Dear Wake Up Family:
We are, I think, unquestionably living at one of the most critical moments in world history. For the first time in my life, mankind is on the brink of unleashing weapons capable of destroying the entire world. Weapons so powerful that, as I understand it, a mere three Russian nuclear missiles could completely destroy the United States. And as if that isn’t enough to be concerned about, the current Middle East conflict, if not resolved quickly, will economically make the great depression look like a minor inconvenience.
It really doesn’t seem to make any difference in which direction we look at our world; we’re in serious trouble today. Yet many Christians are in a state of euphoria over what is happening in the Middle East. They believe Revelation’s story is finally playing out. Well, the story is indeed playing out, but it isn’t the one they’re expecting.
One of the biggest lies foisted upon the world today is that Jews, who make up the nation state of Israel, are God’s chosen people. Christians rightly believe that Israel was chosen for something, but never ask themselves what Israel was chosen by God to do. This lack of biblical understanding results in Israel being seen as some sort of teacher’s pet. Those who believe and perpetuate the lie, don’t understand (1) God’s offer to Israel to be trustees of his gospel covenant to mankind; (2) their acceptance of that responsibility; (3) the unwillingness to do what they had agreed to do; or (4) his ultimate rejection of Israel.
At Mount Sinai after leaving Egypt, the Bible says, “Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the Lord had given him. All the people answered with one voice, ‘We will do everything the Lord has commanded.’ ” (Exodus 24:3)
Later Jeremiah warned Israel’s leaders about lying to the Lord again. “For you were not being honest when you sent me to pray to the Lord your God for you. You said, ‘Just tell us what the Lord our God says, and we will do it!’ And today I have told you exactly what he said, but you will not obey the Lord your God any better now than you have in the past.” (Jeremiah 42:20–21)
Simply put, God wanted a nation of people who completely reflected his love and character to the rest of the world. Yet Israel’s 1500-year story ended in failure when Jerusalem was utterly destroyed in 70 AD. What a sad ending for a nation of people who were given so much.
Because of Israel’s failure to live up to what it had promised, God repurposed the word Israel to mean something quite different than the world acknowledges today. In essence, Israel was redefined to mean: those who live by faith in Jesus. And this new-and-improved Israel is spiritual, not biological.
A few months ago, Tucker Carlson interviewed Ted Cruise, a US Senator, and Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a Baptist preacher, about Israel and the unrest in the Middle East. I was surprised that both men used the Israelites-Are-God’s-Chosen-People argument to answer some of the pointed questions Tucker posed. Their argument is that Israel is authorized by God to do what they like, and that Genesis 12 is their license for imposing whatever ambitions they might have. At least that’s what I inferred from their comments and explanations.
But does Genesis 12 actually say what they claim? Let’s see what the Bible says. “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you [and my covenant] with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.’ ” (Genesis 12:1–3)
An NET Bible note on verse 3 gives us insight into the encompassing promise God made to Abraham that day. He essentially said that, “Whoever treats Abram AND THE COVENANT with contempt, God will banish from the blessing.” Yet, this is the opposite of what most Christians believe. The emphasis here is on the covenant and the dispersion of the gospel, not the people chosen to disseminate it. But breaking the covenant is the singular reason the nation of Israel was rejected as trustee of the gospel. The people of Israel treated it with contempt by their lack of faith and disloyalty to God.
It’s interesting to me that the root cause of the present Middle East problem began centuries ago because of this same problem—the lack of faith. Perhaps this is why God made faith the requirement for salvation. Abraham unfortunately lacked the faith to wait patiently on God. As a solution to help God bring about the son he had promised, Abraham and a slave woman produced Ishmael.
Yet, contrary to their efforts, God rejected Abraham’s firstborn son because Ishmael wasn’t produced by faith. His conception was brought about by human effort. In time, Isaac, the child God promised, was born. But Abraham had to wait another thirteen years to see God deliver what he had promised. Today, the nations stemming from these two boys remain hostile toward one another. Sadly, we can attribute the present-day conflict to the careless act of one man. That should be a sobering thought for each one of us.
As mentioned already, the religious world is excited today over the subject of Israel and God’s plan for the land they inhabit. But let’s step back a little and get some background on what God’s original plan was for Israel.
God made three promises to Abraham:
First, God said, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:4–5)
Second, God said, “The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.” (Genesis 17:8)
Third, God said, “Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.” (Genesis 18:18)
Think about it. After leaving home and traveling around 700 miles, Abraham arrived in a strange land where God made those three promises to a homeless, childless man. In return, Abraham believed all that God said. Yes, Abraham failed God from time-to-time, but overall he was a man of great faith. And because of his faith, God covered his sins with the righteousness Jesus would later produce. God forgave Abraham’s sins and assured him of eternal life based on faith alone. Salvation has always been based on faith alone.
This process is how Jews and Gentiles become heirs of Abraham, which is important because the only people who will be redeemed are Abraham’s heirs. To be clear, an heir of Abraham is not to be confused with the Jewish race or religion. It has nothing to do with who occupies land in the Middle East. That may be confusing at first, especially with the predominant misunderstanding of who the Israel of God really is, but God designed the process this way for an important reason.
The Bible says, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29) What does becoming Abraham’s seed have to do with being born again? Consider Paul’s words: “Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham [saying]: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” (Galatians 3:7–9)
God’s covenant with Abraham affects each one of us. In order to be saved, we must have the faith Abraham had. God made Abraham the father of the faithful. He is a symbol, an example, of how we are saved through faith. Salvation doesn’t come from religious rituals, good deeds, or baptism. It comes solely through faith in God.
Faith is much more than believing that God exists or agreeing with some churches’ doctrine. The apostle Paul declared, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:16–17)
Salvation requires the righteousness of God, which no sinner can produce. This is one reason Jesus was sent to earth. Jesus had to overcome every temptation in order to produce the righteousness required to save sinners. That’s a bar too high for us humans to get over alone. But when a repentant sinner is sorry and ready to obey God’s will, God accepts him and covers him with the righteousness of Christ. This is precisely what happened to Abraham. He surrendered his will to God. God then tested his resolve and faith by instructing him to leave his homeland.
God has people in every church, religious system, and nation because there are people of faith in all walks of life. Paul wrote, “Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.” (Romans 3:29–30) This means God will cover any person who will live by faith with the righteousness of Jesus. This includes Jews or Gentiles alike.
God made Abraham the father of the faithful of every nation, not just Israel. I know that statement will offend Christian Zionists, but it’s true. Spiritually speaking, Abraham’s descendants will be as numerous as the stars in the sky when gathered at the Second Coming. The Bible says, “He [God] took him outside and said, ‘Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be.’” (Genesis 15:5) And it will be composed of people from every language, nation, and people. Hallelujah!
Since salvation is only possible through rebirth, what was God’s purpose for Abraham’s biological descendants?
When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus that night in the garden, Jesus made a point that millions of Christians don’t properly understand today. Jesus said that whosoever believes his teaching shall not perish. That includes everybody everywhere throughout the entire world. Nicodemus, upon hearing this, became uneasy, understandably so. Jesus was explaining that eternal life had nothing to do with being a biological descendant of Abraham. And that includes Isaac’s descendants.
Jesus stated, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3) Salvation requires being born again. His words apply equally to Jews and Gentiles alike. The apostle Paul declared, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.” (Romans 8:14)
In God’s sight, being a biological descendant of Abraham differs from being a spiritual descendant. This is a critical point many Christians don’t grasp yet, but they will. In God’s sight, being a biological descendant of Abraham is one thing; being a spiritual descendant of Abraham is another matter altogether.
Paul emphasized this in Romans 9 when he wrote, “It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, ‘It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.’ In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.” (Romans 9:6–8)
Only those who believe in Jesus will be justified, even though his death provides it for everyone. Through the ministry of Jesus, every born-again Jew and Gentile is an heir of Abraham. Everything God promised Abraham will be given to his spiritual heirs, not his biological heirs.
