Jewish We Gentile You In One Body By The Spirit

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, this is William Bell with All Bible Prophecy Fulfilled. I'd like to welcome you to another edition of our podcast. We encourage you to bring an open mind and open heart and an open Bible and be ready to receive the Word, which is able to save your souls. This morning, we're going to be talking about the Jewish we and the Gentile you united in one body by the Spirit. The Jewish we and the Gentile you united in one body by the Spirit in Christ Jesus. So let's go ahead and begin. We're going to pick up from where we left off in the previous broadcast and we were discussing verse 12. We were looking at verses 3 through 12 of Ephesians chapter 1. We'd already laid a background from the Old Testament and in this broadcast, we're going to talk a little bit more about the you. We've discussed the we, but let's pick up just a couple of verses on that so that we have a common starting point. Now in verse 11 of Ephesians 1, the Bible says in him also we have obtained an inheritance. Now I suggested from the first broadcast as we looked in Ephesians 1 that the we used in the context is a reference to Israel, not just the tribe of Judah, nor only the tribe of Israel or the northern tribes, but this is all 12 tribes of Israel who are being spoken of in this text. The Bible says in him also we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will. Now the word predestined gives us a clue that what we're talking about and the people we're talking about is Israel. We've already seen that in verse 5 where he said having predestined us to the adoption as sons. So it was Israel who was predestined to the adoption according to Romans chapter 9 and verse 4. The adoption pertained to Israel, Paul's brethren or kinsmen according to the flesh as the scripture says who are Israelites to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises of whom are the fathers and from whom according to the flesh Christ came who is overall the eternally blessed God. Amen. So there should be no controversy in terms of to whom the covenants belong, to whom the promises belong, to whom the services of God belong, to whom the adoption belong because that was to Israel, Paul's kinsmen according to the flesh and therefore we're talking about that which belonged to Israel. So he said that they were predestined according to the adoption of sons. Now it was therefore to Israel that God entered into this covenant relationship with and therefore premised the inheritance to them and so in verse 11 in him also we have obtained an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his own will. And then in verse 12 that we there's our Jewish we again who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. Now the gospel was preached to the Jew first. Romans 1 verse 16 the scripture says I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. We discussed Acts chapter 2 verse 9 and 10 or 9 through 11 actually where there were Jews from every nation under heaven and certainly from the far countries where they had been scattered in other words including the 10 northern tribes they were all there on the day of Pentecost and furthermore when the gospel was to go out to all the nations according to the commission in Acts chapter 1 they were told to begin in Jerusalem then to go to Judea then to Samaria and then to the uttermost part of the earth and so all of the Jews were involved that is all of Israel was involved and so it's always important to keep in mind that when we're talking about the hope of Israel and talking about resurrection we're talking about the hope of Israel just as Paul said in Acts 24 and the verses 15 he said I have hope in God which they themselves and he's referring to the Jews because he had just mentioned them who were trying to accuse him falsely and trying to demonstrate that he was teaching something contrary to the law of Moses he said they couldn't prove it and then in verse 14 but this I confess to you that according to the way which they call a sect so I worship the God of my fathers believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets so this was the message to the fathers and he said I have hope in God which they themselves also accept that there is about to be a resurrection of the dead both of the just and of the unjust and again he reiterates that in the 26th chapter of Acts when he says and now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers to this promise our 12 tribes earnestly serving God night and day hope to attain for this hope sake King Agrippa I am accused by the Jews why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead so the promise the hope of Israel was resurrection this was the inheritance of Israel as we demonstrated before and that is what is under discussion in Ephesians chapter 1 and so the verse 12 again that we who first trusted now he's going to make the shift from the Jewish we to the Gentile you and thus in verse 13 he says in him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise so now he discusses what happened to the Gentiles as a result of their hearing the gospel we can see that as we look in the book of Acts and we see from Acts chapter 19 and following and actually we can see as early as Acts chapter 10 because of the household of Cornelius where God said you know of a truth I there was he was no respective persons and in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is accepted of him and of course Peter had to go to his Jewish brethren explained that in Acts chapter 11 and in Acts chapter 15 there was this great dispute over whether or not the Gentiles who had come into the faith would have to be circumcised after the manner of Moses and so they went up to Jerusalem to discuss the matter and after there had been much dispute Peter rose up among them and said men and brethren you know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel and believe and God who knows the hearts put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith now that's a very key point we're going to see a little bit later when we look at chapter 2 it's a very key point that he said that he purified their hearts by faith and so he asked why test God to put a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we were able to bear we read you the statements from Daniel chapter 9 beginning in verse 7 actually as early as verse 5 where he's confessing the sins of Judah saying we have sinned we didn't even repent of our sins and therefore they have to finish the transgression as a nation also with Hosea and Ephraim where they sin and not only had they sinned but the Bible also points out the fact that in addition to their sinning they sinned more and more after