How many times have you heard someone call Abraham a Jew? And yet, it almost goes without saying that one of the most fascinating, indeed awe inspiring, glimpses into Bible prophecy can be found in the story of Abraham - the gentile. The story of Abraham is a story for anyone and everyone that places their trust in Jesus. When you examine this story of Abraham it is, in all reality, the story of the gentiles and how the gentiles are saved.
First the basics. Abraham was a direct descendant of Noah's son Shem. We know that the whole world was populated from the offspring of Noah. Shem we are told in Genesis 10:21 was father of all the children of Eber, who was the father of Abraham. Eber then is really the father of Hebrew nation; this means that Abraham his son was a Hebrew and not a Jew. Jews didn't come along until Abraham's great-grandson Judah began to have children of his own.
According to the Strong's Concordance the word Hebrew means: "a region across" which fits perfectly when we are told that Abraham was from Ur of the Chaldees in Genesis 11:31. The area of the Chaldees was located between the Tigris and Euphrates in what is commonly known as Mesopotamia. I'm offering all this information to point out that Abraham was a gentile, no matter how we look at it, but that's not the fascinating part. This is. That very same promises that God gave to Abraham are available to us! In fact, those promises, which were accepted by Abraham by his faith in God are the same promises we receive from God and accept by faith.
In Romans 4 Paul asks us to consider father Abraham and that his justification, if it was through works, would have given him something to boast about - but not before God. Abraham was not saved by works. Paul tells us plainly that Abraham believed God and his belief was reckoned to him as righteousness. Paul goes on to explain to us that if we work then the wages we earn are not a gift but what is due to us (Romans 4:4) whereas if we trust the one who "justifies the ungodly" then our faith is reckoned for righteousness, just like Abraham (Romans 4:5). To confirm this point Paul quotes David in the Psalms (Psalms 32:1-2).
This is getting good!
Now, Paul asks rather pointedly, "How then was it (faith) reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised?" Another way we could look at this question is this, was Abraham reckoned unto God before he was "set aside" by God or after? And the answer Paul? "It was not after, but before he was circumcised." (Romans 4:10).
What a tremendous blessing this is giving us! That God accepts our faith, even before our hearts are fully circumcised (See Romans 2:28-29) just as He did for Abraham. What a wonderful way to see the picture of God building trust with us!
Paul tells us that Abraham "received circumcision" as a sign or seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them" (Romans 4:11). What Paul is illustrating for us is that "the promise to Abraham and his descendants, that they should inherit the world, did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith." (Romans 4:13). No covenant, or special dispensation, but by faith alone. And this is exactly how we receive the promises that God makes to us! Not through the law, but by the "righteousness of faith." No covenant, or special dispensation, but by faith alone! Paul goes on to tell us that if those that adhere to the law are heirs, then "faith is null and the promise of God is void."
Paul tells us plainly in verse 16, "That is why it (the promise) depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants--not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all..."
So the promises that God made to Abraham, that were counted to him as righteousness due to his faith, are ours to claim as well! Paul tells us that, "It will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification." (Romans 4:24-25).
Wow!
The very same promises God made to Abraham belong to us as well. We will be reckoned by our faith in Him that raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead! What an awesome promise and an awesome glimpse as to how this prophetic vision, expressed first in the gentile Abraham, is now available to both Jew and gentile that accept the God that raised Jesus from the dead. As our faith is counted for righteousness in God so too is our faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:26).
Something that illustrates this point for us and solidifies the truth of this promise made to the gentiles is the story of the tremendous faith displayed by the centurion that led to the healing of his servant in Matthew 8:5-13.
He didn't question, he just believed. He just had faith. As a result, Jesus makes an absolutely staggering comment regarding the faith of the gentiles, "I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth." Matthew 8:11-12.
The promise here is obvious. The gentiles, those from the east and from the west, will sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven based on their faith and trust in Jesus Christ the Messiah while those that do not display faith in the Messiah by placing their trust in Him will be on the outside looking in.
There is much to learn from the faith of Abraham the gentile.
Showing posts with label Gentiles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gentiles. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Sorry, but that's just plain old wrong......
