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The Simple Core of the Good News
Sabbath Day Sermon: Saturday 20 April 2002
"I am not ashamed of the gospel (good news), because it is the power of God (Eloah) for the salvation of everyone who believes: first, for the Jew (Judahites), then for the Gentile (Goyim). For in the gospel a righteousness from God (Eloah) is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, list as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith'" (Rom.1:16-17, NIV):
There is nothing quite as terrible, in my opinion, as divisiveness. Of course, we must be realistic in this mortal sphere where we see through a glass darkly, meaning, that understanding the details of the ins and outs of life is not at all like walking through a fog sometimes or straining your eyes to distinguish objects in twilight. Everybody, at some point or another in their lives, comes to discover that life is not as simple as they would like it to be. And what can be even more frustrating is that different people perceive things very differently sometimes.
That is the reality of life down here - a lack of agreement and apparent complexity. However, this does not mean that this is how it should be. We are clearly admonished in the scriptures to "keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Eph.4:3, NKJV) implying that unity is not only desirable but actually attainable otherwise Yahweh would never command it. The unity and perfection of men and women in Christ is prophesied by the apostle Paul and is the whole reason that Yahweh has given the various officers in the church/assembly: prophets, evangelist, pastors, and teachers, knowing that without such a ministry we would be "tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting" (Eph.4:11-14, NKJV). Once again we see the necessity of the local congregation for our spiritual equipping and the folly of solo Christianity.
Over the years I have met and worked with brethren from many denominations both Protestant and Messianic and I have observed time and time again that as one works within a certain core area of doctrines that a wonderful unity is possible. In the words of the psalmist:
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the LORD commanded the blessing --
Life forevermore"
(Ps.133, NKJV)
If one thing has become clear to me over the years it is that the denominational divide is not closing. And if anything, the rise of Messianic Judaism has served only to widen it. Now in case you think I am about to preach a sermon on ecumenism and on watering-down the Gospel, I'm afraid I have to disappoint you. As you know, I am a stickler for obedience to the Messiah's (Christ's) commandment that we are to live "by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Eloah)" (Matt.4:4, NKJV) and that means Torah-observance (Mt.5:18). However, it is also very clear that there is a clear scriptural difference between salvation and rewards in heaven. We are told that there are three different types of resurrection (1 Cor.15:41-42) and many degrees of glory or "mansions" in heaven (Jn.14:2), and disobedience to the least of the commandments means our getting the least kind of glory in heaven (Mt.5:19). Where that boundary lies - between simple salvation that gains us admission to heaven, and heavenly rewards, is the object of my sermon today.
The Bible very clearly teaches:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph.2:7-9, NKJV)
confirming what Paul said in our opening scripture. The good news or gospel of Christ that we preach, and must never forget to preach, which Protestants have known since it was clearly revealed to Martin Luther and the Reformers, is that salvation is "by faith from first to last". And by faith we principally mean trust. This is the core and life of the Christian faith - trust in the words and deeds of Yahweh through His Son Yah'shua (Jesus). In that respect we, as New Covenant Christians, remain uncompromisingly evangelical Christians. And in actual fact, we have very little complaint with evangelical Christianity when it comes to the simple truth message of salvation: where we differ is what to do after salvation, because there are many who sincerely believe that that is all they have to do. Like it or not, you cannot, ultimately, separate faith from obedience.
But what if you have never heard the Gospel or never known what Torah is? Are we to understand that all such people are doomed to a burning hell as many, if not the majority, of evangelical Christians have always taught? And if there is hope for such people, in spite of never knowing the Name of Christ and in spite of never knowing Yahweh's written Law, will that reveal to us the core elements of what is needed to save someone? Will such teach us what trusting in Christ actually means?
Before I begin on what may well sound like a journey on thin ice, may I emphatically state that salvation is through Yah'shua (Jesus) and Yah'shua alone. He Himself makes it plain when He said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6, NKJV). You can never get around that. The way to heaven and to Yahweh is through Christ, and Christ alone. So at some point, to escape the death and destruction of the soul, a soul must place his or her trust in the Son of God. He is the Way, and He is not sharing it with Buddha, atheism, or anyone or anything else, because noone one and nothing else has the power of eternal life.
My thesis today is that Torah-observance does not save a soul but rather refines, matures and perfects him. This does not mean, however, that Torah-observance is an option, for when Yahweh commands something, it is not something we can choose to safely ignore. Yahweh's command is that we be perfect (Mt.5:48; 19:21; Jn.17:23; Jas.1:4), in other words, His will is that we should receive the highest reward that He has to offer, because of His desire to bless us with everything that He has. But whereas salvation is by faith alone, perfection is by works in that same continuing faith. Paul says the following:
"For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God (Eloah), but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God (Eloah) will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ (Yah'shua the Messiah), according to my gospel" (Rom 2:12-16, NKJV).
