Our Hands Are Stained with Blood by Michael L. Brown

Author:Michael L. Brown [Michael L. Brown]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2009-02-20T21:28:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Natural Children and

God's Children

Romans is Paul's theological masterpiece. In the first eleven chapters, he lays out the absolute essentials of our faith. In the last five chapters, he tells us how to live. If we understand Romans, we understand the gospel.

It is in Romans that Paul demonstrates that all have sinned, Jew and Gentile alike. It is here that he opens up the incredible revelation of justification by faith. (Think of trying to understand that without Romans!) It is here that he speaks of our struggle with sin, our victory over sin and life in the Spirit of God. And then he brings it all to a climax with an in-depth teaching about Israel.'

Beginning in Romans 9, Paul speaks of the special role of the people of Israel, his brothers, those of his own race:

...Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen (Rom. 9:4-5).

What an awesome calling!

But there is a question: Did God's word fail? If the people of Israel were the special recipients of God's promises, why have most of them rejected the Messiah? Why are they living outside the New Covenant if they are the covenant people? Paul has a simple answer:

It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children.... In other words, it is not the natural children who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring (Rom. 9:6-8).

Now that should have settled the question. There are natural children and there are God's children. "Natural children" refers to the people of Israel as a whole; "God's children" refers to the believing remnant within Israel. So there is Israel (the natural children) and there is Israel (the spiritual children). There is an Israel within Israel.2 It really isn't that complicated!

We can draw a similar parallel with the "Church." (Please bear in mind that this is only a rough parallel.) There are natural children (those born into a Christian family) and there are God's children (those born from above into His heavenly family). There is the Church (all who call themselves Christians) and there is the Church (those whom God calls Christians). To rephrase and reapply Paul: "Not all who are in the Church are the Church. There is the Church within the Church."

But-this is of vital importance-pious Buddhists or Muslims are not the true Church. Of course not! The true Church consists of believers within the Church, not religious people outside the Church. It is only those within the Church (i.e., those who profess the Christian faith) who can possibly be the true Church. In the same way, Paul never said that Gentile believers were "true" or "spiritual" Israel. It was the believing remnant within Israel that was "true" or "spiritual" Israel.

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