1)   From the story of Abraham, found in the book of Genesis, we can see the dynamic of Biblical salvation.  Avraham was called out of Babylon and followed the voice of YHWH.  The faith that Avraham exhibited was accounted to him for righteousness as seen in Genesis 15:6.  Abraham's faith was tested many times with his greatest trial of having to sacrifice his son Isaac.  A ram was provided instead of the son but Abraham was faithful to follow YHWH's instructions.  Hebrews 11:19 shows us that Abraham trusted in the power o YHWH to resurrect his son if Isaac would have died.  Abraham believed in life after death and so should we.  The Mishnah says in Sanhedrin 10:1 that, "one who denies the resurrection will have no share in the world to come."

Deuteronomy 32:20

And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

Habakkuk 2:4

 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Matthew 6:30

 Wherefore, if Elohim so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Matthew 8:10

When Y'shua heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

Job 19:25

I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.

2)   Some sects of Judaism, like the Reform movement, are often called "the religion of the now" as they do not promote an after life or bodily resurrection.  Other groups of Judaism like the Orthodox believe we are here to prepare for eternity.  Christianity teaches people to just believe in Y'shua to go to heaven.  What is the truth regarding this issue?  Remember that the Pharisees and the Sadducees would debate regarding the afterlife.  The Sadducees were sad - u - see because they didn't believe in an after life or resurrection of the dead.  This group only accepted the first five books of the Bible and rejected the Writings and Prophets.  Today, the Kaarite sect of Judaism continues in these errors.  This is also known as Hebraism.

Another group in the Newer Testament was called the Pharisees.  They were fair - u - see because they did believe in life after death and the resurrection.  Their area of sin was hypocrisy.  Of this group, Y'shua said in Matthew 23:3 to, "do as they say and not as they do."  The Pharisees have evolved into Rabbinic Judaism of today.  Rabbinic Judaism believes in a coming millennial reign of Messiah and a resurrection of the dead.  This can be verified in the Amidah prayers and Rambam's 13 Principles of Jewish faith.  Rabbi Judah the Prince said, "Which is the proper course that a man should choose for himself? That which is an honor to him and elicits honor from his fellow men. Be as scrupulous about a light precept as of a weighty one, for you do not know the reward allotted for each precept. Balance the loss incurred by the fulfillment of a precept against the gain and the accruing from a transgression against the loss it involves.  Reflect on three things and you will never come to sin: Know what is above you - a seeing eye, a hearing ear, and all your deeds are recorded in a book."  Most of true Judaism focuses on life in the here and now as preparation for the world to come.  The Talmud says that this world is like a vestibule in which man should prepare for the banquet hall of the world to come.

The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27, "It is appointed unto man once to die and then the judgment."  Each person has one life and one chance for eternal life.  One rabbi would say, "Better is one hour of penitence and good deeds in this world than all the life of the world to come.  Better is one hour of spiritual repose in the world to come than all the life of this world."  Judgment day is approaching. 

Each day thousands of people take their last breath and face their Maker.  We will all stand before YHWH's judgment seat.  It is written: "as surely as I live,' says YHWH, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to YHWH.'"  Romans 14 agrees, "so then, each of us will give an account of himself to YHWH."  Nearly 500 years before the book of Romans was written, the Talmud gave the same message: "They who have been born are destined to die. They that are dead are destined to be made alive. They who live are destined to be judged, that men may know and make known and understand that He is YHWH, He is the maker, He is the creator, He is the discerner, He is the judge, He is the witness, He is the complainant, and it is He who will in the future judge, blessed be He, in whose presence is neither guile nor forgetfulness nor respect of persons nor taking of bribes; for all is His. And know that everything is according to the reckoning. And let not your evil nature assure you that the grave will be your refuge: for despite yourself you were fashioned, and despite yourself you were born, and despite yourself you live, and despite yourself you die, and despite yourself shall you are destined to give account and reckoning before the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He."

