TEACHING

Don Atkin

GOD’S HOLY NATION

Different persuasions within Christendom have differing views of the eschatological and apocalyptic significance of the events surrounding Ethnic Israel and their nation. All are praying for righteousness to prevail and God’s kingdom to come on the earth as it is in heaven. God will answer this prayer which was modeled for us by Jesus Himself.

Israel is in the headlines every day. Our hearts cry out for the salvation of these people from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came. We are saddened by the inhumane treatment they experienced in the holocaust. And, we are grateful for the things we can learn from them about family, community and nation.

We are attempting to come to grips with a number of doctrinal issues. The church desperately needs the mind of Christ. Only by divine revelation, combined with maturation, will we come to the unity of the faith, glorify our Father, and manifest His kingdom on earth.

Here’s a challenge. How do we reconcile these two passages?

(Jesus, speaking to Jews:) Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruit of it. - Matthew 21:43

(Paul, writing about Jews:) Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. - Romans 11:28

It seems to me that Jesus is saying that the Jewish nation forsook Her birthright as children of Abraham by failing to receive Jesus Christ as Messiah, and became enemies of the gospel. Consequently, the stewardship of the kingdom has been taken from them and given to a fruit-bearing nation, a holy nation.

Does not even nature itself teach us (I Corinthians 11:14)? Can we learn from their example that: Those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8)?

The root determines the fruit! We cannot cling to the old creation and still bear the fruit of the new creation.

There are only two "root men."

As it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. - I Corinthians 15:45-46

The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord of heaven (Vs. 47). We are either a branch from Adam’s "vine" or a branch from Jesus’ vine. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6). Jesus said,

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. - John 15:1-2,8

Therefore, consider the goodness and severity of God; on those who fell severity; but toward you, goodness if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. - Romans 11:22-23

Fruit is the result of abiding in the vine (Jesus Christ).

The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom being administrated by Jesus Christ, through the Spirit. He is on the throne of His father, David, at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Rejecting Christ eliminates anyone from bearing kingdom fruit, Jew or Gentile. Jews who reject Jesus are pruned from the vine; Gentiles who reject Jesus are not grafted into the vine. Jews who accept Jesus are grafted back into the vine; Gentiles who accept Jesus are grafted into the vine. Simple. Not complicated.

The fruit of the kingdom of God is borne on branches that abide in the vine - Jesus, whom God has made both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).

This fruit comes forth and matures from the seed of Abraham.

Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. - Galatians 3:16

The Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ may be given to those who believe. - Vs. 22

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. - Vs. 26

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. - Vs. 27

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. - Vs. 28

And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. - Vs. 29

It is not that the word of God has taken no effect. They are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but "In Isaac your seed shall be called." That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. For this is the word of promise: "At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son."

- Romans 9:6-9

Abraham had two sons.

For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar – for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children – but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.

For it is written: "Rejoice, O barren, you who do not bear! Break forth and shout, you who are not in labor! For the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband." Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise. But, as he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, even so it is now.

Nevertheless what does the Scripture say? "Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman." So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free. - Galatians 4:22-31

Two sons, two women, two sources of life, two mountains, two Jerusalems.

True Christians are new creatures in Christ Jesus.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. - Galatians 6:15-16

Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. - II Corinthians 5:16-17

For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. - Philippians 3:3

Two creations - old and new; born of flesh and Spirit; rooted in Adam and Christ.

Old = flesh = Adam.

New = Spirit = Christ.

True Christians are a holy nation.

There is really only "one nation (that is truly) under God." That is the holy nation of royal priests, a chosen generation, God’s own special people (I Peter 2:9).

You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. - I Peter 2:5

True Christians are one new man - a holy nation - in the new creation.

Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh – who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands – that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is the law of commandments contained in ordinance, so as to create for Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. - Ephesians 2:11-16

True Christians are to become a perfect man.

Jesus has provided the fivefold ministry to prepare those who were once Gentiles, and those who were once Jews, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

Paul: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

. . . count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. - Philippians 3:5-8

This attitude and commitment is required from all of us, regardless of our ethnic origin, for our advancement in the new man, the new creation, the one man, the holy nation. As we lay down our man-made traditions and human accomplishments that are rooted in first Adam flesh, and embrace the cross daily, we make progress toward a perfect man in the Spirit.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit. – Romans 2:28-29a

Let’s look at the elect of God.

Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. - Romans 11:25-28

The calling of God is irrevocable. But, while many are called, few are chosen (Matthew 20:16). You are a chosen generation (I Peter 2:9). John, writing of the ten horns which are ten kings with the beast,

These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen and faithful.

- Revelation 17:14

Those who are with Him are (1) called, (2) chosen, and (3) faithful.

Those who are with Him are: elect according to the foreknowledge of God.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims (sojourners) of the Dispersion . . . elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. - I Peter 1:1-2

This most certainly includes those ethnic Jews who will be provoked to jealousy by the coming in of the fulness of the Gentiles, and embrace the circumcision of the heart.

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins."

God has only one way to take away our sins. When His covenant is accessed through faith in Jesus - the Deliverer out of Zion - as both Lord and Christ, He will turn ungodliness from Jacob.

The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. The Book of Life was written from the foundation of the world.

Israel’s failure was no surprise to God. Even as He knew that Adam would fail and come into a fallen state, He also knew that Israel would fail because of sin-flawed human nature. God was not well pleased with most of them. Twenty-three thousand fell in one day. These things became our examples (from I Corinthians 10:1-14).

It has always been about "seed." It has always been about reproducing after kind. The fruit of natural seed is flesh; the fruit of spiritual seed is spirit. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Simple. Not complicated!

Here are some concluding thoughts.

John:

They (the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders) sang a new song saying,

"You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth."

- Revelation 5:8-10

Peter:

And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Most certainly and thoroughly I now perceive and understand that God shows no partiality and is no respecter of persons.

But in every nation he who venerates and has a reverential fear for God, treating Him with worshipful obedience and living uprightly, is acceptable to Him and sure of being received and welcomed [by Him].

To Him all the prophets testify (bear witness) that everyone who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him, giving himself up to Him] receives forgiveness of sins through His name. - Acts 10:34-35,43 AMP

Paul:

As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does corruption inherit incorruption. - I Corinthians 15:49-50

The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved of men. Therefore, let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. - Romans 14:17-19

Jesus:

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (provisions) will be added to you. - Matthew 6:33

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

- John 3:16 AMP

Don:

I have some dear friends in the faith who, in Adam, have Jewish roots - even as, in Adam, I have English-German roots. Some are, in Adam, citizens of Israel - even as I, in Adam, am a citizen of the United States of America. But,

We regard no one according to the flesh. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (II Corinthians 5:16-17).

I long for the new creation, the holy nation, to arise in the power and might of Christ in us, the hope of glory, and respond to the cry of creation for the revealing of the sons of God. The creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God (Romans 8:21).

What a challenge! What a task! We will only come up to this as we walk together in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3). The giving of any special status or treatment to anyone hinders this task. I pray with Jesus, that they all may be one (John 17:21).

Our commission is to preach the gospel of the kingdom to all people and nations, including ethnic Israel. Those who enter God’s kingdom constitute His Holy Nation.

One kingdom. One gospel. One people. One message.

God’s Holy Nation.

Simple. Not complicated!