Now if the Apostle Shaul taught in Romans 3:31 that AFTER we were saved by grace through faith that we are to ESTABLISH the Torah and also taught in Ephesiyah/Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are created unto Moshiach to DO GOOD WORKS (that is to follow Torah which will become evident later on in this study). THEN WHY IS IT, that so many think that Shaul taught differently quoting a single verse “for you are not under the law but under grace” as if to mean, we do not have to walk in the Torah (it’s clearly not what the text is implying). It is because they have taken the verse, ‘ ..for ye are not under the law but under grace’ out of context and have twisted the teachings of Shaul. These men are familiar with Kepha’s words that the UNTAUGHT and UNSTABLE will twist the writings of Shaul to their own destruction, (Kepha Bet [2 Peter] 3:15-16) yet overlook the very words of Kepha who said these are “lawless men” (verse 17). By “lawless”, he did not mean people who were without Roman law. Lawless throughout Scripture refers to being without YAHUAH’s Torah.

Kepha was in fact saying that those who twist Shaul’s writings are those who are untaught in the Torah. The same holds true for many who had an incorrect idea on what Shaul was in fact teaching, assuming he was teaching against the Torah. If ever Shaul had the opportunity to show that we are no longer under the law but under grace as if to imply that we no longer had to “walk in the Torah” and OBEY the Torah, this was it – however, Shaul denied the charge in the strongest possible way, by taking a Natzarite vow (Acts 21: 21-26). This involves him performing sacrifices and offerings (Numbers 6: 1-21) according to the Torah long after Moshiach’s death and resurrection.

So based upon what has been written in this article so far, what really did Shaul mean when he said, “for you are not under law but under grace”? It was Moshiach who said, “You do ERROR not knowing the SCRIPTURES nor the power of ELOHIM” it should then be understood in the light of the time in which Moshiach said it, when there were no Messianic (Christian - New Testament) writings yet ever written down. So the term "Scriptures" Moshiach was referring too could only mean the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings which are properly referred to as the Tanach (Christian - Old Testament Writings). So in order for us to not do any error and therefore twiist the writings of Shaul, we should turn to the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings. Even Shaul’s own words testify to this important fact when he point out to Timothy “the Set Apart SCRIPTURES” which Timtheous/Timothy “had known from a child” (when the New Testament wasn’t even there) and the “Word of TRUTH”(Tehillim/Psalms 119: 142) which Timtheous had to learn to “rightly divide,”(2 Timtheous 3:14-15) could only mean the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings.

So when we read in Ephsiyah (Ephesians) 2:8 Brit Chadashah/Renewed Covenant (The New Testament Writings) “For by favour you have been saved, THROUGH belief…” it’s only repeating of how the Torah (Old Testament Writings) describes how the ELOHIM of Yisrael saves His people. It’s affirming what the Torah says! Only after we were saved by grace through faith, we came unto mount Sinai where we received the Torah on how we are to live our lives as a saved or redeemed people. We are not saved by our own good merit or our own good works, “lest any man boast.” (verse 9). It doesn’t mean we don’t pursue good works (Torah). Our good works is a result of being saved by grace through faith.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Moshiach Yahushua un to good works, which ELOHIM hath before ordained THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM. Ephesians 2:10

We should walk in the Torah of ELOHIM. MOSHIACH confirms this by saying, “Let your LIGHT so shine before men, that they may see your GOOD WORKS, and glorify your ABBA/Father which is in heaven.” (Mattiyahu 5:16) We need to Scripturally define what the “LIGHT” is that we need to shine before men.

The Writings (Proverbs 6: 23) states, “For the COMMANDMENT is a LAMP; and the TORAH is LIGHT; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life” If we want our LIGHT to shine before men, we should clearly, according to Moshiach, walk in the LIGHT of the Torah!

“Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a TORAH SHALL PROCEED FROM ME, and I will make my judgment to rest for a LIGHT of the people.” Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 51:4

Carefully notice what has been said, “which ELOHIM hath (((BEFORE ORDAINED))) that we SHOULD WALK IN THEM” Where in Scripture do we find this? “And Yahushua said to Mosheh, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, THAT I MAY PROVE THEM, (((WHETHER))) THEY WALK IN MY TORAH, OR NOT. (Shemoth (Exodus) 16:4) Notice Yochanan’s words when he said, “The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also TO WALK even as HE WALKED” then continued by saying, “Beloved, I write no fresh command to you BUT AN OLD command which you have had FROM THE BEGINNING. Again I write you a fresh command, which is true in Him AND IN YOU [refering to the Torah in you], because the darkness is passing away, and the true LIGHT now shines.”(Yochanan/John 2: 6-8)

The Psalmist had a way of putting things into perspective by saying, “they kept not the covenant of ELOHIM and refused to WALK IN HIS TORAH” (78: 10)

So we do not WALK in the Torah to be saved; we OBEY and “walk in the TORAH” because we WERE saved! THEREFORE the Psalmist wrote, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who WALK IN THE TORAH of YAHUAH.” (Tehillim / Psalm 119:1) THERFORE Yochanan said, “The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also TO WALK, EVEN AS HE WALKED.” And we know that Moshiach was the perfect law abiding example who WALKED IN THE TORAH.