they died as a result of that and of course God said he was going to deliver them from their sins and so from this perspective we can see that the gospel had gone to the Jews but the Jews were just as guilty of sin as were the Gentiles and thus Peter said but we believe that through the grace of God through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they in other words he's saying we're going to be saved by faith by grace through faith even as the Gentiles were and that's a very significant point in demonstrating that they were not going to be saved through the law but they were going to be saved through grace or by grace through faith now in verse 13 verse 14 he says who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory now I want you to note how he had just mentioned the you that is the you and then he comes right back and talks about the Jewish we or our because he says who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory therefore I also verse 15 after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ or Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints do not cease to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers now let's move down to chapter two and we're going to see this Jewish we and this Gentile you continually developed in the chapter and this is where we really get into some of the real heart of what's taking place so in verse one he starts out pointing out that the Gentiles were dead in trespasses and sins he says in you he has made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked according to the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience now that he has said about the Gentiles but notice in verse three he's going to change again and talk about what happened to the Jews what happened to Israel among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of wrath even as others and of course all you have to do is read through the new testament and you will see where the wrath was upon those who were the people of God because of their disobedience to the law but verse four but God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ now watch the shift in the very same verse by grace you have been saved so after he had stated in verse one and two that the Gentiles had fallen into sin or had trespassed and were dead in sin and trespasses and were made alive in Christ then he talks about the Jews who also were dead in sin just as the scripture says in Romans 3 in verse 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and then he talks about God who is rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us that goes back to what we had in chapter one where they were predestined to the salvation that was to come through Christ John 4 22 salvation is of the Jews so this great love where with he loved us is speaking of Israel again in verse 5 even when we were dead in trespasses made us alive together with Christ now watch the next part of the verse which is in parentheses here by grace you have been saved and has raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus now look at verse 8 again he's going to reflect back on the Gentile for by grace you have been saved he doesn't say for by grace we have been saved in this text he says for by grace you have been saved it's my understanding that what he's doing is he's pointing out that very same distinction that Peter did in Acts chapter 15 when he said after having stated that God had poured out the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles gave them the spirit just like he did to us purifying their hearts making no difference between us and them and then forbidding them to put a yoke that is the yoke of the law on the neck of the Gentiles which he said neither we know our fathers could bear and his next statement is just very very critical it's very powerful but we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they so in other words he's saying the Jews Israel were going to be saved just as the Gentiles were saved because the Gentiles were saved by grace through faith so this language in verse 8 of Ephesians 2 for by grace you that's the Gentile you you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God I pointed out before from Galatians chapter 3 that it was necessary that the Gentiles come into the faith in order that Israel might receive their own inheritance apart from the Gentiles Israel could not inherit the scripture says in Galatians 3 and the verse is 14 Galatians 3 14 let's read 13 and 14 together Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree that meaning in order that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus and then we have a second in order that meaning a conjunction of purpose the blessing of Abraham would come upon the Gentiles through faith that we see he moves from the third person speaking of the Gentiles to the first person speaking of the Jews that we might receive the promise of the spirit through faith and that's exactly what James said in Acts 15 that very same chapter we were discussing a moment ago that after the Gentiles came in he says even the prophets agreed to that that the tabernacle of David which had been torn down would be rebuilt but that takes place after the Gentiles had come in and so it was necessary for these Gentiles to come in and be saved through faith so that God could demonstrate to Israel how they were going to be saved apart from the law and that's why he would not allow the Gentiles to come under the law because they were demonstrating how true salvation was going to be worked out through the gospel now he says it was through faith they've been saved by grace through faith and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God not of works lest anyone should boast so he's still working with this Gentile you but now he's going to revert back to the Jewish we for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them again going back to chapter one he says just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestined us so that takes us back to the Jewish we and the Jewish us when we look at this term verse 10 for we are his workmanship this is a term that comes out of the exodus you know when you look at the tabernacle being built with all the craftsmanship of those who were inspired through the spirit of God he's saying that this is what was taking place in Israel that God was re-crafting them building them into a new people recreating them according to Ezekiel 36 24 through 28 we are his workmanship his beautiful work of art and and skill and in Christ Jesus this is the new creation this is the new Israel you know we have people who spend all of their time reading in the Old Testament for the most part about Israel and trying to establish themselves as Israel when