The Daily Word of Righteousness

The True Israel, #3

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (John 3:3)

In order for a Jew (or a Gentile) to receive any part of the Messianic promises, the blessing and inheritance of Abraham, he must be born again of the Spirit of God. Christ, the one Seed of Abraham, must be born in him. This is the only true Israel, the Body of Christ, the one Kingdom of God.

The Body of Christ is true Israel.

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. (John 10:16)

"One fold, and one shepherd"!

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; (Ephesians 4:4)

We Gentiles have been called to be part of the true Jerusalem:

But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, (Hebrews 12:22)

God has made us Gentiles one with the elect Jews through the broken body of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

And that he might reconcile both [Jews and Gentiles] unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: (Ephesians 2:16)

The Prophets agree to this:

Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. (Ezekiel 37:16,17)

It requires two sticks to make a cross.

In the symbol of the two sticks, Judah represents the Jews. Joseph, who married a Gentile wife, represents the elect who are drawn from the nations.

A careful study of the eleventh chapter of the Book of Romans will prove there is no "Gentile Church."

The root of the Christian Church, the Body of Christ, is Abraham. Abraham is the father of true Israel.

Adam and Eve stumbled because of a trivial temptation. Abraham stood true throughout a heartbreaking testing. Abraham's staunch obedience and faithfulness to God is in contrast to Adam's miserable disobedience. Abraham is the father of all who believe in Christ (Romans 4:11).

We believing Gentiles—Europeans, Scandinavians, Americans, Africans, Asians—were branches growing out from wild olive trees. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are a holy, cultivated olive tree, being chosen by the Lord God of Heaven who does all things according to the counsel of His own will.

According to God's foreknowledge and election, some of us Gentiles were cut out of the wild olive trees and grafted on the holy olive tree.

The holy olive tree never has become a Gentile tree, a wild tree. The holy olive tree never has changed its character.

Christ is the holy Olive Tree. Even Abraham himself must be born again in Christ, must be grafted on God's holy olive tree, which is true Israel.

Having been grafted on the holy olive tree we now are an integral part of Christ, of Abraham, of true Israel. Even the Jew must be grafted on Christ, on the one true Vine of God. For no mortal human being, including the Jew, ever can enter the one Kingdom of God (I Corinthians 15:50).

To be continued.