Luke 6:46-49 (a brief exegesis) Obedience via the flesh or the Spirit?

Jesus said,

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”

Is Messiah Jesus teaching a works salvation through obedience to His precepts provided during the initiation of the New Covenant?

If one is truly born again by faith in Jesus as Messiah, they will naturally honor Jesus through obedience to the indwelling Holy Spirit who is Gifted the redeemed as Guarantor of New Covenant with the Father (Ephesians 1:13-14). If it were possible to honor the Father through perfect obedience to Messiah’s commandments absent the indwelling Holy Spirit, Jesus would not have needed to suffer and die in your place; therefore, the KEY to honoring the precepts given us by Messiah during His Earthly ministry is to honor the Father by faith in the Son and subsequently receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit and walk in obedience to the indwelling Holy Spirit producing “fruit” via a redeemed conscience (Galatians 5).

The only works, obedience, philanthropy, that truly honors the Father are those performed through the indwelling Holy Spirit during the daily process of sanctification; all other works, philanthropy, law-keeping, are considered a “filthy rag” or “bloody menstrual cloth” in the presence of the Father (Isaiah 64:6). Only the works of the redeemed in Jesus performed by the power and strength of the indwelling Holy Spirit will endure Messiah’s BEMA Judgment involving the redeemed (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). All works performed absent covenant with the Father through faith in Jesus will be judged at the “Judgment of the Condemned” and these works will testify against the condemned and severity of punishment meted-out accordingly (Revelation 20:11-15).

1 Peter 1:22 (Works or Gifted Purity?)

[22] Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

What is Simon Peter teaching? A brief exegesis…

“…ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit”...does this suggest a works salvation through obedience or self-righteousness through law or rule keeping?

The “truth through the Spirit” is the Spirit’s wooing the individual to the Truth of the Gospel, drawing others to the Truth through the Gospel message of Jesus Christ as Messiah and the pure heart or purified soul is the resultant of gifted-imputed righteousness granted the one who “believes” by faith in Jesus as Messiah who died for them; purity or a purified soul is not of the natural man (Romans 3:23) nor does purity manifest through works of law or self-righteousness (Romans 3:20) but purity, holiness, is a gifted purity of “grace” through “faith” in the only One who actually maintained a life of sinless “purity,” Jesus Christ; as a divine consequence of one’s abiding faith in Jesus as Messiah, the Father agrees, by covenant promise, to Gift the righteousness, perfection, of Jesus into and over the life of the one who believes and consequently the Father declares them “not guilty” by covenant promise (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 8:12).

This gifted-imputed divine righteousness cannot be earned by humanity but is gifted by grace through faith just as Elohim first demonstrated in Genesis 3:21 by the shedding of innocent blood, clothing humanity in an imputed-gifted robe of righteousness (animal skins) while simultaneously rejecting man’s vain attempts to cover and conceal his own shame (fig leaves).

James 2:26: “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” What is James teaching in context?

James prefaces v. 26 with this: “21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”

In Genesis 15:6 we are told that Abraham “believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” It’s important to note that Abraham initiated a covenant of righteousness with the Father long before Abraham’s works were noted by the Father in Genesis 26:5,

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, 5 because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

What is James teaching here?

James teaches that the one who has honored the Father with true faith in the Son, Jesus, as Messiah will naturally and inevitably produce “fruit” that honors the Father, Son and Spirit during daily sanctification; that is, abiding faith, saving faith, produces good works that validate that faith and confirm it as authentic. Jesus said you would know them by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20).

James is NOT teaching a works salvation or that works, commandment-keeping somehow supplement or is involved in redemption of the soul by faith in Messiah.

Salvation, forgiveness of sin, a pardon from the “second death” in Hell, is ONLY initiated by repentance and abiding, sincere, authentic, faith in Jesus Christ as Messiah believing that Jesus shed His innocent blood for the atonement of your sin; therefore, there is nothing you can do in and of yourself to initiate covenant with the Father but sincerely trust in the blood and death and resurrection of Messiah Jesus as atonement for your sin, not law-keeping, not water baptism, not philanthropy, not being a good person, not Moses, not Torah, not a Church, but simple and abiding faith in Jesus as the One who died for you. The “fruit” produced through you by the indwelling Holy Spirit during life-long sanctification validates your confession of faith as authentic.

