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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Israel Is the Church
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)
Israel is the Christian Church. The Christian Church is Israel. The Christian Church does not replace Israel, it is Israel and always has been Israel. The New Testament writings reveal clearly that there is only one Israel, only one Church, only one elect whether Jew or Gentile by birth. It is impossible to cut a straight course in the Word of truth until we grasp the concept that there is only one Israel of God.
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; (Ephesians 2:11)
"Being in time past Gentiles in the flesh"!
We physical Gentiles who believe in Christ are now spiritual Israel.
The thesis of this short paper is that Israel and the Church are one. It is our point of view that the concept of the Church being separate from Israel is one of the most destructive ideas ever to appear in Christian doctrine.
It is destructive because without the Church there can be no Kingdom of God on the earth and without Israel there can be no Kingdom of God on the earth. By putting a division between Israel and the Church Satan has effectively rendered the Divine plan for the establishing of God's will on the earth ineffective and incoherent.
We must keep in mind that Satan cares little whether Christians "go to Heaven." Satan's fear is that God's Christ will come to earth and convert the nations to righteous behavior. Such conversion can be accomplished only through the Church, and Christ will govern only from Jerusalem, for thus it is written. Therefore by driving a wedge between Israel and the Church, Satan hopes to prevent the coming of the Kingdom of God to the earth.
Let us always keep in mind that the Church of God is not Gentile. It began as a Jewish institution and shall conclude with a great outpouring of the Spirit of God on the Jews. We Gentiles are in the middle of the sandwich. To teach otherwise is to ignore history, to ignore practical considerations, and to substitute man-made doctrines for the eternal Scriptures.
By claiming that to teach otherwise is to ignore practical considerations we mean, for example, what about believers who are part Jewish, part Gentile by race? What do we do about the early Apostles, all of whom were Jewish? Are they part of the Gentile Church or part of Israel? Such speculation is foolishness, but erroneous doctrine has created unbelievable havoc in the understanding of the Scriptures and the Kingdom of God.
The Jews I have talked to will not receive us Gentile Christians as being a part of Israel. I have attempted to explain that the Gospel is their bread, that they are first in line to receive the Kingdom of God, that Christianity is a Jewish religion, that the state of Israel is destined to be the leading Christian nation of the world, and that believing Gentiles are an integral part of the one Kingdom from Heaven.
They will have none of it!
To be continued.