Frequently Asked Questions
Please send us any sincere questions you would like answered. If they can be simply answered, they will be posted here.
Q: Are you saved by keeping the Law?
A: The short answer is NO. It is by believing faith in the Messiah, ie His life, death, burial and resurrection that we are saved. The Law is better known as Torah (teaching instructions) and serves as a guideline for holy living. In Galatians 3:19a it says “Wherefore serves the Law? It was added because of transgressions…” I would refere you to the Aramaic translations of the Apostolic writings (which is closer to Hebraic thinking than the Greek) which translates Galatians 3:19a as “Why then the Torah? It was added because of apostacy,…” You would agree that apostacy certainly sounds more serious a violation than transgressions does and so because of its serious nature it should be viewed in that light. The Torah’s place in the lives of believers teaches them of the dangers of deliberately breaking God’s commands and keeps us in His safety net. The Torah is the constitution of the Kingdom of God on the earth with the Prophets, Writings and the Apostolic Writings giving clarification, so therefore we must discern how the “revelation of Mt Sinai” that God gave to Moses applies to believers in Messiah today and as relevant information comes to light we, as His people ought to respond accordingly.
Q: Are the 10 Commandments for the Jews only and isn’t the Law done away with now that Yeshua (Jesus) has fulfilled it?
A: These are interesting questions. If by Jews you are referring to the physical nation of “Israel” then the answer is YES, however the writers of the New Testament all refer in their teachings to the importance of believers (whether Jew or Gentile) adhering to each and every one of the 10 Commandments, and Yeshua gave us His teachings and demonstrations on how to keep each of them including “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy”.
Does it make sense to say that because Yeshua has fulfilled the Law that I now no longer have to keep “the Sabbath” or “Honour my Father and Mother”?! Or Because Yeshua fulfilled the Law I don’t have to obey the commandment “Do not steal”, so therefore I am free to steal and be found “not guilty”??!! No, we as believers in the Messiah, need to view the role of the Commandments as our Righteous Messiah does, and apply them to our everyday life.
Q: Isn’t there a diffence between Law and Grace?
A: Yes there is. There are differences between Male and Female, and yet as Male and Female complement each other and are not to be in opposition with each other. Also Law and Grace complement each other and are NOT opposites nor are they in opposition to each other for they have different functions. To have one without the other is anarchy. (Just pause on that for a while.)
Grace was a prime factor in the era of Israel (as a nation) eg Exo_33:13, Exo_33:16, Exo_33:17, Ezr_9:8, Psa_84:11 etc ; and Law ie commandments is a prime factor in the writings of the New Testament eg 1Co_7:10, 2Th_3:4, 2Th_3:6, 2Th_3:12 and 1Ti_4:11
eg “These things command and teach.”