The following is found at Zionism on the Web:
Christian Zionism combats Christian antisemitism
There can be no more insidious or deadly train of thought as to say to someone "If you don't believe like I do then you must hate me" or "If you don't believe like I do then you must be a bigot." The above statement from Zionism on the Web bears this out. What's being said here in no uncertain terms is this: If you don't believe in Christian Zionism then you must be a racist, more specifically, antisemitic. You must be a bigot. The ignorance displayed by the above referenced statement bears this out. Yet a simple and cursory look at the Bible slices through this vitriol like a hot, two-edged sword slices through the core of men!
When Paul, a Pharisee and Benjamite states with clarity that, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28) then it must be concluded based on this declaration that Paul was antisemitic!
When Paul, a Pharisee and Benjamite states with clarity that, " Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." (Romans 9:6-8) then it must be concluded based on this declaration that Paul was antisemitic!
When Paul, a Pharisee and Benjamite states with clarity that, "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." and " But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." (Galatians 3:14, 22) then it must be concluded based on this declaration that Paul was antisemitic!
It must be pointed out that these promises do not come by blood but as Paul says these promises come by faith,
Romans 4: 13
For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
[Cometh] this blessedness then upon the circumcision [only], or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
Even more powerful is Paul's declaration that if we have faith in that which was promised to Abraham, that is Jesus Christ, then we are children of Abraham:
Galatians 3:7
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Of course, tying all of this together in a nice tight package for us is John the Baptist, who, when the religious leaders of his day insisted that the had the promise of Father Abraham by blood, were told in no uncertain terms that God the Father of all didn't need them and what's more, if He needed to, He could bring forth heirs to Abraham from stones.
Matthew 3:9
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
What's remarkable in all of this is that God has done just as he promised, and continues to do so to this very day! He has made a nation to rise in place of the stubborn and obstinate Children of Israel by and through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ was a Jew. Jews descended from Judah, who was one of the sons of Jacob who had his name changed by God. Jacob was the grandson of Abraham. Abraham was a son Eber. Eber was one of the sons of Shem. Shem is where we derive the term "antisemite."
And I am very thankful and very blessed that this humble and gracious Jewish carpenter called me to come to Him, to abide with Him and to be a part of His Kingdom. If believing the promises of the Bible and the truths they reveal make me an antisemite, then I stand guilty as charged!
Am I shocked by any of this? No, not in the least. Fortunately, I was given a "heads-up" ahead of time before anyone ever thought of the term "Christian Zionism."
Matthew 10:22
And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Christian Zionism combats Christian antisemitism
"A significant amount of Christian antisemitism revolves around the theory of replacement theology. According to this theory Christians replaced the Jews as the chosen people, and Jews have no further role to play in gods designs. Replacement theology, described by Zionism Israel.com as "a bigoted doctrine of the medieval church" is connection with anti-Semitism and specifically the promotion of the charge of Deicide, that is the Jews are blamed for the crucifixion. This charge from the medieval church lead to numerous genocides against the Jewish people in various countries. The church has since appologied and rejected this theology. Christian Zionists are at the forefront of exposing places where this evil lingers."
Special Note: The above was taken verbatim from the above named website. All spelling/typographical errors are from the website.There can be no more insidious or deadly train of thought as to say to someone "If you don't believe like I do then you must hate me" or "If you don't believe like I do then you must be a bigot." The above statement from Zionism on the Web bears this out. What's being said here in no uncertain terms is this: If you don't believe in Christian Zionism then you must be a racist, more specifically, antisemitic. You must be a bigot. The ignorance displayed by the above referenced statement bears this out. Yet a simple and cursory look at the Bible slices through this vitriol like a hot, two-edged sword slices through the core of men!
When Paul, a Pharisee and Benjamite states with clarity that, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28) then it must be concluded based on this declaration that Paul was antisemitic!
When Paul, a Pharisee and Benjamite states with clarity that, " Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these [are] not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." (Romans 9:6-8) then it must be concluded based on this declaration that Paul was antisemitic!
When Paul, a Pharisee and Benjamite states with clarity that, "That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." and " But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe." (Galatians 3:14, 22) then it must be concluded based on this declaration that Paul was antisemitic!