So why is it that so many Christians teach differently, teaching that Shaul wrote differently when Kepha himself said “reckon the patience of our Master as deliverance, AS ALSO OUR BELOVED BROTHER SHAUL WROTE TO YOU, according to the WISDOM given to him,” Kepha Bet/2 Peter 3:15 Should we not rather turn to the Scriptures and ask ourselves ‘what is the wisdom which he was given?’ We need to Scripturally define what it was!

“The fear of YAHUAH is the beginning of WISDOM: a good understanding have all they that DO his COMMANDMENTS: His praise endureth for ever.” Tehillim (Psalm) 111:10

KEEP therefore and DO them; for this is your WISDOM and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a WISE and understanding people. Deuteronomy 4:6

Certainly Shaul “kept” the Torah, for that was his WISDOM. Many use the words of Shaul, “for you are not under the law but under grace” as an excuse for not OBEYING the forth commandment (the Shabbat) and many other Torah commands – who would much rather WALK IN a man made tradition (a Sunday Church assembly) than following in the way of YAHUAH, but we know what Scripture has to say about these men, “The one who says ‘I know Him’ and does not guard His commands, is a LIAR and the TRUTH is not in him.” (Yochanan Aleph/1 John 1: 4) Again – We need to Scripturally define what TRUTH is and the TRUTH which is not in them?

“Your righteousness is righteousness forever AND YOUR TORAH IS TRUTH.” Tehillim (Psalms) 119: 142

We need to walk in the LIGHT of theTORAH! So that being said, let us now look at the words of Shaul in its context in light of the Torah by continuing on to …

Prior to verse 14 of Romiyah (Romans) chapter 6, where Shaul said the very famous words, “for you are not under law but under grace”, Shaul was building his case in which he started by saying, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?”(verse 1)

In order to understand his question, we need to understand the Scriptural definition of sin. Because everything else he said in this chapter is really predicated upon a Scriptural definition of what sin is.

“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the Torah (law): for sin is the transgression of the Torah (law). Yochanan Aleph / 1 John 3:4

Shaul was asking “shall we continue by transgressing the Torah that grace may abound?” In other words, is it alright for us to forget His Shabbat (transgressing Torah) and follow after the traditions of men (Sunday Church assembly) hoping that Yahushua will forever overlook our transgressions, and his answer was,  “ELOHIM FORBID! How shall we, that are dead to sin (no more transgressing Torah), live any longer therein?”(verse 2) Put it another way, How shall we continue transgressing His Torah? Shall we purposefully violate the Torah, not guarding the Shabbat (as an example), hoping grace may abound?

His answer was “ELOHIM FORBID!” Then he asked, “Do you not know that as many of us as were immersed into Mosiach Yahushua were immersed into His death?” He was further building his case by using an analogy; “dead to sin” by “immersed into His death” reflecting the life of Yahushua who are “dead to sin” and if sin is the transgression of the Torah then in Moshiach are dead to transgressing the Torah.

“We were THEREFORE, buried with Him through immersion into death, that as Moshiach was raised from the dead by the esteem of the Abba, so also we should WALK IN newness of life.”

We need to Scripturally define how we should WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE. But it is paramount that we understand Shaul’s “Scriptural” word terminoligy. When we read in Ephsiyah (Ephesians) 2:8 “For by favour you have been saved, THROUGH belief…” it’s only repeating of how the Torah (Tanach) describes how the ELOHIM of Ysrael saves His people. It’s affirming what the Torah says! Only AFTER we were saved by grace through faith, we came unto mount Sinai where we received the Torah on HOW WE ARE TO LIVE OUR LIVES AS A SAVED OR REDEEMED PEOPLE!

We are NOT saved by our own good merit or our own GOOD WORKS, “lest any man boast.” (verse 9). It doesn't mean we don't pursue good works (Torah). Our good works are a result of being saved by grace through faith.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Moshiach Yahushua UNTO GOOD WORKS, which ELOHIM hath before ordained that we should WALK IN THEM. Ephsiyah 2:10

We should walk in the Torah of ELOHIM. Moshiach confirms this by saying, “Let your LIGHT so shine before men, that they may see your GOOD WORKS, and glorify your ABBA which is in heaven.” (Mattiyahu 5:16)

We need to Scripturally define what the “LIGHT” is that we need to shine before men. The Writings (Proverbs 6: 23) states, “For the COMMANDMENT is a LAMP; and the TORAH is LIGHT; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life” If we want our LIGHT to shine before men, we should clearly, according to Moshiach, walk in the LIGHT of the Torah!

“Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a TORAH SHALL PROCEED FROM ME, and I will make my judgment to rest for a LIGHT of the people.” Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 51:4

And this is how we “WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE.” Let us continue in Romiyah/Romans chapter 6.

“For (((IF))) we have come to be grown together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also of the resurrection.”(verse 5) He was explaining that only IF we have grown to be “dead to sin” (not transgressing Torah) we shall share in likeness of the resurrection. And continue by saying, “Knowing this, that our old man (the one who was transgressing Torah) is impaled with him, that the body of sin (the one who transgressed the Torah) might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”(verse 6) Put it another way, ‘that we should henceforth not transgress the Torah”! “For he who has died has been made right from sin”(verse7). The one who buried the old man who was transgressing the Torah, has now been made right, his sins are forgiven.

“And if we died with Moshiach, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Moshiach, having been raised from the dead, dies no more – death no longer rules over Him.(verse 9) For in that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives to ELOHIM.(verse 10)

Here Shaul says that Moshiach indeed paid the penalty of sin but only once, never again and that he aslo did it “for all” everyone of us, since he explained in Romiyah 4: 15; 3:23 “for all have sinned (transgressing Torah) and come short of the glory of Yahushua” and it is said that the “soul that sins (transgressing Torah) shall die”(Yehezqel 18:20) but if we died with Moshiach by being “dead to sin”(no longer transgressing Torah) by “immersed into His death”,(buried the old man who was transgressing the Torah) we shall also live with Him! 

“So you also, reckon yourself to be dead indeed to sin” and if sin is the transgression of the Torah (law)Yochanan Aleph / 1 John 3:4 then we better be dead indeed to transgressing, “but alive to ELOHIM in Moshiach Yahushua our Master. THEREFORE do not let sin reign in your mortal body, to obey it in its desires,” i.e. do not give the former man who were a transgressor of the Torah the opportunity to sin again, “neither present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to ELOHIM as being alive from the dead (as one who walk in the likeness of Moshiach who are “dead to sin”) and your members as instruments of righteousness to ELOHIM”(verse 13) Being as instruments of righteousness to ELOHIM merely means you are an instrument that is in right standing with ELOHIM’s standards set out in the Torah.

Then the very famous words, “For sin shall not rule over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” He was merely explaining that, not only will we NOT sin (transgressing Torah) anymore, but the law of our flesh that causes us to sin (transgressing Torah) shall not have dominion over us because we have buried the old man (who was a transgressor of the Torah) therefore no longer under the condemnation as set out in the Torah (Yehezqel 18:20) but under grace / mercy extended to us as also explained in the Torah (Exodus 20:6 and Tehillim/Psalm 103: 17,18) Then the very next verse he makes sure you did not forget his very first question by saying, “What then? Shall we sin (transgressing Torah) because we are not under Torah (law) (Yehezqel 18:20) but under grace?”(verse 15) His answer: “LET IT NOT BE!”

Shaul was asking “shall we continue by transgressing the Torah because we are not under the Torah…?” Put it another way, Shall we purposefully violate the Torah, not guarding the Shabbat or the Dietary Laws (as examples), hoping grace may abound because we are no longer under the condemnation as set out in the Torah (Yehezqel 18:20)? His answer was “LET IT NOT BE!” Then he makes an very important statement by saying:

“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves servants for OBEDIENCE, you are servants of the one whom you OBEY, whether of sin (transgressing Torah) TO DEATH (Yehezqel 18:20) or of obedience to righteousness?”(verse 16) i.e. IF we are a servant of the one whom we OBEY – in this case Moshiach “who is our righteousness”, we are in OBEDIENCE to His words in Mattiyahu (Matthew) 19:17, 5:19, Luka 10:28, 16:17, Yochanan 12:50 and Gilyahna(Revelations) 22:14 THEREFORE in righteousness that is the act of being in right standing with ELOHIM’s standards as set out in the Torah!

Clearly within the context of the entire chapter we can see that Shaul was explaining that we are no longer under the condemnation as set out in the Torah (Yehezqel 18:20) but under grace / mercy extended to us as also explained in the Torah (Exodus 20:6 and Tehillim/Psalm 103: 17,18) So when we read in Galatians 5: 18, “But if you are led BY THE SPIRIT, you are not under Torah” it clearly reflects his writings in Romiyah chapter 6 explaining that we are no longer “under condemnation” or at least “no longer under the norm”. But many (ironically) believe themselves to be “led by the Ruach/Spirit” for not excepting the Torah. Yet Moshe and Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah both mentioned a stiff necked people always resisting the Spirit of ELOHIM who gave them the Torah (Deut. 31:27/Yir 17: 23). Therefore Shaul said, “for we know the Torah is Spiritual” (Romiyah 7:14) and to the Corinthians he said, “But the natural man does not receive the matters of the Ruach/Spirit of ELOHIM (referring to the Torah which is spiritual) for they are foolishness to him, and he is unable to know them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2: 14).