Program 85: Paul & Galatians:Just what was he talking about?

Galatians is a powerful affirmation that, while the divine law is still binding, salvation is a free gift of grace.

Welcome to WLC Radio, a subsidiary of World’s Last Chance Ministries, an online ministry dedicated to learning how to live in constant readiness for the Savior's return.

For two thousand years, believers of every generation have longed to be the last generation. Contrary to popular belief, though, Christ did not give believers “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, he repeatedly warned that his coming would take even the faithful by surprise. Yahushua urgently warned believers to be ready because, he said, “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” [Matthew 24:44]

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

Part 1: (Miles & Dave)

Miles Robey: Greetings and Welcome to WLC Radio. I’m your host, Miles Robey. Joining me is Dave Wright!

Dave Wright: Hello! Thank you for joining us today.

Miles: Dave has some interesting insights to share with us today on the book of Galatians. The writings of Paul can be rather hard to understand.

Dave: You know something’s hard to understand when even another apostle, Peter, makes a comment that Paul wrote many things difficult to understand.

Miles chuckles: Yeah, Peter himself said, and I quote: “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 wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” [2 Peter 3:15-16] And that’s another apostle talking! Whenever I wrestle with Paul’s writings, it always makes me feel just a bit better to know the other apostles had a hard time understanding him, too! Makes me feel like I’m in good company!

Dave laughs: You are! I think we’ve all struggled to understand some point or another in Paul’s writings.

Miles: Today, I’d like you to share with us what you know about the book of Galatians. There’s a lot of controversy within Christianity over just what Paul meant when he was referring to the weak, beggarly elements. This is where so many get the idea that the law is no longer binding, and I’m hoping you can shed some light on that for us.

Before we get into that, though, I just want to explain to anyone joining us for the first time on WLC, you won’t hear us refer to the heavenly Father by the generic titles of “god” or “lord.”

The Bible actually does give His personal name and it’s Yahuwah, or Yah. But most translations drop the name and substitute these titles instead.

It’s a real shame because Scripture tells us repeatedly to “call upon the name of Yahuwah” but most people don’t know what His name is, having always seen Him referred to only as “God” or “Lord.”

Dave: It’s a shame, too, because the meaning of His name is also lost. Yahuwah comes from the verb of being, hayah, or “to be.” That itself is a promise that the self-existent One will always BE whatever we need. It’s beautiful! It’s powerful.

Miles: The name of the son is also a promise. The Saviour’s name is Yahushua, which means “Yahuwah saves.” That’s beautiful! But you don’t know it when titles that can also refer to heathen gods are substituted for the divine names. In fact, we feel so strongly about this, that when reading Scripture or, occasionally, other Christian writers, we restore the use of the divine name and always use it, instead.

Okay, Dave: Galatians; Paul. What can you tell us? Shed some light on the subject for us, please!

Dave: I’ll do my best! The basic problem as I see it is one of simple miscommunication. Paul says one thing; most of us read into it what we think he means, when that’s not what is meant at all.

Miles: Is it really that simple, though?

Dave: Oh, there’s nothing “simple” about it! Especially when you factor in people reading into Paul’s statements not just what they think he means, but what they want him to mean.

Miles: True.

Dave: Things can get really complicated then. Let me give you an example I heard about some years ago. It’s always stuck with me because it struck me as funny if a bit unfortunate for one of the parties involved.

There was this car dealership in the United States. Wanting to move some inventory, they decided to reduce the price on a certain model of new car.

They had some guy in a gorilla costume energetically announcing that FOR JUST 9,999 BANANAS, YOU CAN TAKE ONE OF THESE BABIES HOME!!!

So, some bloke comes in, looks over the cars, takes one for a test drive, and confirms that yes, for just 9,999 bananas, he can buy a car.

Miles: Bananas, of course, meaning dollars.

Dave: Right. The thing is, though, that in the television commercial, the word “dollars” was never actually used. Just the word “bananas.” So this chap goes to his local grocery store and arranges to purchase 9,999 bananas. It takes I don’t know how many trucks to deliver the bananas to the dealership, but he somehow manages to do it, and asks for the title to the car he liked.

Miles: Being a bit obtuse, are we?

