I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Romans 1:16
Again listening to John Piper's sermons on Romans. God spoke the gospel into place before the beginning of time. His word is efficacious in power to cause that which is spoken. The gospel is the good news for all who believe. It is the plan for salvation for christians but it is, being spoken into being by God, the power by which our salvation takes place. It does not fail. It is the sufficient power to overcome sin, death and damnation. The word salvation here refers to the completion of our deliverance into glory with Almighty God. God will not fail in the power of the gospel in this deliverance. The gospel is also the power by which we initially come to faith, but in this verse Paul speaks of the fulfillment of our salvation. Through faith in God and in his gospel and in our Lord Jesus Christ's death and resurrection in the power of the Spirit, we are saved. This verse sets out the only prerequisite to the application of God's saving power into our lives, namely faith. Everyone who believes will be saved. There is no work to be done. No sin excludes a person from salvation with the exception of unbelief. Praise be to the One who has saved us by his power...a power that cannot and will not fail.
2 comments:
You write: ” Through faith in God and in his gospel and in our Lord Jesus Christ's death and resurrection in the power of the Spirit, we are saved.”
Le-havdil (to differentiate)
The big question is what is written in Torah.
The central tenet of Judaism is expressed in the Shema where Torah states that one is required to do his or her utmost to keep the mitzwot (commandments) in Torah (which includes Halakhah as defined by the beit din (Jewish Court; in an unbroken chain since Mosheh (Moses) in the legitimate Jewish community of Israel) and that only those who DO (not merely believe) this qualify for kipur [atonement] and resulting portion in olam ha-ba (the non-dimensional realm; “heaven”). The NT is a post-135 C.E. Roman-Hellenist displacement counterfeit--and faith in a counterfeit Christ cannot provide "salvation."
The mitzwot (commandments) in Torah are for example: To keep Shabat; to not eat pig, etcetera.
For words you don’t understand; see www.netzarim.co.il ; Glossaries
The Torah IS the expression--and THE expression taught by Ribi Yehoshua from Natzrat (hellenized to Nazareth) ( the first century pro-Torah Messiah)--of how to treat both the Almighty and one's neighbor with love.
Ribi Yehoshua taught:
"Don't think that I came to uproot the Torah or the Neviim [prophets], but rather I came to reconcile them with the Oral Law of emet (truth). Should the heavens and ha-aretz (the land, particularly referring to Israel) exchange places, still, not even one ' (yod) nor one ` (qeren) of the Oral Law of Mosheh shall so much as exchange places; until it shall become that it is all being fully ratified and performed non-selectively. For whoever deletes one Oral Law from the Torah, or shall teach others such, by those in the Realm of the heavens he shall be called "deleted." Both he who preserves and he who teaches them shall be called Ribi in the Realm of the heavens. For I tell you that unless your Tzedaqah (righteousness) is over and above that of the Sophrim and of the [probably 'Herodian'] Rabbinic-Perushim (corrupted to "Pharisees"), there is no way you will enter into the Realm of the heavens! “
The Netzarim Reconstruction of Hebrew Matityahu (NHM) 5:17-20
The research of world-recognized authorities in this area implies that Ribi Yehoshua from Natzrat was a Pharisee (a Torah-practising Jewish group - who according to 4Q MMT (Jewish document found among the Dead Sea Scrolls) practised both written and oral Torah). As the earliest church historians, most eminent modern university historians, our web site (www.netzarim.co.il) and our Khavruta (Distance Learning) texts confirm, the original teachings of Ribi Yehoshua were not only accepted by most of the Pharisaic Jewish community, he had hoards of Jewish students. In NHM we have removed all things Ribi Yehoshua impossibly cannot have said.
Finding the historical Jew, who was a Pharisee Ribi and following him brings you into Torah, which gives you a rich and meaningful life here on earth and great rewards in life after death (“heaven”)!
From Anders Branderud
Geir Toshav, Netzarim (www.netzarim.co.il) in Ra’anana in Israel who are followers of Ribi Yehoshua – Messiah – in [meta-]Orthodox Judaism
Anders, thank you for commenting. It is obvious you have a passion for Judaism and the Tora and a zeal for God. I would agree with much of what you said although not all. The Jews are God's chosen people. Theirs' are the patriarchs and the writings of Moses and the prophets. The Law and The Prophets were written by men inspired by Almighty God with his direct revelation. All that is written within the Tora is true. The Law reveals the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man. Because no one can keep the law, God gave the sacrificial system for the atonement of the sins of the people. In spite of incredible effort, the law is unkeepable. Therefore, atonement must be made for man's sin in order for us to be in communion with God and to share in eternity with him. God gave to Moses instructions for these sacrifices. They were to be performed daily and repeated year after year. This was to show the people that the law cannot be kept because of our sinfulness and to point us to the need for a saviour--God himself. Jesus is the final atonement sacrifice for the sins of those who believe and trust in him. The last sacrifice--once and for all united in him. His coming was foretold in many places in the Law and Prophets. We are to believe and receive salvation from him. He is the fulfillment of the plan God set forth in Genesis chapter 1. The sins of all who believe were payed for on the cross and the resurrection of Christ in power demonstrates God's victory over spiritual death for us.
Shalom.
Scott
See here for more info
http://www.jewsforjesus.org/
OT scriptures on Christ to consider
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalm 22
Jeremiah 23:5-6
And many more, see website above if interested.
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