Many people say we are justified by Faith before Jehovah and His Son Jehoshua and they are right, however saving Faith is not what many in Churchianity think it is. Here is the definition of faith according to Strong's Greek dictionary:
Faith in the greek is the word "pistis" which means persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:-assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.
As you can see from the above definition of Faith, that it is not simply belief as in "I believe in Christ" and that's it. The true definition of faith is having fidelity towards the Messiah and His Father. How is this fidelity measured? It's by obeying the Word (Jehoshua) of Jehovah. This is where the moral law (10 Commandments) comes in (1 John 5:2)
1 John 5:2 (RSB)
"By this we know that we love the children of Elohim when we love Elohim and keep his commandments."
Many of today's Christians try to say that the commandments mentioned in the New testament are different than the 10 commandments given at Sinai. This ridiculous notion is refuted in Malachi 3:6
Malachi 3:6 (ASV)
"For I, Jehovah, change not; therefore ye, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed."
See, true biblical faith is action not just a verbal statement of belief or even a heart sentiment. The bible says faith without works is dead meaning it was never true faith in the first place. True Faith is fidelity to Jehovah and His Son Jehoshua whichis measured by being obedient to their 10 Commandments which are unchangeable and immutable. True faith will rely on the Messiah to keep those moral laws that are now written on our hearts and minds.
Hebrews 10:16 (KJV)
16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
So now instead of looking to stone tablets we have the moral law (10 Commandments) written on our hearts and minds. Now we look to Jehoshua first, which if we obey His word, will lead us to keeping the commandments of Jehovah. For what does the word say about being doers of the word?
Romans 2:13 (KJV)
"(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
Aha!! So works and action do matter! The faith that many of the churches in Christendom teach is not the faith that the bible teaches. Biblical faith is accompanied by action "doing" not simply hearing or having belief in heart or words. Many churches teach that you can come to the Saviour as you are, which is true but then they say dont worry about changing as God will clean you up (sort of by osmosis). This type of teaching is false and contradicts the clear word of Jehovah God which says we are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling:
Philippians 2:12 (KJV)
12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Wow! It takes work to excercise our salvation. Many in today's Church world teach the opposite of this, that you can just have this weak faith just by believing in word and heart and then sit on your laurels and live life the way you see fit. When someone tries to tell these nominal Christians that they need to obey the Messiah and His Father by keeping the commandments the first charge out of the nominal Christians mouth is "your legalistic or unloving or judgmental" etc.
Many of the more dedicated Christians have no problem with about 8 or 9 of the 10 Commandments but when it comes to the 4th commandment of keeping the Sabbath they scoff and say it is not for today as it is the least of the 10. What did our Messiah Jehoshua say about this?
Matthew 5:19 (KJV)
"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven."
Stern words from our Saviour regarding those that teach others to break even the least of the commandments. Many in Christendom treat and speak of the Sabbath as the least of the 10 Commandments. Jehoshua's words above were for these very men and women as He knew that wolves would soon enough come in and not spare the flock. Perhaps this is why the 4th commandment begins with the words "Remember the sabbath day"
Exodus 20:8-11 (ASV)
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work;
10 but the seventh day is a sabbath unto Jehovah thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 for in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Jehovah blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Also, many in Churchianity say that the Sabbath day was for the nation of Israel however they didn't exist when Jehovah hallowed and sanctified it after six days of creation. Clearly the Sabbath is a creation memorial for mankind not just the Israelites. As the Christian Congregation we are spiritual Israel, so even if Israel was a nation (which it wasn't) when Jehovah made holy the Seventh day Sabbath, we would still need to keep it.
Many today in Christendom love to profess that they will be part of the last days remnant church that will refuse to bow down to the antichrist (papal Rome), however if they refuse to keep the Sabbath the Word (Jehoshua) of Jehovah calls them liars, let's look at what the book of Revelation says about this last days remnant Christian Congregation and what traits it will possess:
Revelation 12:17 (KJV)
17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 14:12 (KJV)
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Obviously one of the marks of the last days remnant Christian Congregation will be keeping the commandments of Jehovah. Notice that the commandments of God are a distinct thing from having the faith of Jehoshua and His testimony which is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). The faith of Jehoshua is His death, burial and bodily resurrection and ascension to heaven at the right hand of the Father. The commandments of God can clearly only be a reference to the moral law (10 Commandments) as they are made to be distinct from faith of Jesus and His testimony the above two passages. In these last days, just having a nominal belief in Jesus (in word and heart) without obedience (action) to His and His Father's commandments will not grant you eternal life, see below:
Revelation 22:14 (KJV)
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.
It's not too late for you though, find a Sabbath keeping fellowship and don't listen to Pastor's/teachers/theologians that don't speak according to the law and the testimony (10 Commandments)!
Isaiah 8:20 (RSB)
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."
I believe that we are now living in Jesus' millennial Kingdom (Colossians 1:12-13). The true Sabbath of the new covenant is the Davidic King, Jesus Christ (Shiloh). My blessed hope is the Second Advent of Jehovah's only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, at the last day. Those in the Kingdom of Jesus will preach his Davidic Kingship as a present reality on the throne of David in New Jerusalem. Those who call on the name of Jehovah in these last days will be saved (Joel 2:32). Psalm 2:7!
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