Dave: That, or taking advantage of a good deal when he sees one. Ten thousand bananas wouldn’t be cheap, but I’m thinking it would be a lot less than ten thousand dollars!

Anyway, he shows up at the car lot with his trucks containing 9,999 bananas and naturally, the car dealership refuses to give him a car. They obviously meant dollars, and they weren’t going to let one of their new cars go for several trucks’ loads of bananas.

Miles: Naturally! So what happened?

Dave: Well, they were at an impasse. The guy took the car dealership to court for breach of promise or something or other … and he actually won!

Miles: Seriously?

Dave: I’m serious! So, for several hundred dollars worth of bananas, he got himself a ten thousand dollar car, and all because of miscommunication.

Miles: Incredible.

Dave: The thing is, the miscommunication that occurs over Galatians is a lot more serious. Miscommunication in the religious realm, leads to erroneous beliefs and wrong practices. That’s what’s happening with the book of Galatians.

Sunday-keepers claim Galatians teaches the Sabbath was nailed to the cross. Saturday-keepers use the same texts to claim Yahuwah's feasts are no longer binding. And everyone claims that the "weak and beggarly elements" mentioned in Galatians 4, refers to Israelite law they say is no longer binding on Christians today.

However, once you have an understanding of the issues involved, you quickly realize that Paul is saying something entirely different.

Miles: How’s that?

Dave: Well, the first thing we have to remember is that Paul wrote primarily for a gentile audience. He wasn’t typically writing to Israelites. Instead, he was writing to people who had converted to Christianity from heathenism.

I see you’ve got your Bible there. Turn over to Galatians 2 and read verses 7 and 8, would you please?

Miles: All right … give me just a second. Okay, it says:

"The gospel for the uncircumcised [Gentiles] had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised [Israelites] was [committed] to Peter (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles)… "

Dave: Paul's message was very straightforward. It’s summarized best in Ephesians 2, verses 8 and 9 which says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of Yahuwah, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Miles: Nothing but the pure gospel. It always softens hearts and saves souls.

Dave: It was! Paul was having tremendous success among the gentiles and, of course, Satan wasn’t going to stand idly by while this happened. He worked hard to disrupt Paul’s very successful ministry among the gentiles, and the way he did this was by using the Pharisees.

Miles: How’d he do that?

Dave: The bane of the Church’s existence has always been unconverted souls claiming to be Christian, and it was in Paul’s day, as well. Satan inspired certain Israelites to convert to Christianity. The problem was, these weren’t true heart-conversions. These Israelites had been of the works-oriented Pharisee sect. Satan brought them in to corrupt Paul’s message of salvation by faith.

Miles: They wanted to get the Christians over into a salvation by works.

Dave: Precisely. Paul called them “Judaizers” because their message was in line with that of the Pharisees.

See, the Pharisees always added extra laws to Yahuwah's law. These were known as the "traditions of the elders." These excessive rules and regulations allowed them to break the spirit of the law, while still being able to claim they had kept the letter of the law.

Miles: Exactly what the fallen human heart wants: the ability to indulge in the pleasures of sin while patting yourself on the back that you’re saved.

Dave: Yep! Satan knows the weakness of the human heart, doesn’t he? It was this precise thing of adding to the law of Yah that Yahushua constantly battled in his ministry. In fact, Matthew 23 is one long exposé of the effects of the Pharisees’ teachings.

We won’t take the time to read all of it, but turn there and read verse four. Yahushua just said, Don’t do like the Pharisees do. Then he explained why.

Miles: “For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.”

Dave: I want to really clarify this point. Often, when a devout Christian points out that the divine law is immutable and still to be kept, other Christians come along and accuse him of legalism.

But there’s a big difference between obediently keeping the law of Yah, and the Judaizing, Pharisaical corruption of that same law.

Miles: How do you define the difference?

Dave: When we obey the law, we do nothing other than what we should be doing already: demonstrating our love and loyalty to our Maker by living our lives in agreement with His revealed will.

Miles: That’s a good point. How can we expect to honor Yah when we obstinately keep doing the very things He has said not to do?

