You Shall Know the Truth

http://www.jcstudies.com/articleDetail.cfm?articleId=10

I just finished reading the article above and found it to be a great introduction to Hebraic discipline. For those that are curious about our Hebraic roots as Messianic believers (believers in Yahshua/Jesus the Messiah) this is a good article to sort of spark an even deeper curiosity.

We in the western world have a Greek mindset. The Hebrew mindset is completely different. Everything focuses around God while in Hellenistic ways, everything sort of centers around self.

The author states "In Jesus’ world, the pursuit of truth was not the highest good so much as the doing of it." I loved this line and it made me think of Revelation 19:7-8

Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.

And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

and 22:12-14

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

We will be rewarded for our good works and our righteous deeds, but, like everything, God is concerned with the heart. Are you doing those deeds because you want favor in his sight? Because you think it will save you? Are you doing good works because you feel you are legally bound to do them? Or are your righteous deeds and good works done out of the admiration and love you have for a God who would send His only son to die for you?

Belief is nothing. Your faith without works is dead. Our quest for the truth is nothing if when we find that truth we are not motivated to action. As a good friend recently said, and this is my paraphrase: I can say I drive a Chevy, I can really believe it. But if I drive a Ford, no matter how much I believe I drive a Chevy, I still drive a Ford.

Isn't that the truth? I can say I'm a believer, but where are my works that prove what I believe?

My beliefs are reinforced by my actions and my actions are reinforced by my beliefs. If you have either one without the other, you need to do a heart check.

I'm gonna go check mine out right now...feeling humbled by my own words.