Questions from Mark:

Did the OT Israelites got saved through faith plus works?

Natan’s answer:

The answer is no. The biblical “formula” for initial salvation has never changed: it is and always has been salvation by grace through faith in Yeshua the Messiah.. Paul addresses this issue in Rom 4 in his discussion about Abraham being justified by faith. He also addresses it in his oft-quoted Eph 2:8 passage. But in verse 10 he goes on to say that the proof or fruits that we are actually saved is the “good works” that we are called to “walk in.” This may sound to some people like a grace plus works-based equation, but man-made labels of any kind are not helpful in explaining the deep mysteries of the gospel. All I can do is to point people to the Bible verses and then let the Word of Elohim speak for itself. Either people have the heart and mind to receive the truth or they don’t. I have no control over that. If people don’t agree with the Bible, then their argument is with the Bible, not with me. 
Moreover Yeshua said, “if you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:6). We also have numerous other passages along similar lines that we could quote as well in this regard.
In several places in Romans, Paul said that we’re not justified by works, but then James goes on to say that faith without works is dead and that man is justified by works (Jas 2:14–26). So are Paul and James opposed to each other? Is the Word of Elohim divided? May it never be so. Paul is talking about one’s initial salvation, while James is talking about once one is saved they have to back up their salvation with righteous works. Sounds exactly like what Paul is saying in Eph 2:8 and 10 and in Rom 2:13. It’s also what Paul is saying about the fruits of the Spirit in Gal 5 being evidence of one’s life in the Spirit (i.e. that one is saved and in relationship with Yeshua). It is also what Each of those fruits of the Spirit are a Torah-principle, while the works of the flesh are also a violation of a Torah principle. All of this may all seem confusing to those who understand works, justification, salvation and faith from a typical linear and singular dimensional Christian viewpoint, but the apostles are discussing various facets, dimensions, aspect and levels of salvation that seems to have escaped many biblical teachers who have crammed the concept of “salvation” into a neatly labeled Greco-Roman theological box that, quite frankly, missed many of the finer points of the subject, and a result, has made many false converts to Christianity (as Yeshua discusses in the Parable of the Wheat and Tares and the Good Fish and Bad Fish Parable. The supernal and uninvestigatable concepts of the Creator of the universe don’t fit so neatly into our pathetically small man-made theological boxes. 
The bottom line is that the Bible teaches that one who knowingly and willfully disobey’s the commandments of Elohim either wasn’t saved in the first place, or lost their salvation along the way as Yeshua’s Parable of the Sower illustrates. So we aren’t saved by our good works, but our good works determine two things: whether we retain our salvation (for our good works are the very fruits of the Spirit’s activity in our lives) after being saved initially, and our good works secure our rewards in YHVH’s kingdom (Matt 5:19 and many other Scriptures). 
These are some important biblical truths that are often not taught in the mainstream church.

 

On Being Spiritual Mountain Climbers

From the time that YHVH revealed himself to the children of Israel while they were enslaved in Egypt, he has been calling his people to be spiritual mountain climbers. He first called the Israelites out of Egypt and up to Mount Sinai, and then up to Mount Zion in Jerusalem. He then called his people to come even higher yet to the upper room on the day of Pentecost, and he is now calling his people to come up even higher to the New Jerusalem that is above us and is the mother of us all. This highest mountain of YHVH is the ultimate source of our spiritual sustenance, the source of the river of life along which the trees of life are situated. From this spiritual wellspring comes all divine revelation and ultimately immortal life as children of the Most High.

The beginning of the upward spiritual journey of YHVH’s people is memorialized in the counting of the omer, which starts on First Fruits Day occurring during the Feast of Unleavened Bread and culminates fifty days later with the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (Heb. Shavuot; Lev 23:4–16). Each new step in this journey is a stepping stone or a launch pad to the next. For the Israelites, the journey started at sea level in the flat-land river delta of Egypt (a metaphor for this world, Satan and death) and then continues climbing higher and higher until it reaches heaven itself—the abode of Elohim.

The problem is that most people only climb so far in their spiritual journey and then stop, or they grow weary along the way or become comfortably complacent at the level they have thus far attained and never move past that spot. This is dangerous! 

To not move forward spiritually is to stagnate and to die. YHVH wants a people that are on the move, who will obediently follow him wherever he leads, and not stop and park along the way only to construct their religious monuments with their fossilized customs, rituals and traditions. Heaven is a long way above the earthly plane, and YHVH wants children who will seek him no matter what, who have a heart to follow him no matter where, and no matter the cost. Although eternal life is a free gift from heaven, it won’t be given easily. It costs nothing, but, at the same time, it costs everything! Man must be willing to sacrifice his all—to lose his earthly life—to gain eternal life. YHVH refuses to give out his priceless gift of eternal life willy-nilly to anyone and everyone! YHVH requires that his saints be determined, tough and gritty mountain climbers who refuse to give up until that summit is reached. He has no pleasure in those who turn back, or refuse to go on. Only those who doggedly overcome the world, the flesh and the devil remaining lovingly loyal and obedient to him will receive the highest reward he has to offer.

The Spirit Versus the a Letter of the Law—the Two Covenants

Let’s now explore what it is to climb the mountains that YHVH has placed before us to ascertain where we are at on the journey and how far we have to go to reach the ultimate summit.

 

Numbers 22:21–22, A willful, selfish manipulator. Balaam was willful, greedy, arrogant, rebellious and presumptuous in the face of YHVH’s revealed will. Balaam was attempting to manipulate YHVH through soulish means for his personal gain, but YHVH always has the upper hand.

YHVH Elohim is sovereign over the affairs of men regardless of men’s machinations. The will of YHVH cannot be manipulated or bent to accommodate men’s selfish ambitions. After all, how can man—a created being—hope to play mind games with the Sovereign Creator of the universe and win? In the end, man will be humbled and YHVH will be exalted as was the case with Balaam—an arrogant and internationally acclaimed “prophet.” He was made to look like a fool through a talking donkey and all this occurred in front of the accompanying delegation of Moabite leaders. 

It was evident to all that Balaam was but a pawn in the hands of YHVH, and that if YHVH could make a brute beast speak, then he was certainly capable of putting his words into the mouth of mortal man, albeit a sorcerer. 

What lessons can we learn here? Is it wise to toy with or tempt Elohim or try to manipulate him to fit our will? How often do we attempt to bend his will to fit our own? How often do we attempt to push forth our own carnal and selfish agendas, and then attempt to convince ourselves and others that it is the will of YHVH? What are the end results? How many people go through life on this basis and never mature, since they continually act like wilful, bratty and rebellious children who always demand their own way and refuse to grow up spiritually? They have never learned to distinguish between their own carnal will and that of the Almighty. 

The good news is that when we finally submit to YHVH and let go of our own selfish agendas, it is then that we start to have the breakthroughs in our lives and begin to experience his joy, shalom and victory not to mention an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.