To The Jew First

"This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses…the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses…Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead…And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great GRACE was upon them all...I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile... (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 4:10, 33; Romans 1:16)

The message of the Jewish disciples to the Jewish people was the RESURRECTION of "Jesus Christ of Nazareth". The resurrection of Jesus proved he was their Messiah and Savior. And when they shared that they had witnessed his resurrection - "great GRACE was upon them all".

At first they went ONLY to their fellow Israelites. Then Cornelius, a devout and God-fearing Gentile, had a vision and sent for Peter. Peter told him about the RESURRECTION of Jesus and Cornelius and his household believed. For the first time, the Jewish followers realized that both ethnic Jews and "DEVOUT AND GOD-FEARING" Gentiles would be included in the Kingdom of God.

"At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly...The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles." (Acts 10:1-2,45)

Years later the Jew Saul (Paul) encountered the RESURRECTED Jesus on the road to Damascus and became a witness of his resurrection. At first, Paul spoke ONLY at synagogues where Jews and God-fearing gentiles were allowed. But on his first missionary journey he went to Cyprus where Sergius Paulus, the gentile governor under the Roman ruler Claudius, asked Paul to tell him about the Word of God. And for the first time, a Gentile who was NOT "devout and God-fearing" believed. Paul realized that salvation was the destiny for ALL mankind, not just Jews and Gentile God-fearers, and he taught this truth for the rest of his life under great persecution.

"It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things." (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

People who believe and teach this are still persecuted. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is still the primary message, and the result of his resurrection is the "gift" of Salvation to "ALL mankind" by the "GRACE" of our loving and merciful God.

"For the GRACE of God has appeared bringing salvation to all mankind…so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His GRACE in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by GRACE you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the GIFT of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.…" (Titus 2:11; Ephesians 2:7-10)

The Great Commission - Whose is it?

“But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:16-20)

This was the commission of Jesus to his 11 remaining Jewish disciples. They were to go to all the Nations and tell them to observe all that Jesus had commanded.  They did a poor job with regard to Gentiles so years later the Jew Saul/Paul was Commissioned by Jesus to go the the Jews and Gentiles in the Roman Empire outside of Israel. During this time Jesus began to reveal to Paul  a new message of Grace for Gentiles apart from the Law ...

“...after an interval of fourteen years I (Paul) went up again to Jerusalem…and I submitted to them (Jewish disciples) the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles…and recognizing the GRACE that had been given to me, James and Cephas (Peter) and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised (Israel).” (Galatians 2:1-9)

As a result of the continued rejection of Jesus by Israel's leaders a temporary "hardening has happened to Israel" . At the close of Acts Paul tells them that from then on he would go only to the Gentiles with the gospel of Grace that Jesus had revealed to him.  Paul explains this "mystery" to the Gentiles in his letter to the Romans as follows...

“I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,

“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.
This is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.”

From the standpoint of the gospel they (Israel) are enemies for your sake (Gentile believers) , but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.” (Romans 11:25-32)

This "hardening" of Israel has now lasted for almost 2000 years.  

Paul informs us that "Christ's Body" is now composed of a joint group of both individual Jew and Gentile believers and that this group is a "new" creation. Peter, James or John, nor any of the other 9 disciples, had been informed of this "new" creation.  It was revealed only to Paul and those he ministered to. The "ministry" of this group Paul summarizes as follows...

“Now you are Christ's body, and individually members of it…therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and GAVE US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION” (1 Corinthians 12:27; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Our ministry is to declare the "reconciliation" of sinners to God as demonstrated in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  The Great Commission of that “ministry”, and what we should be telling the world is...

“That God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation...He is head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile ALL things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Colossians 1:18-22)

That is our message of Grace, given to Paul the apostle for all Nations...

"I have written very boldly to you on some points so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles (Nations)." (Romans 15:15-16)

Jesus will return to fulfill all the promises God has made to Israel and the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20 will again be preached in all the world by the Jews who then believe Jesus to be their Messiah. Today we refer to them as Messianic Jews. They were almost extinct until about 1948 but since then and they have been increasing in number each year...so the "hardening" is beginning to be lifted.  

So do not be surprised if we are living in that generation who will see the return of Jesus, assuming of course that the Bible is true, and I have chosen to believe that it is.

From the LEAST to the greatest

“This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:10-12)

This was written to the Hebrews (Israel) concerning their salvation. In his letter to the Romans Paul affirms that all Israel will be saved but adds: “after the full number of the Gentiles have come in”…

“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” Romans 11:25-27)

And Paul assures us that “the full number of the Gentiles” means ALL of them and instructs Timothy to “teach these things”…

“This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things.” (1 Timothy 4:9-11

Thanks to the wisdom of the “greatest” theologians among men and other great men of this world (rich, rulers, politicians, and philosophers, etc.) there are few who have the joy of knowing that God is going to save everyone in the end. 

