The Meaning of "The Package" (Excerpts from "The Naked Truth...)

By Hazel Holland

Our history as a denomination reveals that generations of Seventh-day Adventists (SDAs) have been involved, to some degree, in striving to obey the Ten Commandments, especially the fourth. The idea we inherited from our forbearers was that in order to please God we must obey His law. In the dream our striving to obey the law was represented as our holding on to endless columns of indecipherable fine print inside the magazines (packages) that were impossible to read without the aid of a magnifying glass (p. 59).

The man-made rules and teachings of Adventism that have been added to the old covenant lists of requirements for proper Sabbath observance have replaced the list that the Pharisees added, but both have caused a heaviness on the people. However, those who were carrying the packages in the dream did not realize this heaviness. As long as the content of Adventism’s package remained tightly sealed it didn’t appear to be a heavy burden to those carrying it. It was only after the content of my package was ripped open and exposed to the light of the cross that the growing “weight” of Adventism’s package became unbearable (p. 59).

I remember well my striving in the dream to hold on to Adventism’s package after the brown paper covering was ripped and the “package” contents exposed, because I supposed it was a “gift.”… As a third generation Adventist I initially felt that the special truths of Adventism had been handed down to me as a “gift” that I was fortunate and privileged to have received. Therefore, it was my responsibility to become a good steward and take care of this “package” I had received and pass it on. In a million years I would never have dreamed of discarding this “gift” or letting it fall to the ground or of throwing it away. That is why I was so horrified and dismayed in the dream when I was thrown headfirst across the top of a desk and the “package” was ripped open… (p. 34)

In the hope of disguising the darkness of the inner contents of the “package” that people were seen carrying, the corporate leadership of the SDA church has covered up the true nature of the “package” contents by making the outer covering appear attractive and desirable. In fact each generation of SDAs has tried to package Adventism’s message in such a way as to make it even more desirable and more attractive than the generation before them. However, the attractive packaging does not change the nature of what is inside the “package.”… No matter how hard we try to make Adventism’s package attractive to others, from God’s perspective Adventism’s “package” can never be dressed up to look like anything but filthy rags! (p. 35)

In essence, the graphic imagery portrayed on the front covers of the magazines ( Adventism’s package) reveal that the Adventist people are having an adulterous relationship with the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). Fear of being lost has caused many to cling to the false savior—the Law—rather than the Groom—Jesus Christ. The futility of trusting in our own obedience instead of Christ’s obedience for us is equivalent to spiritual adultery (p. 53).

An equally offensive betrayal of His grace is the belief that He gives us the ability, through the Holy Spirit, to obey the old covenant law. I believe that God is revealing, through the imagery in the dream, a systemic problem of spiritual pornography and adultery within the body of Adventism about which most members are oblivious. Yet, unbeknownst to them, they are most certainly victims of this most subtle form of spiritual impurity (p. 54)

One of the most alluring attributes of pornography is its promise of intimacy. In fact the entire porn industry is founded upon the premise that everyone needs intimacy. So victims of pornography, having being lured in by loneliness, lust or desire, discover too late that they have become addicted to an empty, false and destructive imitation of their true needs. This false intimacy momentarily gratifies lust but leaves their deeper needs untouched as they slide toward a black hole of death. Using the pornographic industry as a metaphor for illegitimate fulfillment of legitimate needs helps to identify some of the ways in which Adventism has appealed to the need for intimacy with God through their man-made solutions (p.54).

Adventism’s foundational teachings are spiritually destructive in nature precisely because they deceive people into thinking that they will find true intimacy and acceptance with God by striving to obey the Ten Commandments. Consequently, millions have been lured into slavishly striving to obey the Sabbath of the 4th commandment. Instead of finding the true intimacy with God they desired, they strive, out of fear, to obey a poor facsimile (the law of sin and death) of the real thing—Jesus Christ (p. 54).

Since the truth of the gospel has been perverted by Adventism’s unbiblical teachings, I believe most Adventists are unaware of the fact that the brand of “Christianity” being promoted by the SDA church at large is cultic in nature. From the outside, the church looks good as its slick marketing techniques present worthy programs and admirable community endeavors that can fool the casual observer. However, all of the spin in the world is no substitute for the intimacy with our Maker that comes from living in the reality of the gospel by the power of the Spirit.” (p. 54).

