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Israel's Role in the Economy of Salvation. Christian.

It would be anti-Semitic to believe that Israel's has no role in the Christian faith. It is my belief that the God of the Christians and the God of the Hebrews is in fact the same God. I believe the Old Testament was ratified in the New Testament by the blood of the Saviour of Jews and Greeks Jesus Christ the Lord. Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. (Ephesians 2:11-18 NIV) 

As far as the above verse states, it is God's plan to unite both Jews and Gentiles under the same God, through the cross and the gospel of Jesus Christ. The writer of the book of Ephesians is the Apostle Paul, and he is writing to tell them about their calling and the gift of salvation which is theirs in Christ. The reason why the above verses is quoted is because, in the economy of salvation it is clear that God has not forgotten His people Israel. He says here through the inspiration of scripture that the Gentiles who were once not the people of God are now included in the people of God Israel through Christ. It is not that Israel has stopped becoming Israel but they too have been brought near by the blood of Christ (v13). 

God has made the two groups one (v14) and has destroyed the hostility between the two peoples by setting aside the law and commandments (v15) to create one new humanity through the New Covenant in which through repentance and faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ a new humanity is formed. Both Jews and Greeks now have the same access to God the Father, which is done through grace and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ fulfilled the law, Jesus speaking "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Meaning that Christ's passion is the fulfillment of the Jewish law. 

Israel's place in the economy of salvation is still a redemptive place. They still hold the law and the commandments, without which there would be no New Testament and no covenantal salvation. The economy of salvation depends of the existence of the law and the prophets, if they were to be expelled the economy of salvation would fall. The foundation of the church is Christ, who came through the people of Israel and who
was a practicing Jew himself. He fulfilled the law by being sinless, not becoming sinless. Christ is Lord both of the Jews and the Greeks, and fulfills every promise made to Israel. This is Mike. 



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