Wednesday, 23 August 2023

The Upper Room Discourse 29

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John 15:9-10 Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you. Abide in My love! If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

"Abide" appears 3 times in these two verses. "Abide in My love!" "You will abide in My love..." and "Abide in His love." Previously to that in verses 4 through 7, "abide" is mentioned 8 more times. Do you get the sense that Yeshua is on a theme here? And what is that theme? We abide together with the Father and the Son and are invited to participate in their love for one another.

What bind us together is "Shema Yisrael!" The Shema is a call to love through obedience. Typically, the word Shema is translated "hear," but a better translation would be "take heed" or "obey." Deuteronomy 6:6 These words, which I am commanding you today, are to be on your heart.

This is the thing that "gets me." Yeshua obeyed God and calls all of us to the same obedience, and there is no fault in Him, Yet the scribes and pharisees of His day found a great deal of fault, because His Halacha (way of walking) didn't match their Halacha. Yeshua described this situation quite well.

Mathew 23:23-25 Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! You tithe mint and dill and cumin, yet you have neglected the weightier matters of Torah - justice and mercy and faithfulness. It is necessary to do these things without neglecting the others. O blind guides, straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel! Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and uncontrolled desire.

Here is another conditional statement (we had some last time) ... John 15:10a If you keep My commandments, (then) you will abide in My love. As we said, this is not an isolated thought, but a consistent and recurring theme throughout Yeshua's ministry. 1 John 5:2-3 We know that we love God's children by this - when we love God and obey His commandments. For this is the love of God - that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

"His commandments are not burdensome." 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Ruach Adonai is, there is freedom. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory - just as from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Please pray into this and be willing to be transformed ... Freedom is not lawlessness. John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!

Rabbi Trail: As Messianics, we sometimes face the label of being Judaizers or legalists. Galatians 5:1 For freedom, Messiah set us free - so stand firm, and do not be burdened by a yoke of slavery again. The "yoke of slavery" is working to achieve salvation by doing good. Grace and works are connected, but should never be confused with each other. Jacob 2:8 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works ... [20b] faith without works is dead. End RT.

I have never ended on an RT before, but today I will.