It’s like, if my wife told me she loves me, oh, she just loves me so much! And then turns right around and deliberately does something she knows I don’t like, I would still love her, but it wouldn’t take me long before I started to wonder if she really meant it when she said she loved me. It’s natural to want to do what makes a loved one happy. Why should it be any different if that loved one is our Creator?

Dave: It shouldn’t, but too often it does. Obedience to Yahuwah is the natural response of the loving, grateful heart. It shows He has our allegiance.

Salvation by works is different. Like the rules and regulations of the Pharisees, salvation by works depends upon a multitude of added-on rules and regulations.

Miles: Can you give us a modern example? I know in Christ’s day, they couldn’t carry anything or that would be considered work. What’s a modern example?

Dave: Well, even today, orthodox Jews will hire a gentile kid to come into their houses and turn their lights on for them because to turn on a light switch would be work.

Miles: That’s ridiculous! The fourth commandment itself spells out that the Sabbath is to be kept even by the, quote: “stranger that is within thy gates.” Hiring someone to break the Sabbath for you doesn’t leave you guiltless. In fact, just the opposite. The greater light that you have, the greater your responsibility to live up to that light.

But those are orthodox Jews. Do you have an example among Christians?

Dave: Sure! Uh … Leviticus 23:32 spells out that Day of Atonement is to be observed from “even to even.” This clarification was necessary because, in Bible times, the day began at dawn.

An example of a works oriented obedience would be to decide that if Day of Atonement is from “even to even,” then every seventh-day Sabbath should be as well. And it can’t just be any time at “even,” it has to be a specific point in time: sunset.

And not only that, but to guard the edges of the Sabbath, you should be completely ready for Sabbath at least 30 minutes before the sun sets. Then, you know you are truly keeping the Sabbath.

Do you see how all these extra rules are man-made traditions?

Miles: Oh, yeah! And talk about a burden! No wonder Yahushua said they bind heavy burdens on men’s backs while they themselves won’t lift a finger.

We’ll carry on this train of thought just as soon as we take a short break. Be right back!

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* * *Part 2: (Miles & Dave)

Miles: Okay. Quick recap: true obedience is different from a works-oriented religion which adds on a lot of extra do’s and don’ts. These additions have the effect of breaking the spirit of the law even if they pretentiously keep the letter of the law.

Dave: Exactly. When the Pharisees asked Yahushua why his disciples broke the tradition of the elders, his response was: “Why do you also transgress the commandment of Yahuwah because of your tradition?” [Matthew 15:3]

This is exactly what Paul was addressing in his letter to the Galatians. Christian-Pharisees, the Judaizers, taught the Gentile converts that they must be circumcised in order to be saved.

Let’s take a moment to read about it. This was something Paul battled throughout his ministry. Acts 15 describes one such time. Once you have that, read verses one to six, would you please?

Miles:

"And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, 'Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.' Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas . . . should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about the question . . .

"And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the [believers] and the apostles and the elders . . . But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, 'It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.'

"So the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter."

Dave: The apostles wanted to do due diligence to this issue. Obviously, the divine law is just as unchanging as the character of the divine lawmaker. They wanted to prayerfully consider the matter and study it out.

The apostles concluded that the Judaizers were wrong. Circumcision was not to be required of the Gentile converts as necessary for salvation.

Miles: Why is that? Why on that point did they decide it wasn’t necessary? We know from Scripture that the early believers continued to observe the feasts, so why would circumcision be different?

Dave: Circumcision was different because it was a part of the rites of blood sacrifice. Remember Hebrews 9:22 that says without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins? Well, Yahushua’s blood had been shed by this point. There was no more need for blood sacrifices that were symbols, types, pointing forward to the great anti-type: the Messiah. That was finished. Over!

The feasts are commemorations. They’re anniversaries of special events in salvation history. The spring feasts have been fulfilled, but believers today still look forward to the fulfillment of the events foreshadowed by the fall feasts. These have not yet been fulfilled, but they will be by the events of Yahushua’s return.

Even in eternity, we’ll still be commemorating these events and celebrating the incredible demonstration of divine love they reveal.

