Tag: Unity

Oft Misused Scripture: Abraham’s Seed

On By TimIn Galatians 03, Israel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

You are all sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, and there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.  Galatians 3:26–29

The Gospel of John opens with, among other things, the declaration of the right God has extended to those who believe.

Yet to all who received Him, He gave the power to become sons of God, to those who believed in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  John 1:12–13

Sons of God are direct creations of God. Adam is correctly called the son of God. Angels are the sons of God. Since the resurrection of Jesus, believers are sons of God. They are new creations, born of the Holy Spirit. Hence, Paul addresses believers correctly in Galatians as sons of God, as New Testament believers are indeed sons of the Most High.

The fact of divine parentage has been around since the beginning. Jesus cited it to those who did not believe in His claims, “My Father and I are One.” They wanted to stone Him because He claimed to be God. Yes, Jesus claimed to be God. Much more than just being One of divine parentage. Hete is how He put it.

Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’? If He called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken, do you say of Him, whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? John 10:34–36

Divine parentage is limited to Adam and angels in the Tanakh. But Jesus opened that right to anyone who would apprehend eternal life and believe.

Being baptized into Christ is not water baptism. It is the baptism of the Spirit where believers put on Christ.

But you did not learn about Christ in this manner, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:  that you put off the former way of life in the old nature, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that you put on the new nature, which was created according to God in righteousness and true holiness.  Ephesians 4:20–24

The new nature is a new creation of God, through His Spirit. This is the one baptism that saves.

Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Look, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17

Being new creations, there is no more division between Jew or goyim, slave or free, even male or female. It is unity in Jesus Christ, just as there is a Unity in the Godhead.

But here comes the twist… We are Abraham’s seed. This is the portion that is often misused. It has been part of many church bodies for centuries. Israel ceased to be a nation; one could see how that error could be easily embraced. May 14, 1948, changed that.

Being Abraham’s seed is not being the New or True Israel. That is error. The $10 word for it is supersessionism; it is commonly called replacement or fulfillment theology. And it hangs on the misinterpretation of this verse.

Here is why it is wrong theology.

Abraham had his own children. One of whom is Isaac. God reaffirmed the covenant He made with Abraham to Isaac in Genesis 26. Isaac had two sons, Esau, the firstborn, and Jacob, his twin brother. God chose Jacob to have the blessing and reaffirmed the covenant He made with Abraham and Isaac to Jacob. In Genesis 28 Jacob learns of this by dream. God then changes Jacob’s name to Israel in Genesis 32. Finally, He reaffirms the covenant to Jacob (Israel) in Genesis 35. This is the promise to Israel.

The Lord stood above it and said, “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie, to you will I give it and to your descendants. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and in your descendants all the families of the earth will be blessed. Remember, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you.”  Genesis 28:13–15

This should be full stop.

If believers are Abraham’s seed, they are not Jacob’s seed. The covenant promise went from Abraham to Isaac. It did not go to Ishmael. The covenant promise was extended by God from Abraham to Isaac and then to Jacob, not Esau.

It does not go to the New Testament church, either. Not many of the saints are Jacob’s seed; they are Gentiles. Ishmael and Esau are Abraham’s seed; they are not part of the covenant promise, either. The covenant promise still remains with Israel. God has not extended it to anyone else. It is not superseded nor broken.

God’s promise to Abraham’s seed…

Through your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”  Genesis 22:18

Gentile believers are blessed because Jesus Christ came through the seed of Abraham, then Isaac, and then Israel. Faith in Jesus gives us eternal life and the power to become sons of God by new birth!

Believers are blessed and are heirs of Abraham through that Seed who is Jesus Christ. Believers are not Israel; they do not inherit God’s promises to Israel or even Abraham. Israel retains the everlasting land and dynasty of both the Abrahamic and Davidic covenants. Neither of these has been fulfilled. And they will not until Jesus returns at the end of the age.

This is why Israel is such a most-contested issue for the world. It must not be so for Christianity. Yet, there is a real satanic spirit working in the world. Ignorance and deception that have overcome unbelievers have seduced some Christians. It is not prudent that other Christians have been steeped in fulfillment theologies and embrace the deception that modern Israel is not the nation of God’s blessing. Even though He promised Israel to gather them back!

