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If You Love Me...

keep my commandments.  John 14:15

This is our Messiah speaking to His apostles...He continues...

...and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforting Counselor like me, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever.  The world cannot receive him, because it neither sees nor knows him. You know him, because he is staying with you and will be united with you.

I will not leave you orphans -- I am coming to you. In just a little while, the world will no longer see me; but you will see me. Because I live, you too will live.  When that day comes, you will know that I am united with my Father, and you with me, and I with you.  Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me, and the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

 Y'hudah (not the one from K'riot) said to him, "What has happened, Lord, that you are about to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?" Yeshua answered him

"If someone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Someone who doesn't love me doesn't keep my words -- and the word you are hearing is not my own but that of the Father who sent me.

"I have told you these things while I am still with you.  But the Counselor, the Ruach HaKodesh, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything; that is, he will remind you of everything I have said to you."  John 14:16 - 26

How do we define what are our Messiah's commandments? In another encounter, our Messiah is asked:

"but when the P'rushim learned that he had silenced the Tz'dukim, they got together, and one of them who was a Torah expert asked a sh'eilah to trap him:  "Rabbi, which of the mitzvot in the Torah is the most important?"  He told him, "`You are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.'  This is the greatest and most important mitzvah.  And a second is similar to it, `You are to love your neighbor as yourself.'  All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot.""  Matthew 22:35 - 40

Our Messiah in essence has summarized the entire Word of God into two commandments...Love God and love one another.  Now the question is how do we do this?  What our Messiah summarized - the Tenach, is our guide to fulfilling these two commandments.

Now that we know what our Messiah wants us to do as believers the big question is HOW???  In order to do that, we must go back to the source of where everything pertaining to the Kingdom of God is found...The Tenach.  Many of the things that we are to do (or not do) as believers is originally found in Torah.  Our Messiah makes many references to Moses and Torah.

Before going into detail, we must reestablish that Messiah and the Father are one.  What our Messiah taught was of the Father and from the Father.  As we read continually through His Word, there is only one God. (Adonai echud).  The commandments are not new, as we will see.

How do we love God?  Let us look at the first four commandments in greater detail.

""You are to have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:3

As stated above, Jesus our Messiah, the Holy Spirit and our Creator are all one.  They are not polythesitic (multiple gods) but monotheistic (one God).   As discussed in our article on the origin of easter, there are several accounts of what our God thinks of, and therefore feels towards other gods.

In going one step further, what are some of the things that you place before God...money, pleasure activities, people...

All of these can be other forms of gods in your life that you have placed before our God.  

"You are not to make for yourselves a carved image or any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or in the water below the shoreline.  You are not to bow down to them or serve them; for I, ADONAI your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but displaying grace to the thousandth generation of those who love me and obey my mitzvot."  Exodus 20:4 - 6

Look at the last verse again...sounds like something our Messiah said. (look at the title of this article)  For that matter it is something that He did say.  He will show mercy to thousands that love Him and "KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS"  The message is consistent.  First given by God to Moses and the children of Israel,  then conveyed to the church.

""You are not to use lightly the name of ADONAI your God, because ADONAI will not leave unpunished someone who uses his name lightly."  Exodus 20:7

If you love God, why would you even consider it.  The Holy Spirit that resides in you, in essence cleans you out.  Remember you have become a new creation.  God can miraculously take the old sinful nature that you were before you became a believer and completely make you over into a child of the King.

""Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God.  You have six days to labor and do all your work,  but the seventh day is a Shabbat for ADONAI your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work -not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property.  For in six days, ADONAI made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why ADONAI blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself."  Exodus 20:8 -11

This will be the most challenging of commandments for the church today.  Nowhere in God's Word does it say that He has changed the Sabbath.  It was the seventh day when He had completed the creation of the world, and it is the seventh day today.  There are various reasons for why the church has migrated to a predominantly based Sunday worship.  These reasons include:

• A directive from the Roman Emperor Constantine at the council of Nicea, didn't want anything to do with the customs of the Jewish people.  His comment (in specific reference to the Passover) can be applied to any commandment given by God to the Jewish nation first.