Miles: Yeah, isn’t it in Zechariah that says: “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, Yahuwah of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” [Zechariah 14:16]

Dave: Yes, Zechariah 14, I think. So you can see feasts and sacrifices are different. Yahushua was the Lamb of Yah that taketh away the sins of the world. As such, He was the great anti-type to which all the sacrifices had been pointing. This is why any form of blood sacrifice is no longer necessary, and circumcision was a type of blood sacrifice.

Miles: Well, continuing on in the rites of blood sacrifice is more than just unnecessary. It actually does despite to Yahushua’s death on the cross. It says it wasn’t enough.

Dave: Exactly, and that’s what the apostles concluded. They made a decree regarding what was to be required of the gentile converts. Drop on down to verse 23 of Acts 15 and read to verse 29.

Miles:

The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles . . . Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, 'You must be circumcised and keep the law' – to whom we gave no such commandment – it seemed good to us . . . to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

Huh! You’d think that would forever settle the issue!

Dave: Well, it should have, but conflict with Judaizers remained an ongoing problem Paul was repeatedly called upon to address. This was the situation Paul was addressing when he wrote his letter to the Galatians. Judaizers had told the Galatians that salvation by faith was not enough. In order to be saved, they must also be circumcised.

But that’s not all. The rejection of salvation by faith opened the door to a flood of works-oriented deeds.

I have a quote here I’d like you to read. It’s from an article entitled “Studies in Galatians” by A. T. Jones. Just read the bracketed portion.

Miles:

But when the Galatians were turned from faith to works, they did not stop with the works which the Pharisees recommended and urged. Having at first been heathen, and having now been driven back from faith to works, they took up their own heathen works, as well as the works which the Pharisees recommended. Having been turned from the Spirit to the flesh, it was only to be expected that they would do this: seeing that the ways of the heathen were more satisfying to their flesh than the ways of the Pharisees could be, because these were the things to which their flesh had formerly been accustomed.

Dave: You can see how this would be a problem.

Miles: Oh, yeah! It’s a complete denial of salvation by faith! Of righteousness by faith!

Dave: When Paul received the news, he was, as you can imagine, just heartsick. He knew, as he wrote in Romans 3:20, that "by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

If your motivation is working your way to holiness, you’ll never make it. He immediately wrote the Galatians. Now, obviously, we don’t have time to read his full letter here, but I’ve printed off some highlights from chapters 2 and 3 I’d like you to read. Go ahead.

Miles:

"A man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Yahushua … for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth…?

"This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?" [Galatians 2:16, 3:1-3]

Dave: Paul was trying to reestablish their faith in the merits of the Saviour's blood as the all-sufficient sacrifice. No deeds performed by man can save anyone!

Miles: I think most, if not all, Christians would agree on this point. The problem area is chapter … let me look … uh, it’s chapter four. This is where a lot of Christians become confused over just what Paul is telling the Galatians.

Dave: All right. Let’s take a look. Uhm … read verses 8 to 11. I think this is the part that causes the greatest misunderstanding.

Miles:

When you did not know Yahuwah, you served those which by nature are not gods.

But now after you have known Yahuwah, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?

You observe days and months and seasons and years. I am afraid for you, lest I have labored for you in vain. [Galatians 4:8-11]

Dave: This is the crux of the whole problem. Right here. Because the message to the Galatians was for the express purpose of refuting the Judaizers, many have assumed that the "weak and beggarly elements" Paul refers to must be the law of Yahuwah, with the statutes and judgments.

Miles: Well, yeah. This is where we get the idea that the law was done away with at the cross.

This statement, "You observe days and months and seasons and years" — a lot of Christians believe this is proof that the Sabbath and the annual feasts were nailed to the cross and are no longer binding.

Dave: And this is where the miscommunication takes place. This is where we must be careful that we don’t read into Paul’s writings what we want them to say, and instead read only what it actually says.

We have to remember that the Galatians were Gentiles. The Galatians could not turn back again to something they had never believed in the first place before becoming Christians!

I can see by the expression on your face, the wheels are spinning.

Miles: The wheel is spinning but the hamster’s dead?

Dave: I didn’t say that.

This might help. It’s a quote from a really excellent book entitled Glad Tidings by E. J. Waggoner. Why don’t you read that for us?

