Guidelines for the Ekklesia of Yhwh

The Apostles of the Ekklesia of Yhwh live by the Commandments and follow the principles of the scriptures and give allegiance to the following guidelines.

There are so many things and ways that seem right to us.

Whether we are making a right(eous) decision is often a quandary to us because we have been partially blinded by sin, and need eye-salve; therefore the following verses have been presented in an effort that we might test everything we do and say in life, with them as our guidelines and inspiration.

We may ask ourselves the following questions based upon the accompanying verses.

Psalms 119:11 
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
 

Am I seeking or displaying attributes and ideas that promote anything else than the ways of our Saviour?

1 John 2:15 – 17
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Is my intended speech or action going to further the Saviour’s kingdom? How is it going to glorify and magnify Him?

Would it carry Yhwh’s approval and reward?

What is acceptable to me may not be acceptable to others, am I saying one thing and doing another? Is my hypocrisy causing others to make similar compromises into "grey" or “compromised” areas?

Romans 14:13
Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. 

5. Has what I am doing or saying, the appearance of evil?

Just a misunderstanding of our words or actions may cause offence to others and may even create a schism in Yehowshua's Ekklesia.

We need to be clear, or clarify our words if not understood correctly.

On the other hand, we need to personally go to our brethren and ask should they appear to be double-minded, or appear to be inconsistent to their high calling in Yehowshua.

Can others make something of our words or actions that was not intended?

Is what I am about to do, or say likely to be a weight that my throw the balance of good over to evil?

 Have I searched my own heart and put away all sin before seeking to learn, teach or question another?

Have I taken my eyes off my Saviour’s example?

Am I still running His race, or have I chosen a different pathway than what He has set for me?

Hebrews 12:1-2 
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Am I in a business partnership with an UNBELIEVER or CORPORATION?

Am I about to marry an UNBELIEVER or CORPORATION?

 Am I in fellowship with a group of UNBELIEVERS or CORPORATION?

Who is leading who?  

Am I following my Saviour’s supreme example, or am I being seduced by another “GOVERNMENT”?

Am I walking in the light? 

Am I walking as Yehowshua walked? 

Am I representing the DEAD? 

Am I representing darkness? 

2 Corinthians 6:14 
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Is it not the truth that the Ten Commandments are the only duty of mankind?

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. 

Is it not the truth that he who claims to know our Father and does not keep His commandments is a liar?

1 John 2:1-6 

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 

The two definitions of sin are found in:

1 John 3:4  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

And

James 4:17  Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. 

Sure there will be those amongst us who are in ignorance and are not wilfully in breach of the laws of Yhwh, they need nurturing and exposure to the light of truth, [Acts 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: and Ephesians 4:17-19 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:  Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.] however when there is wilful abandonment of these principles, the whole group have a duty to act according to:  

Matthew 18:15-18 

Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 

And remember forgiveness:

Matthew 18:19-22 

Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 

Ephesians 4:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Colossians 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Our first allegiance is to Yhwh (incorrectly called God) and Yehowshua (incorrectly renamed Jesus) alone.

Our next duty is to our fellow man- (and in that order.)

Matthew 5:23-24  Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Does just breaking only one commandment make us guilty of all?

James 2:10  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.. 

It is the mirror of the law that reflects back upon us and shows us if there are any defects or deformity in our character. This occurs only when we dare look into it. That law does not clean us up, it is only a mirror to reflect our sins into our conscience.

 It is the perfect law of liberty because it simply shows us that we are in bondage to sin. It has no function to be our Saviour. It is the transcript of our Father’s character, and its only function is to lead us to our Saviour for a free remedy, and thus we enter a state of liberty.

Romans 7:7  What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

When we are kept by grace, in obedience to the ten Commandments, (for the right reason eg. love and gratitude to Yhwh for what He has done for us) it is only then, that we have liberty through Him who has purchased our freedom with His blood. It can only be efficacious when we accept the freely offered blood of this covenant.  

James 1:21-26 

Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 

We will be reliant upon the blood of our Saviour Yehowshua only for salvation:

1 John 1:4-10 

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 

Neither our good works or obedience to the Ten Commandments recommend us to our Father for salvation, however these good works will be the natural fruitage and seen in the lifestyles and words of the redeemed.

Matthew 7:16-20 

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Isaiah 8:20 

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 

Finally:

Galatians 5:12-26