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believers, chosen, Christ, Christ Jesus, Christianity, Church, Gospel, holy, honor, Israel, nation, people, race, Religion and Spirituality, stand
For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. – I Peter 2:6-10 (ESV)
I am often asked why I do not “stand with Israel”, meaning, why do I not support that people across the waters which we refer to as “natural” Israel. It is very simple actually. I will not pretend that unbelievers possess the favor of God. We should take the Gospel to them however.
As long as natural Israel continues their rejection of Jesus Christ as Messiah and Savior, they are under the wrath of God and continue storing up for themselves the wrath that will surely engulf them for all eternity should they die without being born again by the sovereign act of God in salvation.
Look at the passage quoted above, I Peter 2:6-10:
Now let me ask you a few questions.
- 1. To whom is “the honor” bestowed?
Ans: To those who believe in Christ. Is honor also to natural Israel who reject Christ? No.
- 2. Who does God declare “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession”?
Ans: The believers in Christ only. Are natural Israel called these things? No.
- 3. Who was called out of darkness into His marvelous light?
Ans: Natural Israel? No. Only believers in Christ, according to God through Peter.
- 4. Who, according to the above passage are God’s people?
Ans: Unbelieving Israel? No, not at all. Only the believers in Christ.
Peter, a Jew, addresses believers, using Isaiah 43:20, 21 to show us that believer’s in Christ, and only those, are the fulfillment of God’s promises. Christ Jesus has but one bride, and it is the Church, regenerated sinners who are continually believing and following Christ and His commands.
Unbelieving ‘natural’ Israel is not the bride of Christ. If they do not repent, individually, and believe, they will perish in their sins along with the rest of the unbelieving world. After all, how many brides do you think Christ has? Just one, the Church.
That is why I do not ‘stand with Israel’, so to speak. By any and every means possible, take the Gospel to this people, but do not give them false assurance of being a chosen people apart from believing in Christ. Speak the truth as it is in Christ Jesus.
I do not “stand with Israel” because I am Israel, just one of many, many believers.
So well written! Dispensationalism has done so much to create distortions of what Scripture teaches. From the separation of the Church and Israel to the false teaching of a third class of believer who is “carnal” there is no wonder why so many in the evangelical church today know more about the “Left Behind” movies and an obsession over a pretribulational rapture than they do about the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.
Thank you for your stand Pastor Taylor!
Well said, and agree 100%.
I know many God fearing Christ-centeric dispensationalist. I have the pleasure of worshipping with them on any given Sunday. Not only are they image-bearers of God of means of the first birth, but they are image-bearers of Christ from the new birth as well and as such they are not our enemy but part of the Body. They may see things wrongly when it comes to Scripture, but where they error isn’t of enternal value. This is not to say error should go uncorrected, but it is to say that we should not be so arrogant as to think we ourselves have never errored when pondering Scripture. The Spirit tells us that without love our gifts are of no worth.
Grace and peace,
Steve
Steve,
The post merely answers a question. Please know that no dispensationalist was harmed during the writing of this article.
The Westminster Confession of Faith would refer to those dispensationalist as “Scandalous” and “ignorant.” This is a great post! Well Done!
OK, so I’m a bit on the tardy side catching on to this post. Bang on, Joel. One more for my files. Thanks for this.
Good post and comment above from Jay W. Maybe if Christian’s really thought about it, they would see how odd that view is don’t you think? I know I have.. Even though it’s a little hard to do with all the Dispensational teachings around us.
Man Im really angry reading this lol As a dispensationalist who believes TULIP I want to complain about your Roman Catholic eschatology. Its not Biblical,its tradition! Besides the Westminster Confession might have done more than just called me scandolous they persecuted us Baptists for not holding their Roman Catholic views of infant baptism. But I love my presbyterian and covenantal brothers and I love the Westminster Confession where it touches on soteriology. I think the we dispensationalists should be quicker to admit the timing of the rapture is our theory that isnt explicitly taught in Scripture,its deduced from our eschatology. Just like Calvins view of infants being baptized was deduced from his covenantalism since an infant being baptized is found no where in the Bible ; ) Beware my friends that your Roman Catholic view of the end times doesnt lead you back to the Pope in fulfillment of the end-times we dispensationalists have been warning you about.
I would agree with this post, but you may want to re-check your verses, they don’t match up.