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In last week’s study, we looked at 10 principles of character development. These were the main idea behind the Ten Commandments, the thing that each element of the Decalogue is designed to reveal about the divine character. The divine character is not, contrary to what most of Christianity teaches, something that we are striving to attain. It is a gift of Yahweh, freely given to us through the spirit of His Son. As we read, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” (Rom 5:18) “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of Yahweh.” (Eph 2:8)
The goal of this life in Christ is not, then the attainment of everlasting life. It is not the state of being free from sin, nor the ability to overcome any obstacle. Goals are things of the future, things that we do not yet possess. In Christ, we are already living that everlasting life, and if some should sleep before Yahshua returns in glory, it is only a rest, a pause in the experience that has no end. In Christ, we are already free from sin, and this is what no false teacher, no nominal Christian, no self-sent messenger, could ever understand and teach. Those who have the mind of the beast look at us and say, “They are so prideful, to claim that they do not commit sin. We can never get there in this life.” You see, their words betray the hardness of their hearts. The slave of a cruel master can never earn his freedom. He must be rescued by someone stronger than himself. He must be set free by one who is more powerful than both him and his master. Surely, there is no master more cruel than sin, but no Liberator more powerful than Yahshua.
When we speak, therefore, about the principles of character development, those things revealed by the Law, we are not speaking from the perspective of slaves longing for freedom. We are speaking from the perspective of freedom, learning what to do now that we are free. The goal is not to attain everlasting life, or freedom from sin, but to refine, to understand, that which we have received from our Father, so that we may be blessed, and to bless others, by perfectly reflecting the life of the Son in this world, and in the ages to come.
The Ten Commandments, however, are not the only driving force for the worshipper of Yahweh. They are not the only source of knowledge of the divine character. The Israelites, who had the Law, were not perfected by that Law. We read, two things that may seem at first to contradict. First, “The Law of Yahweh is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of Yahweh is sure, making wise the simple.” (Psalm 19:7) This is the testimony of King David. But the doctrine of the New Covenant says, “For the Law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto Yahweh.” (Heb 7:19) “For the Law, having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” (Heb 10:1)
How are we to understand this? We must understand the purpose of Yahweh’s gifts. A hammer that is a perfect hammer, that is perfectly weighted, and perfectly unbreakable, can drive nails into wood as well as that task can possibly be done… but that perfect hammer cannot draw water out of a well. That is not its purpose. The Law of Yahweh is perfect for its intention – to reveal the will and character of Yahweh to sinners, to transgressors, so that they will seek divine transformation, to have their souls converted, and so that they will know what righteousness looks like in human behavior. (Gal 3:19)
But what then? Many who obeyed the Law were not like Christ at all in spirit, if we see the Law as just the wording of what was written on stone and on the Old Testament’s scrolls. The Law did not make them perfect, because they were missing those very things that the verses from Hebrews tells us was missing. It is not the Law that is to make perfect, but the “better Hope” is to do that. It is not obedience to the Law that perfects the character, it is the perfect Sacrifice that was to be offered once, not year by year continually.
It is Yahshua that was missing from those who sought to obey the law in order to obtain Righteousness. He is the Sacrifice, and He is the Hope. He is the Teacher of the genuine faith, the transformation of the mind to think like the Father and Son, so that our obedience is of faith and not works, and our seeking after the Eternal Kingdom is an act of worship, and not selfishness. That is really the difference between the saint and the masquerading sinner, the old man pretending to be renewed – the motive for seeking everlasting life. The flesh does not want to die; there is no virtue in seeking to escape death, for even the most carnal creature fights for survival. But those who wish to live, who wish to obtain blessings, so that they may rejoice in the power to serve the Father, the Son, and their brethren… that is the mark of a perfect character. John writes, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.” (1John 3:14) Anyone can say, “I love God,” but it is in the love of those who have need of our care, of our kindness, that is where the genuine love of Yahweh is revealed.
Men may meticulously follow every particle of the 10 Commandments, and the many other instructions of Moses beside that, but if they have no desire to be in loving covenant with their fellow travelers, they reveal that their obedience has profited them nothing at all. They have not learned the principles of character development that the Law was to teach them. Having only the Commandments of Yahweh, but not the Faith of Yahshua, was an incomplete experience for them, and so, receiving little, even the little that they had will be taken away.
