So, in the grand scheme of things, what good does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? While trying not to sound esoterical, think about it this way: What good comes to anyone to gain insights and knowledge, but not be able to properly apply that knowledge to fulfill their greatest purpose in life?
We’ve already discussed this greater purpose in the previous two criteria points. We are created in YHVH’s image to be His reflection, His counterpart, in order to have ongoing communion with Him. With that stated, gaining knowledge, or the whole world doesn’t profit any of us a thing if we do not bring that knowledge back to the Creator. We are to reflect it back to Him by living it out and allowing Him to live it through each of us.
This criterion doesn’t stop with words on a page or answers kept in a journal. The application of walking out what we learn in righteousness is the way in which we grow and mature in our relationship with Yeshua our Savior.
Imaging for a moment, a parent teaching their child how to properly show affection. The child applies this knowledge in front of the parent at that moment, then demonstrates it to a grandparent. Job well done! Yet, when the other parent enters the room, the child’s behavior reverts to a menacing approach that was trying to be corrected. After a few rounds of proper teaching, and even discipline, the child knows the correct way to show affection and appreciation. When this is replaced with improper behavior, we know the child is in rebellion, and probably doesn’t have the affection or appreciation in their heart for that person.
The same holds true in our continuing walk with Yeshua. When He reveals Himself to us in some new way, we are to apply that to our lives by ridding our hearts of the yuck he has shown us, and replacing it with what is pleasing to Him. When we don’t, we are in rebellion, acting out of our own self-interests and in direct violation of His house rules.
The application of Torah and Yeshua’s Words, being revealed by the Ruach haKodesh is the height of a believer’s walk and relationship. We could discount that and contribute knowledge acquisition as a means to an end; yet, what undoubtedly happens is the quest for more knowledge becomes the ends and we begin to make justifications for that quest and knowledge as the means. Our lives become a spirally, episodic cycle of cognitive dissonance, always seeking to prove our own point and, by and large, get our own way.
When we work out our salvation with fear and trembling, we are working out the application of what Yeshua has said to do, exemplified for us, and reminded us of what pleases the Father. This is where the student submits to being a constant and vigilant disciple—not of man of Messiah, Who works through the Ruach and through fellow brothers and sisters.
To this extent, this last step is where the shoe leather is applied to the walk. The answers given reflect the part of the journey that lies behind and is immediately in front of the reader. With that in mind, doing what Yeshua said and did are both echad/in unity, just like Yeshua is with the Ruach, YHVH, and the Word.
