matter how old they become. Yeshua also taught that hate was murder, even though the Law only states the act as sin. He expounded on the Law, He did not ignore it. But before we really get into this there are many other points that need to be addressed. I hope you have decided to begin our search for the truth together. If you have please email me at justmcdade@gmail.com. And please drop the mask, it really isn't necessary. as always with Love this is written and it is my hope the it is with Love it will be received.

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  3. I think you stated my point very clearly when you said that the idea behind the rule (to hold hands) is still valid. They continue to follow the spirit of the rule even though the letter of the rule no longer applies. It's the same with the laws that appertained to the Mosaic covenant. The idea behind them all was Jesus Christ himself who is the fulfillment of the Law. We continue to follow the idea behind Moses' Law. We continue to follow Christ. The Law was only given because of our immaturity (as Paul so eloquently states) and was only given until we came to our full manhood (Christ).

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  4. Heb.8:13 "In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."

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  5. I guess first I need to address the issues that you have brought up for my other readers. But you really need to stop the games. Its time to drop the mask. I am more than happy to study with you. But it is study that I would like to do. I have asked many times for you to email me and drop the mask. And if you really want to know about what I believe ,and why, we can go over it. Some of the perspectives you are making me point out are meant to come through a time period in my upcoming articles. So it is here that I need to ask you if you really want to seek the truth with me with an open mind? Not my truth or your truth but Gods truth. Or do you want to simply try and make points?

    Now you said that I made your point, but you missed mine entirely. To put my point in context I stated that Yeshua expounded on the Law when he explained to us that hate is the same as murder. The letter of the Law as you said only states that murder is sin. But Yeshua showed us that if a man hates in his heart it is the same as committing murder. Yeshua did not abolish the Law by showing its true meaning, he didn’t even change the letter, for murder is till sin, its just that we now know the true meaning of hate as well. Yeshua validated the Law. Believe me I am familiar with your point of view. I once held and taught it myself. And I never realized what I was doing by taking things out of context. This is where reading the article Did Yeshua or Paul abolish the Law may help. And you may not want to admit it but this is what you have done with this post. It started with your erroneous thought that I stated that Abraham had the entire Law of Moses, I did however show that it is a possibility. Then you took my point out of context in your next post. I still would like you to really define what the word fulfillment means to you. And once again, I cover this point in the article did Yeshua or Paul abolish the Law.

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  6. I think it is time for us all to realize that for us to make statements like this is to deny who our Messiah is. It creates contradictions in Scripture that do not exist. You use Heb 8:13 in your next post but this vers presents a major flaw in your theory Heb. 8:13: Tells us that the Old Covenant is still with us: not yet disappeared but is ready to disappear. This affirms the words of Jesus when He said in Matthew 5:17-18, 'till Heaven and Earth disappear, not one letter or artistic flurry shall depart from the Law'. The Mosaic Covenant will depart when the New Heavens come into focus. The Law is still for Israel today, both Jew and Gentile who love Yeshua. The Law today cannot condemn us any more but it still shows us what sin is. Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. Isn’t it the same Holy Spirit that inspired the Scripture, maybe it was confused when it wrote the book of Romans, and every other book that continually tells us to keep the Law and the commandments even though the New testament wasn’t written yet? It is easy to make points without defining what is being said. So lets say you are right. And the Law was fulfilled. What does that mean. Because not defining it is where the false ideas like allowing grace to abound in sin come from. SO party time, lets show just how merciful God is. Define fulfilment. Is it now ok to murder? Maybe we should all follow false Gods but as long as we say a prayer to God at night its fine? What exactly are you saying. This is why I have asked you to define your idea of fulfilment. The following is a partial list of Scripture that, if left to speak for themselves, will point us to the Law being the basis for our life-style in Jesus. It's not that the Law saves us but once saved by the Blood of Jesus, the Law acts to reveal God's Will for our lives; what is sin and what is not; what is pleasing in His sight and what is not (2nd Tim. 3:14-17). Please hear what the Spirit of Yeshua (Jesus' Hebrew Name), is saying today. It is the exact same thing that Jesus said when He ministered in Jerusalem. Never once does Yeshua declare, or give any intimation, that after His Resurrection, the Law or the Sabbath will be no more. Not once. In fact, He says just the opposite (Matt. 5:17-19; 24:20; Luke 16:17). These are His Words, the words of our Savior, God in the Flesh. They are confirmed by just about every New Testament writer, including Paul, as you’ll see below.

