Defending the Gospel’s Foundations- Part 1 of 4

By Brother R. Michel Lankford

The psalmist once observed, " As it is written: "If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3, NKJV)

“What absolutely astounds me is that most Christians claim to LOVE and to FOLLOW Jesus Christ the Messiah as their Lord, their Master, and their Savior. At the very same time, these selfsame Christians have virtually NO working knowledge of the Torah which Jesus believed, which Jesus followed, which Jesus taught, and which Jesus prayed would SANCTIFY His disciples (John 17:17). Is that not baffling?! Please think about it for a moment. How can we possibly truly successfully FOLLOW in the footsteps of someone, when we have so little respect for what MESSIAH HIMSELF FOLLOWED, and we have so little regard for learning the pattern and way of life which Messiah so judiciously observed? Messiah rightly noted that if the Pharisees had truly believe the writings that God gave to Moses, they would also believe Him, because those writings testify about HIM. (John 5:46). I believe that the reverse of that statement is also true. I believe that if we truly understood and believed in Messiah as we claim to, we would not so easily discount and dismiss the Torah in which Jesus lived, and our understanding and testimony about Jesus would be much clearer if we chose to walk in the pattern that Jesus Himself followed before the Father. I seek to follow Torah ever more closely because Jesus did, and we are COMMANDED in the New Testament to imitate God as HIS children (Ephesians 5:1); and to walk in the manner that Christ walked in all respects (See John 2:1-6). Now, how do we propose that Christians should somehow come to successfully obey those two New Testament passages apart from learning and practicing Torah? From where I sit, that should be more than sufficient cause for any Christian to learn and copy Torah as much as we can”—RML.

The people who want to be disciples of Almighty God and the Messiah must have their faith and their direction and their choices firmly built on something true, something solid, something reliable and unchanging. The wicked; who hate God, who hate the Messiah, who hate the truth and who refuse to honor what is good, are forever trying to destroy the foundation of the gospel, (Romans 1:18-32), so that those who want to be righteous and to please God have nothing upon which they can build their lives. So if you want to be a true defender of the gospel of Almighty God and His Son, we must learn to defend the whole foundation of the gospel.

 

What Is The Gospel’s foundation?

If you ask any number of Christians, "What is the foundation of the gospel? Most of Them will tell you, "Well, Jesus Christ, of course." However, if we look carefully throughout the Scriptures Jesus the Christ (Yeshua the Messiah) is described as "The Chief Cornerstone." Messiah is absolutely imperative, because you certainly cannot have a solid foundation without the Chief Cornerstone being firmly established, and in its proper place, holding everything together as Messiah certainly does, (Colossians 1:17). At the same time, if you have a beautiful perfect cornerstone, but the rest of the foundation is not firmly attached to the cornerstone, then we still do not have a solid foundation upon which to build our faith or our congregations; in which case, our congregations are much weaker and less able to withstand the storms of this life (Matthew 7:13-25).
If Yeshua the Messiah is the indispensable Chief Cornerstone of the Gospel, then of what additional things does the rest of the foundation of the gospel consist? According to various places throughout Scripture, the key remaining aspects of the Gospel's foundation include: The Torah, The prophets, Messiah's teachings and deeds, and the apostolic teachings . As believers who would be successful disciples, it is our duty to recognize, to grow in, to exemplify, to adhere firmly, and to defend the true foundations of the gospel so that the younger believers who come after us will not lose their way by those who practice cunning in vain deceit. Because as up-and-coming disciples we have a duty not only to the Lord, not only to ourselves, not merely to our fellowships, but also to the countless numbers who may later come to seek God after our example. We have a communal duty to make sure other believers who come after us will recognize the foundations of the gospel, and will not be deceived by the counterfeit. How can true love do any less?

The Torah: God's Laws Commandments and Instructions in Scripture, (Genesis through Deuteronomy). This is the core foundation of the Bible that Jesus used when He was alive on this earth. Yeshua the Messiah loved God's Laws Commandments and Instructions. Honoring the Torah's true meaning and intentions, (which is the truest definition of Loving God and doing God's will), consumed the Messiah's desires in this life (John 4:34). Yahweh's Torah gives us more specific and more detailed instructions on how to love God with all our heart, soul mind and strength, and how to more perfectly love our neighbor as ourselves. Using the 10 Commandments as a base for example, the first four Commandments show us in more detail how to love Yahweh Almighty God with all our hearts soul mind and strength. The last 6 of the 10 Commandments shows us how to more perfectly love our neighbor as ourselves. Every Command in Scripture is ultimately there to illustrate how to love God or love my neighbor more perfectly. Every Law, Commandment, imperative or Instruction throughout all of Scripture is designed to do a few other indispensable things:

· It highlights Abba-YAH's True Character (Leviticus 11:44-45; Ezekiel 36:25-27; 1 Peter 1:14-16; Ephesians 5:1; Colossians 1:9-12; Psalm 19:7-14; Psalm 119:9; cf. 2 Peter 1:4; Ephesians 2:10).

.  It concretely and definitively identifies and defines what TRUTH is, and what SOUND DOCTRINE is (Psalm 119:142,144; Psalm 119:151; Psalm 119:160; Proverbs 4:2).

· It gives YHWH’s static, permanent and unchanging definition of WHAT SIN IS (1 John 3:4; cf. Matthew 7:21-23; Daniel 9:11; Hosea 8:1; Romans 7:7); It also highlights my continuing NEED for the Redeemer.

