"The Israel Of God"

Galatians 6:16

Contrary to popular opinion, the physical, political nation of Israel is not the object of God's love, grace and favor. There are no promises given by God to the Jews, or anyone else, based upon race, nationality, or any other earthly distinction. This needs to be understood. All the promises of God are in Christ and made to sinners only in Christ (II Cor. 1:20). The promises of God are all promises of pure, free, sovereign, unconditional grace, made to, revealed to and given to faith (Gal. 5:6). "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34). He has no regard for circumcision, and no regard for uncircumcision. No man or woman is advantaged or disadvantaged before God by his race, nationality or works. God sees no worth in any human flesh, Jewish or Gentile, black or white, male or female, rich or poor. We are all, by nature, guilty sinners, in need of mercy, without claim upon God.

God no longer deals with the Jews as a nation. Because of their unbelief he has cut them off (Matt. 23:37-38; Rom. 11:20). Without question, God sovereignly rules the nation of Israel, just as he rules all others, in his providence. And any Jew who believes on Christ is saved, just as any Gentile who believes. But God has forever forsaken both Judaism and national Israel because of unbelief.

"The Israel of God" is not that little nation over in the middle east. "The Israel of God" is the church of God's elect, the house and temple of the living God, scattered throughout all the nations of the world and ages of time. The Israel of God is made up of redeemed sinners out of every nation, kindred, tribe and tongue, who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. We who believe are the circumcision (Phil. 3:3; Rom. 2:28-29), the people of God's covenant (Heb. 10:15-17), the chosen and blessed nation of God's elect (I Pet. 2:9-10). God's church, his elect, are that Israel that shall be saved when "the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" (Rom. 11:25-36). God's church, "the Israel of God," will be complete when all the elect Gentiles as well as elect Jews have been brought to Christ by his almighty grace (John 10:16). Salvation and grace are promised not to Abraham's physical seed, but to the spiritual seed of covenant promise (Rom. 9:6-8).

Don Fortner