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. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5 (ESV)

Water Baptism does NOT supplement the sole-sufficiency of Jesus to save by faith, alone!

Water Baptism does NOT save the soul from death in Hell as water is NOT an element of salvation as water does NOT atone for sin nor does water supplement the sole-sufficiency of Jesus to save by faith, alone!

I’m telling you that water won’t save you. I’m telling you that the only Way to initiate covenant with the Father is by sincere faith in the Son, Jesus Christ, believing that Jesus died to pay your sin-debt for you at Golgotha…that the blood of Jesus atones for sin, NOT water.

Baptism is an “act” of obedience, a work, that “follows” confession, salvation by faith. You can bathe hourly for the rest of your life….attend Church and enter baptismal waters or be sprinkled…but if Jesus is not your Messiah by faith, you’ll perish clean in body but you’ll also perish corrupt in soul/spirit and die in Hell in your sin.

Don’t turn water baptism into a “works” heresy,

Baptism is an act of obedience that every Christian should pursue subsequent salvation but anyone who seeks water baptism to be saved or as an element of salvation commits heresy as they have denied the sole-sufficiency of Messiah to save by faith through His blood atonement; essentially-tragically-in spiritual arrogance or ignorance, those who advocate water baptism as an element of salvation are combining works with faith and this is eternal error.

It is the one who BELIEVES in Jesus as Messiah that is saved. Water baptism that “follows” salvation simply testifies to a lost and perishing World of what has already transpired within the heart of the redeemed by grace through faith.

Is Water Baptism essential for salvation?

Water Baptism is NOT an “essential” component or element of salvation as salvation from death in Hell resulting from sin is made possible by faith-trust in Jesus as Messiah believing that Jesus died to pay your sin-debt owed the Father…a sin-debt you could never pay yourself; this, apart from any form of “work” on our part (John 3) – BUT – Jesus has commanded that we be baptized subsequent salvation (Matthew 28:16-20) and anyone who has truly entered into saving faith in Jesus will honor what Jesus has commanded.

Will your refusal to enter baptismal waters result in a loss of salvation? NO… – but – you will lose reward at the BEMA Judgment (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) and your daily walk with the Holy Spirit in sanctification will be lacking true intimacy and joy and peace as your conscience will be strained, guilty, due to your disobedience.

Solution? Do as Jesus has commanded and enter baptismal waters subsequent your confession of faith and give no place to the Devil in your conscience.

Atheist mocks God: “God says to forgive everyone but doesn’t forgive Eve for eating an apple.”

Christian response,

First of all,

Biblical forgiveness is mandated for one’s health and welfare and spiritual health; coming to a place of peace – forgiveness with the offense of another is not for the offender but for the offended and their physiological/psychological health and their intimate relationship with our Creator.

Second,

Eve was not held to the same level of culpability for the sin of disobedience as Adam. It was Adam that was held culpable by Elohim as Eve’s culpability was mitigated by the fact that she had received the edict prohibiting compromise with evil via hearsay from her husband but Adam received the edict directly from Elohim; therefore, due to federal headship in combination with Adam’s violation of Elohim’s direct command to NOT compromise with evil, all of Adam’s seed will die in body in the Realm of Time as it is Adam’s seed that transfers the sin-nature (Romans 5:12).

Note that when Eve compromised at Satan’s behest, nothing happened, Elohim was silent, but when Adam compromised, “The Fall” was instantaneous; consequently, both Adam and Eve died spiritually the moment Adam relented to the enticement of his wife and the psychological and physiological ramifications of sin/disobedience immediately manifest in Eden e.g. spiritual separation from Elohim resulting in fear-shame-lying-obfuscation-hiding from Elohim and self-righteous efforts to cover and conceal one’s sin (fig leaves).

