Salvation

What is Salvation?

            To first understand what salvation is, we must first understand the need for salvation. For this, someone who is looking to be saved by Jesus / Yeshua and to become a Christian they need to first know and understand the basics foundations of the faith that Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah) held, that being Judaism and the fundamental beliefs of Judaism, since as such many believers will tell you that Christianity is a continuation of Judaism. So, the question then becomes; what are saved from, why is there a need for salvation?

To answer this, we need to go back to the beginning, back to Genesis 1:1: In the beginning GOD created the heavens the earth. GOD created this world using laws. He also put laws in place for mankind to obey in order to have a personal relationship with Him, and when we break these laws; GOD separates Himself from us. I am unsure if you have ever heard the analogy: a tree out of soil dies, a fish out of water dies and a man without GOD dies, but it is quite fitting. We die spiritual deaths every time we sin. A person who dies in their sins doesn’t have a chance to have a close relationship with GOD, the Creator of the universe. This is something GOD put in place with the first people HE created: Adam and Eve. HE gave them the command not to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, because on the day that they eat it they will surely die. Many people will point out that they didn’t die after eating the fruit. However, they did in a way die; they lost their connection to GOD and were thrown out of Eden. (They also died before reaching 1000 years old which is like a day to GOD.) So in effect they died spiritually.

GOD has put in place laws for mankind to follow and adhere to so that they may have a close relationship with Him. It is His house and if we want to live in it we must follow His rules. We say the same thing here on earth to our own kids and people who live with us from a federal level right down to a personal home level. The trouble is people tend to care less about the laws of GOD than they do about the laws of Earth. Afterall GODs laws tend to be harder to follow, well certain ones and really the one that Christians will always say they must follow instead of the much simpler ones that GOD has. The hardest one they say we must follow is to Love our neighbors. That is the hardest one as it entails we must overlook annoying quirks and other things that cause us to react negatively towards our neighbors. I’ve noticed Buddhists and other such type of monks and Shamans from Eastern religions understand this concept of loving our neighbors much better than Christians do. With their constant meditation they have become in better control of their emotions, and they don’t react negatively towards people. They have more patience. Speaking of which to get to know how we must love our neighbors and what love is you should read 1 Corinthians 13 known as the love chapter; “Love is patient, kind, longsuffering, charitable, humble, doesn’t envy, doesn’t seek self-pleasure, isn’t provoked, has no evil thoughts, doesn’t celebrate wrongdoing but celebrates truth, bears all things, believes all things, endures all things, never fails.” So, Love is by far the hardest thing for us as creatures of flesh and self-perseverance to do. Yet it is commanded of us to Love GOD with all our hearts with our souls with all our mind and all of our strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves and yet even above ourselves.

So, GOD put the Laws in place to teach us how to be selfless and loving. To think outside of ourselves. So, when we break these laws of His we are focused on ourselves and being very selfish and therefore we become our own gods which is idolatry and that separates us from the One True GOD. Sin is breaking the laws of GOD according to not only Paul in Romans chapter 3 verse 20 and chapter 7 verse 7 but also the Apostle John in 1 John 3 verse 4. Sin is what causes death and brings about condemnation. When we sin, we tend to not feel worthy of GOD and we don’t feel like praying or reading the Bible. We feel separated from GOD when we sin. We feel depressed and unclean. Which is why GOD saw it fit to give us a way to still have unity with Him.

You see GOD knew that the Temple and it practices were once again going to be destroyed. The temple and its practices at the time were the only way the Jews and gentile God-Fearers could feel close to GOD and worship Him and make atonement for themselves. So GOD sent His only Son to be manifested in the flesh and to live a sin free life in order so that he could die for the sins of mankind so that any who believe in him will not die but have everlasting life. They are written in the lambs book of life and they therefore escape the purging flames in the after-life.

The problem today is that most Christians do not know that there is no sacrifice for sin which is committed intentionally. If you intentionally sin then there is no sacrifice put in place for you. The only way to be saved from intentional sin is true repentance. True repentance means a change in behavior. In order for there to be a change in behavior there has to be a heart change. The Holy Spirit has to do a work on your heart to convict you and bring about a hatred of that behavior which is sinful to a degree that you are trying your best to not do that behavior anymore. So that like Peter says: you are not like a dog returning to its vomit. 2Peter 2:22.

Christians want to rely on the grace of GOD to be able to continue to live the life they lived before they were Christians. Unfortunately, this type of lifestyle is condemned for the Christians all over Paul’s epistles and in the book of Hebrews. For instance, Hebrews chapter 10:26-29; “For if we sin intentionally after we have received the knowledge of the truth (Torah), there remains no sacrifice for sins, except a terrifying expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. For anyone who refused to be obedient to the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.”