Remember, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you.” Genesis 28:15

Why would there be such demonic vitriol for modern Israel if it was not part of God’s plan?

There have been many historical mistreatments of Jewish people. Many of those had ultimate plans of annihilating the Jewish people completely. Most of my generation still remembers the horrors of the Holocaust. We know the evil of genocide through first-hand accounts. Though it is sadly becoming fashionable to deny or downplay what the National Socialists of Germany did. Yes, Naziism is socialism.

These antisemitic things are purely satanic. There is no other word for it. The endgame is to try to thwart these covenant promises by eliminating God’s people. If they were to succeed, it would ultimately result in stopping the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus does not come back until Israel… Yes, Israel and not a remnant of New Testament saints… Calls “Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord.” (That is in Luke 13:22–35.)

If Jesus does not come back, He does not fulfill either the Abrahamic or Davidic covenants. As if such a thing is even possible. Nevertheless, the enemy thinks he can and gathers as many as are willing to his side.

Being Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise means that believers share in Abraham’s faith and blessing. And the ultimate object of that is Jesus Christ. It does not mean that believers share in Israel’s national promises by inheritance. (Those God affirmed with and extended to Isaac and Jacob.)

New Testament saints receive the spiritual seed blessings according to the promise. These saints are not heirs to the promises themselves, but as the text precisely delineates… According to the promise.

Israel receives the earthly kingdom promises when Jesus returns. The nation itself is Jesus’ inheritance (see Deuteronomy 32:8-9.) New Testament saints inherit what Jesus inherits. Which means that there will then be One Shepherd and one sheepfold.

Humility, Unity and Confidence

On By TimIn Genesis 02, HumilityLeave a comment

The Lord God planted a garden in the east, in Eden, and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, along with the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:8–9 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

We start at the beginning from creation forward. We read that the earth was formed, domains made, and inhabitants created to occupy those domains.

Our attention focuses on God planting a garden that included the very thing that would provide a problem. One that would introduce an enemy opposed to God.

We tend to think of time linearly because we experience it that way. An event happens then the next one and so on. Yet, we cannot go back in time or look forward in time.

That movement of time doesn’t happen with God. He doesn’t move backward or forwards in time. He doesn’t look to the future, either. He is in every single moment in every conceivable place concurrently. I know that’s a big concept to grasp. But it helps to try to apprehend that. The psalmist sings of these wonders in Psalm 139.

The existence of that one tree would lead to the downfall of God’s imagers. One that we know He had confidently purposed to rectify.

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with powerful works and wonders and signs, which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know. You have taken Him, who was handed over to you by the ordained counsel and foreknowledge of God, and by lawless hands have crucified and killed Him, whom God raised up by loosening the pull of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

Acts 2:22–24 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

It is in the confidence of that already conceived plan that Jesus was crucified. It was set in order long ago before time existed… God, Himself would die for sins. The apostle John drops another bombshell about the “timelessness” of this fact.

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, all whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.

Revelation 13:8 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

It was determined that Jesus would die for sins. It was also His Blood that atoned for the sin at the foundation of the world exactly when It was needed.

Consider this: It was Jesus Himself (John 1:3) Who planted that tree. He planted the tree of life, along with the tree of knowledge. The latter is that which brought death. Jesus then died on another tree. This is where death was defeated so that humans could have restored access to the tree of life and the garden of God.

In our experience, this is the entire swath of time from creation until the New Jerusalem and beyond. For God, these things don’t happen one after another as spread across time. There is unity in that. Just as there is a unity of purpose within God Himself.

Yet in the moment of the establishment of creation up to planting the garden, the humility of Jesus is a very present reality.

Let this mind be in you all, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped. But He emptied Himself, taking upon Himself the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.
And being found in the form of a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:5–11 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

There is a lot of deep stuff to unpack there. I will leave that for another time.

There is humility built into the creation. There is also unity. One which exudes confidence. Confidence that the necessary tasks to be done would be carried out and have the desired outcome. (God is already there.)

That is part of what Paul is saying about each of us having that very mind. Humility, unity, and confidence.

If there is any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any compassion and mercy, then fulfill my joy and be like-minded, having the same love, being in unity with one mind. Let nothing be done out of strife or conceit, but in humility let each esteem the other better than himself. Let each of you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:1–4 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Confidence that when we are called to lead, we lead. When called to teach, we teach. When called to love, we love. When called to have compassion, we are compassionate.