Now what this means is that there are people who are alive, and who have lived, who have never heard of Yah'shua (Jesus) or Torah and yet "they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness" (v.15, NIV). How, then, can souls who have never heard of the true God or His Law possibly ever stumble across it? And the answer lies in the word "conscience".
I said that this journey might entail walking on thin ice so I am going to carefully define terms here. Firstly, conscience does not mean whatever feelings you may have at any one time. Conscience is not static. It is changing. The same Paul reminds us that each time we sin, we defile our consciences which become weaker and weaker (1 Cor.8:7). Like a flashlight whose batteries wear down with use, we must constantly replace the batteries. Our conscience is like that flashlight. Believing in false teachings is a bit like putting worn batteries into the flash light and getting a weak beam. But even if we are surrounded by nothing but false teachings and never hear the truth of Yahweh spoken, we can, if we choose, follow that spiritual light within with which every man is born with. We can choose right and wrong without ever knowing Yah'shua (Jesus).
The apostle John writes:
"He (John the Baptist) was not that Light (Christ), but was sent to bear witness of that Light (Christ). That was the true Light (Christ), which lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9, KJV 1).
Everyone who is born into this world receives a portion of the Light or Spirit of Christ which is our initial conscience. It gives us the ability to choose between right and wrong even without any tutoring in Christ or Torah. This Spirit of Christ is not, however, the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) which comes upon all those who are born again upon genuine heart- and mind-acceptance of Christ. The Light of Christ is like a little lighthouse in the soul, a free gift from Yahweh - an act of His grace, to guide us until we reach the point where we can hear and accept the Message of Salvation and receive the fullness of the Ruach (Spirit). BUT it is not the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit)! And many, many people confuse the two.
You cannot defile the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) - if you sin, She leaves. But if you defile your conscience by wilfully ignoring it, then like a lighthouse getting covered in grime and hiding the beacon of light which it emits, so our conscience becomes covered by a layer of sin with distorts and smothers the Light of Christ, giving you misleading feelings and false rationalisations. As a result, people start misjudging, thinking that every feeling from their conscience is pure, and find that they are walking on the thin ice of supposed revelation. Only with the presence of the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) can the conscience be once again purified upon repentance and the feelings once again become "pure and undefiled".
Those who never heard of Yahweh, Yah'shua (Jesus) and Torah will, we are told by Paul, be judged according how to they lived Torah according to their consciences. And if they have responded to an undefiled conscience by showing that "the requirements of the Law (Torah) are written on their hearts" (Rom.2:15, NIV - cp. Jer.31:33), then they will be judged righteous "on the day when God (Eloah) will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ (Yah'shua the Messiah), as my gospel declares" (v.16, NIV).
Now if such a person were to be lost in eternity because He never confessed the Name of Yah'shua (Jesus), why on earth would he stand before the judgement seat of Yahweh for the way the responded to the Law written on his heart? According to many evangelicals, no deeds of righteousness would make any difference at all because He never confessed the Son of God! Paul's witness makes no sense unless such a soul has lived the kind of righteous life that those who know Yah'shua (Jesus) live, and yet not knowing the Name or Person who is the source of that righteousness, except through the Light within.
Please remember that this act of grace on Yahweh's part is extended to those who never knew the Name of Yah'shua (Jesus) or the Torah. I am not remotely suggesting that those who have heard the Gospel preached, rejected it, and are living basically "good" lives will be saved. That would do violence to a whole basket full of scriptures. What I am saying - and what I understand Paul to be saying - is that those who never had a chance to hear the Good News but who live as though they have, by paying close attention to the witness of their conscience, are assured of salvation, because Yahweh knows their hearts and knows, had they heard the Gospel in mortality, they would have received it.
No doubt this will give many of you food for thought. The reason I bring it up today, however, is not just to show the great love, justice and mercy of Yahweh, but to encourage us to search for and identify the core principles of the Gospel. And whilst I admit we are speculating somewhat here, I feel it is of the utmost importance in our quest to make a clear separation between that which saves and that which glorifies, because much of the enmity between denominations exists over these problems. I hope, as a result, to build bridges between Protestants and Messianics who actually need each other to bring the simple message of salvation to the unsaved in the last hours of this world.
Now I would like to invite you to join with me in doing some prayerful thinking. Let's imagine you are living in a pagan tribe somewhere, let's say, in the heart of Siberia in one of the indigenous tribes where Christianity has never been known. Unlike your peers, you are a conscientious young man or woman and closely attuned to your conscience, which you pay more attention to than the teachings and doctrines of family and friends. You have this "sense" for right and wrong. I have a list of questions which I'd like to ask you which I am going to hand out and give you 5 minutes to consider. All you have to do is write "yes" or "no" after each one. Remember, you have never heard of the Bible, Yahweh, Yah'shua (Jesus), Christianity or the Law (Torah) so you can't refer to scripture or what others have said. All you have are the inner feelings of your conscience. You may check/tick both "yes" and "no" boxes if you wish but try to commit to one or the other if you can. {Hand out questionnaire. After 5 minutes, vote on each item and discuss. There will almost certainly be some disagreement. The answers given are my own}.
