It was said in a religious forum that “Holiness is not legalism; Doing what you want is not grace” and “YHVH has a standard. Yeshua died for that standard being transgressed. Those standards still apply.”

Okay, but how does humanity meet Yahweh’s “standard?”

The only human beings that will attain the righteous “standard” of Elohim; that is, perfection in word, thought and deed, is the one who believes-trusts in Yeshua as Messiah who died for them to provide sinless blood atonement for their sin and by believing in Yeshua, the redeemed by faith receive the imputed and GIFTED righteousness of Yeshua over their life in exchange for their sin (John 3; 2 Corinthians 5:21) and they are subsequently declared “not guilty” by the Father via New Covenant promise (Hebrews 8:12).

Elohim expects perfection (James 2:10) and cursed is anyone who seeks that perfection via the flesh (Galatians 3:10); this, due the Adamic sin-nature (Romans 8; Romans 5:12); therefore, there is no attainable righteousness by humanity that qualifies for Elohim’s forgiveness of sin other than the sinless perfection of Yeshua imputed into and over the life of the one who believes that Yeshua is Messiah; this, first being demonstrated by Elohim in Genesis 3:21 and fulfilled by Messiah at Golgotha with the words “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Subsequent establishing covenant relationship with the Father by grace through faith in Yeshua, the Father gifts the faithful the indwelling Holy Spirit as Guarantor of New Covenant relationship (Ephesians 1:13-14); it is the indwelling Holy Spirit who employs the redeemed conscience of the faithful (2 Corinthians 5:17) and methodically applies the spiritual law written upon the heart of humanity at conception (Romans 2:14-15); it is the Holy Spirit who methodically guides the redeemed via the spiritual law and the redeemed conscience to obey all that the Father commands; this, performed by the indwelling Holy Spirit as He produces “fruits of righteousness” against which there is no Law (Galatians 5).

Torah Law is only a definer of iniquity, an accuser of the brethren; therefore, Torah Law only provides condemnation void hope or atonement (Romans 8; Romans 3:20); whereas, the spiritual law (Romans 2:14-15) and the redeemed conscience employed by the Holy Spirit in the New Covenant are anointed and made applicable to address every moral decision, every aspect of discernment, in the daily life of the redeemed where there is peace with Elohim, forever; this, due the atoning sacrifice of Yeshua (Romans 5:1; Galatians 5:16; Colossians 1:19-20).

It is possible to strive after Torah Law an entire lifetime and die in Hell if one neglects and rejects the imputed righteousness of Yeshua available only by faith in Yeshua as Messiah (Galatians 2:16).

Christianity v. Christian Cults and Religion,

Water baptism is an act of obedience that follows salvation but water is not causative…water does not save, water does not wash away sin and if you advocate water baptism as an element of salvation you’re a cult not a Christian.

Religious cults, Christian cults, advocate for human intervention in the salvation process by adding water baptism; Sabbath observance; Commandment-keeping; the Mass; the Sacraments; communion; indulgences; dietary restrictions; tongues; traditions of men, as supplementary to the sole-sufficiency of Jesus Christ to save by faith, alone.

Religion and Cults are identified as Jesus + something = salvation.

Christian cults can also be identified by their rejection of Messiah Jesus’ Deity as Elohim, our Creator.

Christianity – Salvation is identified by Repentance-Faith in Jesus as Messiah = salvation.

Only faith in Messiah Jesus through “belief” in Him as Messiah engenders covenant with the Father (John 6:29). Water does not wash away sin, faith in Jesus as our blood atonement washes away sin…

“17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” 1 Peter 1 (NASB)

Legalism Deceives: Those who entered baptismal waters believing that water baptism is an essential element of salvation should reassess the validity of their New Covenant relationship with the Father!

I am astounded by the number of deceived men and women who are living the lie of legalism and worshiping a false Jesus as Messiah. If you have entered baptismal waters believing that water baptism is necessary to initiate New Covenant relationship with the Father in addition to repentance and faith in Jesus; if you entered baptismal waters believing that baptismal water is necessary to supplement the sinless blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, you are deceived and your covenant with the Father is in question as you have believed in a non-Biblical Jesus.

Anyone who denies the sole-sufficiency of Jesus Christ to fully redeem by faith is not in covenant with the Father. Anyone who has entered baptismal waters for salvation has blasphemed the divine work of Messiah Jesus at Golgotha and should therefore reevaluate not only their warped theological understanding concerning Jesus and His all sufficient work at Golgotha but they should seriously consider seeking the Father anew and repenting of their religious, cult, fervor and sincerely “believe” and “trust” solely in Jesus of Nazareth who is Elohim, our Creator and our “I AM” and our Messiah whose sinless blood is eternally sufficient to save and redeem via the simplicity of faith apart from any intervention of sinful humanity.

