We are definitely not Abraham’s blood descendants, but by faith through Christ we become Israel. We Gentiles share in no right, for the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants.
But who are Abraham’s true descendants according to God’s promise?
But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, 7 nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” 8 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.
The ones who walked faithfully and acted like him in their ways.
For Abraham was justified by faith and proven by works. And so were Job, Daniel, and others. And so are we—the true followers of Christ through body and spirit.
25 For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? 27 And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? 28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
For the covenant God made with Abraham was solely based on faith. Surely Abraham, who lived to old age without a son with Sarah, was justified by faith. His wife, Sarah, bore a child by faith, not by human effort. And so are we who are in Christ.
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
Now justification is by faith for both Jew and Gentile. Paul resounds this in Romans 3:30 NKJV:
since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.
And it is Jesus who called you unto Himself; by His mercies you are able to stand through grace. For He says in Romans 9:25-26 NKJV:
25 As He says also in Hosea:
“I will call them My people, who were not My people,
And her beloved, who was not beloved.”
26 “And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them,
‘You are not My people,’
There they shall be called sons of the living God.”
You are no blood descendant of Israel through Abraham, but through faith in Him who was sent, you are brought near. Yes, through faith in Christ, we stand and proclaim ourselves to be a part of Israel,
as it is in Ephesians 2:11-13 NKJV:
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— 12 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. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
As it was emphasized in Romans 2:29:
but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
It is also elaborated by Paul the apostle in Romans 10:12 NKJV:
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
If the promise was made due to faith, then so is accrued membership in faith. For our God is one—for all, the Jew and Gentile.
Warning against Gentiles from sinning again
However, Paul—despite being our main spokesperson (for it was revealed through him that even the Gentile can get saved)—strongly warns us who are natural-born Gentiles to hold onto our faith strongly and never cease from following God’s commands. For it is on this foundation (faith) that we are able to stand and abide in the tree of life, Jesus.
And if God cut off the natural-born heirs (Jews) when they disobeyed Him, how much more likely is He to cut off a foreigner—you and me (Gentiles)?
And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.
Therefore, brethren, you are a Jew—not by works, nor because you were born in Abraham’s lineage, but because you believe in Jesus Christ.
Jesus took away the law and rituals and justified you. Here is how he did it...