All of us are called to share Jesus Christ. We can be confident that we are able to do just that.

Willingly Suffering for Another is Holiness

On By TimIn 1 Peter 03, Daily WalkLeave a comment

Finally, be all of one mind, be loving toward one another, be gracious, and be kind. Do not repay evil for evil, or curse for curse, but on the contrary, bless, knowing that to this you are called, so that you may receive a blessing.

1 Peter 3:8–9 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Peter’s constant theme is our conduct as Christians. First from a perspective of identity, ours and His. Then he turns toward a call to holy living. He provides practical exhortation to do that.

Peter’s instruction includes how to act toward unbelievers, civic leaders, our bosses, our spouses, and each other. It is this point in how we treat each other that he now calls to our attention.
Be All of One Mind

That’s not the kind of unity one would think it is. It isn’t the sort that ignores doctrinal or ecclesiological (how we do church) differences. It’s to be of the same mind in how we treat brothers and sisters in Jesus. We are to love each other with grace and kindness.

A Practical Example

Some of us may prefer to sit in a certain particular seat, row, or end of a row at church. I know it seems petty and small, but this serves well.

Suppose some usher escorted you (and your party) to a seat in church that was unsuitable to you, for whatever reason. Do you take it, or ask to sit elsewhere?

Of course, we can always ask for something different. I want to know… Why not choose the suffering?

Why not choose to bless the one escorting you by being compliant with his direction?

This is precisely what Peter is saying. Grace and kindness, when extended to someone require a bit of suffering.

First, we don’t get what we want another does.

Second, the person who is receiving the grace and kindness may not like it and give a rebuff, and even become downright nasty. ( Christians aren’t above that sort of thing, sadly. That’s why Peter’s point is needed today.)

Third, the person who receives it may be indifferent toward it.

Even when our kindness is returned with a curse or indifference, it is tempting to reflect such things back toward the other. That’s wrong. We are not to repay evil for evil.

Here is how Paul offers it.

Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Do not pretend to be wiser than you are.
Repay no one evil for evil. Commend what is honest in the sight of all men.

Romans 12:14–17 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

It’s the same idea. It’s note new. Paul also iterates the same sentimentality of likemindedness.

Choosing to Suffer is Choosing Holiness

This may seem like an idea that is easily rejected. I mean, God always gets what He wants… Right?

Look to Jesus. He is God. Did He not choose to set aside what it is to be God to take on humanity?

He didn’t just animate a body. He is human, with all of our frailties. He knew to become human was to submit to death. He chose to suffer. He is our example of holiness.

Hear His words on the matter. See if they sound familiar.

But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer also the other. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well. Give to everyone who asks of you. And of him who takes away your goods, do not ask for them back. Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

Luke 6:27–31 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I think His words are plain enough.

Yet we Christians can be rather pushy. We want our own way. We want the best spots. We want to be first. We want to win.

Peter, Paul and Jesus are teaching us to want holiness. I know it doesn’t go with American pride and all that.

Personally, I think that watching how a person comports themselves with others will show you exactly how far along with the pursuit to holiness they’ve gotten. Some never leave the starting block. The vast majority are still stuck in the elementary principles. Still, others seem to have almost mastered it mostly. (Though I think if you ask them, they would not even own up to being anywhere near holiness.)

Others.

This whole idea of esteeming others above our own selves, placing the needs of others before our own, and even satisfying the needs of others before seeking to do so for ourselves is holy.

Jesus told us to love God and to love others. He used words that echo the superlative nature that is necessary for that love. He also said it is how the entire law is summed up.

The kind of love we ought to have for each other is necessarily sacrificial. That is what love is.

Safe Spaces

There are no real safe spaces for a Christian. Well, save for Jesus. That’s how I read the Bible.

If something offends you. That’s not holiness at all.

Self-love isn’t holiness, either.

If you’re easily offended, I have to be frank. You’re probably not too very much holy. And if that is the case, the safe space in Jesus isn’t going to be so safe. He wants you and me to be like He is.

It is said, be holy for He is holy.

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be the sons of the Highest. For He is kind to the unthankful and the evil. Be therefore merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Luke 6:35–36 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

Choose to suffer. Just like Jesus did.

There’s a real and lasting blessing there.