Today there are many false teachers who promote error regarding life and death.  Many say there are several paths to salvation.  Priests proclaim that you should just repent of your sins and trust the Church.  Some new age Kabbalists teach "gilgul" or reincarnation until a person is perfected.  Many in mainstream Christianity broadcast an easy greasy grace gospel message.  Some say to just confess your sins, pay your tithes, go to church and you will be saved.  Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world.  Islam teaches salvation through good works and faith in the Koran.  The Muslim doctrine of salvation is that unbelievers (kuffar, literally "those who are ungrateful") and sinners will be condemned, but genuine repentance results in Allah's forgiveness and entrance into Paradise upon death. Others believe that the Jewish have the Torah and therefore do not need Y'shua.  The Moshiach said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the father except by me," John / Yochannan 14:9. 

Psalm 23:6 
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of YHWH forever

Luke 10:25-28

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Y'shua. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"  "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"   He answered: " 'Love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"   "You have answered correctly," Y'shua replied. "Do this and you will live."   

1 John 5:3

"This is love for Elohim: to obey his commands."

3)   To understand salvation, we must first understand creation and why a Savior is needed.  In the beginning, Adam was created perfect.  He was given dominion and power over the entire earth.  YHWH instructed him to guard the garden.  Adam was commanded not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  These instructions or "torah" from YHWH were to protect Adam and help him accomplish all that YHWH had for him.  If Adam would have obeyed then He would have been blessed abundantly.  He was given simple instructions, yet He disobeyed.  He broke the "torah" that was given to Him by Abba YHWH.  We all know that he fell from perfection.  This disobedience to Torah is what the Bible calls "sin."  Sin is violation of the will of YHWH.  Sin is selfishness.  A person sins when they enact their desire to receive for self alone.  Different religious groups differ on their definition of sin but 1 John 3:4 clarifies the subject.  "Whoever commits sin commits lawlessness; sin is lawlessness," 1 Yochannan 3:4.

Psalm 119:155

"Salvation is far from the wick: for they seek not thy statues"

Romans 5:12

Wherefore as by one man sin entered into this world, and by sin death; and so death passed upon all men, in whom all have sinned.

4) Though Adam tried to cover his sin with fig leaves, he failed to truly deal with the sin issue.  This shows us that man alone can not correct the sinful nature.  Nothing you do will counteract the affects of sin.  Good deeds, tithing, prayer, church attendance, or even obedience to the commandments will not conquer the power of sin.  Sin leads to death.  The only answer to sin is blood atonement.  Genesis (Beresheet) 3:21 shows YHWH making the first couple coats of skin to wear in place of their frail fig leaves.  This is the first example of sacrifice to cover the penalty of sin.  Hebrews 9:22 says, "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin."  Man sinned and the wages of sin is death.   Blood was shed as a covering for the first sin.

Even more, Adam's violation of YHWH's will brought about a change in the human race.  Though Adahm was created as a perfect son of YHWH, he fell from perfection.  When Adam sinned, his actions changed mankind forever.  Even though his sin was individual, he acted as a representative of all mankind.  His actions affected all of humanity.  We all share in his sinfulness and we all share in his guilt.  One major effect of Adahm's sin is that the human gene pool has been tainted with the sinful nature.  Because of the fall, mankind is no longer perfect.  Each person born after Adahm has inherited his sin.  This is the idea of "original sin" or the "yetzer hara."

Adam could have stayed perfect and lived a perfect life.  But, gave into temptation and chose selfishness over the Torah of YHWH's instructions.

 Psalm 51:5 

"Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.

Proverbs 22:15 

"Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child." 

Genesis 8:21  "the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth

Ephesians 2:1-3:

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest

 Psalm 14:2, 3

YHWH has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after YHWH. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.

Jeremiah 7:24

But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward.

Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

5)   Sin is a genetic defect passed down from Adam Eve to all mankind.  From parent to child throughout the generations, sin has affected the entire human race.  Because of Adam's actions we are ALL born sinful.  Each baby that comes into the world is born separated from YHWH with an evil inclination that is set against YHWH.  We read more about this in the book of Romans.  "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous," Romans / Romiyah 5:12,19.  The Talmud says, "a righteous man can die for the sins of his and future generations."

