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If you find the truth, will you believe it?

If any man desires to do God's will, he will have the needed illumination to recognize, and can tell for himself whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking from myself and on my own accord.  John 7:17 

The Marriage Supper

of the Lamb

“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he said unto me [John], Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of Elohim. And I fell at his feet to worship him, and he said unto me, See thou do it not:  I am thy fellowservant. and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Yahushua:  Worship

Elohim: for the testimony of Yahushua is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:7-10, emphasis added).

John was so excited about what he was being shown he wanted to worship the angel who had been showing him the vision but is told not to do so, for only Elohim is worthy of our worship.

In Matthew chapter twenty-two, Yahushua gave the following parable.  "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain King [Yahuwah Elohim Almighty, the Father], which made a marriage for His Son [Yahushua], and sent forth His servants [the prophets] to call them that were bidden [the Jewish nation] to the wedding: and they [the Jewish nation] would not come.  Again He sent forth other servants [the apostles and disciples], saying, Tell them which were bidden [the Jewish nation], Behold, I have prepared My dinner:  My oxen and My fatlings are killed [Yahushua], and all things are ready:  come unto the marriage.  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:  and the remnant [the Jewish nation] took His servants [the apostles and disciples], and entreated them spitefully, and slew them [beginning with Stephen].  But when the King [Yahuwah Elohim, the Father] heard thereof, He was wroth:  and He sent forth His armies [the Roman army], and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city [Jerusalem in AD 70].  Then He said to His servants [the apostles and disciples], The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy [the Jewish nation].  Go therefore into the highways, and as many as you shall find, bid to the marriage.  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good:  and the wedding was furnished with guests [we are the guests], and when the King came in to see the guests, He saw there a man which had not on the wedding garment [‘the fine linen of the righteousness of saints’ (Rev. 19:8)]:  And He saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?  And he was speechless.  Then said the King to His servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; and there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:2-14).

As portrayed in this parable, an examination is made prior to the marriage supper, and anyone found not having on the “wedding garment” is taken away, even in spite of being called "friend" by Elohim.  It does not matter how cozy a relationship you may think you have with Elohim, you must have on that “wedding garment."  The King called this man “friend!"  Yet he was bound “hand and foot” and cast into “outer darkness." 

Elohim is not partial nor does He play favorites. Elohim does not overlook our faults.  He provides the garment (the “wedding garment”), and He expects us to wear it.

Elohim is no respecter of man or woman, and the garment, which He has provided, He expects His children to wear.  This garment has been purchased with the most precious blood of His Own Son.  It is a very precious (priceless) garment for it is His very Own righteousness that He is willing to impart, through the gift of His Spirit, to the helpless human agent to enable humanity to be transformed back into His likeness and to become a part of His family throughout eternity. 

Nothing that man can do can improve upon its quality, nor can he purchase it.  Our only claim to it is our great need and our utter helplessness to change ourselves and fit ourselves for heaven and for eternity.  “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature?” (Matt. 6:27).  “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of Yahuwah, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of Yahuwah” (2 Cor. 3:18, emphasis added).

Any garment other than this one which Elohim has provided, is like the “fig-leaf garment” Adam and Eve covered themselves with when they sinned against Elohim.  In the garden, Elohim took from them the “fig-leaf garment” and clothed them with the skins of the lambs that He had slain.  “Unto Adam also and to his wife did Yahuwah Elohim make them coats of skins, and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21). 

Elohim slew those lambs with His hand in order to provide them with those garments.  This was the first time the Universe had seen death.  We see this analogy again played out in Genesis 22:8.  We read:  “And Abraham said, My son, Elohim will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering.”   And we know that Lamb was His only begotten Son, Yahushua.

It was Elohim Who had required a lamb as a burnt offering.  In the story of Cain and Abel, we find Abel’s offering, of “the firstlings of his flock," which symbolized Messiah Yahushua, was accepted by Elohim, but Cain’s offering of the “fruit of the ground” symbolized his own works he had produced by his own hand was not accepted.  See Genesis 4:4.

When Elohim set up the sacrificial service for the Hebrews, this illustration was repeated over and over again in order to teach, not only the Hebrew people, but all of humanity the truth that “Elohim would” eventually “provide Himself a Lamb” for the sins of humanity in order that the punishment which was rightly deserving by each individual would be laid upon His only begotten Son. 