            So, by now I hope I answered the question as to why we need salvation and what we are saved from. To summarize we need salvation because our nature as humans to be selfish which causes us to break the laws of GOD naturally separates us from GOD and causes us to be eternally separated from GOD even in death and salvation saves us from that consequence of sin and allows us to be in union with GOD for eternity.

So, the next question is; How is one saved?

            I must be careful in my wording here because I don’t want to ruffle too many feathers, and I don’t want to cause confusion but I also don’t want the reader to be lead down the wrong path and I must give the full truth of Scripture and not some cherry picked salvation doctrine. The common misconception and false teaching regarding salvation amongst protestants today is Faith Alone. Unfortunately, the Epistle of James is the only place within scripture that we find the phrasing faith alone in the original manuscripts, and it is against this doctrine of faith alone. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone James 2:24.

The common verse everyone seems to know is John 3:16. But that is also a cherry-picked verse which fails to present the full salvation gospel. We should start at verse 14 where Yeshua references the bronze serpent which the people of Israel looked to for healing. Because similarly we must look to Yeshua for our healing from sin and to receive a release from our bondage to sin. “And as Moses raised up the bronze serpent on a pole in the desert, so too the Son of Man must be raised up, so that anyone who believes in him will have eternal life.  For this is how GOD loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that anyone who believes in him will not perish but shall have everlasting life. God sent His son into the world not to judge the world but to save the world through him. There is no judgement against anyone who believes in him. Anyone who does not believe in him has been judged already for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgement is based on this fact: God’s Light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what GOD wants.” John 3:14-21. In the Old Testament we find references to the Torah being called the Light. So if we replace the word Light in this passage with Torah we get a more elucidated text and find the true intentions of the verses. “All who do evil hate the Torah and don’t go near it for fear their sins (sin is breaking Torah 1 John 3:4) will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to Torah so others can see that they are doing what GOD wants ( Be Holy as He is Holy, the Law is Holy).

See how different the message becomes when read in its full context? We don’t see a faith alone message being preached here. Belief in and of itself is an action and looking to the Son is an action and doing what is right is an action. Those who live in darkness and don’t want their sins exposed preach a Faith Alone message because they don’t want to put the effort into their walk with Yeshua.

Let’s look at another common verse for new believers receiving salvation: “GOD saved you by His grace when you believed. Not to your own credit for this is a gift from GOD. Salvation is not a prize for the good we have done, so that no one can brag about it. For we are GOD’s masterpiece. He has created us brand new in Messiah Yeshua, so we can DO the good things He long ago planned for us to do” Ephesians 2:8-10.  With this one most Christians will use the first two verses for a Faith Alone argument but just adding verse 10 shows the action.

Another common verse for the new believer to receive Salvation is Romans 10:9-10: If you openly proclaim that Yeshua is Lord and know in your heart that GOD raised him from the dead, you will be saved, For it is by knowing in your heart that you are made right with GOD, and it is by openly proclaiming your faith that you are saved.” Paul here could be referencing what he heard the Apostles who were eyewitness of Yeshua saying when Yeshua says, “Those who deny me before men I will deny before my Father in Heaven.” So, we must be vocal about our belief in Yeshua and unashamed. Yeshua told his Apostles to go therefore and preach the gospel and make disciples. We as his disciples in this new age are given the same command. People must know we are Believers in Yeshua and our actions and the lives we live should be our witness of such. If our actions are bad then we won’t save anyone and our testimony is hurt. Yeshua said, “and this is how they will know you are my disciples if you love one another.” He also said to remain in him the true vine to bear good fruit any branch that does not bear good fruit will be cut off and thrown into the fire.

For the basic belief to tell how one is a disciple of Christ and is a part of the church of Christ is if they proclaim that Yeshua is the Messiah the Son of the living GOD. Contrary to popular belief this proclamation is the rock upon which Christ built his Church. Matthew 16:16-18. People will claim it was Peter but that doesn’t hold water with verse 18 because it says that the powers of hell will not conquer it. The fact that there is a debate on whether or not Peter is the which Christ built his church shows that the instability of that side of the debate. While the fact remains that every faction within the body of Christ will confirm that Yeshua is the Messiah the Son of the Living GOD.

Finally, I will go to Hebrews 7:24-28 for salvation scripture. “But since Yeshua lives forever, his priesthood is everlasting. Therefore, he is able once and forever to save those who come to GOD through him. He lives forever to intercede with GOD on their behalf. He is the kind of High Priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for the sins of the people, but Yeshua did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the sin of the people.”

So, I hope I answered the question thoroughly enough but to summarize How one is saved:

Accepting Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach as your savior is a simple matter. All you must do is believe that He is the only Son of the Most High God who sent him into this world to live a perfect life without sinning and became a sacrifice for our sins dying the death of the cross and rising from death three days later.

Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord / Master / King.

You now believe that Jesus died for your sins so if you believe that Jesus is who He says He is then you must accept Him as your Lord and Savior. You become His servant, disciple, co-heir. If you love Him, you will obey Him. A good servant knows how to obey and please his Master.

So, the first thing you must do is prove you believe and prove your humility realizing you are a sinner and submit to Him to in prayer. You can pray something along the lines of, “Lord Holy Father in Heaven I realize that I am sinner, and I deserve no place in heaven, but I humble myself before You and seek forgiveness of my many sins which You sent Your Son Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ) to this world to accomplish on the cross for me. I accept that forgiveness today and I submit my life to serving Him as my Lord and Savior out of my love for You. In Your Son’s Yeshuah HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ) name amen.” I would encourage the reader / new believer to pray how they feel lead to pray personally however if you feel the prayer I provided fits for you that is fine too but don’t be lazy in your prayer and truly mean everything you say with your heart.

Now that we are saved how are we to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling?” Philippians 2:12

1.     Daily Bible Reading

I cannot stress enough the importance of acquiring and reading a Bible daily, even after you finished the Bible you must just start over again and continue reading it every day for the rest of your life. It is part of developing your relationship with your heavenly Father and learning about Him and His Love for you.  There are many devotionals and plans you can find there are even free Bible apps for your phone where you can read the Bible in many different versions which also have their own devotional reading plans for you to follow. The You Version Bible app is one of them which allows you to compare versions find plans search scripture and take notes as well as read other people’s notes. Studying the Bible should be your like eating your daily food only more important. Studying the Bible is Life, here are some scriptures to show the importance:

Psalms 1:1 Happy is the man (are) who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, and [(in consequence)] does not stand in the path of sinners, and [(in consequence)] does not sit in the seat of scoffers. 2 But in the Torah of Adonai is his desire [(whence it is seen that sitting with scoffers leads to neglect of Torah study)], and in His Torah he meditates day and night. 3 And he shall be as a tree planted by the water courses, which gives its fruit in its time, 4 and whose leaves do not wither [(Even his "externals" are of significance — The casual converse of Torah scholars is meaningful and requires study)], and all that he does prospers. 6 For Adonai knows the way of the righteous [(and keeps it constantly before His eyes)], and the [(hateful)] way of the wicked will go lost.

2Ti 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 3:14 You, however, continue in what you have learned and what you have become convinced of. For you know from whom you have learned, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to make you wise, leading to salvation through trusting in Messiah Yeshua. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for restoration, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the person belonging to God may be capable, fully equipped for every good deed.

Jos 1:8 This book of the Torah should not depart from your mouth—you are to meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will make your ways prosperous and then you will be successful.

Pro 2:1 My son, if you accept my words and treasure my mitzvot within you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom, inclining your heart to discernment, 3 yes, if you call out for insight, lifting up your voice for discernment, 4 if you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures, 5  then you will know the fear of Adonai and discover the knowledge of God. 3:1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my mitzvot. 2 For length of days and years of life, and shalom they will add to you. 3 Let kindness and truth never leave you—bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will gain favor and a good name in the eyes of God and man. 4:4 he taught me and said to me: “Lay hold of my words in your heart, keep my commands and you will live! 5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. 6 Do not forsake her, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will watch over you. 7 Wisdom is supreme—acquire wisdom! With all your acquisitions, get understanding. 8 Prize her, and she will exalt you. She will honor you when you embrace her. 9 She will set a garland of grace on your head. She will give you a crown of glory.” 13 Hold on tightly to instruction, do not let it go—guard it, for it is your life.

Psa 119:15 I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. 16 I will delight in Your decrees. I will never forget Your word. 47 I delight in Your mitzvot, which I love. 48 I reach out my hands for Your mitzvot, which I love, and meditate on Your decrees.

Deu 11:18 “Therefore you are to set these words of Mine in your heart and in your soul. You are to bind them as a sign on your hand, and as frontlets between your eyes. 19 You are to teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. 20 You are to write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,

Reading the Bible once through and thinking that you don’t need to continue reading it is by far being lazy in your relationship with God. You don’t remember everything that is in the Bible unless you are one of those who have a special memory that can remember everything you’ve ever read or seen or heard. I find that I learn something new each time I read the Bible, and I am able to connect scripture a lot easier each time I read it. I can go through the words of Christ and connect what He says to many passages in Psalms and Proverbs Even in the original laws of Moses we find proof the laws being there in Genesis before Moses even gave the law. We also see that God is a God of Love all throughout the Old Testament and that He does in fact doesn’t change but remains the same.

