One day we will all have to give an account before God for what we have done in this life, whether good or bad (Matthew 25:31; Romans 2:5; II Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12). Human beings have free will and a moral conscience. Free will means we have responsibility; moral conscience means that God designed us to be able to discern between right and wrong. Those two together mean we have moral accountability.
Right and wrong should be “written in our conscience” (Romans 2:15). However our consciences have been distorted evil influences. Therefore God gave us the perfect moral law in the Bible: first in the Torah, especially The Ten Commandments; then the Prophets, Writings, and ultimately the New Covenant. Our consciences must be re-calibrated according to the universal moral laws found in the Bible. Moral conscience should match the moral law. The “Torah” of the full Biblical, moral revelation is promised to be written on our hearts in the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:33).
A young man once asked Yeshua what he needed to do to receive eternal life. Yeshua told him simply and directly to keep five of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), plus the Royal Law of Love (Leviticus 19).
You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself – Matthew 19:18-19.
These laws are beyond “religion,” be it Christianity, Judaism or Islam. They are universal and moral. The world is sinking into depths of terrorism, sexual perversion, corruption and rebellion. Islamic Jihadism breaks almost all of the Ten Commandments–therefore it cannot be considered as faith in the God of the Bible.
Some Ultra-Orthodox Jews refuse to serve in the Israeli army, tantamount to causing others to die in their place; many do not pay taxes but demand major government subsidies financed by those who do pay taxes; most make false claims that rabbinic traditions were commanded by God. Others even consider their Gentile “neighbors” to be racially unclean.
Some false Christians justify a life of open sin by saying they are saved by grace.
How can we justify our own resentment, anger, gossip, lust, pride and disrespect? Have we become more dedicated to entertainment, pleasure and comfort than to serving God (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Let us repent truly and deeply in our hearts, so that we will be ready to give an account for our lives before God.
Asher serves as president of Tikkun Global family of ministries and congregations, dedicated to the dual restoration of Israel and the Church. He is founder of the Revive Israel five-fold ministry team, and oversees both Ahavat Yeshua and Tiferet Yeshua congregations in Israel.
He and his wife Betty share a passion for personal prayer and devotion, local evangelism and discipleship in Hebrew, and unity of the Body of believers worldwide.
Asher was raised in a conservative Jewish home and holds degrees from Harvard University, Baltimore Hebrew College and Messiah Biblical Institute. He has authored numerous books, tracts and articles.