Paul writes that “the Law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Gal 3:24) Any other reason for obedience to the Law, than to be brought to Christ and to be made righteous by Him, is not the Law’s true purpose, and those who seek to be justified by the Law are trying to use a hammer to draw water from a well – they have a perfect tool, a divinely perfect tool, that they do not know how to properly use.
These two things together, the Commandments of Yahweh and the Faith of Yahshua, form the basis of Christianity in spirit and in truth.
John tells us, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of Yahweh, because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1John 4:1) How do we do this? This is how, when we have love, and love and obedience by faith, righteousness by faith, are ultimately one and the same. We saw from the last study the impact of the Law, rightly understood and honored, in the human soul, on the development of the Christ-like character.
What about the Faith of Yahshua? That is something not given to us in a clear list of principles. That is something we must learn from Yahshua’s Spirit directly, guiding us, educating us, as we travel the narrow path. This does not mean we are unable to speak of that faith, however. It is, in fact, something we must teach, and learn, and discuss, understanding that our words will be used of our Father to edify, that is to build up, the Church. Here, again, we see the limitation of the commandments alone, without the faith of Yahshua.
Giving to the poor, observing New Moons and communions, even understanding how to identify the mark of the beast, which is to be the final test of the churches – none of these things are clearly revealed by the 10 Commandments. These are issues relevant to salvation, but they may be understood only through faith.
The commandment says to remember the Sabbath day, and to refrain from work. It is the faith of Yahshua that draws us together before the Throne. The commandment says “Thou shalt not kill.” It is the faith of Yahshua that teaches us to love others, even our enemies, so that we are not guilty of destroying them in our hearts. The commandment tells us to have no other gods before Yahweh. It is Yahshua who shows us the Father, so that we may know Him, and accept Him as our Heavenly Father. We see, then, how the Faith of Yahshua makes the Law of Yahweh complete.
In proverbs and parables, Yahshua teaches us about His faith. He uses many words, many examples, because He is not seeking to have us memorize definitions and doctrines; He is seeking to awaken the heart to righteousness, and when He stands at the door and knocks, He knocks multiple times, in different ways, to see if any inside the house will hear, and understand, and open the door.
This study is called “The Three Pitfalls of Character Development” because, in His teachings, by His parables, Yahshua has revealed His Faith to us. He has told us what to embrace, and what to beware. He has told us what to accept, and what to avoid. He says, seek out those who bless you, and spend time with them, (Luke 10:5-9) but “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” (Mat 16:6)
Here is one such parable, well known to us, but worthy of some deep consideration: “And great multitudes were gathered together unto Him, so that He went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And He spake many things unto them in parables, saying, ‘Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up.
“‘Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth, and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them. But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.’” (Mat 13:2-9)
Watch for this wording. Whenever you read something like “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,” you know that this is something vital for understanding the mind of Yahshua. It is a Key to the Kingdom, something necessary for the development of the character of Christ.
On the pathway to the Kingdom, the road is narrow, and it grows more narrow at the end. In this parable, Yahshua teaches us of His faith by showing us the pitfalls, the guidelines to recognize the errors that have overtaken others. In the Faith of Yahshua, there are three things that prevent its full acceptance in those that hear it. There are three paths to condemnation, since rejecting the Word means rejecting the Son also, and the Father that sent Him.
The first pitfall is ignorance. The first seeds that fell were immediately carried away by temptation. They did not take the time to set down roots, to draw upon the nourishment that is in the soil. They absorbed no wisdom, but were put into the world, and promptly ran off with a devil. It is true the parable says that the unclean and hateful birds devoured them up, but remember that this is a parable, a picture in thought. In reality, even sinners cannot be overcome by the Enemy unless they give permission in thought, word, or deed. It’s just that sinners always do give permission. Because they were ignorant of the Law, and the gift of our Father, and the protection that He offers, these first seeds willingly agreed to be devoured, considering the things that the demons offered them, illusions really, to be gifts worthy of their attention. In this first set of seeds is fulfilled the Scripture, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to Me. Seeing thou hast forgotten the Law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hos 4:6)
The second pitfall is fear. In the parable, the heat of the sun represents trouble, challenges. The first seeds were devoured by temptation; they fell because of something that was desirable to them, something dangerous, but the dangers of which were unknown to them. This second set avoids self-indulgence and idleness, but there is a temptation for every soul, and it is only by the grace of Yahshua that we overcome the traps of the Enemy.
