Greasy Grace

These scripture quotations seem quite long, but please read them in order to find the thread that binds them together :o)

Jeremiah 7:4-15 'Do not trust in lying words, saing, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord are these. For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you completely do judgment between a man and his neighbour, if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, forever and ever. Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot do any good. Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, we are delivered to do all these abominations? Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I also have seen says the Lord. But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of My people and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer, therefore I will do to this house, which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brothers, the whole seed of Ephraim.'

2 Cor 6:16 ' And what agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are the temple of the living God as God has said," I will dwell in them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people".'

1 Cor 3:16-18  'Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any-one defiles the temple of God, God shall destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which you are. Let no one deceive himself.'

What exactly is grace?

This is a question I have really had to ask myself. More-so over the last two years (since my journey in Torah began) than at any other time in my life. Grace ... as I understood it .. was a fairly easy concept to grasp. Yeshua died for me, He took all my sin upon Himself and I now stood before YHVH guilt-free! Not only guilt-free but free from the law (Torah) too! I was certainly in a much more privileged position than any Israelite in the Old Testament, further- more the Jews today as I was taught to see it, were still in bondage ... in bondage to an archaic system that at the end of the day could save no-one. A system that was legalistic and really just another form of enslavement. I on the other hand (along with every other christian) was a recipient of YHVH's grace ... and there was nothing more that I needed to do ... after all ... Yeshua did it all for me ... didn't He?? The law (Torah) along with the sacrificial system was now over and a different dispensation had begun (sound familiar to any-one).  :o)  ... mmmmm...

Praise Yah, I now find myself on the other side of this fence .. now truly a recipient of His grace! Needless to say ... my view is a little (well .. alot ) different and my heart has had a much needed overhaul. Things look alot different standing on this side and the grass is definately greener!  :o)

Is it grace that I find to be suddenly different ... or my eyes that have been resurrected and the scales graciously removed from? All of both I think. Looking back  ... I can now see all the hurt and destruction that erroneous teaching can and does cause, that YHVH's people are truly destroyed for a lack of knowledge. 

True Grace I have/am discovering is NOT giving licence to my flesh for sin, no matter how great or small with the safety net that 'I don't need to worry, Yeshua has done it all for me ... He will forgive me ... I am after all only human ... no longer under the law (Torah) but grace'.

Instead I am learning that true grace is having my eyes opened to the wonder and truth of His Torah. True grace is being given a new heart of flesh upon which His commandments and ways are engraved.

True grace is being given a heart that wants to Shema ... hear and obey.

True grace is knowing that He will catch me when I fall.

To those still on the other side of the fence this seems like legalism ... going back under the law ... or even worse .. 'Do I think I am now Jewish'? said in such a way as to imply that there couldn't possibly be a worse fate than this.  

Law (Torah) and grace have always gone hand in hand, the one cannot be withouth the other. The problem comes in when we do in fact try to seperate them. All of Torah without grace ... impossible. All of grace without Torah ... no purpose.

Greasy grace is a cheap counterfeit for the beauty of true grace...

I guess the question we should be asking ourselves then is ... 'Do I  want to settle for less than the very best that YHVH has for me ... to know and understand HIS grace?'.

Where the sun has already set .. I pray your Shabbat was filled with His Shalom!

Where the sun still shines .. may His grace shine ever brighter on each one of you!

Shabbat Shalom and Blessings!!