"And first of all it appeared an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast we should follow the practice of the Jews, who have impiously defiled their hands with enormous sin for we have received from our Saviour a different way…And I myself have undertaken that this decision should meet with the approval of your Sagacities in the hope that your Wisdoms will gladly admit that practice which is observed at once in the city of Rome and in Africa, throughout Italy and in Egypt…with entire unity of judgment.” (Vol. 5, p. 228). (note 3)

Other reasons that have been used to convey a Sunday time of worship include:

• "On Motza'ei-Shabbat, when we were gathered to break bread, Sha'ul addressed them. Since he was going to leave the next day, he kept talking until midnight."  Acts 20:7

The church's interpretation of this verse depicts that the above occurred on Sunday morning when in actual fact it is Saturday night.   The problem with the interpretation of this verse is that the Jewish perspective is missing.   So, what is missing?

1. The day begins and ends at sundown.  It is not the same as we perceive the day - to begin and end at midnight.  
2. The disciples and Paul were Jewish believers in Messiah who would attend the synagogue, keep God's feasts and do according to the Tenach.  Therefore, when they got together to break bread...it was their evening meal or dinner.  What were they doing before that?  Keeping the Sabbath as commanded.  This time together continued after the Sabbath.

Other reasons that I have heard include:

• The Sabbath is under the law, we are no longer under the law.
• Our Messiah rose on the first day of the week so we will honor Him on the first day.

In response to the second reason...as we have discussed in our article on Passover, even in death, our Messiah kept God's commandments and honored the Sabbath, didn't do any work, and rose at His appointed and scheduled time - the feast of First Fruits.

Now that we have explored how we are to love God, we can now look at the second commandment our Messiah gives us...love one another.

How do we love one another?  Let us start by looking at the next six commandments.

"Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land which ADONAI your God is giving you." Exodus 20:12

"Do not murder."  Exodus 20:13

"Do not commit adultery." Exodus 20:14

"Do not steal."  Exodus 20:15

"Do not give false evidence against your neighbor."  Exodus 20:16

"Do not covet your neighbor's house; do not covet your neighbor's wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor."  Exodus 20:17

This is our starting point for how we are to treat (love) one another.  However, now our Messiah has actually raised the bar for us as believers.  For instance, when He speaks of the act of committing adultery, He states:

""You have heard that our fathers were told, `Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that a man who even looks at a woman with the purpose of lusting after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  Matthew 5:27 -28

Not only are we responsible for the act, but also for the initial thought.   

Here are a few other commandments found in Torah, that not only apply today, but also sound like something our Messiah said:

• "'Do not be unjust in judging - show neither partiality to the poor nor deference to the mighty, but with justice judge your neighbor."  Leviticus 19:15
• "'Do not hate your brother in your heart, but rebuke your neighbor frankly, so that you won't carry sin because of him."  Leviticus 19:17
• "Don't take vengeance on or bear a grudge against any of your people; rather, love your neighbor as yourself; I am ADONAI."  Leviticus 19:18
• "'Stand up in the presence of a person with gray hair, show respect for the old; you are to fear your God; I am ADONAI."  Leviticus 19:32
• "'If a foreigner stays with you in your land, do not do him wrong.  Rather, treat the foreigner staying with you like the native-born among you - you are to love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt; I am ADONAI your God."  Leviticus 19:33 - 34

These are but a few examples. In another article we will go into greater detail as to separating them into commandments that are still relevant today, and those that cannot be followed or have been fulfilled by our Messiah...thereby showing us what God desires of us as His children.  

As we read in John's gospel when our Messiah is teaching of the parable of the vine and branches, commanding us to love one another as He has loved us.

"I am the real vine, and my Father is the gardener.  Every branch which is part of me but fails to bear fruit, he cuts off; and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, so that it may bear more fruit.  Right now, because of the word which I have spoken to you, you are pruned.  Stay united with me, as I will with you -- for just as the branch can't put forth fruit by itself apart from the vine, so you can't bear fruit apart from me.  "I am the vine and you are the branches. Those who stay united with me, and I with them, are the ones who bear much fruit; because apart from me you can't do a thing.  Unless a person remains united with me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up. Such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, where they are burned up.  "If you remain united with me, and my words with you, then ask whatever you want, and it will happen for you.  This is how my Father is glorified -- in your bearing much fruit; this is how you will prove to be my talmidim.