When the sun rises on the second set of seeds, they wither away. The sun is supposed to be good for the growth of a plant, isn’t it? Plants need sunlight in order to live, but it only benefits them if they are rooted in the ground, and take in water and nutrients. Without their roots in place, the sun is deadly to the young plants, and so it is for the soul without the peace that Yahshua provides, challenges inspire fear, and fear leads to panic or despair, which in turn leads to sin.
What does it mean to abide in Yahshua? He says, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you. Not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27) There you have it; peace and fear are opposing principles, and cannot dwell together in a heart that is made whole. When a heart is broken in pieces, it is not all together; there may be love in one part, hatred in another, here some peace, and there some anxiety in that fragment. In Yahshua, broken hearts are made one, whole organ, and it is then that perfect love fills the heart, driving out all that offends our Father, because it causes us pain. When the heart is complete, and filled with love, absent is fear, cowardice, and rebellion against the Law of Heaven.
When the peace of Yahshua is in one’s heart, the heat of the sun, the challenges and trials of life, become opportunities for growth. We are strengthened in the overcoming of obstacles, as it is written, “Unto the pure all things are pure; but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.” (Titus 1:15) Unto the pure, even challenges are blessings. And in another place, “Great peace have they which love Thy Law, and nothing shall offend them.” (Psalm 119:165)
Paul explains it this way for those who have obedience to the Law, but not the Faith of Yahshua. It is into this snare of the Enemy that they fall, the pitfall of fear. He says, “But Israel, which followed after the Law of Righteousness, hath not attained to the Law of Righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the Law. For they stumbled at that stumbling-stone; as it is written, ‘Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone and rock of offence, and whosoever believeth on Him shall not be ashamed.’” (Rom 9:31-33) Those who do not have Yahshua dwelling within them do not know His peace, so when a stone is laid before them, they fear, they stumble, and they bring shame upon their testimony.
The final pitfall is distraction. Those seeds of the third set are not subject to self-indulgence, just like the second set. They have an additional advantage, though, in that they trust that Yahweh will preserve them through trials, so they are not as subject to fear as the others. They are focused, at least for a time, on their spiritual goals. The problem is, they have false thoughts. They believe, for example, that their ability to stay focused, and to avoid the snares of the enemy, is an act of their own will alone. Certainly, they dedicate their will to the Father and Son, but they still consider the effort to be their own, and since the flesh can fail, they do not believe it is impossible for them to fail. They do not see themselves as truly dead to sin and self. They allow for the possibility, in their own minds, that they may be overcome; and so the Enemy can flash lights at them, and work dark miracles in their presence, and bring down fire from heaven before them… and because they are not cleansed of their false thoughts, they fall to the distraction. The thorns sprang up and choked them.
We read, “And in the fourth watch of the night Yahshua went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a spirit,’ and they cried out for fear. But straightway Yahshua spake unto them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.’ And Peter answered Him and said, ‘Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water.’ And He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Yahshua. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, ‘Lord, save me.’ And immediately Yahshua stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and said unto him, ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’” (Mat 14:25-31)
It says there that Peter was afraid, but this is not the same kind of fear that caused the second set of seeds to stumble. Peter’s fear was not because of some obstacle laid in his path. By stepping out of that ship, Peter was demonstrating great courage, great faith. In fact, by even making the request that Yahshua should call to him from the sea reveals that he firmly believed that Yahshua could do that for him.
The problem is that Peter doubted while he was in the way. He believed that he was walking on the sea, not that Yahshua was allowing him to walk on the sea, and those are two different things, with two different meanings to the spiritual mind. Because he had a false thought, that he was the one holding himself above the waves of the sea, that there entered into his mind, when he saw the waves around him, the possibility that he could sink, and drown. As Peter began to walk on water, the demons began to assault him with the impossibility of his situation. Never before this had a human body done such a thing as this, so clearly he was about to slip below the surface.