Reading the Bible constantly is a way to become a more faithful individual. You become more knowledgeable about everything within scripture, and you will be able to answer people about what scripture says much easier. You will also be able to recognize when someone is twisting scripture to their own way of thinking to deceive others the way Satan attempted to deceive Christ during his temptation in the desert. It will also allow you to have scripture on your side when you are fighting principalities and powers when temptations come your way. It strengthens not only your mind with knowledge but your spirit and heart.

When Christ returns the Bible often references that there is a sword coming out of His mouth. In Hebrews 4:12 the Bible is referenced as a sword. The Bible is your weapon, and you should get to know your weapon inside and out, so you know how to use. If you are in the military think of it as basic training when they have you dissemble and assemble your weapon so that you are after a while able to do so blindfolded and fast. You also have so much practice using your weapon that you hit the bullseye every time. You clean that weapon often polishing it inside and out so that it runs smoothly and doesn’t get jammed. Even if you are unable to quote the exact book chapter or verse you should get to the point of knowing what the Bible has to say.

David meditated upon the word of GOD day and night. When he woke in the morning and when his head hit the pillow he was thinking about GOD and His word. I once heard somewhere that kings were required to transcribe the word of GOD. I began doing this myself and I would highly recommend it in your free time while looking up what each word means so you can get a deeper understanding and other possible meanings of what is written.  I have only done so much in Genesis, but it has allowed me to glean so much more information from the book that I look forward to completing my own transliteration. If all you think about is worldly stuff and if all you dream about has to do with that worldly stuff then your god is yourself and the world. If however you spend more time with GOD than with the world doing the work of GOD spreading the good news and learning more about it then your GOD is Y-H-V-H Hashem, Adonai, Elohim.  

Daily Bible reading and study also has a way of impacting the life of the believer. It will help you in your changing into the image of Christ and truly becoming equally yoked with him so that your walk is similar to his. The Bible is a divine book that has transformative powers and it will transform the reader into an obedient child of GOD if the reader allows it and doesn’t harden their heart.

A.W. Tozer has some great books the reader should read on this subject, The Crucified Life, The Dangers of a Shallow Faith, and Discipleship.

2.     Remaining in a Constant State of Prayer

The Christian is one who lives in a constant of prayer to remain on constant guard against the attacks of the enemy so that they are ready to battle temptations with the help of the Holy Spirit. We learn in Scripture that prayer is an important part of the believer’s everyday life so much so that we should remain in a constant state of prayer. This is why many women believers will always be wearing a head covering from what the scriptures say that a head covering shows that they are under the authority of GOD and are in a state of prayer. This is also why I chose to keep my hair short most of the time even in wintertime.

Christ even gave us a model for our daily Prayer called the Lord’s Prayer which the Apostles taught us to recite three times a day: Morning Afternoon and Evening in line with the 3 times of service that the Temple conducted.

Our Father Who is in Heaven, Hallowed be Your Name. (A greeting and praise recognizing His Holiness and the Holiness of His name Y-H-V-H. Many people believe it is okay to say His name however in the OT we see that one person is killed for mispronouncing His name and we have no clue how His name is pronounced so it is best to keep to Hashem ((The Name)) Elohim ((GOD)) El Elyon ((GOD Most High)) Adonai ((LORD)).

Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on this Earth as it is Heaven (seeking the coming Kingdom and more praise always seeking His will before our own. “Nevertheless Your will be done” ((Jesus’ prayer in the garden))

Give us today the bread of tomorrow and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the Evil One. (Asking for our needs to be met and our sins forgiven which we committed unknowingly or knowingly that day. However, the only way to be forgiven of willful sin is to be truly repentant of it. Also recognizing that GOD will not forgive us of our sins if we are holding grudges against people ourselves. GOD does not take kindly to Hypocrites! Asking GOD to keep a hedge of protection around us and provide a way out of temptation for us so we can resist the enemy with His help.)

For Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory belong to forever and ever. Amen! (Praising GOD and recognizing that He is above all and All belongs to Him.)  

Prayer is us talking to GOD. There are several books one can read on prayer A.W. Tozer has one and there is another called The Five laws that Govern Prayer which I recommend. I also recommend the reader watch a video on YouTube called Prayer by Bishop J.C. Ryle.  You can also read Practicing the Presence of GOD by Brother Lawrence which Tozer recommends in Living the Crucified Life.

            Again, as Believers in Christ if we want forgiveness for ourselves it is important that we forgive people who have wronged us. Holding onto the sins of others is a heavy burden for us and it only damages us and keeps us from finding peace. It is allowing those who traumatized us to continue to do so mentally. Yet if we forgive them and love the person in return we will be freed from that burden and will also receive forgiveness for our own sins in return. I used to suffer from nightmares of people who caused me harm and it wasn’t until GOD showed me that it was because I was holding onto that hurt and not forgiving them that I was having those nightmares in the first place. So, I forgave those people and asked GOD to continue to teach me what I must do to further my walk with Christ. I stopped having those nightmares.

Here are some notes on prayer that I took while listening to a great preacher named RC Sproul said about prayer in a sermon he did which can be found on YouTube:

{All things are second to Prayer. Prayer is more important than Lord’s supper reading your Bible going to church and having fellowship. Prayer is absolutely necessary to a mans salvation! A man or woman cannot have salvation or pardon from their sins without first asking for it of God. A man doesn’t need to hear or read the gospel to receive salvation. It is however necessary for a man to humble himself and pray to the unseen God in faith. 

How can we know God without prayer? How can we build a relationship with God without talking to Him? If are to be His friends on Earth we must Pray. A habit of prayer is the mark of a true Christian.  The first act of men and women when they are born again is praying to God. God has no speechless children. IT is as much of their being to pray as it is a child to cry. From genesis to revelation there isn’t a man of God who doesn’t pray.

The wicked do not pray only the righteous do. Whether they were rich, or poor educated of uneducated men of God pray. Converted people always pray. Not praying is a clear proof that a man is not yet a true Christian. He cannot love God, he cannot long after holiness, he is yet to be made a new creature, he has yet to repent. If he does not pray it is all vain talk. A man seldom goes into his closet and pours out his soul to God unless he is serious.

I cannot call anyone justified until he believes I cannot say anyone believes until they pray to God. How a man can believe and not pray is beyond comprehension. The church wants to know that you pray, being baptized is not important to the church as much as making sure that you pray. Baptism is more a show of faith to God in building a personal spiritual relationship with them. But if you don’t pray then Baptism is vanity.

Prayer is every Christians duty but a duty that very few complete. They eat drink sleep rise work and breathe Gods Air and walk on His earth and enjoy His creation, but they never speak to God. Words said without heart are nothing that God listens to for they have no meaning or true intention and are nothing but the words of a liar and vain person someone who is carnal. It is not fashionable to pray. They would rather dress well and look well off with their materialistic stuff than to pray to God which is spiritual. 

The name of Jesus is a never-failing passport for our prayers to reach God. There is an intercessor always willing to present our prayers to God and He mingles them with His sacrifice. Once a prayer is endorsed by the hand of Jesus is accomplishes much.  The Ear of our Lord Jesus is always open to those who want grace.

There are surpassing promises to those prayers. Seek and you will find, Ask and you will receive, Knock and it will be opened. The proper way is to keep on asking keep on seeking keep on knocking, and you will find you will receive the door will be opened but you must keep on and not stop until you find until you receive until the door is opened.

Prayer is that act in religion in which there is the greatest encouragement, The crooked is made straight and the rough smooth. Prayer opened the red sea, brought water from the rock, brought bread from heaven, defeated armies, stopped the sun, raised the dead, healed the sick and converted hardened hearts.  Prayers and faith can do anything. Nothing is impossible for a man with a heart of Adoption.

Diligence in prayer is the secret to eminent Holiness. Many Christians have become stagnant in their growth in Christ and exhibit the same carnality they have always maintained. While others seem to be always growing always pressing on, always adding to grace, faith and strength. Every year they see more know more and believe more in their religion. They do not have good works and do well but they keep at it without growing weary.

The difference arises from private prayer. Prayer is Power, Prayer obtains fresh out growing of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit loves to be petitioned. The Holy Spirt is there to always help our weakness in prayer. The Spirit will give us the words and thought to pray. 

Prayer is the surest remedy against the devil and besetting sins. The devil will never maintain influence over us if we ask the Lord to help us. Let us never forget the value of Prayer! Neglect of Prayer is the great cause of backsliding. Bibles read without prayer, homes chosen without prayer, friendships chosen without prayer, sermons heard without prayer. Anything done without prayer will lead to a great fall.

Prayer is one of the best ways to contain happiness and contentment. It is useless to say you have no time to pray. It is essential to your soul’s health to dedicate time to pray throughout the day it is absolutely vital to prioritize prayer and not give it the scraps or corners but the most important times of the day from your rising to your going down to sleep to beginning of a meal to the beginning of work to drive. Let it be your first thought before you start anything start it with prayer and end it with prayer.

We are not limited in Christ but in ourselves. We ought to specify our wants before the Throne of Grace. It should not be enough to ask for Holiness but to ask for the graces in which we are deficient. Hit the nail on the head send the arrow to the bull’s eye be specific target the need and make the need known to God be specific and be diligent in asking for that need until that need is fulfilled. We should try to bear in our hearts the whole world. True Prayer is presented with Thanksgiving. Devote yourselves to prayer being thankful and watchful. We should never open our lips to prayer without blessing God. Prayer is the spiritual pulse, barometer. Let us keep an eye continually on our private devotions.}

3.     Being Baptized (fully Immersed) in water and laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit.

The worse teaching to come from this is that Baptism is not needed. I am reminded of a parable. The wedding feast. Where the father sent out his servants to gather anyone who would be willing to come to his bride’s wedding feast. There was one there at the feast not wearing the proper wedding garment and they were cast out. This is one of the several parables where Yeshua does not provide an interpretation for the parable. The interpretation I was given from the Holy Spirit I believe is that baptism gives us our Wedding garment.

