The Six Stages of Torahism

1. Denial Stage

You first hear about keeping Torah and instantly quote every out-of-context verse (especially from Galatians) against it. None of your arguments hold up, though, and you begin to wonder why you believe what you believe.

2. Anger Stage

It slowly dawns on you that modern Christianity looks vastly different from what Jesus and His disciples practiced or taught. You dig into church history and discover that many traditions came from antisemitism, Roman religion, and mistranslated Scripture. Outraged, you wonder how you could’ve missed it for so long. You turn eyes of accusation towards the religious teachers.

3. Bargaining Stage

It’s hard to let go of tradition. Friends and family get offended when you question non-biblical holidays, so you try to compromise and not rock the boat. But even with compromise you face rejection, and the hurt from it feeds frustration as you start pressing harder for others to understand you.

4. Crusader Stage

You’re on fire for truth more than ever as people try to fight your new lifestyle! You boldly proclaim from the rooftops that everyone’s believing a lie and must repent. The more opposition you face, the louder you get. Your passion is genuine but dreadfully unrefined and pride creeps in. No one appreciates your newfound boldness, which only makes you feel all the more validated that you are being called to be spread the truth under their persecution.

5. Depression Stage

Few people listen. You realize that you are now completely isolated from friends, family, and even some fellow Torah-keepers. The loneliness weighs heavy, and you start to retreat back into your shell.

6. Acceptance Stage

Finally, after being quieted and humbled, you stop trying to run on your own fuel and Abba can finally start working on your own heart. Not that He wasn’t working on you before in all of this, but you weren’t letting His spirit guide you. Your own spirit was too busy and loud shouting out at the unrighteousness of everything. You begin to see others with compassion, accept that not everyone understands yet, and realize you don’t know everything either. You focus on simply living out the Torah and faith in Yeshua - walking in obedience, peace, and humility, and sharing with those whose hearts are open.

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does YHWH require of you? To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your Elohim.

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.