When Abraham died, he didn’t leave the land of Canaan to Isaac because God hadn’t given the land to Abraham yet. In fact, Jacob and his descendants left Canaan because of a severe famine. Whatever claim Jacob may have had on the land was lost during the four-hundred years that Jacob’s descendants were in Egypt. Just like the temple mount today, the land no longer belongs to Israel. Besides, God can’t fulfill his promise of giving the land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendants until (1) they are resurrected and (2) the earth is made new. This is a critical point. Abraham understood this.
The Bible says, “By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:9–10)
As far as I know, there is only one city whose architect and builder is God. So Abraham knew this promise could not be fulfilled during his lifetime. He, of course, was looking past the present age to a new heaven and a new earth which isn’t contaminated by the curse of sin. He was looking for everlasting life and the descent of the holy city, the New Jerusalem, whose architect and builder is God himself.
God’s original purpose for the biological offspring of Abraham was to serve as trustees of his gospel. He wanted numerous born-again Abrahams to tell the entire world of his love, salvation, and plans—this is the gospel.
Yet, shortly before God destroyed Israel, he sent Jesus to earth with a new covenant. The apostle Paul was subsequently sent to the Gentiles to tell them that God had abolished the Levitical law, and that now, anyone could become a trustee of the gospel. The only prerequisite was that we be willing to live by faith, as Abraham had done. Anyone who could do that would be considered Abraham’s heir.
Paul wrote to the Gentiles in Ephesus, “Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:2–3, 6)
I dare say that some of the greatest spiritual problems that persist today are rooted in a misunderstanding of the gospel message. The sad truth is that many people don’t have a clue about what is afforded to each of us through the gospel or what it was designed to do for us. Most Christians are distracted by the notion that the state of Israel is essential to God’s plan. It isn’t.
Paul said, “For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.” (Ephesians 2:14–16)
This is why I believe, as Morris Venden once said, “When I look at myself, I don’t see how I can be saved. But when I look at what Jesus has done, I don’t see how I can be lost.” Isn’t that a wonderful thought? Relish for a moment what that means: It is easier to be saved than lost!
When Jesus intercepted and confronted Saul on the road to Damascus, he said, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is useless for you to fight against my will.” (Acts 26:14) His meaning is obvious. He was telling Saul, don’t resist the nagging of the Holy Spirit. We can’t afford to refuse him. The transformation we must experience is brought about only through him and by him. Furthermore, it’s carried out in his timing, not ours.
Think of the process in this way. Our utility company provides power to our homes, but we don’t receive its benefit unless we flip the light switch and enable the power to transform the darkness we’re sitting in into light. All of God’s cleansing, justifying, saving power is of no benefit unless we accept it. And we accept it by flipping the switch.
When the Holy Spirit moves on us in the hope of changing our lives, if we’ll flip the switch, we’ll be empowered to take a closer walk with Jesus. Remember the old hymn: Just a Closer Walk with Thee? That song is talking about what happens after we flip the switch. God’s generous forgiveness and patience are meant to change us. And if we’ll flip the switch, he’ll justify us before the Father. Is walking with Jesus everyday easy? No, it isn’t a cakewalk. But isn’t going home worth any amount of effort?
Paul, to encourage Timothy to be faithful to Jesus, said, “God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.” (2 Timothy 1:11–12)
I’ll close the article with this thought. Tucker Carlson once said, “I’m not afraid of dying. I don’t want to, but I’m not afraid of it. Why should I be? I’m a Christian.” It’s time for Christians to stop being discouraged by the troubles facing this world and begin looking at the reward of living with Jesus for eternity. All of us have been offered an unimaginable gift. We’ve been chosen. All we have to do is accept it!
Rex
PS—Shirley Wilson, after hearing how the Russian translator is becoming more interested in the message and gaining a deeper understanding of it, sent me this note. “Wake Up is waking up! May God protect its mission until the work He called Wake Up to do is completed. May your ears be given discernment to know the voice of God as Abraham did. Abraham obeyed because he knew THAT VOICE!”