The doctrine of "original sin" teaches that we don't become a sinner after doing something wrong.  Instead, we are each born into sin.  RC Sproul said, "We are not sinners because we sin.  We sin because we are sinners."  A frog isn't a frog because it croaks.  A frog croaks because it is a frog.  Frogs croak.  People sin.  Sin is inherent and inevitable in every single person.  Ephesians 2:3 says that we are "by nature children of wrath."  Because we are born sinful, then we are born deserving the wrath of YHWH.

Modern Reform Judaism as a religion does not teach "original sin."  Instead, modern Judaism teaches that each person must come to an age of accountability and break a commandment before they are considered sinful.  Older Jewish writings contradict this contemporary belief.  According to 2 Baruch, Adam not only lost paradise (4:3); his transgression also "brought death and cut off the years of those who were born from him" (17:4). Similarly, 2 Baruch 23:4 states that "when Adam sinned and death was decreed against those who were to be born, the multitude of those who would be born was numbered." And according to 56:6: For when he transgressed, untimely death came into being, mourning was mentioned, affliction was prepared, illness was created, labor accomplished, pride began to come into existence, the realm of death began to ask to be renewed with blood, the conception of children came about, the passion of the parents was produced, the loftiness of men was humiliated, and goodness vanished.

Popular preachers may say that we "are all YHWH's children" but this isn't true.  No matter how good some people seem, everyone is sinful.  Humanity isn't basically good natured.  We each are born with the desire, tendency, and stain of sin.  Every second of every hour there are 5 babies born into our world.  Each of these children are physically born into the Adam's family and into the kingdom of darkness.  Children aren't born sinless.  Children are born guilty and separated from YHWH.  Consider this, a child immediately recognizes their error and need of redemption as soon as that child's mind allows him to consider his spiritual position.   When children first realize their actions cause pain, they don't say "I am perfect."  Instead, they usually tear up and say "I was wrong.  I am sorry." 

Psalms 139:23 -24

Search me, O YHWH, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Romans 6:23 KJV

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of YHWH is eternal life through Y'shua Messiah our YHWH.

1 John 1:9 KJV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Chronicles 12:14

He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking YHWH

Ezekiel20:16

Because they rejected my laws and did not follow my decrees and desecrated my Sabbaths. For their hearts were devoted to their idols.

1 John 3:15

Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him

6)   There are those that argue that there is an age of accountability for children or that YHWH's grace covers those who can not tell the difference between right and wrong.  These "gray" areas are up to YHWH.  What is crystal clear in the Scriptures is that sin has been passed down from Adam to all mankind.  We have a sin problem.  The actions of Adam brought about a change in the nature of mankind.  Though we may scoff at Saddam Hussein or Charles Manson, their sinful nature is inside each person in the world.  There's a Bin Laden born in everyone.  That's why a person must be born again.    

Moses instructed, the Torah was given, the prophets pleaded, and the curses continued but man has continued to sin.  "YHWH looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek YHWH.  They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one," Psalm / Tehillim 14:2, 3.  Each and every one of the "children of men" have turned from YHWH.  No one on Earth is unaffected by sin.  Therefore, we need the help and assistance of one NOT from this world.  We need the aide of one not tainted with disobedience.  We need someone to rescue us from death.  A Savior without sinful desires must come to settle the debt of sin.

Moshe, the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings all speak of a coming Messiah.  This "anointed one" would lead the human race back to the Garden of Eden to restore man's lost relationship with YHWH.  These prophecies came to pass when a heavenly messenger visited a young Hebrew virgin named Mary (Miriam in Hebrew).  The angel proclaimed that though Miriam had not known a man, she was going to give birth to a son.  This child was to be named "Y'shua" which means "YHWH is salvation."

Psalm 49:7-8

No man can redeem the life of another or give to Elohim a ransom for him-the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough--

Ezekiel 33:18

If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, he will die for it.

Mark 2:17

On hearing this, Y'shua said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

1 John 3:6

No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

7)   John 3:16 is the most well known verse from the entire Bible. And for good reason. This verse explains the besorah / gospel in a nutshell. " For YHWH so loved the olam hazeh /world, that He gave His only brought forth Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting chayim (life)," John 3:16 from the Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition.

