Compelling Love

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Believers in Jesus Christ, both Jew and Gentile, have a new identity in Him.  Born again as children of God,  we are new creations, fellow-heirs with Christ himself in the house of God, and citizens of the New Jerusalem.

This revelation of God’s love and salvation through Christ is for the whole world:

John 1 (NKJV)
¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 3 (NKJV)
¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

2 Corinthians (NKJV)
¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

God progressively reveals His plan for salvation beginning with first book of the Bible.  For example, God promised Abram (later named Abraham) that He would make him a great nation and that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed:

Genesis 12 (NKJV)
¹ Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
² I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
³ I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Psalm 67 describes God’s blessings going forth through His people to all nations.

Psalm 67 (NKJV)
¹ God be merciful to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
² That Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.
³ Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.

In Psalm 133 David describes the blessings that come when brethren dwell together in unity:

Psalm 133 (NKJV)
¹ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
² It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
³ It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.

Paul declares in Ephesians 2 that Christ has broken down the middle wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles.  Christ has created “one new man from the two”, and “through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father”:

Ephesians 2 (NKJV)
¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

By revelation God made known to Paul “that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel”.  (Ephesians 3:6)  Messianic Jewish author Boaz Michael accordingly describes the identity of both Jews and Gentiles in Christ in this way:

“The day is coming when the holy city, the New Jerusalem, will descend, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  The twelve gates of the city will be open, day and night.  …  Each gate is made of precious stone.  The names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel are inscribed upon the gates, just as they were inscribed on the twelve stones of the high priest’s breast piece.

“Through which gate will you [Gentiles] enter?

“The Bible teaches that in Jesus, “the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body” with the Jewish people (Ephesians 3:6), and “fellow heirs with Christ” Himself (Romans 8:17).”  …

“If I were a Gentile Christian and someone asked me, “What gate will you enter?”, I would reply, “I will enter through the gate of Judah.  Although I am not from that tribe, my Master is the son of David from the house of Judah.”  Shouldn’t the king’s bride pass through the king’s gate?  Shouldn’t  a man’s servant enter through the same gate as his master?”  …

(“Twelve Gates – Where Do the Nations Enter?”, by Boaz Michael, First Fruits of Zion, 2012, p. 56-57)

As born again believers in Jesus, our identity is in Him.  If you are in Christ, you are a new creation, a fellow-heir with Christ himself in the house of God, and a citizen of the New Jerusalem.

“Our Lord is coming; indeed, he is coming soon!”  (ibid)

David Krause, dhkrause@neteze.com, 3/26/2017, https://compellinglove.net/  

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