Many people do not realize that when they become a believer in Jesus Christ, and have been genuinely born again of the Spirit of God, they have also become part of the Israel of God. Who could possibly explain this better than the Jewish apostle Paul who was converted to Jesus Christ Himself. In one of his letters to the Galatians (which became scripture) Paul wrote the following:
But God forbid that I should glory, save (except) in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. (Galatians 6:14-16)
The apostle Paul made it clear to the people that it did not matter whether or not a person was circumcised or not. He knew that every person needed to become a new creature (creation) in Jesus Christ. Paul himself was physically circumcised, but he knew not Christ, until his conversion on the road to Damascus. Paul did not experience that ‘spiritual circumcision’ in the heart until that time. That was the only thing that really mattered and Paul knew that. If you listen to the words of Paul here you will hear him give all the glory to Jesus Christ, and he talks about the cross, because he understood what the blood of Jesus Christ meant to him. Paul was a saved man, and he truly appreciated what Christ had done for him, and that should be the testimony of every true born again believer in Jesus Christ. Paul then goes on to give a blessing to those who walk in the same way which he just described and he refers to them as the Israel of God.
The term Israel of God is therefore describing that group of people who are followers of Jesus Christ. That group includes Jewish believers, who have been physically circumcised, and that group includes Gentile (non Jewish from all nations), who were not circumcised. In fact it includes non circumcised people from both of those groups. But the one thing ALL of those people in the Israel of God have in common, is that they have become new creations in Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The main point that I want you to see here is that a person is not a Jew in the sight of God, merely because of their lineage, but a person is a Jew because of their relationship with the true and living God! The same apostle Paul wrote the following:
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Romans 2:28-29)
A person is either in the Kingdom of God or they are not, it is that simple.
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:12-14)
A person who is in Jesus Christ has been translated (transferred) into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son (the Kingdom of God). We who believe in Christ have been delivered from the power of darkness, been redeemed by the blood, and forgiven of our sins. Whenever we read such things it is natural and correct to believe that those who reject Jesus Christ, have not come into the Kingdom of God, have not been redeemed, and have not been forgiven of their sins. That is the very reason people evangelize and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
The apostle Paul spoke clearly and plainly to the people in a way that a little child could understand it. There is a bogus and counterfeit ‘Christianity” in the land that elevates the ethnic Israel to a place that God never intended. The Gospel is for all people, and God will not allow any group of people, to be elevated over another group of people. All people have the opportunity, and FREE WILL to repent and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It is most important for a person to understand that God does not have two separate plans, one for the ‘church’ and one for Israel (the Jewish people). This is one of Satan’s greatest deceptions and distractions in our day. The Devil seeks to put a focus on the physical land of Israel, and he stirs up the pot whenever the true believers in Jesus Christ seek to take a stand against the ungodly “Christian Zionism” movement.
If I may illustrate here, it is like that little dog Toto in the old Wizard of Oz movie, when he pulled back the curtain on the man behind the controls. That man behind the curtains pulling all those levers, was trying to give off the impression that he was a BIG and POWERFUL WIZARD, but in reality, it was all a grand delusion. That Wizard of Oz controlled the people by instilling a fear inside their hearts until that man was exposed!
The WIZARDRY of this modern day ‘Christian’ Zionist movement, inspired and controlled by the Master Deceiver Satan is slowly being pulled back, not by a little puppy dog, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, and by the Word of God! Many sincere Christians are are coming out from under the spell from which Satan had held them captive. Praise the Lord for His great faithfulness to His people!
Many true and sincere Christians are having their eyes opened up for the first time, as they realize that they had been deceived by Satan’s ministers, the false prophets, who disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (2 Corinthians 11:14-15)
If you study the scriptures you will see that Jesus Christ Himself was very concerned for the souls of the Jewish people, but he never compromised his stand against their sin and rejection of Himself! In fact he taught the Jewish people the ‘parable of the vineyard’ (Matthew 21:33-46) to illustrate to them how they had stoned and killed their very own prophets, and how they would eventually kill him too! Jesus actually prophesied of his own death at the hands of His own people (unbelieving Israel)! (Matthew 21:37-39) The Lord then told the Jewish people that the Kingdom would be taken away from them and given to a nation that would bear fruit! (Matthew 21:43)
To proclaim in this day and age that God has a separate plan for the Jewish people outside of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ is ludicrous. To proclaim that the present day true church, which is made up of born again believers, who have been circumcised in the heart, are merely a parenthesis in God’s plan is pure insanity. The Devil is truly in the details there.
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. (Matthew 23:37-39)
The Lord told the people of Israel that their house would become desolate because of their own rejection of Him. There will never be another cross, and there will never be another BLOOD atonement to replace that what Christ has already done at Calvary. Either you are IN or you are OUT! The call has been going on for nearly two thousand years now, and both Jew and Gentile are invited to come in. There will be no special ‘gospel’ for anybody other than that which Christ and His followers preached then, and still do now.
Jesus preached a message of repentance and faith before He was killed:
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:15)
And that is the message that Jesus Christ preached after He rose from the dead!
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:44-48)