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Exposing Our Spiritual Blindness

By Hazel Holland

Recently the story of the rich young ruler was brought to my attention by a friend who was questioning why Jesus appeared to give this rich young man a message of "works" in order to be saved. At first glance it would seem that this story offers a seemingly endless supply of ammo for those seeking to defend the keeping of the Ten Commandments as a necessary work for salvation.

Although this familiar story may seem to convey a message of “salvation by works”, after a more careful reading of the passage, Jesus words suddenly become laser beams of truth that affirm the goodness God’s grace. They expose the deeper issues, not only of this rich young man’s heart, but our hearts, too.

Jesus had just told the rich young man that he lacked one thing. If he wanted to inherit eternal life and have treasure in heaven he must sell all his possessions, give to the poor, and then follow Jesus. The rich young man’s face fell. He sadly walked away from Jesus because he had great wealth.

The Bible tells us that the disciples were amazed by Jesus’ words to the rich young ruler. “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God?” (Mark 10: 23-24). Why were the disciples so taken aback by Jesus’ words? Why are we?

Why didn’t Jesus tell the rich young ruler to simply believe in Him in order to be saved? After all, Jesus told many others to believe in the One God had sent. Why were Jesus’ words to the rich young ruler so different, so puzzling? Why did Jesus seem to suggest that a “work” needed to be performed in order for him to be saved? Why did Jesus say, “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Mark 10:21)?

Material Blessings—a Reward for Obedience

While recently reading a book[1] that challenges us to seriously consider how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our own cultural preferences, I received further insight into our bewilderment over the mixed messages in this story. I believe the answer can be found in the way God established the nation of Israel under the Old Covenant.

From the very beginning God promised to pour out material blessings on Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their descendants (the children of Israel) as they chose to obey Him and keep His law. We also know that these material blessings were withheld when Israel failed to obey God’s law. The Bible teaches us that God was forming a nation for Himself through whom He wanted to demonstrate His greatness to all other nations.

In the process of forming this nation of Israel God also established a physical place for His people to worship, and a physical place for His glory to dwell. Remember how Solomon and David amassed great amounts of wealth as they established this kingdom, and part of that wealth was used to build Solomon’s temple? After the temple was built Solomon dedicated it to God and asked God to make his glory known through His people at that place (1 Kings 8:56-66).

The prophet Isaiah puts it most eloquently when he says; “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

God wanted to make His glory known to the Gentile nations. As a result of the sacrificial system that God instituted through Israel God wanted to bring hope to all people of all nations that a Deliverer was coming! But when the Deliverer came He wasn’t recognized by His own people. They had been expecting deliverance from Rome, not from sin. They had been expecting a physical kingdom, but Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world.

A New Phase of Redemptive History

Having briefly established the Old Covenant background of Israel’s material prosperity, perhaps we can better understand why the disciples were so astounded by Jesus words to the rich young ruler. Throughout Israel’s history God had been showering material blessings upon them as they obeyed His law. So why would obedience to Christ’s command to “Follow Me” lead this rich young man to lose his material possessions when Israel’s history was steeped in God doing just the opposite? Was the God of the Old Covenant different from the God of the New Covenant? What was going on?

I believe the answer lies in the radical shift that was taking place in redemptive history as Jesus spoke these difficult words to the rich young ruler. God’s eternal plan to redeem and deliver His people from sin was further unfolding as Jesus ushered in this new phase of redemptive history—a phase that would forever affect the relationship between faith and material blessings.[2]

We see this new phase of redemptive ministry clearly expressed in the way the early church loved one another and used their material possessions to bless one another—including taking care of the poor among them. We see the Father’s heart revealed in the way their actions were motivated by the law of love rather than the works of the law!

Manipulating the Gospel

Even though material blessings were promised as a reward for obedience under the Old Covenant there are no such teachings in the ministry of Jesus or the ministry of the apostles. Furthermore, since there are no explicit or implicit teachings in the New Testament that promote material blessings as a reward for obedience, the “prosperity gospel” taught in many American churches, must be “imported” from the Old Testament.

But how can we in good conscience import Old Covenant teachings that Jesus and the New Testament writers never taught because the Law of Moses became obsolete after the resurrection? Have we no sense of how we are wounding our brothers and sisters, and bringing terrible confusion to the body of Christ by our take on the health and wealth gospel? Even believers in America who struggle financially to make ends meet are apt to be told by those who have plenty that a “poverty” mentality is the root cause for their lack of material prosperity.

