In Exodus 34:6, Yehovah Elohim describes Himself as being “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.” He is so good that He sent Yeshua to be punished in our place, for sins we are guilty of. Simply put, sin is our failure to follow Yehovah’s instructions. When we sin, we create an offense to Elohim. We all can be grateful for His character, because we have all offended Him at some time. These days, we see many people who claim to follow Yehovah’s instructions live in ways that don’t seem to agree with His instructions. I get it; you don’t want to be judgmental of others; yet, you see professing believers habitually do things that The Bible identifies as sin. This may go on for a long time, with no apparent negative consequences. In fact, a sinful lifestyle may appear to have advantages. Does deliberate sin in other believers’ lives make you more tolerant of sin in your own life? Hebrews 10 talks about the atonement of Yeshua, who…”by one offering…perfected for ever them that are sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14) Hebrews 10 continues, referencing the Renewed Covenant found in Jeremiah 31:31-37. “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:16-17) Hebrews 10 continues on, encouraging believers to trust fully in the atoning work of Messiah Yeshua. Next, the scripture gives the following, serious warning… “For if we deliberately continue to sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but only the terrifying prospect of Judgment, of raging fire that will consume the enemies. Someone who disregards the Torah of Moshe is put to death without mercy on the word of two or three witnesses. Think how much worse will be the punishment deserved by someone who has trampled underfoot the Son of (Elohim); who has treated as something common the blood of the covenant which made him holy; and who has insulted the Spirit, giver of (Elohim’s) grace! For the One we know is the One who said, "Vengeance is my responsibility; I will repay," and then said, "(Yehovah) will judge his people." It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living (Elohim)! There is a lot of context for this warning; most of the context comes from the Tanak (what many know as the Old Testament). That context includes… • The definition of sin in general, and presumptuous sins in particular • What exactly is “The Torah of Moshe (Moses)?” • The importance of witnesses in making judgements • The definition of a covenant, and the covenants Yehovah has made with humankind • The role of blood in making a covenant • The meaning of “holy,” and why it matters • The identity of Yehovah’s people • The reasons why “merciful and gracious” Yehovah Elohim will judge His people • The reasons why it is a “terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living Elohim.” Even if we read Hebrews without context, we can tell that believers who deliberately sin are directly insulting Elohim. How much context do we need to know that insulting Elohim is not a good thing? Consider the words of the Apostle Sha’ul (Paul) in Colossians 2:6-9; Therefore, just as you received the Messiah Yeshua as Lord, keep living your life united with Him. Remain deeply rooted in Him; continue being built up in him and confirmed in your (faith), the way you were taught, so that you overflow in thanksgiving. Watch out, so that no one will take you captive by means of philosophy and empty deceit, following human tradition which accords with the elemental spirits of the world but does not accord with the Messiah. For in Him, bodily, lives the fullness of all that (Elohim) is. A doctrine that teaches us to offend our Elohim is not in line with Paul’s teachings. Being comfortable with a sinful life does not align with the teachings of Yeshua, or the Torah of Moshe. In these last days, believers in the Elohim of Israel must be courageous, rejecting sin and embracing a holy lifestyle. Where do we learn about a holy lifestyle? Start with The Torah, the beginning of The Bible. That is exactly what The Renewed Covenant says will be written on our hearts. Want to live a holy life? Understand the context for what a holy life means. Without context, it is hard to discern good examples from bad ones. The Torah of Moshe (which is really The Torah of Elohim) is context for understanding the rest of The Bible. TC