The Implications of Only Emunah

There are endless debates in Christianity over the relationship between faith and works which in effect is a kind of splitting the two sided coin that is Emunah. Emunah is working faith, it is steadfast believing loyalty. It is hard to be loyal to something if every opportunity that arises has the person doing nothing to maintain loyalty.

Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
-Matthew 10:32-33

That said doing things that seem loyal does not guarantee actual loyalty. It is both sides in concert that showcase believing loyalty.

Your works do not save you, and you are owed nothing for them for at best they are disgusting menstrual rags [Isaiah 64:6]. Unlike the employee who legally can sue for back payment of wages for work done you can not sue Yahweh for life. It is a gift [Ephesians 2:8–9] not an entitlement, which is why no performance will gain you rebirth from the dust you are condemned to return to. No denominational association will win you points. Only loyalty to the commandments and calling of Yahweh & Yeshua Lord of the Sabbath and Judge of all; that will deliver life after death.

If as Messiah told others that only Naaman [2 Kings 5] a captain of the Syrian army, who had leprosy was healed by his emunah via Elisha and not other actual sons of Israel. Or that of all the widows that were in Israel only Zarephath [1 Kings 17:9 onward] had emunah to Yahweh. He said these things to make the point that being chosen isn’t what is required, having believing loyalty does and it doesn’t require you to be born Hebrew. Even a Gentile military officer cut off from every form of legal performance with no access to temple, Torah, circumcision, or any religious performance and forced to serve in the temples of other Gods can have the emunah to be healed/forgiven and saved. Not just saved but used as an example over many other options.

How Do You Have Emunah?

Emunah is not primarily acquired by abstract belief or theological reasoning, but through a relational and covenantal process of trust, obedience, and lived faithfulness. It takes time. There are multiple steps to this that one needs to undertake.

1. Declare allegiance: Baptism isn’t a magical transformative act but it is a public and personal declaration of allegiance for yourself, other Christians in attendance, and other heavenly powers that may control the nation you were born into but are no longer tied to. Having now declared you are born again into the nation of God.

This is possibly why John the Baptist performed his baptisms outside the border of Israel across the Jordan river. It could also be a repentance and spiritual re-entry into covenant mimicking the Exodus generation crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land. Either way, declaring allegiance to the Kingdom of God, that is both here, and is coming fully is a key step regardless if you dunk, dip, dribble or just knell in your home.

2. Obey the commandments of God: This is even more important, and doesn’t mean to become a Jew as many Hebrew Roots would promote (which they do great work teaching the core moedim and understandings that the mainstream Church has long let lapse). You are part of the Kingdom of God, grafted into it together along with Israel. You need to learn and observe the Noahide Laws that are binding on all humanity not just Jews. The laws that the patriarchs followed and enabled them to live with emunah long before Messiah’s sacrifice. 

No Idolatry – Not worshipping any idols or false deities
No Blasphemy – Not calling the words, prophecies, prophets and actions of God sinful, demonic or lies
No Murder – Not taking human life by choice
No Sexual Immorality – No incest, adultery, relations outside of marriage or homosexual relationships
No Theft – Do not take or covet what is not yours, keep your promises and fulfill your contracts and oaths
No Blood Activities – No eating meat from a living animal, no drinking blood
Establish Justice – Establish order & systems to ensure obedience, equally, without preference

Many like to add on the other two from the Ten Commandment (Aseret haDibrot עשרת הדיברות)

Observe a Day or Rest – Some observe Saturday, some Sunday, & others both
Honor your Mother & Father – Generally an excellent addition but not always easy for even Messiah warns [Luke 14:26] that you are to not prioritize your parents and your short but comfortable life on Earth, this is possibly why this was not included in the Noahide laws and only in the Abrahamic/Mosaic covenant.

3. Dwelling in the word and teachings of God: Read his teachings, and be changed by them. The first element of that change process is the indwelling of the Holy Sprit (the Ruach HaKodesh רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ) which connects you to your King and Groom Messiah and works to prepare you for the Wedding of the Church. Both the words, promises, prophecies, teachings and actions of the righteous ones (Tzaddikim) who came before you and recorded the words of God, & Holy Spirit change you slowly and produce fruit in your life in line with being a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven. You do not earn it like owed salary, no works make that citizenship happen but when you are a citizen works will naturally and increasingly pour out of you and life outside of Citizenship will decreasingly have value and will increasingly be disconcerting in multiple ways.

4. Allowing No Other Allegiance or Relationship to Take Precedence: The Shema (Deut. 6:5):

“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, and means.”

is the most important and weighty element. You may live in another kingdom as a traveler or immigrant but you are first and foremost a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, you are called to be a good reflection of that to all people and to obey the laws of your land as long as they do not supersede the laws of your true citizenship.

5. Having Trust & Faith in God’s Character: Emunah was also acquired by learning to trust in God’s reliability, especially through hardship, exile, trial and suffering. This trust is the antithesis of a doubting mind that thinks the promises are lies or hyperbolic at best, in other words blasphemy. Many Psalms reflect this:

“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness (emunah).”
-Psalm 37:3 

6. Be Part of an Assembly of other Citizens: This could be a Church (ἐκκλησία, the Greek word for Church, means the called out ones who assemble, or those summoned to assembly) a group, a club, a workplace. It is to support, help and encourage others who are part of the same Kingdom. We each add different parts to the body and are at different distances of our marathon walk but we all are siblings in this already but not quite here Kingdom of Heaven.

Habakkuk said it best and is quoted throughout the New Testament multiple times when it said:

So start your new citizenship this day and walk in the Kingdom of Heaven before the King of all Kings comes again for his creation to both reward and punish all of humanity. You are not alone, you are not forgotten, you are not abandoned. Time is short.