MECHANICS OF THE FAITH - II

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FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP

THE MECHANICS OF THE FAITH - II

Luke 24:26  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Messiah to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

The word “believer(s)” is found only twice in the New Testament (KJV); while the word “disciple(s)” is found 270 times.  Why is this?  It is because the followers of Messiah are actually supposed to “follow” him; they do not just concur with him theologically.  They do what he tells them to do.  They learn of him in order to emulate him.

The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us that “without faith, it is impossible to please him (Elohim).” (Hebrews11:6) What is the difference between faith and belief?  This may be illustrated by the following:  There are two men in a room with a chair.  The first man says, “I believe that chair will support me.”  The second man sits down in the chair.  The first man believed, but it did not profit him. He is still standing.  His belief brought him no rest, no change in his circumstances. The second man’s belief was accompanied with corresponding actions.  His faith in the chair’s ability to support him brought him rest. James says it this way: 

James 2:14  What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
15  If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
19  Thou believest that there is one Elohim; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

It is the nature of the message preached that determines whether you will produce believers or disciples.  If the message preached is from the epistles, you will produce believers; because the objective of that message is to get people to agree with your doctrine, to “believe” in what you are telling them.  No such objective, however, can be found in the book of Acts.  In the book of Acts, the gospel message was not an invitation to accept a free gift if only you would believe.  It was not even a message of salvation.  That was a by-product of the gospel, not the focus of it. The gospel in the book of Acts is a command; and the only valid response to it required submitting to the authority of the King, to do what was commanded of you; and the first thing commanded is to repent.

Consider the differences in these two messages.  The epistle-based gospel (which is not the gospel) reduces the one preaching it to being a salesman trying to convince the listener that it would be in their best interest and the betterment of their life if they believed and embraced the message and prayed the “magic prayer” so everything they were to believe became their own personal treasure (a message all about “me”). If the listener does not accept it the first time, the preacher repeatedly keeps trying to cajole them into belief time and time again.  The preacher must make the sale.

Not so with the true gospel.  There is no salesmanship, no appeal to the lost to accept a free gift of salvation purchased at so great a cost as the blood of Messiah.  The listeners were given an opportunity to recognize that their lives were being lived in rebellion against the True King; and a chance to demonstrate a change of heart by submitting to the authority of the Master.  (“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”) If they did not submit, there was no repeated appeal to try to convince them to cease being the enemy of Elohim.  However, if they did respond, they became disciples…followers of the Master.  Once a disciple, they became qualified to partake of “the children’s bread”---the truths and promises and treasures of wisdom found in the epistles.

In our opening verses, we see that it was Messiah’s own command that repentance should be the number one focus of the testimony of his followers.  We see that demonstrated repeatedly in the book of Acts.

Acts 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yahushua Messiah for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of IAUE.

Acts 5:31  Him hath Elohim exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 8:22  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray Elohim, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

Acts 11:18  When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified Elohim, saying, Then hath Elohim also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Acts 17:30  And the times of this ignorance IAUE winked at; but now commands all men everywhere to repent:

Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward Elohim, and faith toward our Master Yahushua Messiah.

Acts 26:20  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to Elohim, and do works meet for repentance.

Why is this so important?  Aside from the fact it is the commandment of the King; it qualifies and quantifies the disciple.  One cannot become a meaningful, reliable and responsible part of the assembly of Messiah whose will has not been broken and rendered forfeit; who has not recognized and embraced the necessity to live exclusively for HIS will; who has not taken upon himself the yoke of the Master.  One who has heard the true gospel and has repented, is one who knows he has been bought with a price and is no longer his own.  He belongs to another; and HIS will is all that matters for the rest of eternity.  He is a man under authority.

A “believer” retains the right to his personal preferences and the right to do as he pleases.  For the one who responds to the epistle-based message, the yoke is both undesirable and unnecessary. The gift is free, after all.  There are no strings attached. The doctrinal illusion of eternal security has forever granted him the choice to be obedient or disobedient as there are no perceived eternal consequences to either.  This person is the enemy of Elohim no matter how much correct doctrine he believes.

The Navy Seals or the Army Rangers have a preliminary training period for those who would become Seals or Rangers.  The vast majority of the people who begin are “washed out” or simply quit; because the type of person that is required to become a Seal or Ranger is not dependent upon the desire to be one; or believing that you could be one.  You have to pass the initiation test; and that, among other things, requires that your life ceases to be about you, but rather, about the team.  Your unwanted pain and tiredness, your distaste for discomfort or lack of sleep, your desire for ease and your personal preferences will sabotage and destroy any chance you might have in becoming a Seal or Ranger.  You must lose yourself to become something else.  In essence, this is an illustration of the gospel.  Where there is no repentance, there can be no discipleship.

In our May 29^th post (The First Lesson in Discipleship-II) we stated:  “Genuine discipleship begins when a person chooses Yahushua Messiah to be his Master and voluntarily submits to take upon himself His yoke, knowing that once inside the yoke, 1) he is no longer his own person, 2) he belongs to the Master, 3) his life is resolved to serve only the Master’s will, because 4) there is no freedom inside the yoke to pursue his own will.  Another term for this transaction is “repentance,” the first legitimate response to the gospel.  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The epistle-based message focuses on getting people “born again,” believing that once born again, the person’s “salvation” is secured for eternity.  The Master, in John 3, discusses being born again with Nicodemus in a secret meeting at night.  He is the only person in all of Scripture with whom the topic was ever discussed.  Nowhere else is it discussed in Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.  It is mentioned in passing by Peter in 1 Peter 1:23.  It is alluded to by John in 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18.  Even the apostle Paul whose epistles comprise most of the New Testament never mentions the new birth or being born again.  He does speak of being a “new creature” in Messiah in just one verse (2 Corinthians 5:17).  So, the subject that is the primary focus and objective of the epistle-based gospel is never found in the book of Acts where the gospel was proclaimed in “Jerusalem and Judea and the uttermost parts of the earth,” and is only mentioned in 8 random verses in the rest of the New Testament. 

Is the new birth important?  Of course it is; but it is not the objective.  It is not the purpose of the gospel.  Being born again, having a new spirit created within us, is the way Elohim, our Father equips us to enjoy fellowship with Him, and enables us to be obedient disciples of His Son, our Master, Yahushua Messiah.  Like so many other things, it is a by-product of responding to the gospel. 

This is one of the “paradigm shifts” that many will need to experience to be able to move on into genuine discipleship.  For all of Christendom, the new birth is the be-all and end-all of the gospel.  Unfortunately, that simply is not the case.  Step one is REPENTANCE.  Become owned by another, and lay down your will to take up the will of the Master.  Come under the authority of the King, for his kingdom is at hand.  Remember the words of the Master:

Matthew 6:33  But seek ye first the kingdom of Elohim, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

If we are properly aligned with the Master, if we assume our submissive role under his authority, everything else takes care of itself.