Abstain from defiling yourself

 

When and how did you come to know or hear of Messiah Yahusha (Jesus)?

We all did not know Messiah at one point until someone spoke of Him or you read a verse about Him in scripture. What the pastors/priests/parents don’t tell us, is there are minimum requirements we must abstain from when accepting the Messiah as our saviour.

I believe the reason why this was not taught to us is because there are all sorts of denominations (different churches) which teach some scripture parts and exclude other parts to suit their church doctrine. This is called religion!

 

Following, obeying and worshipping the Creator is not a religion, it is a relationship.

When Paul and the disciples took the Good News of Messiah to the other nations which did not know Him, they all agreed that there would be four things the new believers should not do to be accepted into following the Messiah.

Why did they agree on these four things the other nations should abstain from?  It was to bring them slowly into the truth so they could grow from a baby (little wisdom) to an adult with full wisdom and truth.

Here is a simple example: If I told someone who wanted to breed dogs for competitions the requirements to achieve this would be; will need a degree, must be strong built, will mostly only sleep 2 hours a night, work many weekends, little to no salary, travel most times, and need to groom the dogs daily and so on! This person most properly would run away. But if I told the person the basic requirements to start off so the dogs can slowly grow and become confident in performing competitions would be the following four steps:

1 - Spend time with the dogs to know their habits. 2 - Groom them regularly to bond with them. 3 – Hard training once a week to keep them fit and slim. 4 – Feed them healthy food daily to keep them alert and strong.

Once these four steps are successful been carried out the person would have acquired more wisdom by this time to move to the next level in achieving a champion dog at the highest level of competition.

This is the reason Paul and the other leaders instructed the new believers, as a minimum to abstain from 4 things to be accepted in the congregation. They are written in Acts 15:20 and 29;

Verse 20 but that we write to them to abstain from the defilements of idols, and from whoring, and from what is strangled, and from blood.

Verse 29 that you abstain from what is offered to idols, and blood, and what is strangled, and whoring.  If you keep yourselves from these, you shall do well. Be strong!

 

They wanted new believers to abstain from these basic requirements so they could enter the congregation every Sabbath where they would study scripture and learn the will of Yah. They would hear His Word, and progressively start changing their lives to the Messiah’s way.

If the leaders told the people from the start what they should not do, most of them would turn away and go back to worshipping false gods.

These 4 habits the nations (gentiles) were involved was the basic steps to becoming cleanse of sin; therefore, they were called necessities as seen in verse 28. These are the 4 minimum requirements (necessities) according to scripture a new believer shall not do to prevent defilement:

1 – Idols.

2 – Whoring.

3 – Strangled.

4 – Blood.

It would be ridiculous to think these are the only 4 requirements that a new gentile believer needed to follow, as it does not mention murder, blasphemy or even belief of Yahusha.

The Apostles are simply making basic rules that will allow them to meet together with a clear conscience. These 4 points are not the only requirements that a new gentile believer will have to learn, but they are a starting point, as in verse 21 it clearly states that the gentiles will “hear the commands (Torah) each Sabbath that they meet” with other believers.

 

Let us look at each one separately!

1 – Idols: 1 Corinthians 10:14 therefore, my beloved ones, flee from idolatry. 1 Corinthians 10:20-21 says you cannot worship idols/demons and also the Almighty at the same time. Is there any idolatry worshipping today? Many are doing it unknowingly! Money, work, sport and movie/music/sports star just to name a few. Think about it this way; anything you are obsessed with (worldly things) and must have can be seen as idolatry. Anything more important than the Most High.

2 – Whoring (Adultery): Messiah said in Mark 7:20-21 what defiles a man (woman), whoring is one of many that defile a person. In 1 Corinthians 6:13 Paul says your body is made for the Master (Messiah – who’s Spirit lives in you) and you will be destroyed if your body is used for whoring. In verse 18 it says; flee from whoring! 2 Corinthians 12:21 repent of your whoring before it is too late. Jude 1:7 Sodom & Gomorrah is a reminder to us as to what happens when whoring does not stop. What about whoring today? Sex with animals, men with men, married man with another married woman and woman with woman is this not whoring!

3 – Strangled: Means one way of eating meat with blood. Heavenly Father says life is in the blood, therefore He instructs us to remove the blood from whatever meat we eat. Have you not heard people say when they braai or eat out at a restaurant; if I still see the blood when meat is cooked then it is still alive. Father says no to this because there where blood is there is life. Blood represents life! Messiah’s crucified blood gave us life.

4 – Blood:  Matthew 23:35 so that on you should come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zekaryah, son of Barachias, whom you murdered between the Dwelling Place and the altar. Matthew 26:28 “For this is My blood, that of the renewed covenant, which is shed for many for the forgiveness of sins. We shall not shed other people’s blood for harm or murder – any innocent blood.

 

What does the Old Testament or the Torah (Instructions) say about these 4 necessities;

1 – Idols: Exodus 22:20 “He who slaughters (worships) to a mighty one (idol), except to Yahuah only, is put under the ban.

2 – Whoring (Adultery); Numbers 25:1-2 and Israel lived in Shittim. And the people began to fornicate (whore) with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people to the sacrifices of their gods. And the people ate and bowed themselves to their gods. Remember Sodom & Gomorrah was destroyed because of whoring.

3 – Strangled: Genesis 9:4 “But do not eat flesh with its life, its blood. Leviticus 3:17 ‘An everlasting law throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you do not eat any fat or any blood.’ ” Deuteronomy 12:22-23 “Only, as the gazelle and the deer are eaten, so you are to eat of it. The unclean and the clean alike eat of it. “Only, be firm not to eat the blood, for the blood is the life, do not eat the life with the meat.

4 – Blood: Genesis 4:10 and He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s (Abel) blood cries out to Me from the ground. Genesis 9:5-6 “But only your blood for your lives I require, from the hand of every beast I require it, and from the hand of man. From the hand of every man’s brother, I require the life of man. “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood is shed, for in the image of Elohim (Almighty) has He made man.

Now the question is; are we abstaining from these 4 simple requirements or are we just like the gentles (other nations) that mix the clean (true gospel) with the unclean (false gospel).

It is simple; you are in or you are out, there is nothing in-between.

These are hard words but the Word of Yahuah is clear; you cannot worship two Masters!

If you have ears to hear – hear!