God’s sovereign eternal plan and purpose for mankind was to call out, and then sanctify, a holy people unto Himself with whom He could have unspoiled intimate spiritual communion, and thus be glorified in. That design of God involved sending His only begotten Son – the Lord Jesus Christ – to redeem a particular people unto Himself, by the voluntary shedding of His blood. Through this act of atonement, the wrath of God was appeased in the redeemed, His justice was satisfied and the elect of God were graciously reconciled unto the living God. Even though the grace of God was promised to the spiritual offspring of the Patriarch of “many nations,” this spiritual favor was largely restricted to the populace of national Israel between the time of Abraham and Christ. This is not to say Gentiles were excluded, as many were converted and joined the nation of Israel. During the time of Abraham, the worship of God took on a more formal approach in the way of an organized religion, this involved God establishing a central focal point for the collective worship of the people of God in the form of a tabernacle/temple which was but a copy and shadow of heaven. This was kept exclusively within the national boundaries of physical Israel – a small geographical landmass in global terms.
Notwithstanding, at the cross, this all changed. Salvation was widened out to freely embrace the Gentile people, and therefore all nations, thus fulfilling this ancient promise to Abraham and making the grace of God a universal reality. We learn in the New Testament, the plan of salvation is open to all types of men irrespective of color, nationality, gender or natural ability. However, not all will enter into the redemptive work of Christ in salvation. This salvation and redemption is acquired by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. Ephesians 2:11-13 confirms how things have all changed since the cross, saying, “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.”
The word rendered “commonwealth” in the King James Version is the Greek word politeia (Strong’s 4174) which simply means citizenship or community. We the Church of Jesus Christ today (those washed in the blood of the Lamb) have now graciously entered into “the citizenship of Israel” through the work of Christ to believing Jews of all time and have become fellow citizens of the Israel of God today. We therefore enjoy the same spiritual hope through the Cross, the Resurrection. The text expressly says that “ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” We believing Gentiles have been unified and are made subject unto the same “covenants of promise”. The Gentiles today have not replaced the Old Testament Jews; they are being grafted in among them into the one eternal spiritual organism “in Christ.” We, of faith, both Jew and Gentile, are now part of God's spiritual olive tree. We have become part of that choice spiritual seed of Abraham – by faith. No one therefore is ever replaced, only added to. Amillennialists hold that the promises made to Israel, David and Abraham in the Old Testament find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ and His redeemed of every nation, race, and tongue thereafter, with no one who believes in Him being omitted, replaced, or left out.
We believe that the popular elevation of the Jewish race by many modern-day Christians is in grave violation of the repeated teaching of Scripture, which recognizes no such division between Jew and Gentile. Galatians 6:15 says, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." Such a belief emanates out of a wrong understanding of who the elect of God are in this New Testament era, and consequently, a complete ignorance to the absolute unity and oneness of the one people of God throughout time. There are not two olive trees, there are not two chosen peoples, there is but one harmonious redemptive tree. Those that belong to that tree have entered in by faith and are the only chosen people God accepts. They become grafted onto the olive tree in God’s only appointed way for salvation, the way of Christ and the way of the Cross. Romans 10:4 says, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." In short, the promises of God in the Old Testament find their fulfillment in Christ not in the world.
The nation of Israel as a physical people enjoys no promises or no salvation outside of Christ. There are no exemptions for any race outside of God’s sole provision. There are no promises or inheritances outside of faith in Christ and what He has purchased for the sinner at Calvary. For “in Christ” and “through Christ” and “by Christ” is every spiritual blessing acquired. Romans 11:36 says, “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.” Jesus said, in John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” I John 2:22-23 solemnly asks, “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.”
It is manifest that man’s own natural birthplace, birth date (pre or post Calvary), gender or his physical appearance (circumcised or not) has absolutely nothing to do with his own personal standing before God. Physical circumcision is not the mark of regeneration as some think but spiritual circumcision identifies the manifestation of the work and ministry of the Spirit of God in the believer. Colossians 3:10 says, "there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all." Those Israelites that reject Christ (namely the overwhelming populace of natural Israel at the moment) are not God’s chosen people. They are viewed like any other Christ-rejecters throughout the world by God as wicked. Remember, Acts 10:34 declares, “God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” The wrath of God is upon the wicked regardless of nationality, race, gender or color. God judges the wicked, but blesses the righteous. To suggest anything other is to offer a false hope and totally contradict Christ’s message to the same Christ-rejecters in His day. He said to them “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.”