Where is God’s heart of compassion in all of this? How have we drifted so far from Him? By manipulating the gospel of God’s agape love to fit our own cultural preferences, many of us in the Western church have totally lost sight of the true gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel that bids us to die to self, take up our cross daily and follow Him will never be popular in our churches, our culture, or our world.

Let’s expose more of our spiritual blindness. Unlike the Old Testament there are no verses in the New Testament where God’s children are commanded to build luxurious churches or magnificent temples for worship. That’s because the veil of the temple that represented Jesus body was torn from top to bottom the moment that Jesus died. When Jesus gave His life once and for all as the Sacrificial Lamb for the sins of the world, no more sacrifice for sin was needed.

Instead, the Shekinah glory that was once veiled behind the temple curtain in the Most Holy Place is now revealed in earthen vessels. God’s presence has been transferred to the church—not a building, but people that make up the body of Christ. We have become God’s temple in which He now chooses to dwell by His Spirit. This temple is made up of precious living stones—Jesus being the Chief Cornerstone.

What’s more, we, as God’s temple of living stones, have been commissioned by Jesus to carry this gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth. We have been chosen to become the carriers of God’s goodness to the world. But unless we know God and have His heart of agape love for others, including our enemies, He cannot use our brokenness to carry the Light that will dispel the darkness. If we don't have His heart, we will misinterpret and continue to manipulate the simple gospel that He has commissioned us to take to the world. For without His agape love we are nothing more than resounding gongs and clanging cymbals (1 Corinthians 13:1).

Relationship and Intimacy

As I write these words the imagery of the disciple John leaning his head upon Jesus’ chest at the last supper comes to mind along with these two words—relationship and intimacy. I believe that God wants us to understand the urgency of the hour. Unless we press into Him and have our ears tuned to hear the heartbeat of the Father that compelled Jesus to go to the cross because of the agape love that He has for all people, we will misunderstand His heart. We will not be able to identify with the things that break God’s heart becomes our hearts will eventually become cold and hardened to the love of God.

Although the rich young ruler had been schooled to believe that he would be saved by keeping the law, his great riches did not give him the assurance of eternal life that he desired. That is why he asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Although he had kept the Ten Commandments from childhood, he knew something was lacking in his heart. Do we sense that perhaps something is lacking in our hearts, too?

Just as Jesus met the rich young ruler where he was at, He will meet us where we are at. Although Jesus knew that the rich young ruler had kept the commandments from His youth up, Jesus never told him to keep the commandments in order to be saved. Instead he exposed the young man’s heart issues that were motivated by the works of the law—rather than the law of love.

But wasn’t the rich young ruler’s great wealth a sign that he had been blessed by God because of his obedience to the law? That’s how people interpreted material blessings under the old order of things, but the old order of things has passed away. The new order of things has come.

God’s Goodness Changes Hearts

A radical shift has taken place as Jesus directs us to look at the only One who is good—God! A radical shift has taken place as Jesus reveals that His kingdom is spiritual, not material. A radical shift has taken place as Jesus tells us plainly that His kingdom is not of this world. His kingdom is ruled by the law of love—not by the works of the law!

Suddenly the rich young ruler’s world began to crumble when Jesus confronted him with his deeper heart issues. We’re not told if he ever had a change of heart and accepted Jesus as His Lord and Master, but we are told that it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. It is God’s goodness revealed in Jesus Christ that will bring us to the end of ourselves so that the agape love of God might live in us.

For this reason, I believe Christians, especially in America, are being called to repent of the way we have been exporting a false gospel that equates faith in Christ with material prosperity. Understanding that Jesus died the death that we deserve so that we can live the life that He alone deserves ought to radically affect, not only our love relationship with Him, but also the way we express love to one another.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is our very great reward—a reward that we cannot earn, and that we don’t deserve, but is freely given to us because of the agape love of God. Since all our needs are met in Him, shouldn’t this alter the relationship between our faith and our material possessions? A faith that works by love does not guarantee us material blessings, but faith in Him does open the door of our hearts to the agape love of God so that we can know His heart and be a blessing to others.

That’s what Jesus wanted for the rich young ruler. He wanted that rich young man to begin to experience the hidden treasures that are stored up for us when we bless others for their sake instead of our own. When the rich young ruler saw that he would have to let go of his material kingdom before he could experience the riches of God’s spiritual kingdom, he walked away. He couldn’t do it. God’s goodness must first change His heart.

