If your life is
not in jeopardy for what you believe, you’re probably on the wrong side!
If you don’t believe Genesis 1-11, how can you
possibly believe John 3:16?
“Indeed, all who want to live a godly life united with the Messiah Yeshua will be persecuted.” (2Tim 3:12)
It is what you actually believe that determines how you walk out your faith,
“but avoid stupid controversies, genealogies,
quarrels and fights about the Torah; because they are worthless and
futile.” (Titus 3:9)
Please Note: Absolutely nothing on this website should be taken as anti-Church. I am not anti-anything or anyone. I am only pro-Torah and pro-Truth (see “Philosophy”), but sometimes the Truth upsets our long-held beliefs. I know it certainly upset mine! For example, see “Why Isn’t My Theology Consistent Throughout the Website?”
Core Beliefs
of
Messianic Judaism
Central to our entire Messianic Theology are these core beliefs:
1. The Creator of all things has revealed Himself to His creation through His personal Name which is represented by the Hebrew letters יְהוָֹה (yud-he-vav-he). Out of respect for Him and His Name, we normally refer to Him as ADONAI (the Hebrew word for Lord) or by the appellation (or circumlocution) HaShem (Hebrew for “The Name”). He has revealed that in His divine nature He is an inseparable union; HaShem is One and there is only one HaShem. (“Sh'ma, Yisra'el! ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear, Isra'el! ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one]” (Deut 6:4)
2. And yet, in a manner that is totally beyond human comprehension, the one ADONAI has manifest Himself to mankind in three divine “Persons:” Abba [the Father], Yeshua [literally “Salvation,” the Son] and Ruach HaKodesh [the Holy Spirit, literally “Breath”]. Yet all three “Persons” have but one Name. (“… the Name [singular] of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit …” Matt 28:19)
3. The Bible, consisting of the TaNaKh (the Hebrew Bible consisting of three sections: Torah (Books of Moses), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Kituvim (Writings)-- erroneously referred to as the “Old Testament”) and Apostolic Writings (erroneously referred to as the “New Covenant” or “New Testament”) make up a single unit which is the inspired, only infallible, authoritative Word of ADONAI. (“All Scripture is given by the Ruach [Breath or Spirit] of Elohim [God], and is to be used for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Tim 3:16)
4. Yeshua [“Jesus” is an incorrect transliteration of the Greek form of His name] of Natzaret [Nazareth] is the Messiah of Israel, the Savior of the world. He is HaShem who came in the flesh (1Tim. 3:16). He was born of a virgin (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:23; Luke 1:26-27; Luke 1:34). He lived a sinless and Torah-observant life (Heb 4:15; 1Pet 2:21-23; 2Cor 5:21) and taught His followers to do likewise (Matt 5:19). He died an atoning death as the full and complete payment of our sin debt to God (1John 4:10, 1Pet 2:24), was resurrected from the dead (1Cor 15:3-5), ascended to the right hand of Abba, the Father (Mark 16:19), and now is glorified with all power in Heaven and in Earth (Matt 24:30; Eph 1:19-21; Phil 3:20-21; Heb 1:3; Rev 4:11). He will return physically (Acts 1:9-11) as King of kings and Lord of lords (1Tim 6:15; Rev 19:16) to rule and reign over the earth from the throne of His father David in Jerusalem. (Zech 14:9; Luke 1:32; Acts 2:30; Acts 15:13-16)
5. All have sinned (transgressed the holy Torah [revealed Law] of ADONAI; 1John 3:4) and stand condemned before Him, and need the salvation provided by the grace of HaShem through the atoning work of Yeshua as our final and ultimate Passover Lamb. (Psa 14:3; Rom 3:23)
6. All who experientially believe and trust that Yeshua is the promised Messiah, HaShem come in the flesh, Who died as our Passover Lamb (1Cor 5:7) and rose again, are forgiven their sins and come into a renewed covenant with HaShem through Yeshua, and therefore become inheritors of all the unconditional promises that HaShem made with Abraham and Israel. (Rom 10:9-11, Rom 4; Rom 9). This requires not a simple intellectual acquiescence to the historical facts, but a total and child-like faith and trust that Yeshua was exactly Who He claimed to be and that He will do exactly what He has promised to do. This kind of faith will produce the evidence of repentance (a turning from sin back to HaShem and His Torah) and an appropriate lifestyle of Mitzvot (righteous works). See James 2:14-26.
