I do.

Observance of Torah for the believer in Yeshua has never been about obtaining salvation for ourselves. Yeshua has completely accomplished that. It is finished. As a sign and symbol of our acceptance of Him as our Messiah, we obey His teachings. He taught from the entire Word of G-d, so to walk in His ways, is to walk in obedience to the entirety of scripture. He is the Word - the living, breathing, healing, sustaining, teaching, loving, resurrecting Word of G-d. This relationship, this agreement is not co-authored by us. G-d did not ask, nor consider, what we thought would be best to include in it or remove from it. He knows better. He created His own offer and wrote it in His own innocent blood. In a way, it really has little to do with us, other than the obvious fact that we are free to either accept or decline it. We are not free to rewrite, revise or renegotiate it any way, however.

Think of it this way. I am married. I wear a ring as evidence of that. Others see the ring and understand that I'm in a covenant with my wife. I am spoken for. I took an oath. I vowed to uphold an agreement between my wife and I. I did not write the agreement myself. I just accepted it and it is irrevocable. The ring I wear, though it is a powerful, meaningful symbol (that could in many situations even "protect" me from potentially breaking my oath by serving as a visual reminder to myself and others), is only that - a symbol. My ring is not my marriage. It is merely a circular piece of metal. It is a shadow of the reality of, not only the covenant between my wife and I, but of the actual, real, true love between us as well. The love between us, our relationship, is the actual power. It causes me to want to wear the ring. It causes me to want to show others that I am spoken for and unavailable to enter into a relationship with anyone but my wife. Now, if I were unmarried, purchased a ring and put it on, would that mean that I was in a covenant relationship with a wife? Of course not. Is there anything I could buy, wear or do to enter into a relationship with a wife without actually being in an actual love relationship with her? No way! Will a woman draw close to me, desiring to enter into a covenant relationship because I simply wear a ring? If only it were that easy! As a married man, I come home to my wife each night, I provide for her by working, I do chores around the house, I raise our daughter together with her. I do these things because I love her and she is my wife, but also because I am supposed to. It's the substance of our agreement and it's what a husband does. Could I simply do these physical things, never speaking to her, never showing her any physical affection, or never exhibiting anything that would show her that I believe we are in a loving relationship and expect that she would stay married to me? I don't think so. At least, it would be miserable for the both of us. If you see a man or a woman without a wedding ring, you assume they aren't in a covenant relationship with another. If they are in one, but don't wear a ring, you assume that they probably aren't very dedicated to each other or that their love isn't very strong - otherwise, they would desire to illustrate that to others outwardly. Finally, If you see your spouse, the one you have entered into a covenant of love with, out in public, not wearing their ring (the symbol of your agreement and your love), you automatically fear something is wrong. Why wouldn't they want to wear the ring? Even though it is merely a symbol - it is a powerful, recognizable one.

Now bring your understanding of that analogy back and contemplate this. The marriage is between Yeshua and I. G-d authored the covenant. We are both bound to uphold it. The ring is my observance of G-d's instruction - His Torah. My observance is an outward symbol of my love for Him. Torah is not the relationship. It is the details of the written, physical agreement. It is a visual sign of my oath. The fact that I am in an actual, real love relationship with Yeshua causes me to want to "wear" it. I would never take it off, even upon the threat of my life - much less someone telling me that it was unnecessary. It serves as both my own visual reminder and a sign to others that I am spoken for. I am unavailable to enter into a relationship with any other. Is there anything I could buy, wear or do to enter into a relationship with G-d? G-d forbid! Could I merely observe the aspects of Torah and expect G-d would draw near to me desiring a relationship? No way! Is there anything at all on earth that can bring us closer to G-d, besides the atoning sacrifice of His Son, Yeshua and the subsequent in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit? If only it were that easy! If only He didn't have to come all the way down, wrap Himself in our feeble skin and subject Himself to brutal beatings and cold-blooded murder to ransom us from our diseased and dying selves. But, praise HaShem, He did! He kept every bit of G-d's Torah to total perfection, in order to present Himself as a spotless, unblemished offering. His motivation to do all that? To keep all those laws? To endure all the suffering and shame? He accomplished all of that just so He could have a chance at falling in love with you.