When we confess Jesus as our Lord, and believe he’s alive, we’re saved.
Particularly if you’re a Jew. ’Cause
But here we slam into a little bit of controversy.
Y’see a number of Jews don’t confess Jesus as their Lord. Don’t believe in their hearts God raised him from the dead. Yet they still figure they’re in God’s kingdom, ’cause they’re following
Well… no.
Because people are not, and have never been, saved by following the Law.
Galatians 2.15-21 NET - 15 We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, 16 yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. 17 But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages sin? Absolutely not! 18 But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God’s law. 19 For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!
People are not, and have never been, saved by following the Law.
The Hebrews were rescued from Egypt, not because they were good or mighty people, but because God chose to save ’em. We Christians are rescued from sin, not because we deserve it or grew up Christian, but because God chose to save us. None of us earned God’s favor. Nobody works their way to salvation. The Law was granted to an already-saved people. Same as Jesus’s instructions are granted to us Christians.
So when Jews claim, “I’m part of
See, an integral part of any relationship with God, no matter what form it takes,
This idea that Jews get any special path to salvation which does an end-run round Jesus? Absolutely false.
Who claims Jews can be saved by their Law?
Well, those who practice Judaism frequently say so. Although there are many Jews who recognize grace is a mighty big part of it, ’cause
And certain liberal Christians say so. Not because the scriptures teach any such thing; it’s because they don’t wanna rub our Jewish friends the wrong way, and insist they really do have to turn to Jesus to be saved. They’re figuring God’ll be so gracious, he’ll ignore rebellion. Even though he’s made it entirely clear he forgives rebellion, but he ain’t gonna ignore rebellion.
And lastly,
Dispensationalists can argue they’re technically not heretic, ’cause they’re not claiming God saves people for good works now. That was then; the salvation-by-Law dispensation ended once Jesus died. New dispensation, new rules.
Therefore when Simon Peter said the following in temple, to an audience which entirely consisted of Jews, it was because they needed to be informed the new dispensation had kicked in.
Acts 4.8-12 NET - 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, replied, “Rulers of the people and elders, 9 if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man—by what means this man was healed— 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone.
Ps 118.22 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.”
Yet there are nonetheless many dispensationalists who claim present-day Jews can be saved by the Law. That God’s supposed salvation-by-Law arrangement wasn’t undone by Jesus: It’s still around. The special covenant God has with Israel still counts: If Jews expect to be saved by following the Law, they can.
According to these dispensationalists, God has two covenants: The Old Testament covenant for any descendants of Israel, and the New Testament covenant for gentiles. Christians get saved
I know; so much wrong with this idea. Still a popular one. Dispensationalists even use it as the foundation of a whole lot of
’Cause anybody who claims salvation is found through any other route, just violated everything Peter taught. Nobody gets to the Father except through Jesus.
Did Jews get booted from the kingdom?
The idea God’s kingdom only consists of people who believe in God’s anointed king, shouldn’t be a controversial idea. But it is. And that’s mostly because of the way Christians have bollixed this idea.
Historically Christians have taught
Parts of this idea are correct. Bigger parts really aren’t.
First of all, Paul stated God didn’t reject the Jews.
Romans 11.1-6 NET - 1 So I ask, God has not rejected his people, has he? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew! Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left and they are seeking my life!”
1Ki 19.10, 14 4 But what was the divine response to him? “I have kept for myself 7,000 people who have not bent the knee to Baal.”1Ki 19.18 - 5 So in the same way at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if it is by grace, it is no longer by works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
There are a whole lot of Jews among us Christians. More than most of us realize. Y’see,
But not their
Like Paul pointed out, he was Israeli. Lots of early Christians were. God absolutely hadn’t thrown out his people: Many were following Jesus. And many weren’t; many Pharisees had chosen to follow their rabbis instead. Paul called the Israeli believers in Christ “a remnant… chosen by grace.” Like the 7,000 devout men in Elijah’s day, it wasn’t a majority, but it wasn’t nothing.
Here’s the problem: Supersessionism, as it’s frequently taught, totally disregards what Paul wrote, and acts as though God rejected Israel. Antisemites take this idea and run with it, claiming we Christians oughta reject he Jews too, not even bother to share the gospel with them, and even hassle, persecute, and condemn them as rebellious unbelievers. Yep, it’s used as the basis, or excuse, for racism, terrorism, and genocide. For evil.
Properly, Christians should treat Jews slightly different than other ethnic groups. Slightly better, actually. ’Cause our Lord is an ethnic Jew. These are Jesus’s people. He deliberately came to them first. He particularly wants ’em saved. He’s particularly their king: He’s everybody’s king, but Messiah is specifically a title of the king of the Jews, and it’s a shame when Jews don’t know their own king. When they get to know him, Jews’ relationships with Jesus are gonna be a little extra meaningful for just this reason: They’re in a privileged position. The fact anyone treats ’em otherwise, as if they’re lesser, just goes to show you how devilish antisemitism is.
Now yeah, some Christians have dangerously overcompensated for the antisemitism by insisting Jews have a special salvation-by-works covenant, and needn’t become Christian. Again, totally contrary to that Romans 11 bit I just quoted.
And a number of Messianic Jews also claim unbelieving Jews, and the nation of Isael, have a special setup with God. Mostly this is because many of the founders of the Messianic Jewish movement have a dispensationalist background. All those Old Testament prophecies,
I would counter their “End Times” prophecies are a combination of misappropriation and wishful thinking. And have the bad habit of
So does that mean Christendom is the kingdom?
The other problem with supercessionism is Christians figure the church is God’s kingdom. It is not.
That which we call “the church” consists of all the people we figure are Christian. Who claim allegiance with Jesus. Who participate in one church or another. The folks whom we popularly know as “Christianity” and “Christendom.” Problem is, not all of ’em recognize Jesus as Lord, and Jesus doesn’t know ’em either.
A number of ’em figure they’re Christian because they grew up Christian—in a “Christian home,” with Christian parents, in
On the other side of the coin are the
Jesus’s true followers make up his kingdom. Jesus’s perceived followers—the folks we consider Christendom—are not. Theologians sometimes call this difference “the invisible church” versus “the visible church.” However you label it, the church we can see ain’t the kingdom.
But historically, supercessionists have figured the perceived followers are the kingdom. And based a lot of their teachings and behaviors on this idea. Like granting political power to clergy, namely bishops, popes, and pastors. Like endorsing kings and presidents who claim to be Christian. Like giving the benefit of the doubt to “good Christians,” and giving loads of doubt to everyone else. Never mind how Christian none of these people behave.
“My kingdom isn’t of this world,” Jesus stated.
But without King Jesus directly leading us, no we’re not the kingdom. At best we’re helping him get it ready. At worst, we’re making more of a mess of things, doing it in his name, and dragging his name in the mud as we do so.
Properly, supercessionism isn’t an accurate way to describe how God’s kingdom differs between Old and New Testaments. ’Cause the only substantial way it differs is that
So it’s wholly inaccurate to say the church replaces Israel. Christendom is not God’s new kingdom. God’s kingdom arrives