It is interesting to me that Scripture says this salvation is in the following order…

“from the LEAST to the greatest”.

It is kind of like saying “believe it or not, even the rich, politicians, atheists, philosophers and theologians will be saved and enter the Kingdom of God”. And they will…right after the rest of us!.

I like what John Wesley had to say about this…

“They shall all know me” (Jeremiah 31:34); not from the greatest to the least (this is that wisdom of the world which is foolishness with God) but “from the least to the greatest”; that the praise may not be of men, but of God. Before the end, even the rich shall enter into the kingdom of God. Together with them will enter in the great, the noble, the honorable; yea, the rulers, the princes, the kings of the earth. Last of all, the wise and learned, the men of genius, the philosophers, will be convinced that they are fools; will be “converted, and become as little children” (Matthew 8:3), and “enter into the kingdom of God.” - John Wesley (1709-1791), The General Spread of the Gospel, Sermon 63, 1872 edition.

All People Will Be Saved

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.” (10:1-2)

Who is "them"?   It is Israel and he tells "them"…

“…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…” (10:3-5)

To this day Israel, as a nation, has not confessed Jesus nor do they believe God raised him from the dead - so they are not saved YET - but Paul tells us that "all" of them will be saved…

“I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! ...What then? …a partial hardening has happened to ISRAEL until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so ALL ISRAEL will be saved; just as it is written, the deliverer will come from Zion, he will remove ungodliness from JACOB. This is My covenant WITH THEM, when I take away THEIR sins.” (11:1-27)

"All" Gentiles, individuals of all nations, will be saved as well…

”…there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of ALL, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for whoever will call on the name of the Lord WILL BE SAVED….I was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” (Romans 10:12-20)

OK, but it says "whoever will call on then name of the Lord will be saved". Yes, and the Bible says that "every" one of us will...

“…at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11)

And since most of mankind have lived and died before Jesus was born this confession must come for them after their resurrection. All ISRAEL will be saved when they confess Jesus ss their Messiah and all GENTILES when they confess Jesus is Lord.

Evil People Saved

The worst of Judah‘s Kings was Manasseh…

"So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel" (2 Chronicles 33:9).

But evil Manasseh humbled himself before God.

"Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom" (2 Chronicles 33:12-13).

And all other ungodly, hard hearted, evil Israelites will be humbled and saved…

“…a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." (Romans 11:25-26)

Israel Saved

"Behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel…I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people…they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," says the LORD. "For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31, 33-34)

Long ago, God promised a new covenant of grace for His people Israel. "I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel." 

Someday, the Israelites will turn to Messiah as a group and enter into this promised covenant of grace.

"And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins'" (Romans 11:26-27). 

This will take place when the Lord Jesus returns to this earth. 

"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they have pierced; they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn" (Zechariah 12:10). 

Grace is not exclusive to Israel.  Grace has appeared to all, and brought them salvation.

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men..."(Titus 2:11)

Without Faith - Part One

“…without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Biblical FAITH is an interesting topic to study. The Greek word for faith is “pistis” and a short definition is simply “belief” or “trust”. As related to God in the Scripture it has to do with whether you believe and trust what God says. Of course it is important to actually KNOW what God has said. Simply believing or trusting what another person says about God is NOT the faith that will please God according to the Bible.

I have made the choice to have FAITH (believe and trust) that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. I cannot prove it and do not spend any time trying to do so. I have also chosen NOT to believe that there are any other writings or teachings which are the inerrant Word of God. What that does for me is to give me a solid foundation upon which to test other people’s opinions about God and life in general. I do not condemn their opinions, I just do not believe them when I find that those teachings do not line up with what the Bible says. I apply this to the teachings of Christianity and well as all other Religions of the world.

"Therefore say to the Israelites, This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, people of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone.” (Ezekiel 36:22)

In the Bible God sometimes promises to do certain things if the object of the promise is obedient. Other times God tells us things that He is going to do without conditions of obedience attached. The above refers to one of those unconditional promises to Israel as follows…

“For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness…” (Ezekiel 36:24-28)

This has NOT happened yet, but God has promised to SAVE Israel and change them without any conditions, and in spite of the fact that they have “profaned His name among the nations”. FAITH simply believes and trusts God to do what He says. Here God says He will one day SAVE Israel and make them CLEAN. If you do not believe God is going to do this for Israel, then you do not have the biblical FAITH that pleases God. Paul believed God and wrote to the Romans…

“…and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins…from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved…for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:26-29)

The Salvation of all Israel is guaranteed by God.