What is interesting is that these very words were spoken to a Jewish leader named Nickdimon / Nicodemus. Y'shua was making it crystal clear that the only way a person can experience the resurrection life is to trust in Moshiach. Judaism won't do it. Torah obedience doesn't save. Man's ways, religion, good deeds, or church membership are not the answer. To be delivered or saved from eternal death a person must put their trust in Y'shua. The name Y'shua means "YHWH is salvation." When a person says, "I am saved," they are actually saying "I am trusting in Y'shua - YHWH's salvation." We are delivered from eternal death through the sacrifice of Y'shua. But is that all it takes? No!  Is personal salvation the only reason Y'shua came?  No! 

A person who follows Y'shua is saved from exile, the curses of sin, and the habits of the flesh.  Y'shua came to bring redemption to the spirit, soul and body of each and every one who would believe.  We aren't saved just to go to heaven.  Instead, we are saved to bring heaven down to earth!  This is the concept of tikkun olam or "fixing the world."

Y'shua the Messiah came to restore mankind's relationship back to YHWH.  This includes individuals and the nation of Israel.  Each individual person is born again into the family of Heaven, which is Israel.  The nation of Isra'el is restored as individual people follow Y'shua and His Torah. 

 "For by grace ye are saved through faith and not of yourselves: it is the gift of YHWH," Ephesians / Ephsiyah 2:8, 9.

Romans 10:9-11

That if you confess with your mouth, "Y'shua is YHWH," and believe in your heart that YHWH raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."-

John 3:5-7

Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of YHWH.  That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again."

1 John 5:4

For whatsoever is born of YHWH overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

8)   To be saved from the sinful nature one must trust Y'shua.  "For by grace ye are saved through faith and not of yourselves: it is the gift of YHWH," Ephesians / Ephsiyah 2:8, 9.  First, notice that we are saved by "grace through faith." Grace alone does not save. Nor does faith alone. Together the two provide the path of salvation. Separate they provide very little. Grace by itself or faith, by itself, brings death. Consider salvation to be like H20. Hydrogen, like grace, is a powerful element. But hydrogen can be manipulated and used to cause death. (Consider the hydrogen bomb!) Oxygen, like faith, is important. But too much oxygen produces a toxicity syndrome and sudden damage to the central nervous system. Together though, hydrogen and oxygen combine to make up something mankind can not live without - water! Let's examine these concepts from a Hebraic perspective to gain a better understanding of what happens when a person is born again.

Grace in the set apart Hebrew language is the word "chesed" or "chen." These terms describe unearned favor. Chesed / grace is undeserved, unmerited advantages and privileges YHWH gives His children. The Greek word translated "grace" is "charis." It is from this word that we say that someone is "charismatic" or had "charisma." Every good and perfect gift is provided by His chesed. Through YHWH's chesed, He has provided salvation for everyone on Earth. "For the favor of YHWH that brings salvation has appeared to all men," Titus 2:11 from the Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition. But not everyone is saved.

Each person much personally accept, through faith, the Messiah Y'shua.  We have a choice regarding eternity.  Deuteronomy / Devarim 30:19, "YHWH said, 'I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live.'"

 Chesed is how we are saved and how we are to live. When we have his Chesed we have his favor, power, and blessings. The door of salvation is the entry point to chesed. Deliverance from wrath is just the first outpouring of YHWH's chesed upon His children. When a person accepts Moshiach Y'shua that person enters into the fullness of chesed offered by YHWH. There is so much more to the faith than just salvation.

1 Corinthians 1:3

Grace be unto you, and peace, from YHWH our Father, and from YHWH Y'shua HaMoshiach

1 Corinthians 1:4

I thank my YHWH always on your behalf, for the grace of YHWH which is given you by Y'shua Messiah;

Ezekiel 36:25-27

I will sprinkle you with clean water, and you will be clean and acceptable to me. I will wash away everything that makes you unclean, and I will remove your disgusting idols.  I will take away your stubborn heart and give you a new heart and a desire to be faithful. You will have only pure thoughts, because I will put my Spirit in you and make you eager to obey my laws and teachings.