7. Ruach HaKodesh [the Holy Spirit] permanently dwells within all true Believers to lead, guide, teach, comfort, and empower us to live a righteous life and to minister to the Body of Messiah [the Miqra, Ekklesia, or “Called-Out Ones”] as a royal priesthood of believers. (John 14:26; 1Cor. 14:26; Acts 2:1-9; 1Cor 12: 1-13, Rom. 12:3-21; Eph 1:13; 1Pet. 2:4-5)
8. The promise of a faithful trust in Yeshua is resurrection from the dead, eternal life, and ruling with Yeshua forever in the place where His Kingdom will rule. Yeshua will soon rule in Jerusalem, and finally in New Jerusalem in the New Creation forever. (John 5:28-29; Rev. 19-22, especially Rev 20:11-15)
9. The penalty awaiting those who reject Yeshua is eternal separation from HaShem into outer darkness and eternal punishment. (Matt. 25:31-46, Rev. 20)
10. The final Divine Plan for Israel is to bring the remnant of Judah, who are the faithful Jewish people, and the remnant of those who were formally Gentiles (pagans), but who have been recovered from the world by faith, back together and united into one holy nation of Israel under one Shepherd, namely Yeshua, the Messiah. This is a necessary part of the restoration of all things spoken by the prophets. (Ezek. 37, Hos 1-2, Rom. 9:26, Acts 3:16-26)
11. The Shabbat [Sabbath], the seventh day of the week, is the created holy day of HaShem (not of Israel), which He gave to all mankind (not just to Israel) and covenanted with His people as a sign forever. The seventh-day Sabbath was instituted thousands of years before the Torah was given at Sinai; when the Sabbath was given, there was no Israel. (Gen. 2:2-3; Exod 31:12-16, Isa. 58:13-14) The seventh-day Sabbath is the true Lord’s Day. (Matt. 12:8) Nowhere in the Apostolic Writings is either the Fourth Commandment (Exod. 20:8-11) (or any of the other nine) ever repealed or modified. They are only amplified and explained.
12. The entire Torah of HaShem, both the Tanakh and the Apostolic Writings, is the instruction of a loving and gracious Father to His children. It is the perfect and unchanging law that gives us liberty (Psalm 119:44-45; James 2:24-26). The commandments of HaShem will not disappear until heaven and earth disappear (Matt 5:17-20). HaShem’s people delight in His instruction (Psa 1:2). The Torah was not given for salvation. It is the loving instruction of how a redeemed people should live. Yeshua kept His Father’s commandments and lived in His love. We are instructed to walk as He walked; whoever says that he knows the Lord and does not observe the Torah is a liar (1John 2:3-6). We are to obey HaShem’s commandments and to hold to the testimony of Yeshua (Rev. 12:17). Those who are careful to walk in HaShem’s Torah will be called great in the Kingdom; those who do not walk in HaShem’s Torah will be called least in the Kingdom (Matt 5:19).
13. Jewish followers of Yeshua are called to maintain their Jewish Biblical heritage and remain a part of their people Israel and the universal body of believers. This is part of their identity and a witness to the faithfulness of God.
14. Non-Jewish Believers in Messiah are grafted into the Jewish olive tree (Rom 11) and both spiritually and legally adopted into the family of Avraham, Yitz’chak, and Ya'akov (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob). They are therefore equal heirs and partakers in the unconditional covenants that HaShem made to Israel. They are encouraged to understand and appreciate their roots in Judaism, and accordingly should walk in obedience to the Torah, and are encouraged to support the interests of world Jewry as adopted members of the family of Jacob (Israel).
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