Miles: All right. It says:

Anybody who reads the Epistle to the Galatians, and thinks as he reads, must know that the Galatians were not Jews. They had been converted from heathenism. Therefore, previous to their conversion they had never had anything to do with any religious custom that was practiced by the Jews. They had nothing whatever in common with the Jews.

Consequently, when they turned again to the 'weak and beggarly elements' to which they were willing again to be in bondage, it is evident that they were not going back to any Jewish practice. They were going back to their old heathen customs.

Dave: Paul loved the divine law! In Romans 7, he was emphatic. He declared: "The law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good." [Romans 7:12]

Miles: That’s true. He never would have disparagingly referred to Yahuwah's law as "weak and beggarly," would he?

Dave: Never! There’s another quote from that article by A. T. Jones. Could you read where its starred?

Miles: "The apostle had just stated that before they knew [Yah], they were in bondage unto them which by nature are no gods, and now, having been turned from [Yahuwah], they turned AGAIN to those things, and AGAIN to that bondage. And…these elements whereunto they were formerly in bondage, and to which they were now AGAIN in bondage, were 'the elements of the world'…"

Unquote. That’s interesting. It really makes sense. You can’t return to where you never were to begin with.

Okay, but what about the lunar Sabbath?

Dave: That’s a good question. Some have claimed that the Lunar Sabbath is wrong by pointing to Paul getting after the Galatians for observing "days and months and seasons and years." But Paul’s not saying that. In Yahuwah's calendar, there are holy days, festal weeks and even sabbatical years. But there are no holy months or seasons.

Miles: That’s true. I never really thought about that before.

Dave: Here again, Paul’s referring to heathen practices. This confirms that the "weak and beggarly elements" to which the Galatians had returned, were heathen rites. Among the heathen practices to which the Galatians were returning was the observance of certain celebrations.

Miles: Didn’t Yahuwah warn the Israelites against these observances when they first entered Canaan?

Dave: He did!

Miles: Let me read that really quickly. It’s in Deuteronomy 18, I think. Yes. Here we go. Deuteronomy 18:9-12:

"When thou art come into the land which Yahuwah your Elohim giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you . . . an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard . . . For all that do these things are an abomination unto Yahuwah: and because of these abominations Yahuwah thy Elohim doth drive them out from before thee."

Dave: And remember, the Israelites at that time were keeping the Sabbath and all the feasts, so Yah commanding them to not observe the times is a reference to heathen festivals.

Far from being proof that the law was done away with at the cross, Galatians is a powerful affirmation that salvation is a free gift of grace to all, accepted by faith; not of works, lest anyone should boast.

In closing, would you please read Galatians 6, verses 15 and 16?

Miles: “For in Yahushua neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them.” [Galatians 6:15-16]

That’s pretty clear!

Don’t go away folks. Up next is our Daily Mailbag. Stay tuned.

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You are listening to World's Last Chance Radio.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.

* * *Daily Mailbag (Miles & Dave)

Miles: We have an interesting question today from our Daily Mailbag. This one is coming to us from Mitch Candless of Seattle, Washington, in the United States. He says, quote: “Does how we believe make a difference in the end? Is there more than one kind of belief?” Unquote.

I have to admit, I never really thought of that before. Makes me wonder what he’s been studying to prompt such questions, but they’re good ones. Does it matter how we believe and is there more than one kind of belief?

Dave: My answer may surprise you, but the answer to both questions is yes. It most certainly does make a difference “how” we believe and there is more than one way to believe.

Miles: Okay, you’ve got my attention. What do you mean?

Dave: There is intellectual belief and there is emotional belief, and each type has both strengths and weaknesses. Each type also impacts our relationship with Yah.

An emotional belief is based on one’s feelings, rather than cold, hard facts.

Miles: Now, how can that be a good thing? It seems rather weak to me. For example, take a kid who’s afraid of the dark. He’s convinced there’s a monster hiding under his bed when, unless he remembered to sweep there, there’s probably nothing there but some dust bunnies.

Dave: Emotional beliefs do have their place, though. Before we get into that, though, let’s define what we mean by intellectual belief. An intellectual belief is when we accept in our minds a certain premise is true. Now, what’s interesting about an intellectual belief is that we may or may not act upon that belief.

