Homosexuality Debate & The Torah

1 John 3:4 "everyone doing sin commits lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness."

Homosexuality is a sin because Torah says a man shall not lie with a man, nor a woman with a woman. But the same Torah also says "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." Which is not Sunday. Also no work is to be done or money to be spent during the time from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown. (Exodus 20:8-11 & Nehemiah 13:15-17)

Yeshua kept this custom, shouldn't His followers do the same. The disciples did after His death and resurrection. (Luke 23:56, Hebrews 4:9, Acts 17:2, Acts 13:42)

Law was translated from the Hebrew word Torah, which simply means "instructions"

We should all be keeping the whole word of God. Not just the ones we understand or that have been passed down by tradition. I pray we all can come together and not be hypocrites as believers. We should obey the whole word, speak truth and above all... Love!

The Law is more than what was written on stone by the finger of God. Those are just ones He seems to make a priority by writing and speaking Himself. I find it interesting homosexuality isn't on the 2 stone tablets but *the Sabbath is. An Christian's *regularly abolish that one weekly. Don't get me wrong homosexuality is an abomination in the eyes of God (Leviticus 20:13)

But, many say the Old Testament is done away with! How could homosexuality still be an abomination then? Do you see now the whole word of God still applies. Many Laws are unenforceable because there is not the right order as established by God to legally carry them out. Still, this doesn't mean we do away with the ones we can keep.

Example: There is a bridge in town. The speed limit on the bridge is 45 MPH. One day there is a severe storm, and the bridge is damaged. So at this point people are unable to drive on that bridge anymore. So the law of driving 45 MPH on the bridge is impossible, as is the penalty for breaking it because it’s unenforceable. But, this doesn't mean you can now speed all over town where the roads are still usable! What does Yehovah say! Can I say I know Him and not keep His Torah? 1 John 2:4 "The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." Some say; since we are under grace we can sin, Yeshua fulfilled the law for us, right? (Matthew 5:17) Romans 3:31 "Do we then make void the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. Many preachers will say "fulfill" means "do away with" but let's allow the word to define itself. The Greek word for fulfill here is "Pleroo" which is also used in Matthew 3:15 "But Yeshua answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill (Pleroo) all righteousness." Then he permitted Him." So now let's ask ourselves did Yeshua do away with all righteousness? Not at all! Do you now see my dear friends that the whole word of God (Yehovah) applies even today. Many people are pointing at homosexuals, and rightly so by Torah, but all the while they also are breaking that same Torah. Matthew 7:5 "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Many will quote the Old Testament when it suits their argument, but not follow the teachings within the Torah in their own traditions.

In the 1st century there was no New Testament so when Paul says 2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is inspired by Elohim and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness." He was speaking of the Torah! (Old Testament) But, in this generation we do away with the foundation of faith which the patriarchs lived by and God viewed as righteous. Has God changed? Malachi 3:6 ""For I, YHVH, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed." My brothers and sister in the body we must follow the Torah (Which was translated to the word law) because this is how you show love for God! 1 John 5:3 "For this is the love of Elohim,* that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome." Many will say, "We are not under the law" and this is correct! Under the law of sin and death. After having accepted Messiah we pass from death to life so death is no longer our penalty. Paul speaks of many laws, not just the Law of God. (Law of God, law of sin, law of sin and death, law of the Spirit, law of Messiah) Many people will twist Paul's words to appear as if he is always speaking about the Law of God. This is why Peter warns of this in. 2 Peter 3:15-17 "And account that the long suffering of our Master is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable twist, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness."

Do you know what the Greek word for "Wicked" is in this verse? It is the word *"Athesmos"* and this word means *Lawless* (Strongs #G113)

Even though Paul himself says he believes in every word of the Torah. As he declares in…

Acts 24:14 “"But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets.”

Peter said there will be a people who read Paul's writings and make the error of the lawless because he is hard to understand and many who are not learned in the Scriptures will twist his words to say he meant, we no longer keep Torah anymore. When truthfully the law never saved anyone before, it has always been by faith. Hebrews 11:32-34 "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens."

Hebrews 11 chapter is all about faith and each person listed was from the Old Testament, which they kept the Torah. The Torah is simply instructions for holy living. They don't save you, only by faith in the Son of God are you saved. Meaning, you had no hope to save yourself. God by His grace saved you when you didn't deserve it! This doesn't mean you can now sin after receiving that grace. (Remember definition of sin is lawlessness 1 John 3:4) Romans 6:15 "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be!" Hebrews 10"26-31 "For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which will devour the adversaries. A man who disregards Moses' law dies without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will he be judged worthy of, who has trodden underfoot the Son of God, and has counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified an unholy thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?

As foretold to happen in Jude 1:4

Jude 1:4 "For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our Elohim into immorality and deny our only Master, Yeshua Messiah. We insult Yeshua by sinning after having been giving grace. Let's get back to Torah and leave the Western watered down Christianity behind which was poisoned by Constantine and the early church which compromised the truth out of fear and hate. Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the YHVH, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool."

Let's be like the Barean's, who searched the Scriptures to declare all Paul was claiming. Keep in mind the New Testament was not around when this statement was made. So the only Scriptures they could have been speaking of was the Torah. Deuterononmy 13 says "if any prophet or dreamer comes and preaches another word than the Torah, he is a false prophet" So Paul could not have been accepted by the Jewish Barean's if he was doing away with Torah, Yeshua either. Yeshua never came to start a new religion. He came to show us how to truly keep Torah. The problem was the Pharisees were adding man made laws on top of the Law of Elohim. Which is why Yeshua says.

Mark 7:9 "He was also saying to them, "You are experts at setting aside the commandment of Elohim in order to keep your tradition."

Yeshua never broke the Torah, He broke the traditions of the elders which were never were written by the hand of Moses or spoken by Yehovah. This is why the Pharisees wanted to kill Yeshua, not becuase He broke the Sabbath or any other commandment by Yehovah.

But, let's get back to the point of this blog. Many people are enraged about homosexual marriage being legal in all 50 states and they should be. Although remember, those who are upset at these people breaking Torah (Which is were the homosexual commandment is - Leviticus 18:22) are also breaking the same instructions willingly.

James 2:10 "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all."

Of course we will all fail, the point is are we studying and trying to keep all of the Torah. If we fall unwillingly, then the blood of Yeshua is applied being our Advocate. But, if we are not willing to obey the Torah then Hebrews 10:26 says there remains no more sacrifice for sin for us.

Almighty bless you all