Therefore, we see Messiah entering the Realm of Time via the seed of the woman (virgin seed) apart from Adam’s seed as Messiah was not born of Adam but of the Holy Spirit and the virgin seed (ovum) of Mary; therefore, Messiah was born in spiritual perfection absent a sin-nature and subsequently lived a sinless life thereby making Himself the spotless Lamb of God fitted and qualified to take away the sin of the World via blood atonement provided at Golgotha; forgiveness of sin via Messiah’s blood atonement that is actuated by faith in Messiah Jesus as Lord and Savior – believing with a sincere heart that Jesus died to pay our sin-debt owed the Father – a sin-debt we could never pay through our own self-righteous efforts (John 3).

Are the Gospels Jewish or Christian?

The Gospels explain the fruition of Elohim’s eschatological plan “to destroy the works of the Devil” (1 John 3:8b) via a battle strategy known as the “Gospel of Jesus Christ” which was ordained “before Time began” (2 Timothy 1:8-10); this spiritual war was first introduced to humanity by the Holy Spirit in Genesis 3:15 and the Gospel was first pictured for humanity in Genesis 3:21.

Three-synoptic Gospels and one-Deific Gospel explain 4000-years of Elohim’s struggle to bring forth His Messiah into the Realm of Time to do battle with the Devil and ultimate victory over the Devil at Golgotha; unfortunately, the Adamic and Noahic generations sided with the demonic and Elohim rejected these people as His would-be progenitors of His Messiah; therefore, all but eight persons of these two-generations were judged in water and ultimately suffered death/extinction.

The Gospels and Epistles explain that Noah found righteousness with Elohim and through Noah’s son, Shem, Elohim ultimately set-apart a people group through a Patriarch named Abraham and Abraham’s offspring, Isaac and Jacob (Israel).

Not desiring a repeat of the failures of the Adamic and Noahic generations, Elohim provided Israel’s children with a codified law and instructions as to how they were to be sanctified, set apart, from the pagan tribes serving pagan gods that surrounded them and continually sought Israel’s compromise; compromise that would have ultimately stymied Elohim’s eschatological plan for Time and Eternity concerning Messiah and victory over the Devil.

Ultimately, Elohim brought forth His Messiah through the Tribe of Judah and Messiah was sent to the children of Israel to proselytize them in the Gospel (Good News) concerning redemption, grace, faith, imputed righteousness, a New Covenant with the Father through faith in the Messiah, the Son, Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, those to whom Messiah came were consumed with self-righteousness, arrogance, obstinate pride and they rejected the New Covenant Gospel and their commissioning as the agents of the Great Commission. Israel’s children had been methodically prepared through the Law, through the blood sacrifices, through prophecy, to take Messiah’s message of Life to the entire Earth but these children of the Patriarch’s rejected their assignment, they falsely accused their Messiah of blasphemy; Israel’s children opted to side with the Roman authorities and murder the Messiah upon a tree while demanding that Messiah’s blood be upon them and their children.

Therefore, Israel’s children were placed under judgement, the Gospel message removed from them and given to the Gentiles and Israel will remain under deafness, blindness, hard-hearted rejection of soul-saving Truth until the fullness of the Gentiles have entered the Kingdom of Elohim by faith; unfortunately, only a “remnant” of Israel’s children will escape the “second death” in Hell due to their unbelief, their rejection of Yeshua as Messiah. To whom much is entrusted, much is expected.

Are the Gospel’s “Jewish?” Yes…an explanation of sadness, rejection, a broken heart explained from four unique perspectives concerning the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the unconscionable treatment they received from a people group Elohim called “the apple” of His eye.

One Law that is Eternally Relevant…

The Mosaic Law, concerning the moral aspects of the Law Covenant, is nothing new or novel but simply a reiteration of the spiritual law that has been extant as an arbiter of free will subsequent the creation of the angels (Romans 2:14-15).