Not only that but as with Adam and Eve, we must be clothed with the garment provided for us by Elohim, as was illustrated in the parable found in Matthew chapter twenty-two.  John the Baptist, when he saw Yahushua approach him, said:  “Behold the Lamb of Elohim which takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

It is one thing to have a garment provided for you, and quite another to actually put on that garment!  Humanity, on the whole, is very proud and self-righteous or self-made.  Yahushua told the religious people of His day “that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20). 

The Pharisees of Yahushua's day were very religious, but not righteous, and they made sure people knew it.  They talked it, wore it, and pretended to live it, but it was totally self-serving and self-promoting and did not honor or glorify Elohim. 

It is like the son who is told by his parents to do a certain thing, and the child does everything except what they had told him to do, and then he comes to them looking for commendation, but instead receives their condemnation! The parents want nothing more than to commend their child, not condemn!  So it is with Elohim! 

The righteousness [religiosity] of the Pharisees was all external and never reached the heart or mind where the problem of sin exists.  They were religious but not righteous.  Elohim never called us to be religious!

In the parable of Matthew chapter twenty-two, “both bad and good” were found.  Even the “good” had to wear the garment provided by the King for the guests at the marriage supper.  Even the “good” had to realize in their own righteousness they were not good enough to enter into the marriage feast, and they gladly wore the garment provided by the Host.

“But we are as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6).  The “good” in the parable may have more difficulty with this assessment than the “bad."  There is nothing wrong with being a good moral person, but that will in no wise entitle you to enter heaven or make you righteous. 

It is much like Cain's offering.  It is the product of your own labors and does not show that you realize your need of or have experienced having been "born again."  "Having a form of godliness [morality], but denying the power thereof: from such turn away" (2 Tim. 3:5).  You are only clad in "fig-leaf garments" when Yahuwah Elohim is willing and wanting to clad you in the garments of "the righteousness of saints."

When a Doctor of Medicine gives us his prognosis of our medical condition, we do not normally question him, but Elohim, in Isaiah 64:6, is giving us His prognosis of our condition, and He also has the remedy that will bring a complete reversal of the symptoms and most importantly take care of the cause.  Most Medical Doctors only treat symptoms; our Heavenly Physician treats the cause and the symptoms clear up as a result.  Sinning is the symptom.  Our inherited, fallen, human nature is the cause.  “You must be born again” (John 3:7).    

The Heavenly Physician gives us His prognosis and the prescription for our condition is found in the counsel and admonition given to the church at Laodicea found to Revelation 3:17, 18.  "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:   I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see (emphasis added).  

Elohim told the church at Laodicea one of their problems was they were naked and needed to “be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear."  They needed the “wedding garment” just as the man in the parable needed it.

Elohim does not tell us of our need and then leaves us to remedy the problem on our own.  Far too many in this world have never been told the “good news” that Yahushua not only came to die for our sins, in order to pay the penalty that our sins have incurred, but He came to save us from sinning itself, and to save us from the control of our fallen, human nature we have inherited from Adam.  See Genesis 5:3. 

He can fix the problem!  This is truly “good news” and is called the Gospel.  “And as many as received Him, to them He gave POWER [His Spirit] to become the sons of Elohim” (John 1:12, emphasis added).  "And thou shalt call His name Yahushua [Yah saves]:  for He [Yahuwah] shall save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21, emphasis added). He will not save His people IN their sins but FROM their sins.  Not just to be called a son or daughter of Elohim, but to be changed so our characters are like His character. 

Unfortunately, most have never been told how to plug into that power!  “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of Yahuwah, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of Yahuwah” (2 Cor. 3:18, emphasis added).

It is not the sinning that is the problem.  Sinning is the symptom of the true problem which is the inherited, fallen, human nature we are born with, and is why we “must be born again” (John 3:7). 

There are multitudes who claim they are Christians and are already “saved” because the Bible says “believe in the Master Yahushua Messiah and thou shalt be [future tense] saved” (Acts 16:31, emphasis added).  It says “thou shalt be saved."  It does not say you are already saved, does it?  Sometimes our ears hear what we want to hear and not what is written or what is said! 