It must be pointed out that these promises do not come by blood but as Paul says these promises come by faith,
Romans 4: 13
For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
And Abraham's righteousness was counted as faith.....
[Cometh] this blessedness then upon the circumcision [only], or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
Even more powerful is Paul's declaration that if we have faith in that which was promised to Abraham, that is Jesus Christ, then we are children of Abraham:
Galatians 3:7
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Of course, tying all of this together in a nice tight package for us is John the Baptist, who, when the religious leaders of his day insisted that the had the promise of Father Abraham by blood, were told in no uncertain terms that God the Father of all didn't need them and what's more, if He needed to, He could bring forth heirs to Abraham from stones.
Matthew 3:9
And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to [our] father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
What's remarkable in all of this is that God has done just as he promised, and continues to do so to this very day! He has made a nation to rise in place of the stubborn and obstinate Children of Israel by and through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ was a Jew. Jews descended from Judah, who was one of the sons of Jacob who had his name changed by God. Jacob was the grandson of Abraham. Abraham was a son Eber. Eber was one of the sons of Shem. Shem is where we derive the term "antisemite."
And I am very thankful and very blessed that this humble and gracious Jewish carpenter called me to come to Him, to abide with Him and to be a part of His Kingdom. If believing the promises of the Bible and the truths they reveal make me an antisemite, then I stand guilty as charged!
Am I shocked by any of this? No, not in the least. Fortunately, I was given a "heads-up" ahead of time before anyone ever thought of the term "Christian Zionism."
Matthew 10:22
And ye shall be hated of all [men] for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Dispensational Non-Sense
Maybe you've heard them or seen them. Prominent pastors with large congregations and large national followings that constantly and consistently preach and teach that the modern and secular State of Israel will be saved apart from those that make up the body of the church established by Jesus Christ.
But is that really true? Does God the Father have one plan for the salvation of those that are called Jews and those that are called Gentiles? Is that the way God truly works? Clearly, the apostle Paul tells us that "...all Israel will be saved..." (Romans 11:26), but does that mean at the complete exclusion of the Gentiles? Or does the statement that Paul makes show us that all those who join themselves to the Lord will be called Israelites and thus be saved?
It's important to know and it's important to understand what the Lord is doing.
We have only scripture to point us in the right direction and to give us a firm grasp of what is true and what is false. In the days of the apostles, as they were writing their letters to the various churches, they had but one set of scriptures to prove the points that they were making and those scriptures were what we would call the "Old Testament" (2 Timothy 3:16). I suggest then that it is quite proper, and quite important, to establish the true and proper identity of "National Israel" through these "Old Testament" scriptures. This is just exactly what the apostles did, we should gladly do the same.
It cannot be doubted nor disputed that the Nation of Israel was to carry the oracles of God to the world. They were to be a model to the entire world at that time of the power, grace and majesty of the Lord their God.
Leviticus 24:2
Command the Children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.
In that oil is representative of the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:2-6; Revelation 4:5 ) the Children of Israel were surely responsible for ensuring that the lamps of the sanctuary to have the oil of light, so that the word of God could be clearly known to all those who joined themselves to His sanctuary.
Psalm 119:105
Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
This same word, this same light is what led the way and lighted the path of the ancient Israelites as they made there way through the wilderness:
Exodus 13:21
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
Isaiah 10:16-17
Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among His fat ones leanness; and under His glory He shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and His Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and His briers in one day;
The point is this and it must be made and understood....all those that wish to hear the Lord, that wish to be saved by the Lord must "join" themselves to the Lord. There is no other way. Gentiles were never promised salvation through the Savior, only the Nation of Israel was. Yet, to becomes an Israelite one must have done certain things. Certainly, circumcision was one thing but more importantly the desire to partake of the passover meal was another. See Exodus 12:40-49.
If one wished to join with this Nation Israel, "to sojourn" with them they were required to be circumcised if they had a desire to partake in the passover:
Exodus 12:48
And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
If the "stranger" was willing to do these things, the stranger was treated as a native son of the Nation of Israel, with all the rights of one that was born a direct descendant of Jacob (Israel).