The spiritual law convicted Satan of covetousness and initiated his extrication from the Kingdom (Luke 10:18); the spiritual law was infused within human kind on Day-6 as humanity is created in the spiritual image of Elohim possessing certain divine communicable attributes of Elohim, one of those communicable attributes being the spiritual law which acts as a bulwark against societal implosion via unrestrained narcissism; the spiritual law convicted the Adamic/Noahic generations of unconscionable defilement where all but eight perished in judgment via water; that same spiritual law was foundational to the Code of Hammurabi as well as Sinai and that same spiritual law is employed by the indwelling Holy Spirit in the New Covenant to walk the redeemed in Jesus in daily sanctification via the redeemed conscience in preparation for service in the New Jerusalem; that same spiritual law will be employed by Messiah at the Judgment of the Condemned and that same spiritual law will remain extant throughout Eternity as free will remains extant in the New Jerusalem by necessity. There is ONE LAW that is eternally relevant, the Law of the Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2).

Torah Law – Natural/Spiritual Law – Civil/Ceremonial Law…what is relevant today and in eternity?

THE SABBATH EDICT (one example of civil-ceremonial law given Moses beginning in Exodus 16) MEANS NOTHING in the New Covenant other than its relevance as foreshadowing the Messiah who entered Time in flesh to make atonement for your sin and offer you “rest” from your labors in self-righteousness through vain attempts to keep a law (Torah Law) that only defined your sin and ultimately condemned you void atonement (Hebrews 4:9-16; Romans 3:20; Galatians 3:10; James 2:10; Galatians 2:16). Ultimately, Torah Law was given to point Israel’s children to their need for Messiah and justification, imputed righteousness, by faith (Galatians 3:24).

Torah Law = Moral v. Civil-Ceremonial,

The divisions-categorizations of Levitical-Torah Law are clearly seen in their intent and their eternal ramifications. Civil-ceremonial laws regulated Temple worship, the process of Temple construction, temporary feasts, holy days, sabbaths, food-diets…these things were nailed to the Cross of Messiah and made irrelevant by their fulfillment in Messiah. Elohim rejected Israel’s apostasy in their failures concerning the Sabbath, feasts, New Moon celebrations as per Isaiah 1:13. Elohim would have NEVER suggested that the moral law e.g. adultery, idolatry, murder, covetousness, would be discarded on account of man’s disobedience; hence, a clear distinction between the temporary nature of civil-ceremonial laws v. the eternally relevant moral law.

The moral law…those laws regulating behavior, thoughts, conduct, between humanity and God are immutable, eternal, and find their genesis in the creation of angels as an arbiter of free will and that same law was infused within the human genome on Day-6 as humanity is created in the spiritual image of Elohim thereby possessing certain divine communicable attributes of Elohim, one such attribute being the moral law that governs behavior between humanity and between humanity and Elohim…that moral law being essential as an arbiter of free will thereby providing moral restraint as a bulwark against societal implosion in unrestrained narcissism and as a standard bearer that will be used by Messiah to judge the Nations at the Judgment of the Condemned manifesting subsequent His Millennial Reign (Romans 2:14-15; Genesis 1:26-28; Revelation 20:11-15).

Civil law through Moses is relevant only to Israel’s children under the Law Covenant and those who sojourned with Israel seeking the protective benefits of that Theocracy. Jews, Israelite’s, Hebrew Roots, religions, cults, seek to glorify civil-ceremonial laws as these things bolster one’s self-righteousness, pride, arrogance, self-sufficiency, but Elohim is not impressed with man’s efforts to engage in the temporary while rejecting the eternal; that is, faith in His Son as fulfillment of all LAW and the initiator of New Covenant relationship with Him.

If you desire LIFE in Eternity…

Your only Hope for life in the New Jerusalem is repentance and pure faith and trust in Jesus Christ as your Messiah believing that Jesus died for you to pay a sin-debt you owe the Father…a sin-debt you could never pay yourself.

Your only hope for life in the Kingdom of God is to receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ, a righteousness earned for you at Golgotha through the shedding of innocent blood, imputed – gifted into and over your life by faith and subsequently be declared “not guilty” by the Father in accordance with New Covenant promise; otherwise, you will perish in Hell without excuse (John 3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 8:12).