"Just as my Father has loved me, I too have loved you; so stay in my love.  If you keep my commands, you will stay in my love -- just as I have kept my Father's commands and stay in his love.  I have said this to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy be complete.  "This is my command: that you keep on loving each other just as I have loved you.  No one has greater love than a person who lays down his life for his friends.  You are my friends, if you do what I command you.  I no longer call you slaves, because a slave doesn't know what his master is about; but I have called you friends, because everything I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, I chose you; and I have commissioned you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last; so that whatever you ask from the Father in my name he may give you.  This is what I command you: keep loving each other!" John 15:1 - 17

Is our God forcing us to keep His commandments?  No.  He allows us free will to make the decisions for ourselves.  If you truly love Him and you say you do...you will keep His commandments...not a few, but all.  When we fail to do so, He is there to forgive us, so long as we accept responsibility and confess our mistakes (sin, disobedience) to Him.  From personal experience, when I have done something wrong, God's Spirit is quick to convict me of my wrongdoing.   

So, how do we know when it is God's Spirit convicting us...and therefore guiding us?  It is an intimate relationship that you have with Him.  For me personally, at times, it will be a voice, thought or feeling that comes from Him.  It will also occur during prayer or when I am reading His Word.  All I can say is that the more you focus on Him and how he communicates with you, the better you will know Him.  

There were times in the past that I wasn't sure if it was Him or the enemy.  One thing that will never happen is the Holy Spirit contradicting God's Word.  When in doubt, look it up.  If what you are given contradicts any of God's Word, then it isn't from Him.

"Don't think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete.  Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah -- not until everything that must happen has happened.  So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.  For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P'rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!" Matthew 5:17 - 20

When our Messiah gave His sermon on the mount, He was speaking to a Jewish audience, for which they understand Torah and Prophets.  In giving these instructions to a Jewish audience, can we say that our Messiah has given two sets of instruction...one for Jewish believers in Messiah, and one for non-Jewish believers?

Paul, a student of our Messiah provides the answer to this question..."For in union with the Messiah, you are all children of God through this trusting faithfulness;  because as many of you as were immersed into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah, in whom  there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female; for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, you are all one.  Also, if you belong to the Messiah, you are seed of Avraham and heirs according to the promise."  Galatians 3:26 - 29

Our Messiah is instructing everyone who believes in Him to keep His commandments...that He didn't come to destroy (do away, discard, eliminate) the law (Law of Moses, known as Torah, which can also be interpreted as teachings, and in essence the teachings of God.) but to fulfill many of the ordinances set forth by God for the requirements for sacrifice.  No longer are we required to sacrifice a lamb on the altar for our sins...Our Messiah has done that once and for all.

I firmly believe that the following warning speaks not only to unbelievers, but also to many that state they believe in our Messiah Jesus:

"Always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that sums up the teaching of the Torah and the Prophets.  "Go in through the narrow gate; for the gate that leads to destruction is wide and the road broad, and many travel it;  but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it."  Matthew 7:12 - 14

There are many in the world that do not believe in and therefore follow our Messiah who are currently on this path.  Likewise, there are many churches that have watered down our Messiah's message, misinterpreted the scriptures and have ignored the context of what our Messiah has said.

It is not for any of us to judge one another...but, rather to earnestly seek Him, immerse ourselves in the Word of God...learning all that He has to say, and help one another should any of us fall. 

Our Messiah says:  "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants.  On that Day, many will say to me, `Lord, Lord! Didn't we prophesy in your name? Didn't we expel demons in your name? Didn't we perform many miracles in your name?'  Then I will tell them to their faces, `I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!'  "So, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on bedrock."  Matthew 7:21 - 24

"How blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they have the right to eat from the Tree of Life and go through the gates into the city!"  Revelation 22:14

Remember...when you rightly divide God's Word, it will not contradict itself.  It is when you take out of context, or misapply His Word that you are playing with your eternal life. 

Do you love Him?

Permission has been granted to Jewish Heritage Revival for the use of Scripture quotations in its articles, taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by  David H.  Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications,  Inc., 6120 Day Long  Lane, Clarksville, Maryland 21029.  www.messianicjewish.net/jntp