who are gods chosen people of today? what verses do the bible talk about salvation for edomite and gentiles? do the curses of Deuteronomy apply to everyone or just Israelites?
1 Peter 2:9 (KJV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
When God called Abraham out of his father's land into a land flowing with milk and honey the whole world was in spiritual fornication , There wasn't a Holy nation.
Isn't it amazing how people fight to be the Hebrew as if that carried so merit today.
They're brought into the family of God by the blood of Christ as well as us.
Thank you Michael for that clear & concise response. If the foundations of biblical teaching or doctrine are not properly laid, the building cracks will develop & bring destruction. I find that many Christians, whether because of Church teaching or from their own surmisings, look at Scriptures such as John 14:15 & immediately apply the obedience to the Law for all people, that which was given only to Israel.
To do so, several things have to be overlooked or rejected: to whom was God speaking in the OT & to whom was Jesus speaking prior to His crucifixion? Only to Israel, none else. Gentiles weren't even in the picture pertaining to the Law & never have been. What was the reason for giving the Law? God's code of conduct (spiritual, moral & social) for His people, His Mark of separation from the heathen - Leviticus 26:46, (as also with circumcision: Genesis 17:10), & to demonstrate to Israel a godly standard that as sinners they could never fully obey ( Galatians 3:21-26).
But then we get verses such as Matthew 5:17-19 which are often used to support the eternal nature & applicability of the Law to all people. To those under the Law, indeed, the Law is current & will be used against them. To those who have escaped the curse of the Law & have found new life in Christ, have learned that Christ has indeed fulfilled all the Law, forever abrogating it & thru His Death ushered in a new & better Covenant ( Hebrews 8:6-13).
What then do we do with Scriptures (e.g. 1 John 5:2,3) that say we must obey God's commandments? Are John & others pointing the believer back to the letter of the Law that kills or rather to the Spirit Who gives life ( 2 Corinthians 3:6)? It is the Spirit's Law in our hearts that frees us from the Law of sin & death ( Romans 8:2). To give consent to both, that which is opposed to each other, weakens (even negates) the power of the New Covenant through Christ's Blood & the keeping of the Sabbath ever stands as a centrepiece to
Thank you for your insightful comments. I enjoyed reading them. Quite accurate.
Many who quote Matthew 5:17-19 fail to notice an important point, namely, Jesus said, "till all be fulfilled".
Matthew 5:18 "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."
The Mosaic Law was fulfilled in Jesus Christ once he died and was resurrected. His death put to death the Mosaic Law as recorded at:
Colossians 2:14-16: "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days."
Romans 7:6 "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."
Romans 10:4 "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Many who quote Matthew 5:17-19 often do not notice what Jesus said in the parallel account at:
Luke 16:16 "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it."
There, Jesus said further that the law, that is, the Mosaic Law, was UNTIL John. After John, it would be the New Covenant that was inaugurated by Jesus' shed blood. (See Luke 22:20.)
Thus, 1 John 5:2, 3 and all other verses in the New Testament (Romans to Revelation), referring to God's commandments, does not refer to the 10 commandments nor the Mosaic Law commandments but only to the laws of the New Covenant (Romans to Revelation). In that New Testament Law, no instruction is ever made to keep the Sabbath Day or to circumcise all males, etc.
I share these thoughts with you and hope you enjoy them.
Hi Johnny How about I paste a reply from Michael on a similar topic. I think you will find your answer here.
Jesus himself was born under the Mosaic Law and, therefore, was required to keep the Mosaic Law. That is why he was circumcised on the eight day as per the Mosaic Law. Notice that in the following verse. Jesus was made (or born) under the law - the Mosaic Law.
Galatians 4:4 "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,"
As long as that Mosaic Law was in force, the Mosaic Law (the so-called Old Testament) was in force. Jesus therefore kept his Father's commandments of that Mosaic Law. But, the Holy Scriptures has said that God would set up a New Covenant that would not be like the Old Covenant. Notice...
Jeremiah 31:31 "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:" "Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:"
It was not the Apostle Paul who changed God's Law to his people - it was God himself as per Jeremiah 31:31. However, the Apostle Paul, writing under inspiration of God, gave the first-century Church the new directives or laws governing that New Covenant. He never instructed the Christian Churches of the first-century to keep the Mosaic Law such as circumcision or the sabbaths. In fact, he instructed them the complete opposite. Notice again...
Colossians 2:16 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:"
You cannot judge a Christian for not keeping the sabbath days - as per the New Covenant that has been set up between God and his present-day people - the Church of God.
