ISRAEL / FLESH OR FAITH

　

Dear Doves,

 

The following study is excellent, and should be required reading for all who have a problem with born again believers being Israel. This really puts that concept in the correct perspective, one of Truth, and not the traditions of men.

 

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The Contrast between Abraham's Flesh

and Abraham's Faith

 

By H.C. Heffren

 

Abundant proof is furnished in God's Word to show that it is

Abraham's Faith that is important rather than his Flesh. This is a

very important distinction, since it determines those who inherit

the promises of God. It is not Abraham's descendants in the

flesh but his children by faith who are heirs to the promises.

Notice, for instance, the preaching of John the Baptist in Matt.

3:9, "And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham

to our father; for I say unto you that God is able of these stones

to raise up children unto Abraham." The people whom John

was addressing were Abraham's descendants, but they did not

have Abraham's faith. John compared their flesh to be of no

more value in God's sight than the stones about them. A

glimpse of what happens should one persist in trusting in the

flesh is given in Luke 16:22-30. It relates that "The rich man cried

out in his torment, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me'…but

Abraham said, 'Son, remember…' " Being a child of Abraham in

the flesh did not prevent the rich man from going into torment.

He failed to have Abraham's faith.

　

In John 8:33-58 Jesus gives us a comprehensive idea of His

attitude toward the fleshly descendants of Abraham. There He

characterized them as "children of the devil," when they

rejected Him and sought to slay Him. It is pointed out in Gal.

4:22-31 that Abraham had two sons. These two sons signify

God's two covenants, that is, the Old and the New. Ishmael

typified natural Israel with its law and bondage. Isaac was the

child of promise and he typified the believers, or the spiritual

Israel. The one represents the descendants of Abraham in the

flesh, the other his children in the faith. The judgments of God

are just a certain as His promises. Gal. 4:30,31 gives both.

　

"Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the

bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

So then brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of

the free." This casting out of the bondwoman and her son was

final. They never returned to Abraham's home again to mock

Isaac. Paul declares, therefore, that God will never again deal

with the natural or fleshly Israel as a nation. The New Covenant

is for all people and will neither be revised nor revoked for it is

everlasting. Heb. 13: 20.

　

The Chosen People. The confusing of the natural Israel

with the spiritual Israel has led to much error and controversy.

Sometimes people refer to the Jews even yet as "God's chosen

people." This is true only in the sense defined by Paul in Rom.

2:28, 29, "For he is NOT a Jew which is one outwardly; neither

is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew

which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart in

the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men but of

God." Like the true child of Abraham, the true Jew is the

product of faith and not of the flesh. To claim to be a Jew on

any other ground is declared to be blasphemy in Rev. 2:9, "I

know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are

not, but are the synagogue of Satan." Depending on the flesh

and "saying" one is a Jew does not make one a Jew any more

than saying one is a Christian makes one a Christian. Faith is

required in order to be truly one of the chosen people.

　

In John 3:6 Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is

flesh:" and in Ch. 6:63 He said, "The flesh profiteth nothing."

That applies to all flesh, even the descendants of Abraham.

This is what Paul had reference to in Rom. 9:6-8. "For they are

NOT all Israel which are OF Israel; neither because they are the

seed of Abraham are they all children; but, in Isaac shall thy

seed be called. That is, they which are the children of the flesh,

these are NOT the children of God; but the children of the

promise are counted for the seed."

　

The "Chosen People" of the New Testament are clearly

defined as the host of believers. Jesus declared that, "Many

are called but few are chosen." Matt. 20:16. He further

restricts the choosing to His followers. John 15:16, 19, "Ye have

not chosen me but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that

ye should go and bring forth fruit…if ye were of the world, the

world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world,

but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world

hateth you." Paul shows that from the beginning of time God

had this plan of counting His chosen ones as we read in Eph.

1:4 "According as he hath chosen us in him before the

foundation of the world…" This is the group whom Peter fondly

refers to in 1 Pet. 2:9, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal

priesthood, a peculiar people…" Out of the eighteen times in

the N. T. that the word "chosen" is used, all of the references are

either definitely or indirectly applied to the believers.

　

Thus we conclude that the true Jew or the true Israelite is not

reckoned according to fleshly descent from Abraham, but

according to spiritual descent, by having his faith. The

significance of this fact is that the promises of God belong to

the children of God and not to Israel after the flesh. Concerning

Israel after the flesh, Paul said, "They please not God and are

contrary to all men…for the wrath is come upon them to the

uttermost." 1 Thess. 2:15, 16. We need but study the history of

these unfortunate people during the past nineteen hundred

years to see abundant testimony to the truth of the above

declaration. The Israel of faith, the Christians inherit ALL the

promises of God, according to 2 Cor. 1:20. "For ALL the

promises of God in him (Christ) are yea, and in him, Amen, unto

the glory of God by us."

 

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I pray that this does not offend anyone as I know there are many that feel that Israel means only the Jewish or Hebrew people. That is not what the Bible tells us. When we are born again, there is no difference in ethnic, or gender, or national origins. Jesus is our King and we are all one under His Grace, and the Power of the Holy Spirit. There are no divisions in the family of God, only believers, Israel and non-believers, Edom.

　

We must build our understanding on the ROCK OF JESUS, and He will lead us to all truth!

　

May we always be in His Love and Grace!

Patti C.