“Peter remembered and said to Jesus, Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered! Have faith in God, Jesus answered. Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, Go, throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11:21-24)

In the above passage the fig tree represents Israel as the context suggests. Peter was concerned about why Jesus had cursed Israel (represented by the fig tree) and it had withered. Jesus simply told Peter to have faith in God. Peter was aware of God's promises of the Deliverance and Salvation of Israel but he had yet to learn that that Salvation would involve the death and resurrection of the Messiah as well as the death and resurrection of all those who were alive at that time. Jesus had instructed Peter and the other Jewish disciples to pray as follows:

“...thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven...” (Matthew 6:9-13)

So Jesus cursing the fig tree was simply telling Peter that what they had been instructed to pray for (the Kingdom to come on this earth) will not come until Israel had first withered. Nevertheless, they could "believe" that what God promises "will be done", even if it is for a mountain to throw itself into the sea.

After his resurrection Jesus spent 40 days instructing his Jewish followers about the Kingdom to be established upon his return to earth and it was this earthly Kingdom which was on the minds of the Jewish disciples right up until Jesus ascended into the heavens....

“He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the Kingdom of God...So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, Lord, is it at this time you are RESTORING THE KINGDOM TO ISRAEL? He said to them, it is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority...And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” (Acts 1:6-11)

They went back to Jerusalem, 10 days later were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to tell all their Jews that Jesus was the Messiah, had been raised from the dead, and he had promised to return again to establish the Kingdom. Many years later they became concerned about why Jesus had not yet returned and many had been scattered all over the Roman Empire. Paul wrote to encourage them...

”For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery-that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so ALL Israel will be saved; just as it is written, the Deliverer will come from Zion, he will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins..."  (Roman 11:25-32)

Israel's salvation will occur when Jesus returns, raises the dead, and establishes the Jewish Kingdom on earth which Revelation tells us will last 1000 years. The fig tree that Jesus temporarily cursed...will blossom again!

“Now learn the parable from the FIG TREE: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place...Though the fig tree should not blossom...yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation..." (Matthew 24:33-34; Habakkuk 3:17-18)

This is NOT rocket science, it is the clear teaching of the Bible. If you have not been taught about this in the church you attend, you can read it for yourself.

Not exactly what I like to talk about, but under the current circumstances going on in the world I thought of these verses this morning:

“...This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against you, Gog (Russia), chief prince of Meshek and Tubal (Putin?)...in future years you will invade a land that has recovered from war, whose people were gathered from many nations to the mountains of Israel...you will be like a cloud covering the land...This is what will happen...when Gog attacks the land of Israel...I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him...I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 38)

My study of history indicates that “Gog” is modern day Russia. If true, the Bible seems to say that peace in Jerusalem will only come Israel realizes that Jesus is their Messiah. Jesus told them before he ascended to heaven to be seated at the right hand of God...

“Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” (Luke 13:35)

"The Gospel of the Kingdom" was preached to Israel until it was blinded for its rejection. That good news is not to be preached again until the time of the second appearing of King Jesus to Israel, when the gospel of the Kingdom will again be preached in all the world to Israel.

For the past 1950 years or so it has been "the Gospel (good news) of the Grace of God” (Acts 20:24) that is to be preached to sinners, both of Israel and the Gentile nations. Failure to understand the distinction between the gospel of the Kingdom and the gospel of Grace has caused all of the divisions we see among Christianity. The gospel of grace has nothing to do with the Old and New Covenants between God and Israel.

“I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles…For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED; just as it is written, ‘the Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is My covenant with THEM, When I take away their sins’… for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.” (Romans 11:13-32)

God has promised to save ALL Israel. And He has promised to save ALL mankind….and that brings a special joy to those who hear and believe what God has promised.

“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things” (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not UNDER law but UNDER grace.”(Romans 6:14)

I recently posted about how a saint is one who believes what God says in his Word. How does that relate to obedience? And what does Grace have to do with believing God and being obedient to God?

It is simpler than you might think. What Paul is saying is that our eternal destiny is no longer dependent on “obedience” to the law, but is solely dependent on the “grace” of God. ALL mankind is UNDER the umbrella of God’s GRACE, not UNDER the condemnation of the LAW.

And when we are obedient to BELIEVE what God says…we are designated saints.

And what does God tell us about salvation, justification and reconciliation? That it was all secured by Jesus Christ on our behalf purely and solely by His merciful love and grace.

AS FOR ISRAEL: 

"For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God” (Ezekiel 35:24-26; 37:23)

AS FOR ALL GENTILES:

“I am entreating, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, pleadings, thanksgiving be made for all mankind…for this is ideal and welcome in the sight of our SAVIOR, God, Who WILLS that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for ALL, the testimony in its own eras, for which I was appointed a herald and an apostle, I am telling the truth, I am not lying, a teacher of the GENTILES in knowledge and truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-7)