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  7. And please don't try to nullify all these Scriptures with Scripture that you think might 'do away with the Law'. Scripture really doesn't contradict itself. The Scriptures that you might think nullify the Law, don't deal with life-style, but with trying to keep the Law as a means of justification or salvation. This is wrong and Paul rightly comes against it. That's what much of Galatians is about.

    The Church has misinterpreted Paul concerning his position on the Law when he speaks of it as a righteous lifestyle (2nd Tim. 3:16-17). Romans, Paul's theological masterpiece, was written after Galatians and we see Paul expressing the view that the Law is holy and necessary for knowing what is sin and what is not. The Church misunderstands Paul in Galatians. Paul is not coming against the Law per se, but coming against the Law, symbolized in circumcision, for those who think that they can do the Law as a means of justification (or salvation: please see Gal. 5:4 for Paul's summary of what he's been speaking of concerning the Law and Salvation).

    1. Matt. 5:17-19: Here are the very words of Jesus concerning the Law: 'I have not come to abolish the Law'. 'Till Heaven and Earth pass away, not one letter or artistic flurry shall depart from the Law'. And, 'the man who breaks the least of the Law's Commandments, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven'. Yeshua was speaking about keeping the least of the Commandments after the Resurrection, as the Kingdom of Heaven didn't begin till then.

    2. Matt. 22:34-40: All the Commandments derive from love of God or neighbor. The Law of Moses is God's definition of loving Him and our neighbor.

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  8. 3. Matt. 24:20: Here we see Yeshua speaking of a tribulation that has not yet come upon the Earth and He is concerned for women who are pregnant and nursing in that day, that they wouldn't have to flee from Jerusalem in the winter, because of the cold, or on a Sabbath. (As this was written by Matthew many years after the Resurrection, it shows us also that the Sabbath was being kept then too.)

    4. Luke 16:17: Although the preceding verse seems to indicate that the Law was only 'till John the Baptist', this verse tells us that an interpretation that the Law was done away with at 'John's time', in lieu of the Kingdom of God, is false. Here again we see Yeshua telling us that the Law is more established than even the Heavens and the Earth.

    5. John 15:10: Keep the Father's Commandments, just as Yeshua did.

    6. Acts 21:20-24: All Christians kept the Law and Paul took the Vow of the Nazirite to show that he kept the Law too. This Vow entails sacrifice (Num. 6:13-14, 18).

    7. Acts 22:12: Ananias, the man who heals Paul, is 'a devout keeper of the Law' (Acts 9:10-18).

    8. Acts 23:5: Paul, in his righteous anger, tells the High Priest that he is a white washed grave. On finding out that it was the High Priest, Paul, instead of saying something like, 'I recognize no High Priest other than Jesus ', actually backs down and quotes a Scripture from the Law of Moses for doing so (Ex. 22:28). If the Law had been done away with for Paul, we don't see it here.

    9. Acts 25:8: Paul tells us he keeps the Law.

    10. Romans 3:31: The Law is established by faith in Yeshua for our life-style of holiness. Yeshua showed us the definition of loving God with all one's heart (Dt. 6:4-5), and loving one's neighbor as themself (Lev. 19:18), by His sacrificial death on the tree. Out of this kind of love, is the Law to be observed by us who desire to be like Him.

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  9. 11. Romans 7:7, 12, 14: The Law shows us what is sin. The Law is spiritual and holy.

    12. 1st Cor. 5:6-8: Paul exhorts the Corinthians to keep the Feast of Passover.

    13. 1st Cor. 7:19: Keep the Commandments of God. This is what matters.

