Tag: god

As I study the Bible, I realized Christians have misunderstood the doctrine of “election” as the selective picking and choosing act of God, rather than God’s mercy and grace. Let us take a look at Paul’s words in Romans regarding the fate of Old Covenant Israel.

“But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: ‘About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.’ And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.’ What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” (Romans 9:6-18)

Paul’s quotation from Exodus 33:19, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion (Romans 9:15),” provides context for explaining God’s election. The Old Testament stories serve as narratives that illustrate God’s redemptive works. Recall that Israel was destined for destruction at Mount Sinai, and God’s presence should no longer be with them (Exodus 32:30-33:3). However, upon Moses’ pleas, God extended grace and mercy to Israel through His election. See Paul’s confirmation on Romans 9:16, “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”

The doctrine of election has caused considerable division, confusion, and arrogance among its followers. However, election was an act of God’s mercy and grace, not a selective process of choosing individuals for salvation, as it has been misinterpreted in modern Christianity. How did God’s mercy manifest in Old Covenant Israel?

Paul asserts, “For Christ is the end of the (i.e., Mosaic) law for righteousness to everyone (i.e., both Jew and Gentile) who believes.” (Romans 10:4) In Galatians, Paul further explains, “So then, the law was our (i.e., Israel’s) guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24) Finally, Paul concludes, “Therefore, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) So he went on to state, “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” (Romans 10:18)

The Book of Acts proves the Gospel reached the end of the then-known world of the Jew-the Empire of Rome. Paul was imprisoned in Rome preaching the Gospel to both Jew and Gentile (Acts 28:17-31). Doubtless then, God’s declaration in Acts 1:8 was fulfilled and documented by Luke, bringing to a conclusion, therefore, Christ’s Word concerning the end of Old Covenant Israel. Jesus Christ states:

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. ‘So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.’” (Matthew 24:14-21)

If there’s any disagreement with Christ’s declaration and its fulfillment, let the Word of God stand as a witness, not man. Luke, in writing a parallel account of Christ’s declaration, states:

“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” (Luke 21:20-24)

“Times of the Gentiles” refers to the end of Gentiles lording over God’s people. God told Daniel about this:

“And in the days of those kings (i.e. fourth kingdom of “iron and clay”, see Daniel 2:40-43) the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”” (Daniel 2:44-45)

Jesus Christ fulfilled Daniel’s prophecy and is the cornerstone upon which the church is built. As stated in Matthew 16:18, “the gates of hades shall not prevail upon it.” John asserts “whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).

Christ Jesus did not come to establish a physical kingdom, but rather a spiritual one. He declared, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24) On another occasion, when the Pharisees inquired about the kingdom of God’s arrival, Jesus responded, “The kingdom of God is not coming in a manner that can be observed, nor will they proclaim, ‘Look here!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is already within you.” (Luke 17:20-21) The advent of Jesus, the Christ, signifies the manifestation of God’s kingdom. Initially, it is an “already but not yet” until Jerusalem was destroyed with finality in 70 A.D.

God’s grace upon Old Covenant Israel was manifested through the Gospel proclamation. Paul’s quotation in Romans 10:15 declaring God’s grace and mercy on everyone who believes the Gospel was cited from Isaiah 52:7, and Nahum 1:15 which says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” Same as in Nahum, Isaiah states, “Behold, upon the mountains, the feet of Him who brings good news, who publishes peace! Keep your feasts, O Judah; fulfill your vows, for never again shall the worthless pass through you; he is utterly cut off.”

In both Old Testament passages, the Scripture refers to Christ—”the feet of Him”—as the bearer of the Gospel. Both Isaiah and Nahum preached of a coming period of grace and mercy in the midst of God’s judgment. Paul’s quotation of Isaiah 52:7 and Nahum 1:15 was changed from “Him” to “those” because the disciples of Jesus—that’s Paul and everyone else who preaches the Gospel—preach nothing else but the Words of Christ Jesus. They are the extension and messengers of the Gospel, for as long as the Gospel was preached precisely according to Christ’s Word. See Isaiah 49:5-6:

“And now the LORD says, He who formed Me (i.e. Jesus) from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob back to Him; and that Israel might be gathered to Him— for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD, and My God has become My strength— He says: “It is too light a thing that You should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.””

Isaiah obviously was speaking about Jesus Christ, and His Gospel is for everyone, Jew and Gentile alike. After the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, Paul and Barnabas applied Isaiah 49:6 to themselves, see Acts 13:46-47:

“And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, ‘It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you (i.e. the Jews). Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.”‘”

The same application was done for Paul’s change from “Him” to “those” in his quotation of Isaiah 52:7 and Nahum 1:15.

Does God still elect people to salvation? Old Covenant Israel has ceased. Hebrews 8:13 states, “In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” (Hebrews 8:13) Israel today is just like any other person on Earth. They ceased to be God’s people without Christ. Paul states, “From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh (i.e. circumcision, sign under the Mosaic Covenant). Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17)

So does God elect people to salvation as it has been taught today? Such teaching simply has no basis in Scripture. Again, Paul asserts, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17) Consequently, Paul states as well, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) The Gospel is the manifestation of God’s grace and mercy to everyone who believes. God does not arbitrarily decree some to salvation and others to damnation.

I understand that most would find my exposition perplexing. But it is so mainly because we have been convinced to see, understand, and believe Christian teachings in its present form. True Christian doctrines are founded in the teachings of Jesus Christ, not of biblical scholars or renowned pastors or Christian figures. Paul states, “For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:4-11)

I became a Christian and later on a pastor after the tragic passing of my only son. God amazingly turned our brokenness for His glory by turning my family and me to His Gospel. That is the reason I am seriously studying the Bible and willing to change my perspective when it’s contradicted by Scripture’s teachings. Yes, it comes with a cost. Fellow believers who hold to contemporary Christian teachings will ridicule and persecute you. But Christ did say that’s exactly what will happen once you faithfully follow Him. Jesus states, “A disciple is not above His teacher, nor a servant above His master. It is enough for the disciple to be like His teacher, and the servant like His master. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of His household” (Matthew 10:24-25). And we only have one true Teacher, no other than Jesus Christ. Isaiah prophesied His coming, saying:

“Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him. For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as He hears it, He answers you. And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide Himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:18-21)

Let us all learn from the Teacher, Jesus Christ, who is the Word (John 1:1, 14-18). During the transfiguration of Jesus Christ, God declares, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35) Have you been listening to Jesus or to the traditions of men?

In conclusion, a change of perspective isn’t inherently negative, provided that the change aligns our faith and beliefs with Scripture. The Bible states:

“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, Jesus interpreted to the disciples in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” (Luke 24:27)

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)

“And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2:13)

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

Paul state, “I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers, that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.” (1 Corinthians 4:6)

The Reformation initiated by Martin Luther and others was a significant turning point in Christian history. However, it didn’t entirely restore the Bible’s teachings to its original state. We ought to make the change for the better and for good. This can only be achieved through the interpretation of Scripture by Scripture, reconciling the Old Covenant Scriptures with the New Covenant and vice versa.

Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessings!