Strong delusion – Grace alone?

Many churches today preach the following scripture from Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of Yahuwah,
9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

And in saying this they also say that there is no law. But if we go to Matthew 5 we see that Yahshua says something different.

Matthew 5:17
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

The word fulfill  in greek means to loosen down and in Hebrew to uphold. We could say that the Law was loosened down, but still upheld.

So here we have a contradiction where many churches are preaching Grace alone but His word teaches us that the Law is there as well. Paul tells us in scripture the following in 1 Corinthians 7 the following:

1 Corinthians 7:19
19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of Yahuwah.

In Matthew 7 we see Yahushua speaking the following words:

Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

In that scripture, those who were cast out were those who did not follow the law. We see Him again say in 1 john 2:3 what it is that those who have come to know Him do….

1 John 2:3-6
And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 
4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of Yahuwah is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:
6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

We see Yahshua telling us in John 15:10 the following:

John 15:10
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

Those who love Him, and know Him shall keep His commandments.The Fathers commandments are the ten commandments. If we are to walk as He did, then we are to follow the Fathers commandments as He followed them. The one who does not follow His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in Him.

What are these commandments he speaks of when He says to follow His commandments?

Matthew 22:36-40
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
37 And he said to him,“You shall love Yahuwah Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

The first four refer to Loving Yahuwah. The last six refer to loving your fellow man.

Deuteronomy 5:7-21

  1. 7 ‘You shall have no other gods before Me

  2. 8 ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 9 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, Yahuwah Elohim, am a jealous El, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

  3. 11 ‘You shall not take the name of Yahuwah Elohim in vain, for Yahuwah will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

  4. 12 ‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as Yahuwah Elohim commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
    14 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of Yahuwah Elohim. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahuwah Elohim brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore Yahuwah Elohim commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

  5. 16 ‘Honor your father and your mother, as Yahuwah Elohim has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which Yahuwah Elohim is giving you.

  6. 17 ‘You shall not murder.

  7. 18 ‘You shall not commit adultery.

  8. 19 ‘You shall not steal.

  9. 20 ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

  10. 21 ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.’

So why is it that the churches today believe it is all about grace and forget the Law? Lets look at what the scriptures say in Ephesians 2 and compare it with other versions of the same text. In the English Standard Version, we see it telling us that it was the ordinances which were set aside (that is the other laws which were not a part of the ten commandments).

Ephesian 2:15 (ESV)
15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances.

But other versions say something totally different, which conflict with these scriptures we have been looking at. For example, the NIV evrsion says that it was ALL the law which was set aside, not the ordinances alone:

Ephesian 2:15 (NIV)
15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations.

It was the ordinances which were set aside. Not the commandments of Yahuwah. and this is what is said in Colossians 2:

Colossians 2:14
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

When we use the NIV with  Revelation 22:14  we see the following:

Revelation 22:14
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.”

But when we read the KJV we see something else which again contradicts this:
Revelation 22:14
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
in 1 John 5:2-3  in the KJV we read:

1 John 5:2-3
2 By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and keep His commandments.
3 For this is the love of Elohim, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

When we look in the NIV however, the commandments are lost and it now refers to His commands.

1 John 5:2-3
2 This is how we know that we love the children of Elohim: by loving Elohim and carrying out his commands.

3 In fact, this is love for Elohim: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.

We see Him tell us in Psalms 119

Psalm 119:142, 151
142 Your righteousness is righteous forever,

and your law is true.

151 But you are near Yahuwah,
and all your commandments are true.

 

It was the ordinances which were abolished. Not the commandments if Yahuwah. You cannot have sin unless there is some type of law in place.

Romans 4:15
15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

Sin is another word for lawlessness. That is being without Law.

Hebrews 10:16-17
16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says Yahuwah: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”
17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

The commandments of Yahuwah through Faith in Him are is still here.

Yahuwah Bless.

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