    14. Heb. 4:9: 'A Sabbath rest remains for the people of God.' Unfortunately, both the KJV and the NKJV only have 'rest' and not 'Sabbath rest' even though the Textus Receptus (which is the basis for the KJV), has Sabbatismos. (Other translations though, have Sabbath rest.) Sabbatismos means a literal observance of the Sabbath. The author is symbolically speaking of the Sabbath rest of Eternity in the New Jerusalem. By the author's use of Sabbatismos, without his need to defend it, we see that he took it for granted that all were keeping the Sabbath, and he used it to point to the Eternal Sabbath. He couldn't have used it as such, if Sunday had replaced the Sabbath day. What good would speaking of the Sabbath rest do, if Sunday had replaced it?

    15. Heb. 8:10: This tells us what God intended by giving us the New Covenant: to write His Law on our hearts.

    16. Heb. 8:13: Tells us that the Old Covenant is still with us: not yet disappeared but is ready to disappear. This affirms the words of Jesus when He said, 'till Heaven and Earth disappear, not one letter or artistic flurry shall depart from the Law'. The Mosaic Covenant will depart when the New Heavens come into focus. The Law is still for Israel today, both Jew and Gentile who love Yeshua.

    17. James 2.9: Showing partiality is sin and the Law exposes one who does so.

    18. James 4:12: Anyone slandering his brother or judging him is not keeping the Law.

    19. 1st John 3:3-4: All who want to be like Him will not walk in Law-lessness.

    20. 1st John 5:2-3: All who love God will keep His Commandants to show forth their love for Him.

    21. Rev. 12:17: Hold to the testimony of Jesus and keep the Commandments (Law) of God.

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  10. 22. Rev. 14:12: Here is the perseverance of the believers. They keep the Law, the Commandments of God, and have faith in Jesus.

    Some Scripture from the Tanach (Old Testament), that shows us that God never intended for His Law 'to be done away with' before the Day of Judgment:

    1. Isaiah 2:3: The Law will go forth from Zion, God's Word from Jerusalem. His Law and Word are identical as they parallel one another. This is an age yet to come; spears into pruning hooks; see also Micah 4:2. It's the Millennial Age; the thousand year reign of Yeshua as King of Israel, from Jerusalem (Ezk. 40-48).

    2. Isaiah 66:22-23: Sabbath and New Moon for all believers in the Millennial Age.

    3. Jeremiah 31:31-34: The idea of the N.T., concerning the Law of Moses, was that the Law would be written on our hearts. It was certainly written on the heart of Jesus, as He kept all the Law that applied to Him. If He didn't, He would have sinned and we know that He never sinned. As our Example, we should follow Him in all things, including the keeping of the Sabbath day as holy (and not just a day of worship, as all days are good to worship Him on), and Passover, the dietary laws, etc.

    4. Ezekiel 11:19-20; 36:25-27: We are given God's Spirit to keep His Law. God's laws define for us, what God's Love is (Mt. 22:40). If we love God, we will keep His Ways, the way He understands them, not what the Church has given to us concerning the Law.

    5. Ezekiel 43:7-9, 18-20, 25-27; 44:2-5, 23-24; 45:16, 21-22; 46:2-4, 11-12: Sacrifice, Sabbath and the Prince (Messiah), are seen in the Third Temple of Ezekiel, in the Millennial Age.

    6. Zechariah 14:16-19: The Feast of Tabernacles will be for all believers in the Millennial Age.

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  11. Some Scripture that shows the Law was considered God's Blessing to Israel; His Wisdom & Truth:

    1. Deut. 4:5-8: Here we find God's understanding of the Law being His wisdom for His people.

    2. Psalm 119: 142, 151, 160. Placing this in the context of John 4:23-24, where our Father wants us to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth, we find that God's Truth is equal to His Law, which is equal to His Word.

    And a Scripture to show us that the Law being thrown out by the Church didn't take God by surprise:

    1. Daniel 7:25: Satan, through the Catholic Church, has indeed changed the times (Sabbath, Passover, etc.), and the Law of Moses, just as Daniel prophesied. But Yeshua is restoring them to His Bride.