Exodus 12:49
One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
Let's quickly fast forward to Paul's day. In his letter to the Ephesians Paul, in one of the most clear examples of this anywhere in the New Testament, compares this very example from Exodus as being fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:11-13
Wherefore remember, that ye [being] in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
It cannot be said any more succinctly. We Gentiles, which were formerly called uncircumcision by those that are part of the circumcision and where we were outside of Jesus Christ without the covenants of promise, without hope and outside of God in this world are made "near" to Jesus Christ by His blood. Just as the Gentile converts were adopted and absorbed into the Nation of Israel by circumcision and the desire to partake in the passover, the modern day Gentiles, converted into accepting and believing in the promises through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ are now partakers in the same covenant promises given to National Israel.
To make this point even more clear Paul goes on to say that we "...are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone]; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22.
Friends, it can be no more plain than the nose on one's face. God saves all of Israel, both of blood and those that are Israel by adoption. To believe anything thing else simply cannot be shown to be from scripture.
But is that really true? Does God the Father have one plan for the salvation of those that are called Jews and those that are called Gentiles? Is that the way God truly works? Clearly, the apostle Paul tells us that "...all Israel will be saved..." (Romans 11:26), but does that mean at the complete exclusion of the Gentiles? Or does the statement that Paul makes show us that all those who join themselves to the Lord will be called Israelites and thus be saved?
It's important to know and it's important to understand what the Lord is doing.
We have only scripture to point us in the right direction and to give us a firm grasp of what is true and what is false. In the days of the apostles, as they were writing their letters to the various churches, they had but one set of scriptures to prove the points that they were making and those scriptures were what we would call the "Old Testament" (2 Timothy 3:16). I suggest then that it is quite proper, and quite important, to establish the true and proper identity of "National Israel" through these "Old Testament" scriptures. This is just exactly what the apostles did, we should gladly do the same.
It cannot be doubted nor disputed that the Nation of Israel was to carry the oracles of God to the world. They were to be a model to the entire world at that time of the power, grace and majesty of the Lord their God.
Leviticus 24:2
Command the Children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.
In that oil is representative of the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:2-6; Revelation 4:5 ) the Children of Israel were surely responsible for ensuring that the lamps of the sanctuary to have the oil of light, so that the word of God could be clearly known to all those who joined themselves to His sanctuary.
Psalm 119:105
Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
This same word, this same light is what led the way and lighted the path of the ancient Israelites as they made there way through the wilderness:
Exodus 13:21
And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
Isaiah 10:16-17
Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among His fat ones leanness; and under His glory He shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. And the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and His Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and His briers in one day;
The point is this and it must be made and understood....all those that wish to hear the Lord, that wish to be saved by the Lord must "join" themselves to the Lord. There is no other way. Gentiles were never promised salvation through the Savior, only the Nation of Israel was. Yet, to becomes an Israelite one must have done certain things. Certainly, circumcision was one thing but more importantly the desire to partake of the passover meal was another. See Exodus 12:40-49.
If one wished to join with this Nation Israel, "to sojourn" with them they were required to be circumcised if they had a desire to partake in the passover:
Exodus 12:48
And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
If the "stranger" was willing to do these things, the stranger was treated as a native son of the Nation of Israel, with all the rights of one that was born a direct descendant of Jacob (Israel).
Exodus 12:49
One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
Let's quickly fast forward to Paul's day. In his letter to the Ephesians Paul, in one of the most clear examples of this anywhere in the New Testament, compares this very example from Exodus as being fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:11-13
Wherefore remember, that ye [being] in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
It cannot be said any more succinctly. We Gentiles, which were formerly called uncircumcision by those that are part of the circumcision and where we were outside of Jesus Christ without the covenants of promise, without hope and outside of God in this world are made "near" to Jesus Christ by His blood. Just as the Gentile converts were adopted and absorbed into the Nation of Israel by circumcision and the desire to partake in the passover, the modern day Gentiles, converted into accepting and believing in the promises through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ are now partakers in the same covenant promises given to National Israel.
To make this point even more clear Paul goes on to say that we "...are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone]; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." Ephesians 2:19-22.
Friends, it can be no more plain than the nose on one's face. God saves all of Israel, both of blood and those that are Israel by adoption. To believe anything thing else simply cannot be shown to be from scripture.
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