LECTURE 11: IF CHRIST IS THE ANSWER WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS? [Part B]

[Rebbe]

The Song of God

A Fresh Appraisal of the Christian Doctrine of the Ultimate Destiny of Humankind:
IMCF Lectures on God's Universal Salvation

by

Les Aron Gosling, Messianic Rebbe



Copyright © BRI, 1996
Lecture Format © 2016
All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Originally Produced as a BRI Study Manual




LECTURE 11

IF "CHRIST IS THE ANSWER," WHAT ARE THE QUESTIONS?

[PART B]

Part A concluded with...

"Love, according to the Teaching (Torah) of the Messianic Scriptures, is the supreme expression of the Nature of God. For, the apostle John tells us, God IS love. And if we are "partakers of the Divine Nature" (as Peter explains that we are in 2 Peter 1.4) then we will desire to be like him, to follow Mashiach's example, and to emulate him in every practicable way. Love is, and always has been, the Eternal Principle (Galatians 5.14; James 2.8; John 13.34). And, we all need to follow on with true love.

The only proper way this can be done to even avoid legalism is to allow the free and gentle yet awesome presence of the creative Spirit of God to flow into you and outward through you, in continual acts of kindness toward others and in selfless praise and worship toward the Lord. It's really a mental thing. We are made in God's creative image. We're His reflection. A mirrored one at that. "In her head creates God the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1.1 Literal Hebrew rendering).

This is why Rav Shaul wrote to the Gentile Galatians and said that "the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patient well-doing, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, meekness, self control -- against such there is no law" (Galatians 5.22,23).

Against such things no law exists. This is one way of interpreting this passage. But the Greek could just as easily be interpreted, "By comparison to which there is no law that could be seen to be any better."

This is because the New Covenant speaks of the Advent of the Ruach HaKodesh -- the very holy SPIRIT of God -- and this Spirit impregnates in our heart of hearts the WILL OF GOD, and empowers the converted living Temple of God (by virtue of its very indwelling) -- which Temple we ARE -- to live according to the spirit of the Torah which far supersedes any mere written codification.

To ENSURE God's people are fully trained and equipped to live according to God's Torah principles of love and mercy, the holy Spirit placed within the Second Temple period Messianic assemblies PEOPLE who were called by God to be Rabbis, Teachers, Elders. These chosen instruments of God continually pointed Messianic believers to the commentaries of the apostles and prophets relative to God's revealed will in matters of Torah (instruction).

The Messianic Scriptures that we possess in our Brit Hadashah are our ultimate Torah Commentary. As such they ought to be followed with delight and joy to inculcate these principles into our essential being by the power of the living Spirit.

Look! If one is entirely honest with the biblical revelation and the Torah itself, the ten commandments as they are codified were actually only given to Israel (Exodus 19.3-6; 20.1,2). But I have previously shown in past BRI/IMCF Yeshiva lectures that they were incorporated into the New Covenant which is why they are repeated in the Messianic writings to Gentile members of the Messianic Community of Faith in one form or another.

The Jewish believers had a commission and that was to take the Torah to the Gentiles (those parts of God's Torah that were FOR the Gentiles). This was the expectation of the Prophets of God to Israel and to Judah. Ancient Israel and Judah never fulfilled that commission adequately. But the primitive Jewish Messianic believers took their calling seriously enough to spread Torah and Gospel all over the world. Documented historical narratives prove it definitely occurred!

We should not overlook the fact that the original, primitive Messianic Community (believers in Yeshua) had to become Abraham's seed. Paul uses the term of early believers. That fact will not go away. In fact, Abraham's physical descendants gave rise to Shinto, Buddhism, and early Vedic Hinduism as well as to Christianity and Islam.

The Messianic Scriptures take pains as Commentary on Torah to reveal a better way. And this better way is a Living Way. Yeshua said, "I am the Way!" We observe God's Torah by following the Living Torah, the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach, while allowing his Word to transform us by the power of the Ruach HaKodesh (the Spirit of holiness).

Messianic Believers who wish to speak of Torah observance should first of all examine the Torah -- from Genesis to Revelation -- and then, after being educated about it, make rigorously accurate affirmative judgments (John 7.16-24). We have seen in this lecture that God has changed the Torah to accommodate to human beings. He is motivated, not by laws, but by love. And His instruction is that we should follow suit and "bind" and "loose" within the permits of the Torah of Messiah.

The Torah was given to habituate human behaviour. Messiah's Spirit is given in order that we might have our spirit, soul and body habituated from the inside out. It is the process of transformation from flesh into dynamic divine SPIRIT -- as God is SPIRIT -- that constitutes the alchemy of salvation.

The character traits of love -- God's Love -- should be seen in all of us who call ourselves Christians or Messianic Believers.

By the Spirit, not by codifications of law, love -- "which works no ill to its neighbour" -- is something worthwhile to pursue.

THUS CONCLUDES LECTURE ELEVEN