Radical Repentance

I want to believe that the seeds of truth that Jesus sowed into the rich young ruler’s heart that day took root and accomplished what Jesus desired for them to accomplish—a revelation of the goodness of God that eventually changed his heart, and caused him to embrace the risen Lord. I want to believe that it will be the same for us in the church. Only when God’s goodness changes our hearts will we hear His call to repent. Only when God’s goodness changes our hearts will we be able to identify with God’s kingdom and reveal His love to the world.

Just for the record, Jesus was not condemning the rich young ruler for his riches or us for our acquisition of material things. Material things in and of themselves are not evil. Rather, Jesus is seeking to radically change our perspective on our possessions, as we open our hearts to the needs of the world around us. As we allow Him to change the desires of our hearts we will be led by the Spirit to give of ourselves, our resources, and our time for the glory of God’s kingdom.

Let’s remember that in God we have a King who guarantees for us a kingdom. His kingdom of agape love will last forever. It cannot be shaken because it is not of this world (Hebrews 12:28). We are heirs to this spiritual kingdom, and co-heirs with our older brother, Jesus Christ. Everything in God’s Kingdom has already been given to us, and everything we have and are already belongs to Him.

“Father, in view of this truth we choose to allow Your goodness to expose the blindness in our hearts so that we can radically repent of the things that we have done in Your name, but not with Your heart. Lord, when everything is shaken that can be shaken, and you have removed the last vestiges of dross from our lives, may the one thing that cannot be shaken remain—our faith in Your goodness towards us that continues to expresses itself in works of agape love.”

Notes:

[1] David Platt, “Radical”, p. 116.

[2] Ibid. 117.

The Truth is not a Package!

Hidden Bondage Revealed (An Excerpt from "The Naked Truth: Exposing the Deception of Adventism"

By Hazel Holland

Beyond its obvious sexual connotation, incest in essence is an abuse of the legitimate authority that a parent or guardian has over a child. It is a generational family dysfunction, passed down through the generational genes, destroying trust and distorting the healthy parent-child relationship.

For example, in the normal order of things, a parent or guardian is in the position of exercising control and authority over a child by virtue of age, knowledge and experience. The parent is presumed to know better than the child does what is right and wrong, what is safe and unsafe— essentially what is good for the child. Until the child is old enough to be accountable for his or her own decisions, choices and behavior, the parent or guardian stands in the place of God for the child.

Following this line of reasoning we begin to see that parental authority becomes abusive when the parent uses the position of power to satisfy selfish wants or needs at the expense of the child. Because the child is dependent upon the parent or parent figure, the child becomes the victim. Since the victim has generally been taught to admire, trust and respect the one who has abused him, the victim unknowingly becomes a collaborator in the abuse cycle. The conflicting emotions of love and hate, courage and fear, trust and distrust, towards the offending parent leave an indelible mark of fear and shame on the child as the child is forced to deny his or her own reality.

Just as incest was a generational sin, passed down through the generational genes on both sides of my biological family, so spiritual incest is a generational sin passed down through the denominational genes of the SDA church. As incest is the abuse of parental authority, spiritual incest is the abuse of spiritual authority exercised by spiritual parents and those in authority over us in the church.

Another way of saying this is, “Spiritual abuse is the misuse and abuse of spiritual authority by church leaders who set themselves up as gate keepers, using religious performance rather than faith in Jesus as the criterion for accepting or rejecting their followers.”

For the purposes of this book I am dealing specifically with the generational sin of spiritual incest in the SDA church. In fact generational spiritual incest has been the best-kept secret within the SDA church for the past one hundred and fifty years. Understanding our spiritual roots and the process our spiritual forbearers used to arrive at their system of beliefs will help us understand why this present generation of Adventists shown in the dream is behaving like incest victims.

As we look at our church history it will become crystal clear how our spiritual forbearers set themselves up to become not only victims but also perpetrators of spiritual incest, and why this cycle of spiritual abuse continues to be experienced in the lives of many of its members to this day."

Chapter 5: Chosen for Service NOT Privilege (Who are the Israel of God?)

By Hazel Holland

After the call of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God’s election was passed on to Jacob’s twelve sons. Since God had changed Jacob’s name to Israel, Jacob’s sons became the sons of Israel, who in turn later became the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel. Some well known descendants from these tribes are Moses from the Tribe of Levi, the Apostle Paul from the Tribe of Benjamin, and King David and Jesus the Messiah from the Tribe of Judah.