Miles: For example?

Dave: Well … uh, take the Amish. They’re a very conservative sect in the United States. They don’t believe in using any modern conveniences. They use candles instead of electricity. They drive horse-drawn buggies, instead of cars.

Now, intellectually they believe a car can run. They believe it is capable of transporting them somewhere. But, at the same time, they do not act upon that belief. They’ll stroll right past a car and go climb in their horse buggy even though in their mind they’re totally convinced the car has the power to take them where they need to go.

Miles: Hm. Yeah, I can see how it would definitely make a difference whether we believed something emotionally or intellectually.

Dave: When viewed in the spiritual realm, you could say these represent two different kinds of faith, both of which play important roles in our spiritual lives, because the kind of faith we have means the difference between eternal life or eternal death.

Let’s look first at an emotional faith. Emotional faith is based on one’s feelings. It can even be based on an assumption or a fantasy. The danger, though, is that emotional faith can be misguided because it’s not based on facts.

Miles: Kind of reminds me of what Paul wrote to the Romans. In chapter 10, verse 2, he described the Jews very pointedly. Give me just a second to look this up … Here we go. He said: “For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for Yah, but not according to knowledge.”

Dave: Excellent example. Paul was saying that the Jews were very zealous in keeping up with all their religious practices and traditions, but it was a religion that wasn’t based on truth.

While you’ve got your Bible open to Romans 10, go ahead and read the next verse, verse 3.

Miles: “For they being ignorant of Yahuwah’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of Yah.”

Dave: The Jews, long before, had rejected Yah’s pure truths. They had formed a religion of their own based on nothing more than the traditions of their elders. So, when Yahushua came, it was an easy thing for them to ignore the truth that he was indeed the long-awaited Saviour of the world.

In essence, Paul is saying that the Jews’ religion is a self-centered religion because the believers try to work their way to salvation by obeying all their multitudinous rules and minutiae. But, it’s just not possible to work your way to salvation or forgiveness. Read the next verse now.

Miles: Okay. Romans 10, verse 4 says: “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

Dave: We can’t do enough work to compensate for our sins. It’s impossible. That’s why we need a Saviour. Yahushua paid for our sins and the only quote/unquote “work” we are to do is simply to trust in him.

The Saviour spelled that out clearly in John 6:29. Go ahead and read that for us next.

Miles: “Yahushua answered them, “This is the work of Yah, that you believe in him whom He sent.”

Dave: The Jews were all preoccupied with the busy-work of doing the things they thought would earn them salvation. In Matthew 23, Yahushua said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!”

They were busy with the work of perfection, but they were wrong. This is an example of emotional faith. It can be very strong, but it can also be very wrong, if it is based on an incorrect assumption or false belief.

Miles: So, then what’s an intellectual faith? Obviously, this would be one based more on facts. I’m not seeing what the weakness in this kind of faith would be.

Dave: The answer to that is found in Luke chapter 6, verses 46 to 49. Why don’t you turn there and read that for us? Here, Yahushua was talking about this very thing: the danger of knowing the right things, but not doing them.

Miles:

But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

Dave: If we truly want to serve Yahuwah, we will do what He wants us to do, not just what makes us feel good about ourselves.

In Yahushua’s parable, the people calling him “Lord, Lord” knew what they should do. They weren’t ignorant! They just didn’t want to do it.

Here, Yahushua is drawing a contrast between someone who acts upon the knowledge he has, and someone who doesn’t act upon it. Both of them have the same knowledge, but one is committed to living by what he knows, and the other isn’t.

Miles: I think Yahushua’s summation of the man who refuses to live by what he knows is very telling. He says, quote: “And the ruin of that house was great.” That’s serious! It’s a warning.

Dave: It is.

Miles: So, you’ve shown us the problems of the two types of faith. What sort of faith, than, are we to have?

Dave: Well, there’s not some other type of faith. The weakness is found in the extremes: all of one, and none of the other. True Biblical faith includes both emotional and intellectual faith.

First, your foundation must be an intellectual faith. Most of us respond emotionally. And that’s fine! That’s how Yahuwah draws our hearts. But an emotional faith has no strong foundation.

