Introduction

The Apostle Matthew wrote: “Behold, one came to Him [Yeshua] and said, 'Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (Matt. 19:16-17).

Yeshua’s answer regarding salvation could not have been clearer. It needs no interpretation. Yet, mainstream Christianity teaches the exact opposite—that believers are not required to keep God’s Law (which the Apostle Paul also referred to as “works”) to attain salvation. This view is based primarily on their interpretation of Paul’s statement in Ephesians 2:8–9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8–9). While this statement is true, mainstream Christianity’s interpretation of it blatantly contradicts Yeshua’s teaching.

Paul’s Use of the Term Justification

The Apostle Peter noted that some of Paul’s letters contain difficult teachings that “…untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction” (2 Pet. 3:14–16). This is exactly the case here. Unlike Yeshua’s clear statement on salvation, Paul’s statement involves theological concepts that require careful study to be understood properly. Let’s take a closer look.

Just as Paul stated that being saved required “no works” in his letter to the Ephesians, he also made equivalent statements in his letters to the Romans and the Galatians. However, in those letters he was precise, connecting his "no works" statements to the theological concept of justification. In Romans 3:28, he states: “...a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law.” In Galatians 2:16, he states, “knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” So, Paul’s statements about works and the Law concern his teaching on justification.

Therefore, all three of Paul’s “no works” statements—to the Ephesian, Roman, and Galatian congregations—apply only to the first step of salvation: justification. When we come to faith, no amount of Law-keeping or works can forgive our past sins. Only Yeshua’s sacrifice can do that. However, once we have been justified by faith and our past sins have been forgiven, we are required to keep His Law to the end through the lifelong process of sanctification. Thus, salvation is attained by keeping God’s Law through faith. 

Two Steps to Eternal Life: Justification and Sanctification

Paul taught the Gentiles that salvation consists of two steps. The first step is justification. This is the one-time act of accepting Messiah Yeshua as Savior and having our past sins forgiven. The second step is sanctification, a lifelong process of keeping the Law by faith and overcoming sin to the end (Matt. 10:22; Matt. 24:13; Mark 13:13; Rev. 2:26), when we receive salvation (Rom. 6:22; 1 Thess. 4:1-10; 1 Cor. 1:2; etc.).

In his letter to the Romans, Paul addressed the difference between justification and sanctification. About justification he wrote, “Having been therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Master Yeshua Messiah” (Rom. 5:1). Concerning the relationship between justification and sanctification, he wrote, “But now, having been set free from sin, and having become servants of God, have your fruit unto sanctification, and its end, eternal life” (Rom. 6:22). He also wrote, “For God called us not unto uncleanness, but onto sanctification” (1 Thess. 4:7). He added, “Adam wasn’t deceived, but the woman, being deceived, has fallen into transgression, but she will be saved through her childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and sanctification with sobriety” (1 Tim. 2:14-15). He also added, “Follow after peace with all men, and sanctification, without which no man will see the Lord…” (Heb. 12:14). Notice that in each of these Scriptural references, with the one exception of the first that addresses justification, Paul referred to sanctification as a lifelong process.

Other Examples of Justification and Sanctification

1. The Israelites' sacrifice of the Passover lambs in Egypt, which were a type of Yeshua, speaks to justification and their victory over their enemies, which was a type of sin, and their subsequent arrival in the Promised Land, which is a type of God’s kingdom, speaks to sanctification.

2. Yeshua’s forgiveness of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11) speaks to justification. His command, “go, and sin no more,”[1] speaks to sanctification.

3. The Jerusalem council addressed what was immediately required of the new converts to the faith (Acts 15:1-21). James’ statement, “Therefore, my judgment is that we do not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God” (vs. 19), speaks to justification. His follow-up statement, “For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who proclaim him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath” (vs. 21), speaks to sanctification.

4. In Paul’s letter to the Romans, his statement, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law” (Rom. 3:28), speaks to justification outright. His follow-up statement, “Do we then make void the Law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the Law” (Rom. 3:31), speaks to sanctification.

5. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, his statement, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9), speaks to justification. His follow-up statement, “For we are His workmanship, created in Messiah Yeshua to do good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them” (vs. 10), speaks to sanctification.

Notice that in the Scriptures cited above, the process of sanctification through Law observance was required of both the Israelites and the Gentile converts to the faith. This is exactly what the Scriptures tell us, that both the native-born in Israel and those who are grafted in are required to keep the Law (Ex. 12:49; Lev. 24:22; Num. 9:14; 15:15-16).

False Doctrine About Salvation

Based on Paul’s no-works statement in Ephesians 2:8–9, most teachers in the Hebrew Roots community are now teaching that: “We do not keep the Torah (works) for our salvation, but because of our salvation." This statement is also a lie. Again, Ephesians 2:8–9 is about justification, not sanctification and ultimate salvation.

“Who Then Can be Saved?”

Let’s return to Matthew 19:16–17, where Yeshua told the man that he must keep the commandments to have eternal life. Verses 25-26 state, “When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Yeshua beheld them, and said unto them, 'With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible'” (cf., 1 John 5:1-5). This raises an important question: How is it possible?

Yeshua declared, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper to be with you forever…” (John 14:15-16). His statement connects keeping the commandments with receiving “the Helper,”  the Holy Spirit (vs. 26; cf. 15:26; 16:7). This answer is explained in Acts 1:8, where Yeshua states, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” So, since we cannot keep God’s commandments perfectly on our own (Rom. 3:23), God helps us keep them through the power of his Holy Spirit.

After Yeshua's ascension, the Gospel—the Good News—was opened to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46, etc.). Over time, false converts infiltrated Yeshua's congregation (Jude 1:3-4), ascended to positions of authority, and used that influence to elevate Paul’s teachings on justification over Yeshua’s clear and authoritative statement about salvation. This is idolatry.

The truth is that ultimate salvation without works is a lie. Believers are required to keep God’s Law by faith to receive it. James expressed it this way: “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:20).

Conclusion

Many Believers are uncomfortable with the uncertainty of not knowing if they are going to receive salvation, so they deceive themselves into believing that the Scriptures teach that they have already received it in this lifetime. This is not so. While we do not achieve our ultimate salvation in this lifetime, we can certainly live our lives in the hope of it. Paul wrote, “But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:8).

Paul also states, “For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruit of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees? But if we hope for that which we do not see, we wait for it with patience” (Rom. 8:22-25).

​יהוה bless and keep you. יהוה make His face to shine on you, and be gracious to you. יהוה lift up His face toward you, and give you peace.

                                                                                                                                                                                                     Stephen Otto

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