Mark Vestal Proud of nothing of myself. Freed by Christ who did it all!

It may not be possible to know with any degree of certainty during the Ephesians 3:2 dispensation of the grace of God, as blindness in part is occurring to Israel (Romans 11:25), but part of today's good news is that there is currently no difference between Jew and Gentile (1 Corinthians 12:13, Romans 10:12).

Abraham, the father of Israel, is a descendant of Noah's son Shem (Genesis 10:22-31, Luke 3:23-38), and the isles of the Gentiles were created from Noah's son Japheth per the book of Genesis.

Genesis 10:1-5:
"Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
2 The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
3 And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
4 And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations."

True descendants of Israel, and everyone else today, are offered the free gift of salvation by God's grace through faith to anyone that believes (Romans 3:22)) in the gospel of Christ found in the apostle Paul's epistles (Romans through Philemon). Specifically, belief in the death of Jesus Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of sin, His burial, and resurrection on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). When the last believer fills the church the body of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:17), God's covenant program with Israel will then ensue. The true unbelieving remnant of Israel at that time will be required to endure until the end of the 7 year tribulation for their salvation (Matthew 24:13). Thankfully we today are under God's grace and not appointed to the future wrath on the unbeliever (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

January 25 2023 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Justin Hale

Actually, there is one sure-fire way to know and that is to recognize a powerful calling back to Israel to be a part of the 'restoration of Jacob' which is GOD's final act on behalf of a physical Jewish 'remnant' population. The entire nation has been reestablished by 'Christian forces' and exists under their protection specifically so that a small group of physical relatives of Jacob representing each of the twelve tribes will reawaken to the realization of Christ's identity as the promised Messiah and come to salvation, (Romans 11:25-36).

In fact, GOD refers to this 'faithful remnant' as 'all of Israel' ('Israel' being the name given to Jacob after 'wrestling' with the angel of the Lord). 

While this bit of 'unfinished business' remains, GOD has already changed His definition of a 'Jew' to include people from all tribes who He considers to be 'Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.'(Galatians 3:29).

Specifically, a 'Jew' is now someone converted to the faith by witnessing 'signs' from GOD, (1 Corinthians 1:22a), like watching the nation of Israel unexpectedly reestablished, for example, or seeing any other genuine miracle occur. The 'Greek' (that is, non-Jew), is represented by anyone converted to the faith by seeing applications of divine wisdom, like new forms of economic freedom liberating men from oppression, or unmatched new forms of governance that improve life for everyone, (1 Corinthians 1:22b).

So GOD is leaving behind the 'physical' elements of the Jew and Gentile and effectively 'redefining' it. Even Jesus Himself is no longer to be viewed as 'only a physical Jew' (2 Corinthians 5:16).

GOD is taking this even a step further, no longer making direct distinctions between race and ethnicity, birth class, gender or degrees of 'civility' (that is, education and training):

"And have put on the new man who is being renewed to a full knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, and freeman, but Christ is all and in all." (Colossians 3:10-11).

"For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:27-28).

January 25 2023 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report