· YHWH's Law and Commandments reveals my own heart to me. (Deuteronomy 8:2-3; Hebrews 4:12-13; James 1:19-25; John 8:34-41; Hebrews 3:13-15). In which ever areas I am not yet able to obey Abba-YAH's Commandments, then I have a living demonstration that I'm not completely set free in that area of my life. I can then clearly see that I need healing, renewal or restoration in that portion of my life.

· YHWH's Law highlights and defines the consequences for continuing in sin (Deuteronomy 24:16; Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:5-8).

· YHWH's Law highlights the benefits blessings and rewards of obeying Him (Deuteronomy 4:40; Leviticus 18:5; Psalm 19:7-14; Ezekiel 18:21-23; Joshua 1:7-8; Psalm 1:1-3; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9),

.  It Gives us a training and a working model and instructions on HOW to LOVE YHWH, (Deuteronomy 5:29; Deuteronomy 7:9; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 5:3). 18 times throughout the Whole Testament of Scripture loving YHWH the Almighty Creator is directly linked to KEEPING His Commandments. Truthfully, there is no getting around it. You simply CANNOT love YHWH the Almighty Creator, unless you learn and KEEP His Commandments.

.  It gives us training and a working model and instructions on HOW to LOVE our Neighbor as ourselves.  In other words, what does it really look like to love your neighbor as yourself? How does that function in a practical way throughout your day to day living? If you truly want to love your neighbor as yourself learning and keeping the Commandments of YHWH gives you the training on how to do that in a practical way. In fact every single Commandment that you will see in Scripture will fit into one of two columns. Keeping the commandment is intended to train you how to love YHWH more perfectly. Or, keeping the commandment is intended to train you how to love your neighbor as yourself more perfectly.

· YHWH's Law provides a reliable measurement for my growth as a believer (1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 5:1-3). When I am able to truly keep the Commandments of Yahweh Almighty, and it does not seem like a burden to me, then I don't have to guess, at that point. I KNOW that I'm growing and maturing in love toward Yahweh Almighty through Messiah, (cf. Psalm 119:9; Hebrews 5:12-14). 

Without Torah we have no understanding of God's character, and how Yahweh Almighty God defines holiness. Without Torah, we have no real understanding of what God truly considers righteousness, and what He rightly considers to be sin; for sin is the transgression or the violation of God's Law's (1 John 3:4; cf. Romans 7:7-8). Without Torah, I would have no real understanding of my own heart, because how we respond to God's word reveals what is truly in our heart (Deuteronomy 8:2–3; Hebrews 4:12-13); because without the Torah I would have no understanding of the sin that lives in my own being, and I would not really understand my real and true NEED for the Savior and the Messiah, because if I do not understand my sin, and if I do not understand the true and real consequences of my sin, then I do not truly understand my need to be saved and to be redeemed by the Savior. One of the enemy's tactics in our world is to blind people's eyes to the fact that we need the Redeemer (2 Corinthians 4:4). One of the best ways to make sure that people do not see their sin and their need for the Redeemer is to blind them to their sin, and the best way to keep people blinded to their sin is to discredit God's Laws Commandments and Instructions as having any validity or authority. Without the Torah, I have no concrete way to measure my growth and maturity as a disciple. Again, since my response to God's Commandments reveals the true condition of my heart, then I know that I maturing in God's love when I can KEEP His Commandments, and it does not seem like a burden to me, (1 John 5:1-3; cf. Hebrews 5:14-16; Hebrews 12:7-14).
Zola Levitt summarized it this way concerning Jesus and the Torah, "Jesus read it, taught it, loved it, quoted it and considered it absolutely authoritative. I wholeheartedly agree, but respectfully, I do not believe that brother Levitt goes far enough. Yeshua LIVED Torah! What's more Yeshua taught that WE MUST learn to live it as well, otherwise we will NOT enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 7:21-23)." And that's in the 'New Testament."

There's a huge cry of protest within mainline Christianity against Torah observance for the Christian, but squawk and protest as they may, the one question they cannot get around honestly is this. How does one successfully learn to DO the Father's will, while at the same time we train ourselves and others to disobey HIS COMMANDMENTS, and to disavow the validity of HIS INSTRUCTIONS? 
There is no way around the fact that this is not right. So the only way around it is to pretend that the topic of discussion is about something else, like grace for instance. As if the real and true grace of God could EVER direct and empower anyone to disavow and disobey the Commandments of God. The very assertion is ludicrous, prima fascia. May God deliver us from all spiritual and doctrinal blindness (See Colossians 1:9-12; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Philippians 2:13).There is simply no legitimate way to do God's will, and to disobey Him at the same time. It's a delusion to believe and teach otherwise. “So if our foundation; the Torah be removed, then what can the righteous do?" Stick with the foundation which God has squarely laid."

As it is written: "Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands [so the foundation was NEVER changed or abolished Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 119:142,160], having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”” (2 Timothy 2:19, NKJV - annotated)

Plainly, speaking if Yahweh and Messiah consider something to be sin or iniquity, we who claim the name of Messiah should be RUNNING into the opposite and godly direction.
Respectfully beloved, if you claim the name of Yeshua the Messiah as your Lord and Savior, and you are not actively running away from what Yahweh calls iniquity, then you are deceiving yourself. It’s that simple. Do not forget Matthew 7:21-23. God’s not kidding.