It is exactly this way for many with victory over sin. They have been taught their entire lives that nobody can walk on water; that ceasing from sin is impossible, that “nobody is perfect,” and, misquoting Paul, that “we all sin and come short of the glory of God.” The demons pelt the saints with these ideas ceaselessly, mercilessly, and should there be any false thoughts remaining when mercy is withdrawn from the world, the carnal mind will become distracted by these thoughts, no matter how bravely they may have begun their journey, and they will begin to sink according to their imperfect faith. We are living in the midst of thorns, all of us. We are living surrounded by the potential to fall short of the perfect character of Christ. So what? What is it to us what plants surround us? We have been sown by Yahshua. We have been placed in this soil, in this time, by the hand of He who never errs. We are here because we are supposed to be here, and when He calls to us and says, “Come to Me over the waters of the sea,” we hear Him because we are where He planted us so that we may hear His voice.
We do not allow for the possibility that we shall be devoured by the birds of the air, or stumble over an obstacle, or submit to the distraction of some false thought. We are children of the King, not because we earned it, or deserve it, but because He has called us to Him over the sea, and we have come.
Peter is actually an excellent example of every aspect of this parable. He was each of these seeds at different times in his pre-conversion experience.
He fell victim to the temptations of the devil, in ignorance voicing Satan’s own thoughts when Yahshua spoke to His disciples about His crucifixion. This drew from the Savior a sharp rebuke, “But He turned, and said unto Peter, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto Me, for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.’” (Mat 16:23)
Peter fell victim to fear when, during Yahshua’s trial, he was accused (rightly) of being one of His disciples: “And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, ‘Surely thou also art one of them, for thy speech bewrayeth thee.’ Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, ‘I know not the Man.’ And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Yahshua, which said unto him, ‘Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice.’ And he went out, and wept bitterly.” (Mat 26:73-75)
Here, in this incident with the boat, we see Peter falling into the third pitfall, submitting to the distraction of false thoughts.
Ultimately, happily, Peter eventually proved to be the fourth kind of seed in the end, the one that fell into no pitfall, but instead lay down firm roots, drew what life it could from the soil, and the water, and the sunlight, and brought forth much fruit. The fourth kind of seed recognizes the leaven of the Pharisees, sees the obstacles of life as opportunities to demonstrate Yahweh’s power in their lives, and has cleansed itself of false thoughts through the power of the Gospel.
This is what we are called to be. We see the errors made by Israel, and the Old Testament heroes of the faith. We see the mistakes committed by the followers of Yahshua, and we learn to walk more securely, more perfectly, in the path laid out before us by the Savior.
We have, then the 10 Commandments in letter and in spirit, and we see how they impact the character that is growing Christ-like through its sanctifying experiences. We have the Faith of Yahshua, which must be comprehended by the spirit directly, although teachings and parables may serve to awaken the soul’s understanding of it. We see the pitfalls about which the Savior warned us, so that we may avoid them, being wise, and valiant, and focused, through Christ’s own power, on the glory of our Father in Heaven.
We are, among all people, the most blessed, and therefore the most responsible for the use of that blessing to draw others to the King of Life. Let us continue to pray for opportunities to share these simple, but grand, words of life with those who have ears to hear.
David.
An Enduring Witness
“So the sowers have something to do that the seed may not be choked with thorns or perish because of shallowness of soil. At the very outset of the Christian life every believer should be taught its foundation principles. He should be taught that he is not merely to be saved by Christ’s sacrifice, but that he is to make the life of Christ his life and the character of Christ his character. Let all be taught that they are to bear burdens and to deny natural inclination. Let them learn the blessedness of working for Christ, following Him in self-denial, and enduring hardness as good soldiers. Let them learn to trust His love and to cast on Him their cares. Let them taste the joy of winning souls for Him. In their love and interest for the lost, they will lose sight of self.” [Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 57]
“Satan’s influence is constantly exerted upon men to distract the senses, control the mind for evil, and incite to violence and crime. He weakens the body, darkens the intellect, and debases the soul. Whenever men reject the Saviour's invitation, they are yielding themselves to Satan. Multitudes in every department in life, in the home, in business, and even in the church, are doing this today. It is because of this that violence and crime have overspread the earth, and moral darkness, like the pall of death, enshrouds the habitations of men.” [The Desire of Ages, p. 34]
“Many of the greatest scholars and statesmen, the world’s most eminent men, will in these last days turn from the light because the world by wisdom knows not God. Yet God’s servants are to improve every opportunity to communicate the truth to these men. Some will acknowledge their ignorance of the things of God and will take their place as humble learners at the feet of Jesus, the Master Teacher.” [Acts of The Apostles, p. 241]