Baptism has become a symbol and outward expression of our faith. But within the early church baptism was far more than that. It was for the purpose of washing away our sins. I would even argue it was never a one and done instance. Baptism is a ritual immersion into water that was done all the time by the Jews before entering the Temple. For most Jews this was a weekly experience. For the Prushim (Pharisees) it was a daily experience. Baptism is a way of saying I am dying to my flesh and being raised a sin free creature. Even Paul claimed “I die daily” Paul was a Pharisee after all.  We sin daily in our lives. The Holy Spirit cannot dwell where there is sin. He will recede further from you and that still small voice becomes even smaller. Repenting of our sins and washing our bodies is a way for the Holy Spirit to come upon us again.

Baptism was only a one and done as a way of converting. You see there are three different Baptisms. 1. Baptized into the faith of Judaism into the Father into the Covenant with the Father. 2. Baptized into the school of interpretation you’re going to follow saying you will be that Teachers disciple into the Moshiach the Son of GOD into Yeshua. And 3. The one that should be done as regularly as you wash your body. Baptism into the Holy Spirit to receive His anointing and be filled by Him.

Don’t take my word for it that Baptism is a requirement though let’s see what scripture has to say about Baptism:

Mar_16:16 For those that believe and are baptized shall be saved; but the ones who do not believe shall be condemned.

Act_2:38 Then Peter commanded them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Messiah Yeshua for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit.

Act_10:48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they begged him to to stay for a few days.

Act_22:16 And now why do you procrastinate? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Rom_6:3 Do you not know, that so many of us as were baptized into the Messiah Yeshua were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that just as Messiah was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk into a new life.

1Co_12:13 For by one Spirit are we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

1Co_15:29 If the dead will not be raised, what is the point in people being baptized for those who are dead? Why do it unless the dead will someday rise again?

Gal_3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into the Messiah have taken on the Messiah.

Col_2:12 having been buried with him in baptism, you are also raised with him through the faith in the productive work of GOD, who raised him from the dead.

1Pe_3:21 That water symbolizes baptism, which now saves you, not for the cleaning off of the dirt from the body, but for the appeal of a clean moral conscience towards GOD through the resurrection of the Messiah Yeshua.

So many verses about baptism and what it does. How can anyone think it is merely a symbol?. Baptism is far more and very important. You’re not truly in the Messiah until you have been baptized according to these verses. As the followers of Yeshua, we are to be imitators of him as well as obedient to him obeying his commands. Yeshua was baptized (Emersed / Bathed) by John the Baptist (Yochanan the Immerser). He commanded his Disciples to go into the nations to all the people preaching the gospel and baptizing them in the Name of the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. In fact, until we are Baptized none of those verses I listed can apply to us.

Those who say that Baptism is purely an outward expression of faith to other believers are entirely wrong and have no clue of the power of Baptism spiritually. It doesn’t need to be done in front of a whole congregation of people it needs only be done by you and the one officiating it and two other witnesses. You should also fast for 3 days before being Baptized. You should together confess your sins one to another in the sight of GOD repenting of them so that you will be healed as it says in James. For the prayers of a righteous man GOD inclines His ear too. Which is why we should always confess our sins and fight temptations as best we can but when we fail, we repent and try again for perfection. Paul said himself he died daily and called himself the chief of sinners and a wretched man. We can get healing from the effects of sin by confessing our sins to one another though and beyond that being baptized into the death of Jesus and raised with Him into newness of life as a new creature. We no longer then live as we did before, but we strive to live a better life, a holier life the life of a living sacrifice to God taking up our cross and denying ourselves but uplifting others.

Believers will argue that Baptism is not necessary for salvation. I would argue it is necessary for us as believers to be baptized to hold onto our salvation. If we are not obedient to our Lord Yeshua are we truly saved? If we read the Apostolic Writings (New Testament) we will see the Apostles pushing baptism onto new believers. Peter when he went and preach to Cornelius and his family made sure they were baptized immediately. The Jailor who Paul brought to faith in Messiah Yeshua told him and his family to be baptized. Peters’ Epistle also expresses the importance of Baptism. Even the Gospel of Mark who was Peters son I believe expresses the importance of Baptism more so than the other gospels.

The anti-works crowd will argue the thief on the cross as their only source against baptism. Yet this is purely an argument from silence and should not be used whatsoever because we know absolutely nothing about the thief on the cross and not only that he was on his death bed about to die, and he repented and accepted Yeshua. He would have been taken down and his body immersed in water and oils before burial according to Jewish custom then anyway. However, we don’t know if he was one of the many thousands of disciples Yeshua had and that he could have been baptized by John or the Apostles. We only know he was a thief according to the Romans. He could have stolen it to feed his family. The fact is we don’t know, and we only know he was about to die, and the dead tend to be baptized before burial anyway.

Now before there was Baptism the Jews practiced going down into living waters into immersing themselves to make themselves pure. It was called a mikvah. Living waters were a river. Now the Didache teaches that one has to be dipped three times since Yeshua said to be baptized into the Name of The Father the son and the Holy Ghost. This would coincide with the Jewish Mikvah tradition so baptism should be done in living waters and dipped three times.

4.     Therefore, present yourselves to GOD as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to GOD which is true worship. Romans 12:1

The service of GOD is important for the believer. The Hebrew word for serve is עָבַד (abad): This word also means worship and enslaved and work for among other things. Paul says in Romans 6 that we are free from our enslavement to sin through the sacrifice and resurrection of Yeshua once we are baptized into his death and raised with him in our baptism since now we have taken on Yeshua. But we are enslaved to whatever we present ourselves to, either of disobedience which leads to death or of obedience that leads to life. (Rom. 6:16 paraphrased). The following is a short list of verses on the service of GOD:

Jas 2:14 What good is it, mishpacha (family), if a person says they have faith, but does not have works? Can such a faith save them? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 then one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and well fed,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is that? 17 The same is for your faith, if it does not have works, it is dead by itself.

1Sa 12:24 Only fear Hashem and worship Him in truth with all your heart, considering how magnificently He has dealt with you.

Col 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Yeshua, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. 23 Whatever you do, work at it from the soul, as for the Lord and not for people. 24 For you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as a reward. It is to the Lord Messiah you are giving service.

1Co 10:31 Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.  15:58 Therefore, my dearly loved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord—because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Rom 6:13 And do not keep yielding your body parts to sin as tools of wickedness; but yield yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your body parts as tools of righteousness to God. 12:1 I urge you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice—holy, acceptable to God—which is your spiritual service. 11 Do not be lagging in zeal; be fervent in spirit. Keep serving the Lord, 12 rejoicing in hope, enduring in distress, persisting in prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the kedoshim, extending hospitality.

Deu 13:4 You must not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams—for Adonai your God is testing you, to find out whether you love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

Jas 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Jos 22:5 Only be very careful to observe the mitzvah and the Torah which Moses the servant of Adonai commanded you, to love Adonai your God and walk in all His ways, and to keep His mitzvot, cling to Him and worship Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

1Pe 4:11 Whoever speaks, let it be as one speaking the utterances of God. Whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies. So in all things may God be glorified through Messiah Yeshua—all glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen.

Psa 100:2 Serve Adonai with gladness. Come before His presence with joyful singing.

Heb 13:16 Do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Other acts of service include reading the Bible, praying without ceasing, spreading the gospel, denying the flesh, fellowshiping with other believers. Don’t just be a hearer of the word but be a doer. Many apostates “Christians” love to skim the Bible and cherry pick scripture believing they no longer have to obey the law of GOD. The Law of GOD is there for us as an example of Holy Living. We are called to be a Holy Priesthood set apart for GOD with Jesus as our High Priest.

Christians twist Paul’s letters to excuse their sinful lifestyle. They only read the parts that make allowances for it but they will not read the whole letter. Paul’s letters are that letters. They were not books with chapters and verses. That is something we did to the Bible and to the Letters ourselves. Read the whole letter in context. Remember that Paul was a Jew and not just any Jew, he was like Jesus, He was a Torah observant pharisee. He didn’t teach us we are free to break the law and do as we wish. He taught that we are free from the burden and the curse of the law of death but that we should continue to uphold the law. Roman’s 3:31. Paul said that if it was not for the law, he would not know sin. So sinning is breaking the law of GOD. So, Romans 6:1 could read “Shall we continue to break GOD’s laws so that grace may abound? GOD forbid!!!” Paul tells us that the flesh wants to do what it wants breaking the law of GOD but that we should not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. The Spirit is of GOD and wants to please GOD and to please GOD one must obey the laws of GOD.

