WORTHLESS RELIGION & ELEMENTARY LIVING

Sermons motivate us, but only G-D’S RUACH OF EMET (Spirit of Truth) – The LIVING TORAH – IS THE POWER to continue delivering our souls (which is what we must have to prove ourselves Disciples of Messiah – see John 15:8):

James 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and obvious evil and RECEIVE IN HUMILITY the IMPLANTED WORD, which is able to save your nephesh (souls).

22 But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect Torah, the Torah of Liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.

Has the deceptiveness of an arrogant tongue coupled with anger made your religion WORTHLESS?

This is our problem: self-deception. We spend hours listening to sermons or reading books, and ‘think ourselves religious’. But THE EVIDENCE (our behaviors) may be telling A DIFFERENT STORY.

HOWEVER, THE SPIRIT’S TORAH OF LIFE – EVERY LETTER – IS WHAT WILL GIFT US OUR INHERITANCE OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN!

That takes BOTH SKILL and TIME. Let us consider Hebrews 5:11-6:3:

11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the Word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

6 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.

We are still dealing with this FIRST ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLE!

What we are learning here are FOUNDATIONS OF TORAH, specifically an ‘elementary teaching of repentance (turning from) DEAD works’ (see Heb. 6:1) which is the result of *REMOVING OF THE ALEPH FROM ONE’S HALAKAH (walk: one’s whole manner of living, the way one lives). (*Week 1’s Teaching: Chokmah – Skills Training in The Ruach HaKodesh – 21 Day Mussar LIFE Journey)

We are to be past this – and onto MATURITY IN THE RUACH OF EMET – THIS *IS THE EVIDENCE | THE WITNESS* OF THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT/SHEMA AS PUT FORTH BY MASHIACH HIMSELF. This is also Rabbi Shaul’s (Paul’s) teaching that THIS WISDOM FROM ABOVE IS FOR THOSE MATURE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE IT (1 Cor. 2).

Again, we are incapacitated and unable to MOVE FORWARD ON THE WAY OF LIFE AND BLESSING when we have not first considered and then responded to The Very First Question (Lament!) ever asked by ADONAI ELOHEINU to His Image-Bearers, ‘Ayeka?’ (Genesis 3:9).

Understand WHERE you really are…and now, let US move UPWARD & ONWARD IN THE MUSSAR LIFE OF THE RUACH HAKODESH!

BY G-D’S GRACE, MAY EACH OF US MOVE FORWARD HAVING OUR MINDS MADE ‘ONE’ INDIVIDUALLY, AND SO TOGETHER AS ONE COMMUNALLY!

Carmen Schroeder Shabbat, 5 Kislev, 5781