Many believe they are already saved and go around telling everyone they are saved.  This unfortunately has given many a false sense of security, and many continue to live as they lived previously to accepting Yahushua as their Savior [not knowing what that meant] while believing a lie.  They base their entire salvation on a misunderstanding of what Acts 16:31 is saying.  The word translated as “believe," includes much more than an intellectual acknowledgment.  This is how it is translated in the Amplified Version.  “And they answered, Believe on the Master Yahushua Messiah (give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping) and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31, emphasis added). 

If you maintain a close, intimate relationship with Yahushua as He said was likened to the Vine and the branches (John 15:5), "you WILL BE saved." 

For now, we have an adversary we fight on a daily basis, and if we do not put on “the whole armor of Elohim” (Eph. 6:11-13), we will be defeated, for we battle “not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."  We are told in Revelation 12:9, “Satan, which deceives the whole world” is going about like "a roaring lion . . .  seeking whom he may devour" (1 Pet. 5:8).

“Thou believest that there is one Elohim; thou doest well:  the devils also believe and tremble” (Jam. 2:19).  So are the devils going to be saved?  No, and why not?  They believe!  The devils know more than we do there is only one Elohim.  They had lived with Him until they were expelled from heaven with Satan. 

Satan is not only deceiving "the whole world," he deceived one-third of the angels of heaven!  They also know Who Yahushua is.  See Mark 1:23, 24.  They did not commit the keeping of their being into Elohim’s hands and have disregarded Elohim’s authority over their lives.

Belief is the starting point in one’s experience.  When a child is born there is a natural progression in the child’s development.  When a child does not develop normally, whether it is physically or mentally, we get greatly concerned for the welfare of that child.  We seek to know the cause, and if there is a remedy, do we not?

How about in the spiritual realm of life?  Should there be growth in the Christian experience?  Should we be concerned when we see retardation taking place in the Christian’s experience?  Peter, in his letters to the churches, urged his readers to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Master and Saviour Yahushua Messiah” (2 Pet. 3:18).  And how does a newborn baby grow?  “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Pet. 2:2).  And eventually one progresses to food of a more substantive nature.  See 1 Corinthians 3:2 and Hebrews 5:12.

Many who call themselves Christians are suffering from spiritual anemia and spiritual malnutrition.  They expect their pastors to feed them and look to them instead of being taught to look unto Yahushua Who is the Author and the Finisher of our salvation.  See Hebrews 12:2.  They may attend religious services once, twice, and maybe even three times a week, but they never learn or are taught to feed themselves by spending time reading and studying the Word, meditating and memorization, and praying to our Father.  As a result many will be found wanting, not wearing a “wedding garment!” 

Elohim has provided the “wedding garment” for all who are planning on attending the wedding feast, but it is the individual’s responsibility to put on the “wedding garment” which has been so graciously provided.  This is a matter of eternal death or eternal life, and should we fail of eternal life, we have only one to blame and that is ourselves. 

We cannot depend on anyone to determine for us where we end up in eternity.  Salvation is an individual issue, and we are not saved by which church we attend or to which religion we adhere.

“And this is life eternal, that they may know Thee the only true Elohim, and Yahushua Messiah, Whom Thou hast sent” (John 17:3).  This is not a casual relationship as exists between two friends on earth.  When the word “know” is used in this verse, it implies the most intimate relationship known to man.

In the Old Testament when “know” is used, it is used to denote the relationship between a man and his wife that brings forth children; the most sacred, intimate, and pleasurable act given to man by our loving Creator.  This is similar to the intimate relationship Elohim would have with each of us, His children, throughout eternity and beginning here and now.  Our lives with Elohim in turn are to bring forth spiritual children.

Eternal life or immortality is promised only to the righteous and never to the wicked.  Elohim is working to place the Universe on an eternally secure basis so sin will never intrude into His creation ever again.  “What do you imagine against Yahuwah?  He will make an utter end:  affliction shall not rise up the second time” (Nah. 1:9).

There is no "backup plan" should sin ever occur again in the Universe.  What the Universe has witnessed over the past six thousand years as earth’s inhabitants have lived with sin will have convinced them to never rise up in rebellion against Yahuwah Elohim Almighty.