All it takes to be shaken is for some eloquent speaker to come along, some person who sounds good, and our emotions can be beguiled to another point of view. Intellectual faith is the foundation on which to build.

Miles: The good thing, I’ve noticed, is that truth is logical.

Dave: It is. And you’ll notice, too, that if a person resorts to nothing but emotional arguments, they invariably have error on their side.

Miles: So, where does an emotional belief, or faith, come in?

Dave: An emotional faith comes in because salvation requires more than just a mental assent to the truth. It also requires commitment.

Do you still have your Bible open to Romans?

Miles: No, but I can turn there in just a moment. Which chapter?

Dave: Chapter 10, and read verses 9 and 10.

Miles: All right … it says: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Yahushua and believe in your heart that Yahuwah has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

Dave: What Paul is saying here is that we must have a true heart commitment to Yah, we must truly believe with all our heart in the merits of Yahushua in order to be saved.

Miles: I used to wonder what it meant to say that “with the heart one believes.” Obviously, the organ that pumps blood all around our bodies can’t “believe” anything, but what I figured out is that it means we believe so completely, we can feel it in our hearts.

Sort of like when a loved one passes away. We say we feel the pain of loss in our heart. That’s sort of how it is with truth. We feel the intensity of truth in our bodies. The “still, small voice” vibrates the truth home to our subconscious and it becomes a part of us.

Dave: “Saving faith” requires a blend of both emotional faith and intellectual faith. Emotional faith without knowledge of the truth is why some people can be sincere, but sincerely wrong. They can be very devout over error.

At the same time, intellectual faith, without a full heart-commitment, isn’t faith at all.

Miles: It’s just mental assent; an acknowledgement of the facts.

Dave: Precisely. Turn over to the first chapter of Isaiah for us and read verse 18, would you please?

Miles: Okay … uh,

“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says Yahuwah,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.” [Isaiah 1:18]

Dave: Here is the logic of truth. Yahuwah knows a firm foundation for faith is founded upon logic and facts. He knows how every brain is hard-wired, and He is willing to present whatever evidence is necessary to convict each individual mind.

All right, now turn to Psalm 34. Here in this passage we have the emotional side presented. Read verses 8 and 9 when you get there.

Miles:

Oh, taste and see that Yahuwah is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear Yahuwah, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.

Dave: When a believer’s faith rests upon evidence and facts, it is very strong. When those facts are combined with the emotions of personal experience, then you’ve got saving faith: the faith of martyrs to stand faithful to Yah, though the Heavens fall. The faith of Job to say, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” This is the faith that saves; the faith each one of us needs, and the faith we can develop when we: #1 study for ourselves; and, #2, make a whole hearted commitment to knowing Yahuwah for ourselves, in our own personal experience.

Miles: That makes a lot of sense. I know I want that for myself.

Okay! That’s all we’ve time for today but keep sending us your questions and comments. We read every single one. To send us a question, simply go to our website at WorldsLastChance.com and click on Contact Us. We enjoy hearing from our listeners.

* * *Daily Promise

This is Elise O’Brien with your daily promise from Yah’s Word.

The late Anne Landers was an advice columnist for many years. She told the story of a man who, throughout his life, every single time he got paid, he would take $20 out of his paycheck and put it in savings. Finally, after accumulating a lot of money, he got sick. There was nothing the doctors could do. The sickness was too advanced, so the man began to get his affairs in order.

He told his wife, “I want you to promise me one thing.”

“What’s that?” she asked?

“I want you to promise me that when I’m gone, you will take all the money I’ve saved and put it in my casket. I want to take it all with me.”

The wife solemnly promised that she would bury his money with him. When he passed, that’s just what she did. She transferred the money to her checking account, wrote out a check, and placed that in the casket with him! Rather clever, huh?

Most of us know that you can’t take anything with you when it’s your time to go. I remember, as a teenager, seeing t-shirts that said: “He who dies with the most toys wins!” The phrase even appeared on ads for sports cars and other luxury items.

A few years later, some enterprising soul with a dark sense of humor came out with his own line of t-shirts that said: “He who dies with the most toys … still dies!”