This election of the children of Israel was a corporate election and a call to service, not privilege. However, in trying to interpret the Old Testament prophets by the letter instead of by the Spirit, we have more often than not established a place of privilege for the children of Israel that God never intended.

After four hundred years of slavery God delivered the children of Israel (also called Israel or Israelites) from Egyptian slavery and brought them into the land of Canaan so "that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws”. Since God loved all nations, Israel was called to serve the nations by being an example of what it meant to love and worship the Lord. The Scriptures reveal that Israel as a nation was summoned to be God’s priestly people in the earth because God wanted all the nations to come to Him.

I was moved to tears when my friend, Ramone, expressed the following thoughts about the children of Israel. “I believe that God’s sovereign purpose in bringing the children of Israel into the land of Canaan was so that He might teach them, through His law and sacrificial system, of their human inability to remain a faithful covenant partner with God. God wanted to teach them, along with the nations around them, about the reality of sin and man’s total inability to be faithful to God’s covenant. But most importantly, God wanted Israel to share with the nations around them that a faithful covenant partner was coming!”

Israel was chosen to teach the Gentile nations by example of God’s coming salvation for all people. The prophet Isaiah puts it most eloquently when he says; “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6).

God chose the children of Israel because He had a special task for them to perform, not because He loved them more than the other nations, or because they were better than the rest. No. The children of Israel were elected to a ministry of redemptive servanthood. They were chosen to be a living demonstration to the nations around them of what it meant to worship God.

The Old Testament prophets repeatedly tell us that the sons of Israel were God’s chosen ones—God’s chosen servants to teach the nations around them about the reality of sin and man’s total inability to be faithful to God’s covenant. Through the sacrificial system God wanted to bring hope to all people of all nations that a Deliverer was coming!

“O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones” (1Chronicles 16:13).

“O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones” (Psalm 105:5).

“He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy” (Palm 105:43).

The following passage of Scripture reminds us that the nation of Israel was a chosen “son” who was a type (shadow) pointing forward to the coming Reality, Jesus Christ—the Chosen One.

“When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me” (Hosea 11:1-2).

However, in Matthew 2:15, we find that Hosea’s prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus’ parents took Him to Egypt to protect him from Herod’s slaughter of innocent children.

“When he (Joseph) arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son” (Matthew 2:14-15).

Here we see Matthew taking a passage from Hosea, which clearly refers to literal Israel, and telling us that this passage was fulfilled in Jesus Christ! The shadow had been fulfilled now that the Reality had come! I feel sure that Matthew also wanted his largely Jewish audience to know that Jesus was the Chosen One foretold throughout the Old Testament Scriptures.

Then we see how Matthew again takes the following prophecy from Isaiah and applies it to Jesus Christ.

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations” (Matthew 12:18; Isaiah 42:1).

Israel was “chosen” because God wanted them to be a servant community to the nations around them in order that God might teach them through His law and sacrificial system about the reality of sin and man's total inability to remain faithful to God's covenant. More importantly God wanted Israel to prepare the Gentile nations around them for God's coming salvation. A Deliverer was coming! A Chosen, Faithful Servant and Covenant Partner was coming!

(See Isaiah 51:1-8; Jeremiah 23:19-26; Ezekiel 33:23-29; Micah 7:14-21).

(Next: Chapter 6: Go here.

Chapter 9: Our Higher Spiritual Calling (Who are the Israel of God?)

By Hazel Holland

In our study to determine who are the "Israel of God?” we have found that the election of the physical nation of Israel (Israel after the flesh) was but a sign of a higher spiritual calling. This calling is not based on the lineage of Abraham, but it is based on the faith of Abraham. The following Scripture reveals that this was God's plan even before the creation of the world.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3-6).

Jew and Gentile alike, children of Abraham by faith in the promised Seed are being called to enter into Christ and become part of His new creation, the “Israel of God”. We who belong to Christ no longer put our faith in our law-keeping (legalism), or in flesh-based circumcision (Judaism), but only in the cross of Jesus Christ.

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:14-16 (NKJV).

Notice that these verses reveal that those who are "in Christ Jesus" are the “Israel of God." Since Jesus Christ is the new Creation, we are a new creation in Him. As God’s new creation we can only boast of His great salvation.