Sin is being left to run its course for now.  It has had just over six thousand years to mature into what we see in the world today.  In Elohim's wisdom, He permitted Satan to carry on his rebellion, and the entire Universe is now in complete agreement, that Elohim should put an end to it.  What the inhabitants of the earth have gone through will be the safeguard throughout eternity that sin will never “rise up the second time." 

But know this that before Elohim allowed Satan to continue in his rebellion, He did everything He possibly could have done to stop Satan, but He would not interfere with Satan’s "freedom of will," which Elohim values so greatly high in all His created beings.  It seems man so wants to control his fellowman but shows so little self-control of himself. 

When Elohim pronounces those words found in Revelation chapter twenty-two, the fate of every man, woman, and child is fixed for eternity.  “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still:  and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still:  and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy let him be holy still.  And behold I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give to every man, according as his work shall be” (Rev. 22:11-12, emphasis added). 

Elohim is not going to give an unjust verdict just because of who you are or who you may think you are.  If He were to make an exception for one, then He would have to do it for others and where would it end?  The plan of salvation provides forgiveness and complete cleansing for every confessed and forsaken sin. Unconfessed sin cannot be forgiven. See 1 John 1:9.  And He provides the power to keep you from sinning (Jude 24, Rom. 6:14).  "He that covers his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy" (Prov. 28:13, emphasis added). 

When you are pulled over for speeding by the police, and they only give you a warning, thus exercising mercy upon you, you cannot expect to go speeding off and not get ticketed by that same officer of the law that just exercised mercy upon you, can you?

Even though we are saved by grace (Eph. 2:8), we are judged by our works.  “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before Elohim; and the books were opened:  and another book was opened, which is the book of life:  and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works . . . and they were judged every man according to their works” (Rev. 20:12-13, emphasis added).

How do we make sense of this?  We are saved by grace and yet we are judged by our works?  Let us make it clear that we are saved by Elohim's grace as stated in Ephesians 2:8 and elsewhere in the Scriptures and not by our works:  “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is a gift of Elohim."  A gift cannot be earned or bought, but it is given solely due to the graciousness of the Giver.

How can we tell whether this grace has been received and has taken effect in one’s life?  The first part of Romans 6:14 says: "For sin shall not have dominion over you" (Rom. 6:14).  Many have a very restricted view of what grace is and thus have a problem with being judged by their works.  Many see grace as only the forgiveness of Elohim.  Many believe “grace” makes up the difference between what Elohim requires and their deficiencies.  Many believe in a form of subsidized salvation, but the Scriptures tell us that “the gospel of Messiah: for it is the power of Elohim unto salvation to everyone that believes” (Rom. 1:16, emphasis added). 

So how much or how big is that power that is available to us in the gospel?  Limitless!  By the Word of Yahuwah Elohim the entire Universe was spoken into existence.  “By the word of Yahuwah were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Ps. 33:6).   Elohim spoke and the Universe came into existence from nothing.  How does one define that type of power?

Remember we are not the only ones being judged.  Elohim is being judged, as we are told in Revelation 14:7:  “for the hour of His [Yahuwah Elohim] judgment is come."  We are told that we are His "witnesses."  See Isaiah 43:10, 12.  The ninth commandment is “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor” (Ex. 20:16). 

There are far too many professed followers of Yahushua who by their lives are giving a false witness for Elohim to their neighbors, and those neighbors may be making their decisions for or against Elohim based on how we conduct ourselves.

Do we rightly represent Elohim?  Can we rightly represent Elohim?  We are told we are ambassadors for Elohim.  “Now we are ambassadors for Messiah” (2 Cor. 5:20).  An ambassador represents the nation he or she is from.  How are we representing the kingdom of Elohim to this world? 

So if we are saved by grace, then how is it that we are judged by our works?

How do we know an apple tree is an apple tree?  By the fruit it produces.  If a tree produces cherries and it claims to be an apple tree, would we question its claim?  Every tree is known by its fruit.  An apple tree produces apples because it is an apple tree; it never does so in order to prove it is an apple tree or in order to become an apple tree!

James in his epistle asks these questions:  “Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries?  Either a vine, figs?  So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh” (Jam. 3:12).  A fountain either bears one or the other, but not both.  If your life is bearing both good fruit and bad fruit, you need to stop and ask yourself, why is this?

“Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt:  for a tree is known by his fruit” (Matt. 12:33, emphasis added).  Just as the fruit is evidence of what type of tree it is, so the fruit (works) of our lives is an evidence of whether the grace of Elohim has taken effect and is still in effect in our lives. 

The truth of the matter is that many have accepted a false gospel.  Let me illustrate it this way.  In medical clinical trials, some people are given real medication and some are given what are called placebos (a harmless substance or treatment which is designed to have no therapeutic value).  No one is told which group was given which one.  The results tell which group was given which one. 

So it is with the message of salvation.  The lives of people indicate which group has received the placebo (a false gospel) and which one has received the real gospel.

You shall know them by their fruits [and not by what they profess].  Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.  Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. [This is how the wicked will be destroyed.]  Wherefore by their fruits [works] you shall know them.  Not everyone that saith unto Me, Master, Master, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of My Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:16-21, emphasis added).

The “time of trouble,” which is soon to come upon the world, will reveal who is a professed Christian and who is in a living connection with the Vine [Yahushua]. 

Elohim makes the provision for us to be changed into His likeness, but it is left with us to allow Him to do so.  The fruit that is produced in our lives will either confirm that we are indeed abiding in Messiah or that we are living apart from Messiah, even if we, at one time, have been “born again."  We must stay connected to the Vine.  Yahushua said, “I am the Vine you are the branches: He that [continues to] abide in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit [righteous works]: for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).  We stay connected to the Vine through Bible study, prayer, meditation, and memorization.  Matthew 12:33 says: “Make the tree good.”  When the life of Elohim dwells in us, through the impartation of His Spirit, the fruit [works] of the Spirit will be seen in us, and not one will be missing. See Galatians 5:22-25.

The fruit in the Christian’s life is not the result of one’s own efforts, but it is the result of their connection with Elohim and therefore merits the individual nothing.  These are the words of Yahushua:  “Believe thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father [through the Spirit] in Me?   The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father [through the indwelling Spirit] that dwells in Me, He does the works” (John 14:10). 

It was the Father’s Spirit dwelling in Him that was doing the works and giving Him the words to speak. Yahushua said this:  “I can of My Own self do nothing” (John 5:30).  That is how much we can do without Elohim’s Spirit abiding in us – nothing! 

Oh, yes, we can do many things, but they will not be of any eternal value when done apart from Elohim.  They will be no different than Cain’s offering of his own fruit which he produced through his own efforts.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Gal. 5:22, 23).  It is the Spirit of Elohim living in us that produces these qualities of character. We are not to try to produce these fruit, but we are to continue to abide in Messiah and the fruit will be produced as a result of that union.

Yahushua was completely dependent upon the Father’s Spirit dwelling in Him in order to live the life He lived while on the earth.  He came not only to become our sacrificial Lamb but to become our living Example by showing us how to live in this world.  Different places in the Scriptures tell us how to live (Ps. 15), but Yahushua came to show us how to live.  Knowing and doing are two separate issues.  One is only theory and the other is experiential.  The presence of the Spirit of Elohim dwelling in us supplies the power to live an Elohim-like life.

When Peter walked on the water, he kept afloat as long as his eyes were fixed on Yahushua, but once he took his eyes off Yahushua, he sank into the waters.  So it is with us!  As long as we keep our eyes fixed on Him, we can stay dry even amid the storms we encounter in this life.  “I can do all things through Messiah which strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

And in all this, Elohim is being judged!  Is His grace sufficient for us as the Bible tells us?  “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:  for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).

Those who are weak may realize their need for an outside source of power, while those who are self-sufficient may not realize their need as readily.  Some have said the Bible is only for those who are weak.  I would disagree because it is for all who come to realize their need; weak or strong.  Unfortunately, those who think themselves strong (self-sufficient) may have a more difficult time realizing their weakness or need.

Yahushua said:  “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick:  I came not to call the righteous [those who think they are righteous - the self-righteous], but sinners to repentance” (Mark 2:17).  Those who think they are reasonably good do not realize their need of the help Yahushua came to offer humanity, while those who the world considers "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (Rev. 3:17) realize their need and come to Yahushua.  They are the "poor in spirit" mentioned in Matthew 5:3.