If you have entered baptismal waters believing that your actions supplement the sinless blood of Jesus for your salvation from death in Hell, you are a member of a religious cult…NOT a Christian. Water baptism is commanded for those who are redeemed by faith; water baptism is not commanded as an element of salvation.

Is salvation of the Jews? John 4:22

Salvation was ordained to be of the Jews (John 4:22) as Messiah came to them specifically to proselytize them in the New Covenant’s Gospel and ordain them as ministers of the Great Commission (Matthew 15:24) but the Jews and Israelite’s rejected their Messiah, rejected the Gospel, rejected their ordination as ministers of the “Good News” of Elohim’s plan of redemption by grace through faith in Yeshua; instead, Israel conspired with Rome to murder their Messiah and demanded that His blood be upon them and their children (Matthew 27:25); therefore, Israel is under Judgment, they are blind, deaf, spiritually dead, and only a remnant will escape the second death in Hell due their rejection of Messiah to this very day (Romans 11:25; Isaiah 10:22; Romans 9:27). Israel failed Elohim; Israel failed Yeshua their Messiah; Israel failed the Holy Spirit and their only Hope is repentance and faith in Yeshua as Messiah.

Concerning the stubbornness, blindness, deception, of the Jew, the Israelite, the Hebrew Roots fanatic, the legalist, who incessantly insists that “commandment keeping” is the path to life and covenant…

YES, Jesus did say that if you love Him you will keep HIS commandments, but who keeps those commandments and how is this accomplished, through self-righteousness or obedience to the Holy Spirit? (John 14:15).

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Simply put, you don’t understand the working of the New Covenant and how obedience to the Father’s will is manifest NOT through law keeping but obedience to the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:20; Romans 7:6).

You refuse to see the eternal superiority of the Gospel of Grace through Faith, the Gospel’s work through the redeemed conscience (2 Corinthians 5:17) as opposed to the written code given Israel as Sinai, a written code that demanded obedience from an unredeemed sin-nature doomed to failure (Romans 8:1-11).

Unfortunately, and partially due the judgment on the House of Israel for unbelief and rejection of Messiah’s Gospel (Romans 11:25), you will not listen, you will not think, you will not consider anything outside the box of Sinai and Moses and self-righteousness through law.

Law of the Spirit of Life, His superiority in all things…

Those redeemed by faith in Jesus Christ as their Messiah who died for them and was resurrected for their justification leading to enteral life, these are “not under Law but under grace” (Romans 6:14). This means that the redeemed in Jesus who have approached the Father by faith-trust-belief in the Son are made “positionally right” NOT by works of the Law but by “GRACE” (a gift of imputed righteousness) through faith in Messiah’s righteousness earned for us at Golgotha (2 Corinthians 5:21). Subsequent this covenant relationship with the Father having been established by GRACE through FAITH, the indwelling Holy Spirit, given as a Guarantor of that covenant (Ephesians 1:13-14), begins a work of righteousness in the inner man of the redeemed; this work by the Spirit is done solely through the redeemed conscience; that is, the “new creation” in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) where the emphasis is NOT the written code or conformity to same but the emphasis is the producing of “fruit” and against this “fruit of the Spirit” there is no LAW or written code as all law, the Father’s perfect will, is fulfilled completely and eternally by this “fruit” in one’s life (Galatians 5; Matthew 7:15-20).

Christians don’t live their daily life pursuing a written code of laws-ordinances-mandates as given Israel but they listen attentively to the indwelling Holy Spirit working through their redeemed conscience via the “law of conscience” written upon their heart (Romans 2:14-15); this law of conscience is arbitrated by the Spirit working through the redeemed conscience and is therefore attentive to the moral decisions of the redeemed, instantaneously provides divine wisdom and guidance in EVERY MORAL DECISION MADE EVERY SECOND OF THE DAY AND NIGHT, FOREVER.

It is the instantaneous, divine intercession of the Holy Spirit working through the conscience that makes the Law of the Spirit of Life infinitely superior to the Law of Sin and Death (Romans 8:1-3) as the Law of Sin and Death is subject to a seared conscience; subject to obfuscation and compromise via the sin-nature but the Law of the Spirit works with the redeemed conscience producing fruit that actually pleases the Father, eternally.

Christians who understand their place in the Kingdom of God through covenant, a covenant established by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, weary of your constant and unrelenting insistence that the law of ordinances you worship is the path to the Father’s heart when that law is your condemnation and it will ultimately curse you to death in Hell (Romans 3:20; Galatians 3:10; James 2:10; 1 Timothy 1:9; Galatians 2:16).

Your only hope for life in the Kingdom of God is faith in Yeshua, Jesus Christ, as your Messiah (John 14:6).

Keep in Step with the Spirit

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:16-24 (ESV)