[TruthTalk] Slade's Understanding

[Slade Henson]

Ok, Terry, here's the Email I promised.   I believe I am saved by grace through faith and not of myself for it is the gift of God. This gift is not given to me as a result of my works so I have no room to boast. However, I cannot stop there for the very next verse says that I am His workmanship created in Messiah Yeshua for good works which God prepared beforehand so that I would walk in them.   What am I to walk in? Whatever it was, it was prepared beforehand JUST FOR ME! I am to walk in them. The Psalms uses the same language saying that I am to walk in the Torah of YHVH. To me that makes sense, especially when I remember that I am a member of a peculiar people. Peculiar people stand out and they seem a little odd at times. I look odd compared to the average 39 year old, and that's OK. I was designed by my YHVH to be odd (and He is mine!!).   As we grow in grace and knowledge, we will be reading His word and learning, applying the truths as we see and understand them. As we read, we will discover that we're to love Him with all our hearts. We learn we're to love our neighbor. We discover that we're not to take His Name in vain, that we should keep the seventh day Shabbat, that we should shoo the mother hen away from her eggs or young before we take them, that we should wear a cord of blue on the borders (or corners) of our garments, that we should open our hands and pockets to anyone in need, etc. Are we supposed to follow every single command when we become bon again? No. We grow in grace and knowledge. We apply it as we learn and understand how (if we can). If we decide not to obey something we read and understand, we fall into rebellion. This is iniquity and we run into spiritual problems. (If you'd like one way YHVH deals with rebellion, read about the man who purposely gathered sticks on Shabbat in the sight of all Yisrael [Numbers 15]. Mr. Stick Gatherer was only a symptom of a greater problem because Korach and his lackeys show up in the next chapter and the rebellion is in full swing. With Korach's death, there's one more instance where a groups of the Sons of Yisrael approach the Altar and Moshe contemptuously and they are smitten by plague that is stopped by Aharon's incense.)   As we apply the truths and the commandments as we understand them, we are granted blessings in this life as prescribed in Torah. That's a wonderful benefit, considering disobedience brings curse in this life.   The world is to look at me and know that I belong to YHVH because of my fruit. What is that fruit? We all know the fruit of the Spirit, and that fruit is manifested as I learn to Love YHVH will all my heart by keeping Him Number One in my life as I learn to be more obedient to Him.   If this is a burden, I have yet to learn to love Him with all my heart, and my selfish desires are still on the pedestal in my heart. I am still an idolater, and my lusts are the idol. I want to be one who is able to stand at the coming of Messiah. I want to be one who endures to the end by keeping the commandments of God and holding fast to the testimony of Yeshua (quoted from Revelation).     Is that clear as mud?   -- slade