What is a Messianic?

We have heard from some people in the Dixon community asking, "Who are the people at the new church in Dixon?" and "What do they believe?" We are your neighbors in Dixon, and we have families coming from Iowa, Central Illinois, Freeport and Maple Park. We have had visitors from Minnesota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. We are a body of people that God is gathering from all over, who long for truth and fellowship with other believers. Simply put, a Messianic believes in Jesus, whose name in Hebrew is Yeshua and means salvation comes from Yahweh. But how we live out our faith carries distinct differences rooted in the early history of Yeshua's followers. We seek to place the truth of God's Word over the traditions of man.
The majority of Yeshua's first-century followers were Jewish, and they lived in accordance with the Torah of God. The Torah, often translated as "law," means God's instructions, judgments, and ways of ruling. It is the divine guidance on how to love God and our neighbors. Psalm 119 beautifully encapsulates this, stating, "O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97).
The people coming out of Egypt after 400 years of bondage, according to the Bible, were a mixed multitude. This means they were not just Israelites, but also people of many nations. Anyone who trusted in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was welcome to be freed from slavery in Egypt and set free to worship God. After they had been freed, God took them into the wilderness, where He gave this mixed multitude His Ten Commandments, which unified them as a people. It was this way then, and it remains this way today. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are freed from the bondage of our sins and become free to worship Him in accordance with His Laws/Instructions/Torah.
Yeshua did not have different laws than the Father; they are one (Echad). From the beginning, all of God's laws were meant for love because God loves the whole world. His laws teach us how to love Him first and how to love our neighbors as ourselves. His Torah teaches us how and why we need to be saved from the penalty of our sins, and His Torah teaches us how to grow and look more like Him each day.
When Yeshua spoke in Matthew 5:17-18, saying He came to fulfill the law, He did not mean to abolish or end it. He came to exemplify it. He further explained that not a single jot or tittle would disappear from the Torah until heaven and earth pass away. This statement reaffirms the lasting importance of the Torah for believers.
Living according to the Torah means embracing God's ways, which surpass human traditions and interpretations. The Torah is beautiful, showing us our need to repent of sin and turn towards God. It humbles us by revealing that we cannot save ourselves by our own works, and like David, the Torah reveals to us how great God's mercy and grace truly is. David expresses this in the Psalms, saying, "Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the abundance of Your compassion blot out my transgressions" (Psalm 51:1).
At Corner Fringe Ministries Dixon, we are an imperfect people who are learning to love a perfect God in His love language; faith, and obedience. Are you imperfect too? Have you recognized that your actions and lifestyle have consequences and you are looking for answers? Then we want to invite you to get to know us, to ask questions, and we will be happy to share the answers we have and help find the answers we don't.
If you’re interested in learning more or discussing these ideas over a cup of coffee, please feel free to contact me at Mike@cornerfringe.com. You can also visit our new website at cornerfringedixon.com. The Bible promises a coming day of judgment, and it feels fast approaching. With the time that remains, we need to let the whole world know about who Jesus is, how they can be saved from the penalty of sin, and what it means to really be loved. Let’s not wait—together, we can make an eternal difference.