We have to go deeper than “you are saved by grace through faith.” Although this statement is true, it is not a fire insurance policy. Doctrines that are built only around this verse leads to a complacent, lukewarm heart that gives no exhortation to understanding (or even wanting to understand) the process of sanctification in a believer’s life. The intent of grace was never to eliminate our obedience to the Father’s commandments. Faith without works is dead. And when the Bible talks about “works,” it means obedience.
Obedience is the fruit of the evidence that you’ve been saved. The majority of the body seems to understand that faith is what justifies the person. Works don’t save you, but works are what justifies your faith! It makes sense when you consider what James said in James 2:18: “Show me your faith without works, and I’ll show you my faith by my works.”
Obedience is not something that is legalistic—it’s what our Heavenly Father demands and desires. Worship is not just singing songs of praise—it’s obedience to His Word. Obedience is living our lives in the way the Father commands and in the way our Messiah taught. Yahusha (Jesus) told us that He only spoke what the Father commanded Him to say.
If the Messiah taught people to break His Father’s commandments, it would make Him a hypocrite and a false teacher. Yahuah spoke through Isaiah in 8:20 to tell us this: “To the torah (law) and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” The WORD of the Old Testament books is the same Word that dwelt among us. The Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105). Our Messiah is the “light of the world” (John 8:12) and those who follow him will not walk in darkness.
The Scripture gives us the biblical definition of what “light” truly is, and it can be found in Proverbs 6:23: “the commandment is a lamp and the law (torah) is the light.” If you’re not following His Word/torah/commandments, then you are not walking in the light. And the world hates the light, meaning they hate the Father’s Word. It doesn’t get any clearer than that. If there is no light in you, then that means that the Word (His commandments) are not stored in your heart. This is not my opinion—it’s what Scripture says.
James tells us that we are to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. What Word was he talking about if the audience of the epistles they were written to didn’t have a “New Testament” at the time? We are to be doers of the commandments! There is no other “word” to be a “doer” of. Our Messiah was a “doer” of the Word. And He told us to “follow Him.” So, shouldn’t we “do” the same?
It’s not a Jewish thing to be a doer of the Word—it’s a disciple thing. (And when I say “doer of the Word,” I’m not talking about all of the extra commands that have been added by talmudic teachers of Judaism--the Torah & Talmud are NOT the same thing). Our perfect and praise-worthy Teacher came here to show us how to be a doer of the word, but most importantly, He showed us through His actions what it meant to truly love the Father’s word, will and ways.
That’s why Paul said that “love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10).
Obedience isn’t something you check off on a box.
It’s a heart posture.
It’s a lifestyle.
It’s a love that is so deep that it consumes every piece of your life as you understand what the New Covenant means as you watch the Father literally “write His laws on your heart” (Jeremiah 31:33 & Hebrews 8:10).
But if your heart isn’t in the right posture, obedience will look like bondage.
You can’t truly seek Him with all of your heart if your heart isn’t all in it.
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Jeremiah 29:13
With love,
Stephanie