Colossians 3:16

Let the word of Messiah dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to YHWH.

Colossians 4:6

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

9)   Once a person accepts that Y'shua is Messiah then that person is born again.  The process of being born again takes belief, confession, and acceptance.

Each person that receives Y'shua s their Savior goes through a transformation.  At birth we are distant from YHWH and adrift in sin.  Jewish people and non-Jewish people have broken fellowship with YHWH and need a redeemer.  A person enters the family of YHWH through faith in Messiah.  BUT, when you are born again you are NOT quickly raptured to heaven.  Instead, we have each been called to make a lasting difference in this earth.  This is where salvation truly becomes a defining issue.  Salvation is NOT just about individual people going to heaven.  Instead, true Biblical salvation is about the restoration of personal relationships and national identity.  Judaism readily accepts this type of salvation as most Jewish people believe that when the Messiah comes he will bring peace and perfection to the world. 

The Jewish Messiah was the anointed one of YHWH who came "only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."  He came to change us so that we could change the world.

Genesis 17:1

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, YHWH appeared to him and said, "I am Elohim Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.

Deuteronomy 14:2

For you are a people holy to YHWH your Elohim. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, YHWH has chosen you to be his treasured possession.

Zephaniah 2:3

Seek YHWH, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of YHWH'S anger.

Romans 6:6

For we know that our old self was impaled with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--

10)               True salvation changes our nature.  When a person is born from above In the beginning YHWH Elohim formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being," Beresheet 2:7. The Rabbis teach that the spelling for the Hebrew word "formed" here in Hebrew shows that man was originally created with both a good and an evil impulse.

Man was made in the image of YHWH, with the yester tov or good desire. The yetzer tov is the part of man that is part of YHWH. The yetzer tov is the part of Himself that YHWH breathed into man, "there is...one Elohim and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all," says sefer Ephesians 4:5 see also Beresheet 2:7, 5:1 and Yochanan 1:4.

Though YHWH declared all things "tov" or good, man was also made with the yetzer hara. "YHWH saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time," B'resheet 6:5. The evil desire affected humankind's decision to sin in the Gan Eden, which led to the separation of man and Elohim.

The yetzer hara has many synonyms like the heart, the flesh, the old nature, passions, habits, desires, various drives, and inclinations. It leads a person against YHWH's rulings and instructions and is most difficult to control. "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you," sefer Ya'acov 4:1.

Many writers like Plato, Plutarch, and Philo attributed all literal wars to bodily desires and most Rabbis condemn people who are ruled by their passions. In fact the Sages teach that the yetzer hara can dominate all 248 members of the body, leading a person to transgress YHWH's Torah. One Rabbi wrote, "I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin (or the yetzer hara), seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death," Romans 7:10-11. Truly the character of a person is determined by which impulse is dominant in a person's life.

Isaiah 32:17

The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

Micah 6:8

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does YHWH require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your Elohim.

John 15:19

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

2 Corinthians 7:1

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for Elohim.

1 Timothy 6:12

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Isaiah 35:8

And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness.  The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.

11)                Here's some good news, through the power of salvation we can overcome the yetzer hara!  You weren't just saved to go to heaven!  Psalm 119:91 says, "all things are your servants" so the yetzer hara can certainly be controlled. "Who is a mighty man? He that subdues his evil impulse, as it is said: "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit is better than him that taketh a city," teaches the Talmud.

The Sages have taught that repentance and learning the Torah were the only present cures for the yetzer hara until the time of the Messiah. The Talmud says that in the age to come YHWH will bring out the yetzer hara and slaughter it before the just and before the wicked. At this time "to the one he would appear like a great mountain, to the other like a small thread. Both would weep-the righteous for joy, that they had been able to subdue such a great mountain; the wicked for sorrow, they had not been able to even break so small a thread," said the Talmud.  

