Israel Not Replaced By Church

There are false teachers who say that Israel has been replaced by the church. This false teaching is called replacement theology. These false teachers say that Israel will no longer get the blessings promised by God to them. They say that the church will receive all of the blessings from God that was once promised to Israel. This false teaching has caused many people to be hateful to Jews.

Even though many Jews are not saved, God still wants them to be saved. In the future, a Jewish remnant will receive the blessings promised by God.

Paul the apostle expressed his love for the Jews. We want to remind you that this love by Paul was expressed after the church began. The church did not replace Israel in God’s plan.

Sadly, many Jewish rabbis continue to teach that the Jews can earn their way to Heaven by keeping the laws of Moses. But, thankfully, there are some rabbis who teach repentance and belief on Jesus as their Saviour.

Romans 10:1-5 “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. ² For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. ³ For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. ⁴ For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. ⁵ For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.”

Inspired by the Holy Ghost, Paul, the apostle, wrote the book of Romans. Paul expressed his desire for Israel to be saved. Israel represents all of the Jews. Sometimes Israel means the land of Israel, but, in this case, Israel means the Jewish people. Paul was a Jew who persecuted the church before he was miraculously saved on the Damascus road. When Paul was saved, he became a member of the body of Christ, the church, Colossians 1:18. Paul never said that the church replaced Israel in God’s plan. In fact, Paul wanted to see his brethren, according to the flesh, saved. When Paul said that he wanted to see the Jews saved, he was expressing the plan of God for Israel that has never changed. God desires that the Jews be saved, and He will keep His promises, including allowing them to possess the Promised Land in the future, Romans 10:1.

Many Jews have zeal, and they work very hard trying to please God. But, Paul said that their zeal has been misdirected. He said that their zeal is not according to knowledge. Our zeal must be guided by the knowledge of God’s word, the Bible. Sadly, many Jews and rabbis put confidence in their customs instead of the Bible, Romans 10:2.

Many Jews, including rabbis, are ignorant about God’s righteousness that is needed to enter Heaven. Without God’s righteousness, we cannot please God. Our own righteous deeds cannot earn us a place in Heaven. We must submit to God by repentance and believe on Jesus as our Saviour. When we do this, God will count us righteous through the work that Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. God has provided righteousness for us through Jesus, Romans 10:3.

Neither Jew nor Gentile can be righteous before God by keeping the law. We are all law breakers. Righteousness is received by believing on Jesus, not by keeping the law. We should keep God’s law to express our love for God. We should also keep the law of God to show that repentance has taken place in our heart, Romans 10:4.

Moses described how to be righteous by the law. In order to be righteous by the law, a person must keep every law given by Moses. The law must be kept perfectly from birth to death. None of us can keep the law of God perfectly. Therefore, we cannot be righteous enough to enter Heaven by keeping the law. Only Jesus kept the law perfectly from birth to death. God has provided Jesus so that we can be counted righteous by receiving His righteousness to cover our sins, Romans 10:5.

Isaiah 53:10-11 “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. ¹¹ He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

Jesus was given by God the Father as an offering for our sins. This is why Jesus was wounded to death on the cross. The grave did not hold Jesus. Jesus will prosper when He rules from Israel, Isaiah 53:10.

God the Father saw the suffering of Jesus on the cross, and He was satisfied with his sacrifice for our sins. This prophecy in Isaiah 53 was fulfilled to the letter by Jesus. Jesus always acted according to the knowledge of God’s word, the Bible. Jesus is the righteous servant of God the Father. Only Jesus can count us just as if we never sinned. Jesus bore every one of our sins on the cross, Isaiah 53:11.

Israel will never be replaced by the church. If you are Jew or Gentile, we desire that you repent and believe on Jesus as your Saviour. Call on Jesus and ask Him to save you today. He will count you righteous if you quit trusting in your own good deeds, and put your full faith in the righteousness that Jesus has provided to cover your sins.