The answer to Your question is,
The Church.
1 Peter 2:9 (KJV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
When God called Abraham out of his father's land into a land flowing with milk and honey the whole world was in spiritual fornication , There wasn't a Holy nation.
Isn't it amazing how people fight to be the Hebrew as if that carried so merit today.
They're brought into the family of God by the blood of Christ as well as us.
God bless.
Thank you Michael for that clear & concise response. If the foundations of biblical teaching or doctrine are not properly laid, the building cracks will develop & bring destruction. I find that many Christians, whether because of Church teaching or from their own surmisings, look at Scriptures such as John 14:15 & immediately apply the obedience to the Law for all people, that which was given only to Israel.
To do so, several things have to be overlooked or rejected: to whom was God speaking in the OT & to whom was Jesus speaking prior to His crucifixion? Only to Israel, none else. Gentiles weren't even in the picture pertaining to the Law & never have been. What was the reason for giving the Law? God's code of conduct (spiritual, moral & social) for His people, His Mark of separation from the heathen - Leviticus 26:46, (as also with circumcision: Genesis 17:10), & to demonstrate to Israel a godly standard that as sinners they could never fully obey ( Galatians 3:21-26).
But then we get verses such as Matthew 5:17-19 which are often used to support the eternal nature & applicability of the Law to all people. To those under the Law, indeed, the Law is current & will be used against them. To those who have escaped the curse of the Law & have found new life in Christ, have learned that Christ has indeed fulfilled all the Law, forever abrogating it & thru His Death ushered in a new & better Covenant ( Hebrews 8:6-13).
What then do we do with Scriptures (e.g. 1 John 5:2,3) that say we must obey God's commandments? Are John & others pointing the believer back to the letter of the Law that kills or rather to the Spirit Who gives life ( 2 Corinthians 3:6)? It is the Spirit's Law in our hearts that frees us from the Law of sin & death ( Romans 8:2). To give consent to both, that which is opposed to each other, weakens (even negates) the power of the New Covenant through Christ's Blood & the keeping of the Sabbath ever stands as a centrepiece to
Thank you for your insightful comments. I enjoyed reading them. Quite accurate.
Many who quote Matthew 5:17-19 fail to notice an important point, namely, Jesus said, "till all be fulfilled".
Matthew 5:18 "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."
The Mosaic Law was fulfilled in Jesus Christ once he died and was resurrected. His death put to death the Mosaic Law as recorded at:
Colossians 2:14-16: "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days."
Romans 7:6 "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter."
Romans 10:4 "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."
Many who quote Matthew 5:17-19 often do not notice what Jesus said in the parallel account at:
Luke 16:16 "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it."
There, Jesus said further that the law, that is, the Mosaic Law, was UNTIL John. After John, it would be the New Covenant that was inaugurated by Jesus' shed blood. (See Luke 22:20.)
Thus, 1 John 5:2, 3 and all other verses in the New Testament (Romans to Revelation), referring to God's commandments, does not refer to the 10 commandments nor the Mosaic Law commandments but only to the laws of the New Covenant (Romans to Revelation). In that New Testament Law, no instruction is ever made to keep the Sabbath Day or to circumcise all males, etc.
I share these thoughts with you and hope you enjoy them.
I will be copying them for future use.
God bless you.
Jesus himself was born under the Mosaic Law and, therefore, was required to keep the Mosaic Law. That is why he was circumcised on the eight day as per the Mosaic Law. Notice that in the following verse. Jesus was made (or born) under the law - the Mosaic Law.
Galatians 4:4 "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,"
As long as that Mosaic Law was in force, the Mosaic Law (the so-called Old Testament) was in force. Jesus therefore kept his Father's commandments of that Mosaic Law. But, the Holy Scriptures has said that God would set up a New Covenant that would not be like the Old Covenant. Notice...
Jeremiah 31:31 "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:" "Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:"
It was not the Apostle Paul who changed God's Law to his people - it was God himself as per Jeremiah 31:31. However, the Apostle Paul, writing under inspiration of God, gave the first-century Church the new directives or laws governing that New Covenant. He never instructed the Christian Churches of the first-century to keep the Mosaic Law such as circumcision or the sabbaths. In fact, he instructed them the complete opposite. Notice again...
Colossians 2:16 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:"
You cannot judge a Christian for not keeping the sabbath days - as per the New Covenant that has been set up between God and his present-day people - the Church of God.
I welcome your further thoughts, Dan. Good day.
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