The age has come and Y'shua HaMoshiach has done just as the Talmud declared! "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the execution stake," Colossians 2:15. Y'shua, our example, is the only person ever to live who never gave in to the yetzer hara. "If anyone wants to come after me let him say 'no' to himself (yetzer hara) and take up his execution stake and keep following me," Sefer Mark 8:34.  We overcome the flesh by dying to ourselves and following Y'shua.  This is working out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 

12)               To overcome the yetzer hara takes a choice by the believer to follow the Messiah in a lifestyle of Torah observance and total dependence. "My children I have created the evil impulse, and I have created the Torah as an antidote to it. If you occupy yourselves with the Torah you will not be delivered to the power of the yetzer hara," says the Talmud.

In the Dead Sea Scrolls overcoming the yetzer hara or conquering the flesh has been compared to physical and spiritual circumcision. The Scrolls quote sefer Devarim 10:16 and 30:6 as proof. "Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer," and "YHWH Eloheynu will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live." Remember that circumcision is simply the cutting away of the flesh. So to circumcise the heart is to cut away the fleshly desires of the heart.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Y'shua HaMoshiach have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit," Galatians 5:23-25. Following the Messiah empowers the yetzer tov to conquer and defeat the yetzer hara.

When a person walks in the footsteps of Y'shua the true message of the Messiah is carried out. "The Malchut shamayim (kingdom of Elohim) is at hand: repent ye, and believe the good news," Mark 1:15. The kingdom of heaven is established when the life of heaven, the life of Messiah, is lived here on earth.

13)               One of the most powerful verses in the scriptures dealing with this subject is 1 Yochanan 4:4. "You, dear children, are from YHWH and have overcome, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world." What inclination is most prevalent in the world? The yetzer hara, of course. Now consider my paraphrase of this verse, "You can overcome because greater is Messiah's presence in you than is the yetzer hara in the world." By living the Torah through the Spirit's empowerment you can defeat the temptations of the world and exercise your divine victory and dominion over the defeated adversary.   Because of the first Adam, the nefesh was empowered, but through the second Adam, the power of sin is made null and void.  "For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah shall all be made alive," 1 Corinthians 15:22.  Through Y'shua HaMoshiach one can overcome the nefesh!  Psalm 119:91 says, "all things are your servants" so the animal soul can certainly be controlled.

James 4:7

Therefore submit to Elohim. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Leviticus 26:3

"If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them ... you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land. You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you."

Deuteronomy 23:14

For YHWH your Elohim walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.

Luke 10:19

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

2 Corinthians 12:12

Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.

2 Thessalonians 3:3

But YHWH is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

Isaiah 52:12

For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for YHWH will go before you, and the Elohim of Israel will be your rear guard.

14)               We are saved from by grace through faith in what Y'shua has done!  His sacrifice cleanses us from sin and allows us to walk out YHWH's perfect will in this earth, which is the kingdom of Heaven.  Salvation is not by Torah obedience, church membership, being a good person, tithing, by some gnostic hidden knowledge, martyrdom, or by repeating some prayer.  Salvation is through faithfully trusting in YHWH's salvation.  The Gospel / Good news is..."Repent for the kingdom of Heaven is HERE!"  A person is born again after the labor pains of repentance.  A person must come to the realization that their sins have separated them from YHWH and they are in need of the Messiah Y'shua to deal with their sin.

When a person is born again their eternal destiny is set for Heaven.  The Hebrew word for heaven is "shamayim."  Heaven is a glorious place that Y'shua has been preparing for us since His ascension.  John 14:2, "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you."  The Rabbis have said, "This world is like a lobby before Heaven.  Prepare yourself in the lobby so you may enter the banquet hall."  We must act now as if we are in Shamayim.  This is allowing the kingdom to come to earth.  Biblical salvation is NOT just personal.  It is corporate and includes a restoration of the nation of Israel.  We must work out our faith in fear and trembling.  Our life should be spent walking out the Torah and living YHWH's will upon the world.  We must prepare to meet YHWH.  Revelation 21:2, "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from YHWH out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

Heaven is a place of beauty as seen inRevelation 21:10-11.  There is immortality, joy, and perfection - Revelation 21:4, 1 John 3:2, and Revelation 19:6-8. 