People love to say that Jesus abolished the law or that He fulfilled the law thinking that now the law is no longer in place. Matthew 5 does not say that though.  The Greek word used for fulfill can be backtracked to a Hebrew word for establish in the Old Testament. Jesus said Himself He did not come to abolish the law but to in fact establish the law. That not one jot or tittle will pass away from the law until heaven and Earth Pass away. Earth may not be eternal but heaven is but there will be no need for the law once the Earth passes away. Christ goes on to say that whoever observes the law and teaches others to do the same will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Then if we fast forward from Matthew 5 to Matthew 7. We see Yeshua saying that many will come to Him saying they did many things in His Name. But He states He did not know them because they practiced lawlessness and He casts them out to where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. In 1 John we see that those who practice lawlessness are actually called sons of Satan. In Romans we see those who live by the Spirit are called children of GOD. In Hebrews we see that those who seek to live a holy life will be able to see GOD face to face.

So how do we become a new creature that lives a Holy Life as a Living Sacrifice to GOD? Well you do everything above and you stop living a worldly life listening to worldly music watching worldly television and movies. You shut yourself off from the evils of the world. The three monkeys, see no evil hear no evil speak no evil. Dr. Charles Stanley with In-Touch Ministries has several great videos on YouTube about this I would first recommend the Video Controlling Our Thoughts so that you can better understand why you should avoid the Worlds Entertainment. Then Watch his other videos like Steps to Godly Living. I would also recommend you replace that time with you have no freed up with time spent on living a Holy Life by reading Christian Literature and watching Godly videos like the ones I mentioned previously.

Have you heard the expression “You are what you eat”? Well when you soak in all the negative and worldly cultures you become a part of that culture and it is harder to live a Holy Life. You will find it more difficult to resist temptations and spend time with GOD. Yeshua never said the road was going to be easy. He only said His Yoke was easy and His burden was light but the road would be narrow and difficult. (Read Matthew) Each New convert should really study Matthew and soak it up and read Proverbs and Psalms as well.  Yeshua wants you to be equally yoked with Him. When you are not equally yoked your life will be difficult and you will get bruises from the yoke beating against you. When a farmer has an ox that will not become equally yoked the farmer sends that ox to slaughterhouse because it becomes too costly for him to keep around because He is constantly having to care for its bruises. Messiah puts it in a different in the parable of a vine and branches that fail to produce fruit. The branches that fail to produce fruit He cuts off and throws into the fire.

Christ told us to be in the world not of it. The Bible teaches us to be Holy Set Apart from the World different from the World since we are GOD’s people. So, we cannot be imitators of the world. GOD doesn’t even want our worship to be similar to the way pagans’ worship for He finds it detestable. (Deuteronomy) So Christians who put up Christmas trees and holy and all that around Christmas time are doing something that God finds detestable. Same with Christians who participate in Easter Egg hunts and gorging themselves on candy. As well as Christians who dress up for Halloween. For these are all pagan practices and how they honored their gods and goddesses. If our worship doesn’t line up with how worship is outlined in the Bible, then we need to examine ourselves. We should also be weary of the music we worship GOD with since we have combined worship music with worldly music. This music may be pleasing to our flesh but from what the Bible says it is detestable to GOD. Remember the verse The World is at enmity with GOD and the verse You cannot worship GOD and mammon.

Paul likened himself to a soldier of GOD. A soldier is always ready always watching with their weapon in hand. They wear their armor. Our Weapon is the Bible our Armor is Spiritual, and we wear it when we obey the law of GOD. When we don’t obey the law of GOD then we lose our armor, and we must find it again and put it back on. Paul used a simile of the athlete that trains their body for the competition so we must train our flesh and our spirit. We do this by going back through the steps of Salvation. Paul said to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. So, we read and study our bible referencing one verse to another and to another and to another partaking in daily devotions and learning about the context and history. Remaining in a constant state of prayer practicing the presence of GOD in our daily lives acknowledging Him in all we do and doing all to His Glory and pleasure.

So, we can be in the world just not of it. When we participate in the culture we walk on thin ice. We can continue to work where we work but we no longer act how we used to act. We live for GOD now. So, our work and our school become our mission field. We live life as light in the darkness dressing modestly, not using profanity doing what we are told to do with a smile on our face and to the best of our ability and beyond their expectations. When they praise us we say no the praise is not for me it is for my GOD because I only did it to bring Him glory and Honor. They will see a change in you. You have become a light in the darkness. You have become a reflection of the King and if you continue as such you will show His love to others and bring others to Him. The good news is not only that Yeshua Died for the World but that the World can be changed for the better through belief in Him and through working for Him.

            For the New believer please read the Bible. Don’t believe the Once saved Always message. If you read your Bible and study it you will find that 1^st Peter chapter 1 destroys that man-made doctrine. Everything above written is the full Salvation gospel. Anything added to it is just that added and not actually required for salvation regardless of what these wolves in the pulpit teach. Believing Jesus is GOD is not required for salvation. Speaking in Tongues is not required for salvation. None of the Marian Dogmas from the Catholic church are required for salvation. Don’t let the doctrines of man stop you or cause you to stumble.

By J.I. Roe