God had some pretty choice words for Israel in the Old Testament and especially as you can see from Isaiah chapter 65 and in Isaiah 65 as he talks about Israel that he was going to bring under judgment which he did in 70 AD but he says in verses 14 and 15 he says behold my servant shall sing for joy of heart but you shall cry for sorrow of heart and wail for grief of spirit you shall leave your name as a curse to my chosen for the Lord God will slay you and call his servants by another name so those who were considered the natural seed of Abraham the fleshly seed those who were not operating in the realm of the Bible says God was going to slay them and call his people by another name so this is the new creation of Israel spoken of in Ephesians chapter 2 this was also mentioned in Psalm 102 and verse 18 when he said this is written for a generation in the time to come for a new people who would serve the Lord and so we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works for beautiful works the term kolos there we that which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them now here's another shift another major shift in terms of the Jewish we and the Gentile therefore remember that you once Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcision now we have some who want to make the uncircumcision a reference to Israel but the uncircumcision referred to the Gentiles we've already shown where Israel all 12 tribes had the hope in Christ and so when he refers to the uncircumcision he's referring to the Gentiles he says they were once Gentiles in the flesh designated in the manner in which the Jews designated them by what is called the circumcision made in the now they didn't just begin to be called Gentiles after the nation was split into two houses that is into the northern kingdom and the southern kingdom they were referred to the nations long before that time and so the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision made in the and this was considered a very negative thing by the Jew on the part of the Gentile to be uncircumcised and so they were looked upon as in cases they were looked upon as dogs they weren't looked upon in a favorable way so it was very very negative connotation for them to be considered as the uncircumcised but this was also offensive to the Gentiles for those who considered themselves the circumcised so it was a term that really separated them into these two groups but he says by what is called the circumcision made in the flesh by hands amazing that they would characterize themselves as such that at that time you were being aliens from the commonwealth of israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without god in the world so they had no hope but see when you look at the northern tribes god said he was going to regather them he expressed that hope paul said it was the hope that our 12 tribes hoped to come acts 26 6 through 8 but of these who are called the uncircumcision the bible says that at that time you were without christ being aliens from the commonwealth of israel and strangers from the common from the covenants of promise having no hope and without god in the world we just pointed out from romans 9 4 that israel paul's kinsmen according to the flesh had the adoption and the covenants and the promises so these would have to be the gentiles then in verse 13 he says but now in christ jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of christ that term far off is another term that describes the gentiles when we look for example in the 28th chapter of deuteronomy deuteronomy chapter 28 and notice verse 45 deuteronomy 28 and 45 the scripture says moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you until you are destroyed because you did not obey the voice of the lord your god to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded you now this is part of the curses that are pronounced upon israel and he says they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder and on your descendants forever because you did not serve the lord your god with joy and gladness of heart for abundance of everything therefore you shall serve your enemies notice now you shall serve your enemies whom the lord will send against you in hunger in thirst in nakedness and in need of everything and he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you the lord will bring a nation against you from afar from the end of the earth as swift as the eagles flies a nation whose language you do not understand well he couldn't have been talking about israel because they understood each other but this nation would come from afar to destroy them this is a reference to gentiles then again we have in deuteronomy chapter 29 and the verse is 22 deuteronomy 29 and verse 22 the scripture says so that the coming generation of your children who rise up after you and the foreigner who comes from a far land would say when they see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses which the lord has laid on it the whole land is brimstone so this is a reference to the gentiles when he talks about those who were afar off we've got a couple of other scriptures let's take a look at first kings chapter 8 and verse 41 first kings uh eighth chapter and the verse is 41 we have another text referring to those who were the gentiles being spoken of as afar off moreover concerning a foreigner who is not of your people israel but has come from a far country for your namesake now keep in mind this is under the united kingdom israel hasn't split at this point and so the foreigner is someone who came from a far country who is not of your people israel i mean the bible can't be any more plain than that but you know many people uh try to take it and make it difficult but it should be very simple now there was the concept that israel was scattered into a far country but that only meant geographically they weren't the people from the far country initially they weren't the ones initially spoken of as from afar those were the gentiles and so when he says in ephesians but now in christ jesus verse 13 you who once were far off have been brought near by the for he himself is our peace here's another shift another transition so he talks about the gentiles 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 now i'm going to suggest to you that those of whom he speaks when he says for he is our peace initially is a reference to israel but we're out of time and we're going to come back in the next message and we're going to develop this further because we have to see this entire picture unfolding with the jewish wing and the gentile you united in one body by the spirit in the lord jesus christ this is william bell saying have a very pleasant day i will see you in the next podcast