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  12. This is why I wanted to start to study with you through email. Please do not be offended with the response I have made. If I hadn’t felt it necessary for my other readers I would simply continued to slowly point things out. But I really need some of these truths to come out a little slower. Because the fact is it is hard for man to change. It is hard to start to think outside the box so to speak of traditional interpretations of men. I am not against you brother. And I do respect your opinions. But you have to understand that this blog is a major part of my ministry and I cannot have in undermined at this time. So once again I will plead with you to try and open your mind. And remember I do not think I am smarter or better than anyone else. I do not claim to know the whole of Gods truth. But there are things that I have been showed that have helped me greatly and this is what this ministry is about. Please take the time to study over what I have written with an open mind. And please email me at justmcdade@gmail.com anytime you want me to really consider something. I know you probably will not Believe this but I am truly open minded and willing to see your side. But understand I once held your point of view so it is a little easier for me to understand where you are coming from. You are not sending me anything that I didn’t once teach myself. I am asking that you take the time to consider what has been written instead of immediately judging it and reverting to the ideas you have now. Please put them to the test of Scripture through prayer. It really is With Love this is written and it is my sincerest hope that it is with Love it will be received.

    P.S.
    I am willing to change when the Truth is presented to me. I have revised a couple of my articles more than once because mistakes were made. And I am not just speaking of grammar LOL.

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  13. One last point dealing with your first post, in this line. You said "Paul says very plainly that Abraham was justified by faith 400 years before the Law was given." But James also says that it was by his works he was justified.

    Jas 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
    Jas 2:22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works;

    So here we have an apparent contradiction in Scripture. So if you will go back and read some of my earlier articles you can see we need to now ask ourselves. Is God (Scripture)wrong? Is God a lire? Did God change his mind? Or is it possibly that our flesh has presented a contradiction that doesn't exist? Faith without works is dead. It isn't faith verses works, its works by faith. Instead of trying to prove our theologies in Scripture. Creating contradictions that do not exist. We should simply live by what is said in Scripture.

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  14. You are right that faith and works are not contradictions. This was certainly not something that I suggested. We are justified by works and not by faith alone.
    Abraham was certainly justified by works (which are the outward aspect of faith). However, the works by which he was justified have nothing to do with the Law of Moses. James specifically names the works by which Abraham was justified. He was justified by obeying God in offering Isaac as a sacrifice. This command from God was for a specific time and for a specific function (just like the Law of Moses).

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  15. You need to go back and study over what I have sent. And yes his works did have to do with the Law of Moses for they are both following the instructions given by God. And you say that the Law of Moses if for a specific time and function, yet that is a contradiction to Scripture. Because in Scripture, the Time of the Law is said to be eternal and for all generations, and the function is to obey God, which in my heart hasnt changed. But Please go over everything I have written you, and if you have any questions, or comments, over the issues I sent, please email me at justmcdade@gmail.com I would Also like to receive a response to the email I sent you. One more thing. You really need to decide if you want to study, and seek the truth, or make points and claim to know the truth. It makes a big difference. If we study we can start from the beginning as I have asked you to do in previous posts and emails. We can carefully consider each others points of view and focus on one thing at a time. But if you just want to argue arbitrarily then I am really not interested. Because here once again you have avoided most of the issues I have brought up and focused on the one you felt comfortable speaking against.It is here that I am going to ask you to start addressing some of the other issues that I have brought up. In email's of course. Thank you for your comments, but I must ask that you consider all that is written. We cannot avoid the plan truths in scripture to justify our theologies, we must see the Word of God as it is. We cannot pick and choose which parts of it we like and are willing to study and understand. Thank you Brother, but the games must end. When you are ready to start to study, contact me so we can really start to seek the truth together. Not my truth, or your truth, but Gods truth. May we be given eye's to see, ears to hear, and hearts to change for the Glory of Yeshua our Messiah!

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  16. You said that "Abraham was certainly justified by works (which are the outward aspect of faith). However, the works by which he was justified have nothing to do with the Law of Moses." Yet I think it might be a good idea to show you one of the place our faith is defined in scripture.

    1Jn 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
    1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.
    1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
    1Jn 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.

    I simply love this passage of scripture. It puts so much in its proper perspective. Everyone who believes in Messiah is born of God. And whoever is born of God loves his fellow man. To show love we must keep the commandments, which are not burdensome. And by this we overcome the world and have victory, and this is, our Faith defined. I would suggest that you go back and reread the article if we love God what does he want us to do? It explains much of this. We need to stop interpreting Scripture by the ponderings of men and read it for what it says. Its time to get back to how out Holy Bible defines these ideas.

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