Let us begin with love, as our lives should do.
When we love another person, we search out ways to express that love for them. Usually this is not done solely with the way we ourselves feel the most loved; we learn what they themselves feel the most loved by, and then we act out expressions of love in the way they will feel the most loved. We don’t do this to earn anything, or to gain something from them. We just want them to know we love them, by doing what makes them feel adored by us.
“Jesus replied, ‘All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” ~ John 14:10-15
Catholicism (and from it, Protestantism) deviated from The Way, a Jewish sect of men and women that knew the Messiah of the world had come through the tribe of Judah, that He lived for us to see how to live out Yahweh’s Way, He died so that we might be with Yahweh, and out of love for Him we will want to obey all of His commands. Catholicism and Protestantism was very influenced by the Roman regime, with a way of thinking much like the Greeks, or, well…. Romans! This way of thinking is considered “Western” and doesn’t comprehend a lot of Eastern thought.
Yeshua’s disciples were from the Jewish sect called The Way. They thought with middle-Eastern Israeli/Hebrew thought, lived according to Yahweh’s Torah (Instruction) and Prophets, and didn’t encourage disobedience to the Father’s commands. None of the disciples called for abolishing God’s law; they all continued to keep all of God’s law! In Acts 18:21, it states that Paul (a Pharisee until the end), “took leave of them, saying, ‘I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.’ And he sailed from Ephesus.”
Yeshua said, “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved.” (Matthew 5:17-18)
The BibleHub section on Matthew 5:17-18 notes:
“Fulfill means bring to full meaning and lived perfection (Isaiah 42:21). Every ‘iota’ (Hebrew yod) matters, affirming Genesis through Malachi. Yet the Law pointed to an inner righteousness only Christ provides (Jeremiah 31:33).”
Of the word fulfill, BlueletterBible.com says this means to bring to realization, to complete, to abound in.
Yahweh had the deepest heart of love for Abba, our Heavenly Father. Those following Yeshua will be drawn by a heart of love as well, to obey our Heavenly Father. Obedience to Him comes from adoration, love, and trust; not obligation or thinking it “earns salvation,” as many like to make the accusation towards Torah observant peoples.
To be Torah Observant is to *do less* than what we had done in Protestantism! It was intentional to get pork or seafood, before. Now, we just do not eat it. We don’t earn salvation by not eating unclean animals, we already had salvation; having salvation is what compelled us to want to be obedient.
Rather than say “Sunday is our Sabbath” yet still shop, make money, and find no rest or trust His provision through rest, we just… rest. We don’t strive to make money one day a week and we fellowship. We play. We read. We nap! Sabbath is literally the opposite of “works based” anything; it means “rest!” Working or requiring others to work on your behalf, is literally works-based.
In celebrations, we trust that His Feasts have beauty and story and community involved for His people. There is rest, shalom, in trusting He had a grand plan in His eternal feasts.
Let’s get back to “earning” salvation, though.
The term “earning salvation” is typically meant to shut someone down, rather than engaging in discussion and learning about one another. Being obedient from a heart of love is not “works-based salvation,” for that would put our Messiah and all of the disciples and apostles into that category!
“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well’—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.’ You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: ‘Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.’ He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” ~ James 2:14-26
Yeshua makes this even clearer, when He said,
“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!‘
Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” ~ Matthew 7:12-25
The difference between Torah observant followers of The Way and Catholics/Protestants, in what they bear fruit in, is about 3-4 commandments, on average. What is it that Catholics/Protestants choose not to do, that Yahweh still commands His children to do?
- celebrate weekly Sabbath
- celebrate Yahweh’s eternal Feasts
- honor the food laws about animals that have never been called food
- wear tassels (tzitzit)
The church is built upon the foundation of the Rock – and that means when we accept His salvation, we will WANT to act it out, in deep love for Him who saved us! That includes Torah observance.
More articles about celebrating His Way:
* Pesach ~ Do This In Remembrance of Me
* Shavuot ~ A Day of Covenant