Page 45 - The Road from Babylon to Zion

of the Law no flesh will be justified. But if, while seeking to be justified
in Messiah, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Messiah then
a minister of sin? May it never be! For if I rebuild what I have once
destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the Law I
died to the Law, so that I might live to God.”

How is it that the Gentiles were living? They were certainly not Torah Observant for
the Torah was given to the Jews. Paul said that Peter had been living like the Gentiles,
but now he was proclaiming that the Gentiles should live like the Jews, keeping the
Law. Paul says, “For through the Law I died to the Law”. Was Paul saying that he
merely died to the ceremonial or sacrificial law? No! He died to the Law in its
entirety.

Many saints are troubled by Yahshua’s words when He stated:

Matthew 5:18-20
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or
one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever
therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches
men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does
and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For
I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness
of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of
heaven.

The key phrase in this passage is “till all is fulfilled.” Was not the Law given to reveal
righteousness and to lead people to Messiah? Did Messiah fulfill the righteous
requirements of the Law? He demonstrated in the following verse that He knew this
was His calling. As he met John the Baptizer at the Jordan River He said,

Matthew 3:15
But Yahshua answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this
way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he
permitted Him.

Did Yahshua succeed in fulfilling the righteous requirements of the Law? When He
spoke His final words on the cross He declared that He had done so. With the words,
“It is finished”, Yahshua made the bold declaration that He had fulfilled the
righteous requirements of the Law!

Would it surprise you to find out that it was Pharisees who had become believers
who were urging the saints to keep the Law of Moses. We are told that this is so in
the following scripture: