Torah Is Out to Get You!

Have you ever known someone, a friend, family member or coworker, who is  pretty nice guy but fully committed to the world's dreams? They work hard, but tend to take credit for what goes right yet are pretty quick to case a cloud upon someone else when the project hits a snag. They are not nasty, however, their language is sprinkled with a bit of profanity. They long for the corner office while their cubical is decorated with a poster of their dream yacht and a swimsuit calendar. They pass along the office or neighborhood gossip. They once confided in you that they dreaded the upcoming parent visit, as their dad is dumber than a fence post and their mom has been known to act like a female dog. They have no real use for God. They are not angry with Him, they just don't get why you waste your time with that religious stuff. Besides, that old morality would get in the way of the weekend trysts with his various lady friends. Then things suddenly change. A loved one gets ill or they lose their job. Perhaps, the opposite happens. The promotion comes with the corner office and a company car attached. There is now enough for the down payment on that yacht. Yet, be it pain or great achievement life is not fulfilled. There is a gnawing emptiness that is never satisfied. Through the process of many conversations they accept your invitation to visit your church, just this one time, just so you will stop asking.

The visit goes well. Another visit follows. And another. Then one Monday morning they tell you it all makes sense. They have accepted Christ. Confessed their need for the Savior and have given God control. There is no sudden miraculous transformation, however, the changes are evident. Being with believers is now important as is his Bible reading. He shares credit and encourages those he works with. He accepts responsibility and even covers for others mistakes. The calendar comes down and the picture of his Compassion International child takes its place. He tells you he is selling the yacht so he can go to Haiti on a mission trip next year. He walks away from the gossip and over lunch he asks you to pray that the Lord would send him a Godly woman to share his life with. One weekend He lets you know that he will miss the bible study as he is taking his parents out to dinner, just to let them know how much they mean to him. How has all this come to pass? Why the change in behavior?

We could say they got "saved". Or that 2 Corinthians 5:17 is coming true, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." They have the Holy Spirit and because they love the Lord they want to please Him. John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments." But does this really explain the change? Could it be that they are now under a  New Covenant? Most evangelical believers would agree that one who has given their life to Messiah Jesus, is under the promised New Covenant. For this clearly explains the change. Simply put, touched by the grace of God, this new believer is becoming Torah observant. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is bringing them into compliance with the Law of Moses. Isn't that amazing?

Am I correct that you are just a bit confused? Obedience to Torah and the Law? No, this one has been saved by grace alone. The Law has nothing to do with this. Well, take a breath. Where do we first learn of the New Covenant God will make with His people? We find this good news in Jeremiah 31:31-33, "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." With the coming of Messiah Jesus, by the power of God's Spirit, a New Covenant has been established. No longer are God's people struggling to be obedient by their own resources, God will implant His Law, His Torah, in our minds and write it on our hearts.

So the new believer you know has replace his gods with the One true God. He no longer takes God's name in vain and has cast away the idols from his life. He longs to be with other believers and has come to honor his father and mother. He does not steal credit or murder another's reputation for personal gain. He does not covet but desires to give to others generously. He actually wants to be with one Godly woman for life. Hmmm. Check the list. It seems he has unwittingly begun to follow all ten of those pesky commandments Moses brought down from the mountain. According to Romans 12:2, he is no longer being conformed, or pressed into the world's mold, but a transformation is happening as God renews his mind, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

Now you may disagree. You may just want to see the marvel of God's grace here. That "Law" thing is supposed to be done away with. Just grace in your life. That is fine with me. I am not here to argue with you. I just wanted to point out where that New Covenant you enjoy being under came from. But  you might want to do a little personal inventory. I would not be surprised if you were in the same position as that new believer, obeying Torah without even realizing it. You still may object. Fine, however, as believers we cannot deny the Word and promise of God. Like it or not you are under the New Covenant. Admit it or not God is putting the Law of Moses in your mind and writing Torah on your heart. As a follower of Messiah Jesus there is no place to hide. Torah is out to get you.