Jonathan_Gale
Active
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2022
- Messages
- 1,526
Inspired by this post, What is a Christian and how do you become one? I'd like to share my take on a Christian's identity from a rather Jewish view. What is a Christian? A Christian is a sinner who is forgiven by God and bound in a relationship with God under the NEW COVENANT:
Jer. 31:31-34 - Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah ... I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and they shall be my people ... For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
This covenant was to be fulfilled by Yeshua in the last week of the 70-week prophecy. Most attribute this to the Antichrist, I believe it was already fulfilled by Yeshua in the Passion week:
Dan. 9:27 - Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week ...
And it was indeed fulfilled at the last supper:
Matt. 26:27-28 - ... Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
And through this covenant, a Christian is a true heir of Abraham through Christ:
Rom. 8:16-17 - The spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ ...
Gal. 3:29 - And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
And that leads all the way back to the original promise that God made with Abraham:
Gen. 17:2-4 - "I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly ... as for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations."
Therefore, contrary to conventional teaching, God's covenant with man didn't start with Christ, but with Abraham, and formerly ratified through the original tablets of the Ten Commandments which Moses received on Mount Sinai. However, this covenant was broken by the Israelites who worshipped a golden calf, and then another set of stone tablets was given to Moses, but as the consequence of their idolatry, it came with all kinds of laws and regulations, known as the law. This law was highly contingent upon the Israelites' obedience, they get blessed if they obey, they get cursed if they disobey, see Lev. 26 and Deut. 28. The law did NOT save, it functioned like a mirror that reflects sin and modifies behavior, and it lasted for two thousands years until Christ came and restored the original covenant with his blood.
The covenant and the law are aptly symbolized by Isaac and Ishmael in Gal. 4:21-31. In this analogy, a Christian is a child of promise like Isaac, a heathen, however, is a child of slavery like Ishmael. Every Christian was once a slave to sin like the Israelites being slaves in Egypt, but Christ paid the price and set God's people free as He delivered the Israelites from Egypt, therefore, "we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free," (Gal. 4:31) and, "for sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:14)
Jer. 31:31-34 - Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel and the House of Judah ... I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and they shall be my people ... For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."
This covenant was to be fulfilled by Yeshua in the last week of the 70-week prophecy. Most attribute this to the Antichrist, I believe it was already fulfilled by Yeshua in the Passion week:
Dan. 9:27 - Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week ...
And it was indeed fulfilled at the last supper:
Matt. 26:27-28 - ... Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
And through this covenant, a Christian is a true heir of Abraham through Christ:
Rom. 8:16-17 - The spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ ...
Gal. 3:29 - And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
And that leads all the way back to the original promise that God made with Abraham:
Gen. 17:2-4 - "I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly ... as for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations."
Therefore, contrary to conventional teaching, God's covenant with man didn't start with Christ, but with Abraham, and formerly ratified through the original tablets of the Ten Commandments which Moses received on Mount Sinai. However, this covenant was broken by the Israelites who worshipped a golden calf, and then another set of stone tablets was given to Moses, but as the consequence of their idolatry, it came with all kinds of laws and regulations, known as the law. This law was highly contingent upon the Israelites' obedience, they get blessed if they obey, they get cursed if they disobey, see Lev. 26 and Deut. 28. The law did NOT save, it functioned like a mirror that reflects sin and modifies behavior, and it lasted for two thousands years until Christ came and restored the original covenant with his blood.
The covenant and the law are aptly symbolized by Isaac and Ishmael in Gal. 4:21-31. In this analogy, a Christian is a child of promise like Isaac, a heathen, however, is a child of slavery like Ishmael. Every Christian was once a slave to sin like the Israelites being slaves in Egypt, but Christ paid the price and set God's people free as He delivered the Israelites from Egypt, therefore, "we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free," (Gal. 4:31) and, "for sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace." (Rom. 6:14)
