On Jews and the Gospel

The following statement has been sponsored and published by the World Evangelical Alliance according to Jews for Jesus. I could not find it at the World Evangelical Alliance website, but did find a news report on it at:

http://www.worldevangelicals.org/news/view.htm?id=1742

• We pledge our commitment to be loving friends and to stand against such injustice in our generation. At the same time, we want to be transparent in affirming that we believe the most loving and Scriptural expression of our friendship toward Jewish people, and to anyone we call friend, is to forthrightly share the love of God in the person of Jesus Christ.
• We believe that it is only through Jesus that all people can receive eternal life. If Jesus is not the Messiah of the Jewish people, He cannot be the Savior of the World (Acts 4:12).
• We recognize that it is good and right for those with specialized knowledge, history and skills to use these gifts to introduce individuals to the Messiah, and that includes those ministries specifically directed to the Jewish people (1 Corinthians 9:20-22).
• We deplore the use of deception or coercion in evangelism; however, we reject the notion that it is deceptive for followers of Jesus Christ who were born Jewish to continue to identify as Jews (Romans 11:1).

To see more on it published in the New York Times visit Jews for Jesus at:

http://www.jewsforjesus.org/blog/20080328

God, help me… Amen. I seem to never be without two cents to offer. Grain of salt anyone? My comments follow the text of four points.

1. We pledge our commitment to be loving friends and to stand against such injustice in our generation. At the same time, we want to be transparent in affirming that we believe the most loving and Scriptural expression of our friendship toward Jewish people, and to anyone we call friend, is to forthrightly share the love of God in the person of Jesus Christ.

I have found justice to be a very personal challenge.
Micah 6:8 "What has the Lord desired of thee but to do justly and to LOVE mercy..."

I'm not at all sure we can address injustice effectively at all except by being merciful to the unjust. Isn't that the crowning feature of the cross? Perhaps if I (we) learned how to love and do mercy more, what is just would begin to follow along more readily. If Hitler or the Spanish monarchs had been truly merciful, what they did would have been impossible for them to do.

2. We believe that it is only through Jesus that all people can receive eternal life. If Jesus is not the Messiah of the Jewish people, He cannot be the Savior of the World (Acts 4:12).

Amen.

3. We recognize that it is good and right for those with specialized knowledge, history and skills to use these gifts to introduce individuals to the Messiah, and that includes those ministries specifically directed to the Jewish people (1 Corinthians 9:20-22).

That might ought be recommended as a preeminent desire and goal of the believer. The Old Testament was written for a purpose.
Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Might know what is coming!)

4. We deplore the use of deception or coercion in evangelism; however, we reject the notion that it is deceptive for followers of Jesus Christ who were born Jewish to continue to identify as Jews (Romans 11:1).

I think the only virtue in being Jewish is the inextricable association of the Jew with the God and Lord of All. All have sinned, yet:

Rom 3:1,2 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit [is there] of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.

God chose Abram, a Chaldean (a gentile?) who was not a Jew except by:
Rom 2:28,29 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither [is that] circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he [is] a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision [is that] of the heart, in the spirit, [and] not in the letter; whose praise [is] not of men, but of God.)

From Abraham by the will of God sprang Judah (whose name some persons have co-opted "Jew" as a curse, others as a badge of honor) and Yeshua ha Mashiach. The nations have ever since found themselves in a place of having to bow to His choices of specific persons. Nevertheless it is now as deceptive for Jews to ignore, reject and defame the person of Yeshua of Bethlehem Judea, as it is deceptive for the nominal gentile Christian to ignore the family tree of the Messiah. I really identify with Judah's dad, Jacov. He received a new name.
Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth [it].
Rev 3:12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name.

Call me Israel !!!

In my (humble) opinion, we must (justly) see that being Jewish is to be of the human lineage first to be adopted by God. We gentiles are also able to be adopted by the Almighty (!!!). We ought to be humble and savvy enough to acknowledge that the tree we are grafted to has grown through Abraham to this present day!!! Are we not in position as Jews to become Messianic, and as gentiles to become Christians? Has human pedigree any importance in the visitation of the Holy Ghost to our humanity as individuals? It is I think important. But as in most of life, we do the believing (in Yeshua) and God does the heavy lifting (graciously accepting us in our present Jewish or non Jewish humanity). TY Yeshua!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As in most things I (we) must decrease. Notwithstanding, the facts of our human lineage stand as significant. The "art" is to use it in the ministry of reconciliation. The "gentile" often needs to be instructed by the same tutor given through Moses!!! The Jew needs to "graduate" from "Professor Law"!!! Ultimately The Lord must crush all our objections and opposition to His Holiness. The stuff is so simple, but we are so complex. What a tangled web has been woven!!!

John 1:12, 13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

"History" shows clearly that there were, are, and will yet be persons and a people of God to be His sermon illustration in time and space if not throughout all eternity. With all my heart, soul, mind and strength I believe God wants to exalt His Way of childbearing.

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly [places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, Eph 3:8-15

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us]; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone]; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Eph 2:14 -22

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Col 3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond [nor] free: but Christ [is] all, and in all.

God did not replace Israel with the gentile church, but He did change the priesthood from the Levitical priesthood to the Kingdom priesthood. It is a permanent change. In the Kingdom, He is the Eternal High Priest and we are all His (lowly) priests. We are all to walk in the works of the priesthood to which we are appointed. The ministry of His priests is to carry out His service, His ministry, that is the ministry of reconciliation. I honestly do not see any other ministry; reconciliation to God is the ministry of the Gospel. It is a multifaceted ministry, and we have been given diverse gifts with which to serve. Even and especially, the five fold ministry is specifically designed by God so that we His priests be equipped to carry out the greater ministry of reconciling men and women to God for all eternity!!!

There is no Jew or greek (gentile) any longer except by human blood, by the will of the flesh, or by the will of man. Neither Jewish believer nor gentile believer may exclude the other on grounds of human ancestry. It has been said God has no grandkids, only sons and daughters. All must be born again from above. We accomplished our physical birth by submitting to the womb of our mother. We can only accomplish our spiritual birth by submitting to the will and work of our Savior Yeshua and the Holy Ghost.

In my (humble) opinion we must repent and return to the teaching of the "Old Testament" to advance our understanding of the necessity the Gospel, that is, of being reconciled to God. This Gospel reconciles and saves all who call upon the Savior, and this Gospel is not at all of human design. We have no wiggle room at all to preach the gospel in order please the flesh of our intellect, or please the pride of our human pedigree. Doing that will only interfere with the results God is after. It will muddy the waters and lead us astray from the will of God and the power of God.

Therefore, being Jewish or gentile are now interesting facets of our past. Other than this we risk exalting ourselves rather than God, whose will, purpose and pleasure it was to give jacob a son named Judah. This is I fear, far less than being a member in good standing of the Kingdom of the Messiah. Our royalty, our present and our future is granted to us not on the basis of our human pedigree, but virtue of the gift of life God has communicated to us graciously, that we might trust in Him above and before all others. By this we continue to receive the effect and rest of His work of salvation, deliverance and healing accomplished for us (!) by His death and resurrection. This is all we need and all we ought ever to desire.

Matthew 6:33,34 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

I love you all, please pray for me. I sense both by my sin and foolishness, and by no small opposition of the adversary I have been prevented from more fruitful service than is God's plan.

David