And it’s true. You can’t take any toys—no money, no sports cars, no jewelry or fancy clothes—you can’t take any of it with you when you die. The only thing you take with you is the character you’ve developed during your life on earth.

Are you kind? Or impatient?

Are you generous? Or selfish?

Do you quickly forgive others? Or do you carry a grudge?

The only thing of lasting value is the characters we develop during our time on earth. I heard this joke once where this man made a deal with Yah. He bargained with Yah that, when he died, he could have all his wealth transferred into gold and could take it with him to heaven.

So, according to the joke, the man shows up at the pearly gates loaded down with all the gold he could carry. As he stands there, clutching his accumulated life’s savings in gold, St. Peter calls over his shoulder, saying: “We’ve got another one who asked to bring in asphalt!”

The world’s wealth is nothing to the Creator of all! Revelation reveals that the streets of the New Jerusalem are paved in gold! There is nothing of worldly value that will have any worth the earth made new. The only thing that has lasting value is the characters we develop here: Have we allowed Yahuwah to write His law on our hearts? Are we trusting in Him to transform us into His glorious image?

Paul, in speaking of our future life in new earth, tells us in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 12: “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”

We’ve been given great and precious promises. Go, and start claiming!

* * *Part 3: (Miles & Dave)

Dave: Romans 6:23 says: “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of Yah is eternal life through Yahushua Christ our Lord.”

Through sin, we have all forfeited the right to eternal life, but the blood of Yahushua covers the sins of all who accept it by faith.

However, that said, eternal life is still based, as it has always been, on whether or not it is in the heart to obey or rebel.

Miles: Obey and live; disobey and die.

Dave: Of course, the believer can’t obey in his own strength any more than the unbeliever can. However, through faith in the merits of Yahushua, Yah will write His law on our hearts. The humble believer is divinely enabled to obey. Yes, mistakes may be made. But the point is: it is in the heart to obey, and Yahuwah accepts that as the soul’s best effort.

Miles: No one is going to be saved while living in known rebellion to the divine law. If Adam and Eve were lost because they sinned from being deceived, you’re not going to be taken to Heaven while knowingly disobeying!

Dave: No. Obedience is important. Purity comes from full surrender to Yah’s will. This lets Him write His law on the heart. This is what gets the soul ready for eternal life.

Satan knows this. He’s the mastermind behind this heresy that the divine law was nailed to the cross. If he can get people thinking that since Yahushua died for our sins, they can disregard the divine law, then they’ll never reach that realization that it is impossible to keep the law in their own strength. They’ll never make that full surrender, and so they’ll be caught unprepared.

Miles: You said something I wanted to comment on. You said that Satan’s goal is to get people thinking they can disregard the divine law because Yahushua has died. That always struck me as so inconsistent. Just think about it! If the divine law could be changed or done away with, Yahushua would not have needed to die! Yah could have just changed the wages of sin to being some other punishment.

It’s precisely because the divine law is unchangeable that Yahushua had to die!

Dave: And it’s as binding today as it was when he laid down his life for sinners.

Miles: It’s true. Listen, folks, don’t get caught in Satan’s trap. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that the weak, beggarly elements to which the Galatians returned is referring to the divine law! You can’t “return” to something you were never at to begin with!

We still have time to get our hearts right with Yah, but it requires a full surrender. Don’t put it off. We don’t have any time to waste! The Saviour is waiting to receive the humblest believer who turns to him and, by faith, lays hold of the promises.

Join us again tomorrow, and until then, remember: Yahuwah loves you . . . and He is safe to trust!

* * *

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This program and past episodes of WLC Radio are available for downloading on our website. They're great for sharing with friends and for use in Bible studies! They're also an excellent resource for those worshipping Yahuwah alone at home. To listen to previously aired programs, visit our website at WorldsLastChance.com. Click on the WLC Radio icon displayed on our homepage.

In his teachings and parables, the Savior gave no “signs of the times” to watch for. Instead, the thrust of his message was constant … vigilance. Join us again tomorrow for another truth-filled message as we explore various topics focused on the Savior's return and how to live in constant readiness to welcome him warmly when he comes.

WLC Radio: Teaching minds and preparing hearts for Christ's sudden return.