Galatians 5:6
... The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
There you have it, over 800 pages of Holy Scripture encapsulated into eleven words spoken by Paul, an Apostle of Yahushua Messiah, in his letter to the Galatians - no doubt, the Heart of the Bible! The rest of this website will dive into the richness of this Scripture. Enjoy and be blessed.
Note: The Underlining of words is my addition in hopes the reader will grasp the magnitude of the quoted Scripture. The red letter text is of course, words spoken by our King and High Priest Yahushua Messiah.
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God [YAHUAH] ...
Romans 14:23
...and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God [YAHUAH] — not by works, so that no one can boast.
1 Corinthians 13:2
...if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
Matthew 22:34-40
Jesus [Yahushua] replied: " 'Love the Lord [YAHUAH] your Almighty with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Let those who love YAHUAH hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
Proverbs 3:3
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
Proverbs 16:6
Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of YAHUAH a man avoids evil.
James 2:5
Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God [YAHUAH] chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God [YAHUAH] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
This Scripture in 2 Timothy above is the key to all understanding. If you do not believe this Scripture to be undeniable fact then you cannot expect to receive anything from Father YAHUAH's word.
So given the fact stated in Galatians 5:6 that the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love, we will look at what the Bible says about faith and love.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
If you are sure then you have no questions. If you are certain you have no doubts. How do we get this sure and certain confidence known as faith?
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Romans12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God [YAHUAH] has given you.
2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought always to thank God [YAHUAH] for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.
2 Corinthians 10:15-16
Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand, 16so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you.
And you also were included in Christ when you
heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed,
you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
So by hearing and believing YAHUAH's Word, Father YAHUAH gives us some measure of faith through the Holy Spirit he places inside believers. This faith, a fruit of the spirit, can continually grow in us. Like anything else alive, growth comes by nourishment, exercise, and rest.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God [YAHUAH] is living and active.
Lets look at where we get this spiritual nourishment, exercise, and rest:
1. Nourishment comes from reading YAHUAH's word.
Matthew 4:4
Jesus [Yahushua] answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God [YAHUAH].' "
John 6:35
Then Jesus [Yahushua] declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
2. Exercise comes from doing what YAHUAH's Word says.
2 Chronicles 16:9
For the eyes of the Lord [YAHUAH] range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Note: see obedience page
Revelation 3:2
Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God [YAHUAH]. Note: Yahushua speaking to the Apostle John, giving him a message to the church at Sardis which was located in what is now modern day Turkey.
3. Rest is quiet time with Father YAHUAH. Your quiet time could include talking and listening to YAHUAH as well as actual rest.
Exodus 35:2
For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a Sabbath of rest to YAHUAH.
Hebrews 4:9-10
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God [YAHUAH]; for anyone who enters God's [YAHUAH's]rest also rests from his own work, just as God [YAHUAH] did from his. Note: the Greek word "sabbatismos" translated as "Sabbath-rest" literately means Sabbath-keeping.
Did you know that if you read the entire Bible out loud it would take you about 77 hours. This means if you were to read the Bible for only 15 minutes every day you would have the entire Bible read in one year. If you continue this reading pace for your entire lifetime, many could read the entire Bible 50 to 75 times or more. Fifteen minutes a day seems quite trivial for the most important thing in life. If you read the Bible one hour each day then you would read the entire Bible four times a year. What a joy it brings!
Love Defined:
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
So you can see by this Scripture that love is reflected by how we act-around and treat others. It is not simply as society has labeled it - to quote the Newbury House Dictionary: "1. to like with great intensity 2. to enjoy very much, take great pleasure in" This secular definition of love is only about our feelings of self. YAHUAH's definition of love is all about the expressions or actions of love. The Scripture from 1 Corinthians above describes how we express love to others and of course our Father YAHUAH, but our love for YAHUAH is further reflected as follows:
This is love for God [YAHUAH]: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4for everyone born of God [YAHUAH] overcomes the world.
John 14:23
Jesus [Yahushua] replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
John 15:9-11
Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. Note: Yahushua speaking of his Father YAHUAH.
How are we able, you may ask, to have the strength to resist the ways of this world and obey YAHUAH's commands and Yahushua' teachings?
Romans 1:5
Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.
The Holy Spirit is at work in our lives from the time we hear the Word of YAHUAH, to receiving faith from YAHUAH by believing His Word, to a growing-faith in us that produces obedience; which is our expression of love for our Father YAHUAH. As we continue to mature in our faith through the power of the Holy Spirit, we begin to experience the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Bible lists the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians, so I will list them here.
Galatians 5:21-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Note: the Greek word "pistis" translated as faithfulness above should be translated as "faith" as it is translated 239 times in the KJV.
Therefore:
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s [YAHUAH's] will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Heart of the Bible * Heart of the Bible *
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