My conscience would tell me that: |
Yes |
No |
1. God's Name is Yahweh |   |
X |
2. I should observe the Passover (Pesach) |   |
X |
3. I should not commit adultery with my friend's wife or husband |
X |   |
4. It is it right to be kind and considerate to others |
X |   |
5. I will go to hell if I do not accept Yah'shua (Jesus) as my Saviour |   |
X |
6. I should speak and behave respectfully to my parents |
X |   |
7. Stealing is wrong |
X |   |
8. I should do no regular work on the Sabbath |   |
X |
9. Violence is a bad thing |
X |   |
10. Treat others the way I want to be treated myself |
X |   |
11. There is a God who created the universe and people |
X |   |
12. Creating beauty and order is good |
X |   |
13. I should not eat blood |   |
X |
14. Being loyal to parents, husband, siblings, and friends is important |
X |   |
15. Love is better than hate |
X |   |
The fact that we are not agreed about everything ought to be a witness to us that only Yahweh can only truly judge whether a soul is saved or not, especially one who has never heard the Gospel preached to him. Our responsibility is to share the truth in the right Spirit and let Yahweh do the rest. As to those who have never known the truth, we must again leave ultimate judgement in His hands.
The purpose in the exercise we have just been through is to show is that there is a difference between saving and perfecting principles. Yah'shua (Jesus) revolutionised the teachings of Torah by summarising them into two Great Commandments:
"'You shall love the LORD your God (Yahweh-Elohim) with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law (Torah) and the Prophets" (Matt.22:37-40, NKJV).
Perfection does, of course, hang on salvation. You can't be perfected if you are not first saved. Therefore the great question I am asking today is: "What saves?" Is it simply the articulation of a Name like Yah'shua (Jesus) that saves or is it the substance of the person and power that lies behind it in which we place our faith that saves? What is the source of all goodness? Is it not Yahweh? And when we do good, are we not in fact revealing a facet of the Most High God? Is it not goodness that which changes people and the world for the better? Though people who do good may not realise the source of that goodness, it is still Yahweh manifesting Himself. And we should always recognise that, no matter what the environment.
There are many orthodox Christians, Messianics and unbelievers alike, who are expert at crushing out goodness because it manifests in unlikely places. To give an example, those of us who know Torah know we are not to celebrate pagan festivals like Christmas, but it would be foolishness to then declare that nothing good from Yahweh ever happens at this time of the year through people who observe it. Christendom has gone for centuries without Torah and yet Yahweh was still at work, revealing His holiness amidst all the false outer forms. We are able to look back in time in the Protestant, Easter Orthodox and Catholic and read of men and women of these faiths who unquestionably manifested the holiness of Yahweh and were bright lights in times of darkness and ignorance. Their false beliefs may have retarded them spiritually to varying degrees and yet God was revealed through them. Yahweh was not inactive for two thousand years.
I wonder if we sometimes confuse salvation with sanctification in our zeal to perfectly align ourselves to the will of Yahweh, and so cause those young in the faith to stumble? At the same time we must not fall into the trap that initial salvation is all that there is, not only because Yahweh has so much more to give to us, but more importantly that there is always the danger of aborting our salvation through carelessness and disobedience. Like all living things, we were designed by the Almighty to grow, and to keep on growing. Though our physical bodies come to full maturity by the time we are about 23, our spirits have no cut-off point, but must keep on growing until our mortal life is over. Salvation is not just a single event in time but a process, like a seed taking root and growing up into an adult plant and coming into flower. Our spirits, just like plans, can not only become stunted from lack of proper nourishment but actually perish also. Salvation is past (the day we accepted Christ as Saviour), present (as we walk down the Way), and future (the final consummation).
We can, and should, join with other believers in sharing the Alpha Message of Salvation, the core of the Good News, which consists of the teachings of the Apostles' Creed.
"We believe in Yahweh-God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. We believe in Yah'shua haMashiach (Jesus Christ), His Only Begotten Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit) and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day He rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit), the universal Body of Christ, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen."
Beyond that we have a duty of remain faithful to the full witness of Torah and if necessary to go our own way, building bonds of fellowship with other believers on the Alpha Level for the purpose of reaching the unsaved, but not compromising on the perfecting truths of the Gospel.
May Yahweh always guide us in that task. Amen.
Footnotes
1
The meaning of this passage has been mutilated in most modern English versions that use the Minority Alexandrian MSS - cp. NIV, which says: "The true light (Christ) that gives light to every man was coming into the world".
This page was created on 29 March 2002
Last updated on 29 March 2002
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