1 John 1:5-10
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice
the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
In these passages, we see a direct connection between walking in darkness and not practicing the truth. So the question is, what is practicing the truth?
Let's let the Bible interpret itself and see what we discover!
Proverbs 6:23
For the commandment is a lamp, And the Torah a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life
Psalms 119:105
Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path.
What is the truth?
Psalms 119:142
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
And Your Torah is truth.
And Your Torah is truth.
Psalms 119:150-151
They draw near who follow after wickedness; They are far from Your Torah.
You are near, O Lord, and all Your commandments are truth.
You are near, O Lord, and all Your commandments are truth.
Psalms 119:160
The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
John 17:17
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
Let's plug in the defined words and see what we have.
1 John 1:5-10
This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness (wickedness), we lie and do not practice the Torah. 7 But if we walk in the Torah as He (Yeshua) is in the Torah, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yeshua Messiah His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the Torah (His Word) is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
I think we should need some corroborating evidence. Another witnesses to verify if that what we believe John is saying is really about keeping Torah.
1 John 2:3-11
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word (John 1:1) which you heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new (refreshed) commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. 9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
I believe it needs to be noted that the "new" commandment John speaks of in verse 8 is the Greek word kainos and could better be interpreted "fresh", "unworn", "uncommon". I note this because Messiah came to bring the true intention of the Torah, which is love, so it is fresh, and uncommon because it is a different interpretation than Yeshua's religious contemporaries. This passage also discusses hating your brother. So the question, is, does the Torah speak on loving your brother?
Lev. 19:17-18
17 ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
I believe this evidence speaks for itself. He who loves His brother abides in His Word, and is practicing the Torah. We are to "walk just as He (Messiah) walked".
There is a reference in 1 John regarding the true light shining. I want to speak to that briefly. We know that Messiah Yeshua said "I am the light" (John 8:12) and that he came, not to do away with the law, but to fulfill it. Fulfilling the law means to "bring the proper interpretation of" or "fill up full of meaning".
We find in the Gospels the misuse of the Torah, we find that it has not only been added to and taken away from, but also that it was being used as a means to salvation or the state of being right with God by it's observance. This is the misuse of the Torah since it was not given as a means to salvation but given to a people already saved, already redeemed. It has also been misunderstood by christians in the same way. We have seen it incorrectly as a means to salvation by doing works, something that is impossible. We undertand that but fail to see the true intention of the Torah. Messiah came to not do away with it, but to bring to light it's true intention. It is through Him and only Him that keeping Torah finds it's fulfillment. It is not for the unbeliever. It is for those who have been called to be set-apart. It is our standard of behavior for God's people. Torah in with Messiah at it's core is the foundation of the whole house of God. Without Messiah, Torah is simply words on paper, or carved in stone. Not able to do anything more than condemn us. We know that God's intention, all along was that His WORD (Messiah) would be in our heart first, and that our behaviors would then follow.
Deuteronomy 30:11-14
“For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, noris it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
Maybe, just maybe, that's where Paul pulls from in Romans 10:9?
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus (the Word) and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
God's plan from the beginning is that hearing God's Word would bring about believing/trusting in His Word which would bring about obedience to His word. Like the old song goes "Trust and obey, for there's no other way".
In conclusion, Torah is for those who confess Messiah. It is not, nor ever was, a means to salvation. When it is misused in that way, it is only condemnation and death. We only have life in Messiah, who is the living Word of God. It is only through illumination of His Spirit that gives us the true intention of Torah (love), allowing us to fulfill it and put into practice the Torah (truth) in our lives, walking just as He walked, because we have been given His spirit which enables us to do so (Ezekiel 36:27) . His spirit gives us both the desire and the power toward obedience (Philippians 2:13).
I hope this has blessed you.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the Torah (His Word) is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
I think we should need some corroborating evidence. Another witnesses to verify if that what we believe John is saying is really about keeping Torah.
1 John 2:3-11
Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word (John 1:1) which you heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new (refreshed) commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. 9 He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
I believe it needs to be noted that the "new" commandment John speaks of in verse 8 is the Greek word kainos and could better be interpreted "fresh", "unworn", "uncommon". I note this because Messiah came to bring the true intention of the Torah, which is love, so it is fresh, and uncommon because it is a different interpretation than Yeshua's religious contemporaries. This passage also discusses hating your brother. So the question, is, does the Torah speak on loving your brother?
Lev. 19:17-18
17 ‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.
I believe this evidence speaks for itself. He who loves His brother abides in His Word, and is practicing the Torah. We are to "walk just as He (Messiah) walked".
There is a reference in 1 John regarding the true light shining. I want to speak to that briefly. We know that Messiah Yeshua said "I am the light" (John 8:12) and that he came, not to do away with the law, but to fulfill it. Fulfilling the law means to "bring the proper interpretation of" or "fill up full of meaning".
We find in the Gospels the misuse of the Torah, we find that it has not only been added to and taken away from, but also that it was being used as a means to salvation or the state of being right with God by it's observance. This is the misuse of the Torah since it was not given as a means to salvation but given to a people already saved, already redeemed. It has also been misunderstood by christians in the same way. We have seen it incorrectly as a means to salvation by doing works, something that is impossible. We undertand that but fail to see the true intention of the Torah. Messiah came to not do away with it, but to bring to light it's true intention. It is through Him and only Him that keeping Torah finds it's fulfillment. It is not for the unbeliever. It is for those who have been called to be set-apart. It is our standard of behavior for God's people. Torah in with Messiah at it's core is the foundation of the whole house of God. Without Messiah, Torah is simply words on paper, or carved in stone. Not able to do anything more than condemn us. We know that God's intention, all along was that His WORD (Messiah) would be in our heart first, and that our behaviors would then follow.
Deuteronomy 30:11-14
“For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, noris it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
Maybe, just maybe, that's where Paul pulls from in Romans 10:9?
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus (the Word) and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
God's plan from the beginning is that hearing God's Word would bring about believing/trusting in His Word which would bring about obedience to His word. Like the old song goes "Trust and obey, for there's no other way".
In conclusion, Torah is for those who confess Messiah. It is not, nor ever was, a means to salvation. When it is misused in that way, it is only condemnation and death. We only have life in Messiah, who is the living Word of God. It is only through illumination of His Spirit that gives us the true intention of Torah (love), allowing us to fulfill it and put into practice the Torah (truth) in our lives, walking just as He walked, because we have been given His spirit which enables us to do so (Ezekiel 36:27) . His spirit gives us both the desire and the power toward obedience (Philippians 2:13).
I hope this has blessed you.
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