One People

The Apostle Paul was adamant. “In Christ Jesus,” no longer is there “Jew or Gentile.” By his shed blood, the Nazarene “dismantled the middle wall of partition” that separated Jews and Gentiles, “that he might reconcile them both in one body for God through the cross.” Having voided the “law of the commands in ordinances” that divided them, ever since he has been “creating in himself One New Man.”

Prior to his death, the Gentiles were alienated from the citizenship of Israel, “strangers from the covenants of promise,” and without hope in the world. But now, those who were “afar off” are being “brought near…by the blood of the Messiah” and made members of God’s ONE covenant community. Both Jewish and Gentile believers have access to the same Father through “one Spirit” - (Ephesians 2:11-22).

[Photo by Rodrigo Soares on Unsplash]

The implications are profound. Among other things, they demonstrate that Gentiles are now participants in the Covenant of Abraham. Circumcised or not, believers become heirs of the Covenant promises.

In Jesus, Jewish and Gentile disciples become “fellow citizens and members of the household of God…having been built together into the habitation of God in Spirit.” Similarly, to the assemblies in Galatia, Paul wrote:

• “But now that the faith is come, we are no longer under a custodian, for you are all sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for all are one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise” - (Galatians 3:25-29).

The believer is no longer under the custodianship of the Mosaic Legislation, including the ordinance of circumcision. Whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, slave or free, all are now One People “through faith in Christ Jesus” and therefore heirs of Abraham.

Thus, justification before God and membership in His people are not dependent on gender, nationality, or biological descent. What determines entry to the covenant community is repentance and faith in Jesus.

CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM

Gentile believers are “grafted into the root,” and that “root” is Abraham. The “wild branches” are being grafted in because of faith. In contrast, unbelieving Jews, although they are the “natural branches,” are being cut off because of “unbelief” - (Romans 11:11-24).

When God confirmed His Covenant with Abraham, He promised to make him the “father of a multitude of nations.” The Gentiles, the “nations” were always included in the covenant promises. Moreover, He promised to “establish my covenant between me and you, and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant.” These words raise the question - WHO IS THE SEED OF ABRAHAM?

Paul provided a clear answer. The “seed of Abraham” is none other than Jesus, therefore, the group known as the “children of Abraham” includes all men and women who exercise faith in him - (Galatians 3:7-9).

The Abrahamic Covenant always envisioned the inclusion of the Gentiles. The formation of Israel from the loins of Abraham was an initial stage in God’s larger plan of redemption. Since the “seed of Abraham” has arrived, to return to the ethnic and national divisions of the earlier but incomplete revelation is regression.

PRIESTLY KINGDOM

At Mount Sinai, Yahweh summoned Israel to become his peculiar possession, a priestly kingdom tasked with mediating His light to the nations. “All the earth” was His, not just the nation of Israel or the tiny territory of Canaan. Israel was called to bring the “nations” to Yahweh, not to alienate them from Him - – (Exodus 19:5).

In his first epistle, Peter applies this very passage to the largely Gentile congregations “in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia”:

• “But you yourselves are a CHOSEN RACE, a ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, a HOLY NATION, a people for GOD'S OWN POSSESSION, that you may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, who were no-people, but now are the people of God; who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” – (1 Peter 2:5-10).

The calling given to Israel has fallen to the church, the Assembly of God, the “body of Christ.” Inclusion in the One “People of God” is based on the “faith of Jesus” and faith in him in response to his faithful act. In contrast, exclusion from the covenant community results from unbelief and disobedience.

God did not abandon His promises to Abraham. He is fulfilling them in His Son. God is making salvation available to all men and women in Jesus, and on the same basis for all, the “faith of Jesus Christ.” Therefore, THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE COVENANT COMMUNITY, One People of God.

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