Guest Author: Don Esposito
What is ‘the Word’? The Word is the Way, Truth, and the Light—our perfect example in the flesh, our Messiah Yeshua.
‘The Word’ can and only has one meaning. That is why God’s Word does not author confusion. It does not change, but remains the same. The Word, is one, and its meaning remains the same from the beginning.
Anytime we don’t understand the Word, God—through Moses, the Prophets and Messiah—makes the Word perfectly clear. Take this great example to see and hear God’s Word:
MARK 10:
17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
The Word “good” is our attention and focus here. If we let man give his interpretation he will babel on and on and never get to the truthful meaning. Man many times twists words to his own destruction. So, how do we know the truth of the Word? We must go to the Word of God—the Bible—for its only meaning! We should always strive to do this, because following the Word of God is living by one accord. When we properly interpret and strive to apply the Word, we are striving to abide in Messiah.
Jesus answered the man, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
All that seek the truth find it and the truth sets us free! By seeking the truth in the Scriptures we will find that our Messiah is the Good Shepherd.
John 10:11:
“I (Jesus) am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep...
What?? Messiah says that he is good? Is this a contradiction?! Some would then say, “see! No one is good, we don’t have to follow The Word of God anymore (the Torah), because we can’t do it, its to hard.” Nonsense! The Scriptures read perfectly that when we follow God’s Word (Messiah) we live in His image and then we are of One Accord, in this case “Good”.
Mark 10:21
And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”
Strong Word “Love”! What does it mean? Some say this is evidence of unconditional love that God has for us and use it as another excuse for us to continue to live in sin. By no means! May it never be! God’s Word clearly says in the Scriptures that Messiah knows this man’s condition just by looking at him and lovingly tells him the truth (gives him the condition), “You lack one thing…(you can’t serve two masters) … and come, follow me.”
Mark 10:
22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
These “great possession” he worshipped so much that he could not give up the strong hold they had on him.
23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!”
The kingdom of God is eternal life!
Mark 10:
17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
So the man, if he had eyes to see and ears to hear the very Word of God he would have followed the instruction (Messiah, the living Word in the flesh) and reaped the answer he was seeking.
And the Lord makes 'the Word' very clear here:
John 14:
1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Did the man turn away with a troubled heart? Yes he did! (Mark 10:22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful…) Did he decide not to give up his great possessions? And in turn not follow the Word of God? Yes, Why?? Was it because he was good (righteous) enough by keeping the commandments from his youth? No, it was because he didn’t believe the Word of God and follow Yeshua!
John 14:
2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? Thy Word is Truth, Amen? Amen!
As you can clearly see, you have nothing to lose and everything (eternal life) to gain by not only believing the Word and following Him, but by knowing the Word. So read the Word, follow the Word and know the Word. Seek the Truth and the Truth shall set you free!!! Let not your heart be troubled!
Food for thought: What is the condition of your heart?
First we must Repent of all sin.
Be born again (A Child of God, Learning the Way, the Truth, and the Life)
Proverbs 3:5,6, and 7 … be not wise in your own eyes …
Follow our perfect example (Messiah), The Faithful One, The Good Shepherd... not the doctrines of man or demons
No one comes to the Father except through Yeshua.
No one comes to the Father without following Christ, for to truly believe, is to know Him and Follow Him! It is not magic, “In Jesus name we pray amen” and we get what we want. That is not belief in Him at all. That position allows blind faith without works and accepts grace by trampling over the Son of God! We cannot enter the kingdom of God by jumping the fence or trying to sneak in the back door. We must go through Messiah, meaning we must strive to walk the exact path he walked. Only if we follow him till the end, even stumbling along the way, will we arrive at our true destination.
Our works, the way we walk and live life, prove that we truly accept Yeshua as Messiah and that God's grace, his favor, is upon us.
James 2:17
So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
When God gave Abraham the Word he lived by it and followed Him in true faith! Are you willing to search the Scriptures for these truths? Do you want to follow the true Messiah?
Written by Don Esposito
Beloved father and follower of Messiah Yeshua.
Retired USAF & NASA Ultimate desire: to humbly seek and present all the loving wisdom found in the Holy Scriptures.