Hello, this is Pastor Steven Anderson from Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona,
and today I want to talk about Galatians chapter 6 verses 15 and 16 where the Bible reads,
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the
Israel of God.
And I want to draw attention to that phrase, the Israel of God.
Let's look at Romans chapter 9 verse 6 through 8 to see what God meant by that.
It says, Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect, for they are not all Israel
which are of Israel.
Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, but an Isaac shall
thy seed be called.
That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God,
but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
Notice in verse 6 he said they are not all Israel which are of Israel.
He's saying just because they are physically descended from Israel the person, does not
make them Israel in God's sight.
That's why the Bible uses the term behold Israel after the flesh.
That's referring to the physical nation of Israel, the ethnic children of Israel.
But then he contrasts that in Galatians 6 with the Israel of God, the spiritual nation
of Israel.
And that spiritual nation of Israel is made up of all believers.
Ephesians 2 made that crystal clear.
In the very first Israel moment I went over that.
But here in Romans 9 he explains that the children of the flesh are not the children
of God.
It's the children of the promise that are counted for the seed, therefore they are not
all Israel which are of Israel.
So when you look at a statement like all Israel shall be saved, you have to ask yourself are
we referring to the physical ethnic nation of Israel or are we referring to the Israel
of God, the spiritual nation of Israel.
Well it makes a lot more sense that it would be referring to the spiritual nation because
of course we know that the Israel of God is made up of all those who are saved, who are
a new creature in Christ Jesus.
Then it makes perfect sense.
So the Bible says in Galatians chapter 6, peace beyond the Israel of God.
And some people will look at that and say that there are two peoples of God.
You know there's the physical nation of Israel and there is the spiritual nation of Israel.
But remember the flesh profit is nothing.
It's meaningless in the New Testament to be a part of that physical nation of Israel.
You've got to be a part of the spiritual nation in order to be God's people.
You've got to be part of the Israel of God, not Israel according to the flesh.