There's an ad circulating currently that was released by the group 'He Gets Us' and was first shown during the Super Bowl. This ad, while well intentioned, failed to show the true gospel to the millions who are now seeing it. (I've seen it on YouTube)
This ad is not biblical. Yeshua is shown as accepting of the sins of abortion, homosexuality, and more. He is loving and full of mercy when we repent, but He also says, "Go and sin no more."
Here's Pastor Jamie Bambrick's take on what they should have done: HE SAVES US
This ad shows the saving, transforming power of Yeshua the Messiah. He is the Living Word, and He is holy. When we repent, He writes His Torah on our hearts. He changes us. Sadly, there are many churches today that teach "the come as you are, do as you please gospel." Some even teach that the Torah and the Old Testament are not relevant. They are wrong.
I've often heard people say that Yeshua "hung out" with sinners. That is so very wrong. When He met someone, He immediately recognized their sin, pointed it out, and invited them to follow HIM. That person either followed Him and "hung out" with HIM, or continued on in their sin. Read the Gospels and see this for yourself.
He came to call sinners to repentance. More and more, it seems that word isn't used in leading people to be saved. The Hebrew word for repentance is teshuvah and it means "return to Torah".
Growing
up in the Southern Baptist church, I was taught what I now call "easy believism":
Just say these words and you'll be saved! Get baptized! You're good!!
I remember years ago, I attended a class on soul-winning. The word repent was never mentioned. The focus was on showing them that God loves them and accepts them as they are. No need to give up any sins. This is wrong, friends. It's not the true gospel.
As Southern Baptists, we were also taught The Great Commission in Matthewe 28:19-20: " ...go and make people from all nations into talmidim, immersing them into the reality of the Father, the Son and the Ruach HaKodesh, 2 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you."
That last part is what is now missing from the current "feel good" gospel. Hashem's commandments are not being taught. I'm speaking of the Torah. The church of today has its own commandments. In example: disobey the Sabbath, go to church twice on Sunday and on Wednesday, worship idols, light candles, don't raise your hands or dance in church, and their favorite one -- tithe. I could go on and on.
The reality of this truth was pressed on to me years ago. I was a teacher in the Baptist church and was attending a training class. I walked into the nearby snack shop during a break and found a gospel tract lying on a table. What I read completely turned my life around. I read these verses:
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, only those who do what my Father in heaven wants. 22 On that Day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord! Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we expel demons in your name? Didn’t we perform many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will tell them to their faces, ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’
I shook with conviction. My heart was pierced with the truth that day: Yeshua would tell ME to depart from Him because I was not obeying His laws. I was a Southern Baptist, law-abiding woman. How could this be???????
In the weeks following, I was deeply convicted and one day, I asked God to show me if those words of Yeshua were true of me. I opened my Bible, looked down, and there was that verse, underlined (by me) staring me in the face. Yes! He answered my prayer immediately. I realized this in that moment: I'd gone to church all of my life, but deep down wanted MY way. I had been following the laws of the church, not His laws. I got on my knees, asked forgiveness for my lawlessness, completely surrendered my heart to Him, and got up as a new woman.
I kept seeking to know and do His will. I went to several different churches, seeking His will. None of them felt right. Eventually, I wearied of the search and prayed, "God, I don't want a church, a denomination, a preacher, or a teacher. I want to know that I am following You, Your will, and Your ways."
Ever since I was nine years old, I wondered why we weren't with the Jews and why we didn't keep the Sabbath of the Ten Commandments. When I asked that question, I was told, "Those things have been changed." That made no sense to me, as a child nor as an adult.
So, I went to several "Jewish Roots" churches. Even those didn't feel right, mainly
because they made their own laws like the Southern Baptists. For example,
one teacher with a large following didn't even obey God's law about the
Sabbath.
Finally, Hashem led me to Messianic Judaism. There, I learned about the Torah and the importance of obeying God's laws. I learned that His ways are the ways of blessing, and I have been consistently and abundantly blessed by obeying His Word, His Will, and His Ways.
Gail-Friends, please think about this: If we're not to keep His laws, why did Yeshua have to die? Why did He tell His disciples to teach them to their disciples? Pray about it. Ask Him the question I asked:
Am I following You?
Am I following Your will?
Am I following Your ways?.
Click on this link to hear a beautiful song about Teshuvah