2 Timothy 2:12, "If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us."

2 Corinthians 2:9, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which YHWH hath prepared for them that love him."  Heaven is better than your wildest dreams!  Judaism speaks of 7 Heavens and we know the Bible speaks of at least 3.  Shamayim of the air and atmosphere around the earth as in Genesis 1:20.  Shamayim of the universe and the realm of the sun and moon as in Genesis 1:14.  Shamayim that is YHWH's home and abode as in Isaiah 63:15.  The truth is that we really don't go to heaven!  It comes to us!  Revelation 21:2, "And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from YHWH out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband."

Isaiah 66:1

This is what YHWH says: "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?

2Peter 3:13

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

John 14:2-3

In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

Revelation 21:1-11

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the

first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from   Elohim, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of Elohim is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and Elohim himself will be with them and be their Elohim.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."  He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."  One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."  And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from Elohim.  It shone with the glory of Elohim, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

15)               Salvation comes thru accepting YHWH as 'my rock and my salvation' and obeying His rules, and if we break one, doing teshuvah.''He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.'' Ps. 62:2. "He will cry to Me, 'You are my Father, My YHWH, and the rock of my salvation.'' Ps. 89:26.

In review, "the Bible states that man has a sin problem (Read Romans chapters 1 through 3.), and that man must take certain spiritual steps of faith to rectify this problem.

We need our past sins forgiven, by faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Y'shua the Messiah, the son of Elohim who took man's sins upon himself and died in place of man so that man could pass from death to life (John 3:16). When men turn from their sins and place their faith in Y'shua, Scripture promises that man will experience a glo­rious spiritual relationship with our Father in Heaven and to have eternal or everlasting life. (Rom. 3:21-5; 6:23)

We need the divine Spirit of Elohim living within us to overcome the power of the flesh to change our sinful ways. (Rom. 6-8)

We need the further need to be spiritually grafted in or connected in covenant relationship with other Believers in Y'shua, which Scripture calls the nation of Israel or body of Y'shua. (Rom. 9-11; Eph. 2:11-19)

We need to study YHVH's divine Word or Scriptures, so we know what actions we should do. (Rom. 12-13)

We need to commit to being a disciple and to put our love into action, by growing spiritually so that we can help others to find their way out of the same.

Study these verses to prove your salvation:

1 John 5:13, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of Elohim; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of Elohim."

1 John 3:1-2, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of Elohim: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of Elohim, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

1 John 4:17-18, "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."

1 John 4:1-21, "Those who love are born of YHVH, for YHVH is love and his son lives through us. YHVH dwells in us if we love one another. We know that he dwells in us because his Spirit dwells in us and the fruits of love are there as evidence: we love YHVH, we love one another and we keep his commandments."

John 3:15-16, "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For Elohim so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

John 6:40, "And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and be­lieveth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day"

John 8:51, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death."

1 John 3:14 "We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren." The word death means death, natural or temporal death, physical death; also eternal, spiritual or the second death. By contrast, the word life means life in the spirit and soul as distinguished from bios or physical life.

Romans 10:13, "Whoever shall call upon the name of YHVH shall be saved."

Lesson Ten

Study and Discussion Questions

1)   Define the term "salvation."  What does it mean to "be saved?  What is a person saved from?  Is salvation just personal or is there a greater salvation taking place in the world?

2)    How did Adam's sin affect humanity?  Was Messiah Y'shua affected by original sin?

3)   What does it mean to be "saved by grace through faith?"  What part do good works play in the salvation process?

4)    How does Revelation 21:1-2 reveal the true concept of Heaven?

5)   Does the account of Abraham proved that there is eternal life and a resurrection?  What events (more than one) prove this point?

6)    Read John Chapter 3.  This passage of Scripture states that a person "must be born again."  What does this phrase mean to you?  Do Jewish people have to be born again?  What about Christians or Islamic people?

7)   What is the process of being born again?  How can you be sure that you are born again?

8)   Study 1 John 4:4.  What does this verse teach about the power of YHWH?  How do the enemy and the evil inclination try to stop believers from being effective in their faith?

9)   Examine in detail chapters 2 and 3 of the book of Acts.  What do these chapters teach us about salvation?

10)                What specifically did you learn from this lesson?  How can you apply this lesson to your life? 

11)                How would you respond if someone were to ask you about the subject of salvation?