In our study we have seen that the Old Testament prophets spoke of the great salvation that God would provide in fulfillment of His promise to Abraham. That righteousness, like the righteousness of Abraham, was not a righteousness which men earned by their law-keeping, but it was a righteousness which God Himself provided through the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Now as we read the Old Testament Scriptures and interpret them in the light of God’s final revelation in Christ, we see that Jesus is not only the new Creation, but Jesus is also the Chosen One, and the new Israel.

Furthermore, since the cross, Christ’s flesh became the new Temple which fulfills and replaces the old temple in Jerusalem. Only through this new Temple may you and I (Jew and Gentile alike) enter God’s kingdom.

“Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith…” Hebrews 10: 19-22 (NASB).

Suddenly the Dispensationalist’s view of these prophecies being fulfilled in a future millennium begins to unravel. They vanish in Jesus Christ, because He has already fulfilled them!

This means that in Christ, you and I are also chosen. Based on our higher spiritual calling in Christ you and I are also the new Israel who will inherit every spiritual blessing in Christ. May God’s mercy and peace rest upon the true “Israel of God”, His very “treasured possession”, whom He keeps as the “apple of His eye” (Deuteronomy 7:6; 26:18; Psalm 17:8).

Chapter 8: Children of the Promise (Who are the Israel of God?)

By Hazel Holland

The calling of ancient Israel as a nation to be God’s priestly people on earth could succeed or fail. In fact Paul speaks of the failure of this mission when he says, “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you” (Romans 2:24). Furthermore, we get a brief glimpse into Paul’s heartfelt sorrow and unceasing grief for those of his fellow Israelites who rejected Jesus as their Messiah.

“I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons… But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: ‘THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED.’ That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants’” Romans 9:6-8 (NASB).

Here Paul paints a picture that identifies the characteristics of the true “Israel of God”. Contrary to what many ancient Jews believed, although the nation of Israel descended from Abraham’s bloodline, being a part of that literal nation did not make them the children of promise, the “Israel of God”. Even though many of the ancient Jews believed that they possessed salvation (being privileged) solely on the basis of their being a descendant of Abraham, the Scriptures teach us otherwise.

Those who are the descendants of Abraham are not necessarily the “Israel of God”, instead that blessing belongs to Jew and Gentile alike who receive the promise of the Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. Being a descendant by Abraham’s bloodline and being a part of literal Israel does not guarantee that we are heirs of the promise, but being a part of the “Israel of God” by faith in Jesus Christ does guarantee that we are heirs of the kingdom.

Now that the promised Seed has come, we can clearly understand that those who are children of the promise put their faith in Jesus Christ and are recipients of eternal life. Only those who are in Christ are truly the “Israel of God”, but those who are not in Christ are not Israel.

This is a clear declaration that Israel is not a geopolitical nation, or even a genealogical one, but rather a remnant, spiritual people saved by God’s grace from every nation, kindred tongue and people. (Romans 11:5).

First fruits of a New Creation

Paul confirms that the Old Testament doctrine of election remains unchanged in the New Testament. Clearly we can see that God’s love for the human race is universal. God’s election of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, of Israel, or of the church is the way God implements His love for all of humanity.

Because God loves the world He chooses a people, he chooses patriarchs, he chooses prophets, he chooses apostles, and He chooses the body of Christ in order to implement His love for the entire human race. Election has nothing to do with the eternal salvation of individuals, but refers to God’s way of bringing His salvation message to the ends of the earth.

Christians are God’s chosen people in the same way that ancient Israel was chosen. Jews and Gentiles are chosen in Christ to be a servant community and witness to the kingdom of God. We have been called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light in order to declare God’s praises to the ends of the earth.

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” 1 Peter2:9-10 (NIV).

Our calling in Jesus Christ is to be the first fruits of the new creation as we anticipate a much larger harvest to come (James 1:18). We are chosen to serve God by issuing the invitation to all people in every nation to come for God’s end time banquet.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV).

However, calling ourselves Christians does not necessarily make us Christians. Being a part of the visible body of Christ does not guarantee that we are actually a part of His new creation anymore than being a descendant of one of the tribes of Israel guaranteed that you were part of the “Israel of God”. There’s no difference between a natural Jew and a natural Gentile as far as God is concerned, because children of the flesh are not the children of God.

What makes the difference is if we (Jew and Gentile alike) are children of the promise, born of the Spirit! If we are, then we share a common spiritual ancestry in Christ. Abraham is our father and the Jerusalem that is above is our eternal home.

(Next: Chapter 9: Go here.