We all need the help Yahushua came to give fallen humanity for all have been infected with the deadly disease of sin, but not all will realize their need and come to Yahushua for healing.  We are suffering from a more deadly disease than Ebola and that is our inherited, fallen human nature, and only the Great Physician has the cure.

Is He able to keep us from falling into sin?  “Now unto Him that is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 24, emphasis added).  The Bible says He can.  Do we believe what the Bible says?  “According to your faith be it unto you” (Matt. 9:29).  And how is that faith obtained?  By taking the time to get to know Elohim on a personal level.  We do not have faith in total strangers or in someone we know, only casually.

We are to be Elohim’s witnesses by a living testimony of His ability to keep and fulfill His promises in us, through us, and to us.  When people question whether we can be perfect, they are, in fact, questioning Elohim’s ability to keep us perfect. Yahushua told us to “be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matt. 5:48).  Would He tell us to do something that was impossible to do?  “With men this is impossible; but with Elohim all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26, emphasis added).

How big is your Elohim?  How powerful is your Elohim?  How mighty is your Elohim?  If the god you believe in cannot do what He has promised then you had better switch gods, because you may not be worshipping the One True Elohim!  Do you think if Elohim can create the Universe by speaking it into existence, He can also keep you from sinning?  See Jude 24. 

The early followers of Yahushua were called believers.  They believed every word Elohim had spoken, just as a little child believes every word that comes from his parents’ mouths.  “Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). 

When politicians make promises to us in order to get elected, and then once they are elected do not keep their word, we lose faith in them.  That is not how it is with Yahuwah Elohim Almighty.  He not only makes great promises, but He has the power and the ability to keep every word He has ever spoken and is recorded in the Bible.  He invites us to taste and see that He is good and true to His Word for ourselves; to experience for ourselves what He has in store for us.

“Elohim is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (Num. 23:19).

“And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood:  and His name is called the Word of Elohim.  And the armies which were in heaven followed upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (Rev. 19:13, 14).  This is the same “fine linen” that we read about in Revelation 19:8, and we have just been describing and is described there as “the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."

Yet we are told in the Bible, that all our righteousnesses are as “filthy rags” and not “fine linen."  All “our righeousnesses” that are produced by our own efforts apart from Elohim “are as filthy rags.”  Yet Elohim takes us as we are:  “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17) and transforms us by His Spirit so “that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us” (Rom. 8:4).

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of Yahuwah, are changed into the same image from glory unto glory, even as by the Spirit of Yahuwah” (2 Cor. 3:18, emphasis added).  This is what is called “the mystery of godliness:  Elohim manifested in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:18).  Our flesh!  While this verse is speaking primarily of Yahushua, it is also speaking to our experience where “the word is made flesh” (John 1:14) once again in us, and Elohim is revealed unto the world through us. 

Yahushua said His words were “spirit and they are life” (John 6:63).  Just as Elohim spoke this Universe into existence from nothing, the Word, as we read and study it, meditate on it, memorize it, and pray, transforms us by His Spirit into His likeness.

After we repent of our sins, and confess and forsake them, and turn to Elohim for the cleansing of the blood of His Son, and as we spend time with Yahushua in prayer and the study of His word, we partake of the Father’s Spirit and life, and we become transformed into His likeness.  What food does for the body, so the Word does for our inherited, fallen, human nature!  “So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth:  It shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isa. 55:11).  Even the transformation of a sinner into a saint!

If you presently do not spend time reading the Bible, take time to read it and see what happens in your life.  For those of us who do, you already know what can happen in your life.  That in a nutshell is how we exchange our “filthy rags” for the “fine linen” which is described in this chapter as the “righteousness of saints” and what we must have in order to attend the marriage supper of the Lamb.  This pure, white garment was provided for us in the redemption Messiah wrought out for us in the atoning sacrifice made at the cross.  It was made to bring us into “at one” (at-one-ment) with the Father!

As Yahushua revealed His Father to us when He lived on planet Earth, so those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, have been “born again,” have learned to abide in Yahushua, and are being restored into Elohim’s likeness by the gift of His Spirit will be revealing once again to those living in the last days of earth’s history what Yahuwah Elohim Almighty is truly like.

DD