Gods Tenets part 2

By: Rev. Robert Vergeson D.D.

Tenets of God NT, Part II

As we have discussed in part I, a tenet is a belief or truth that is held by an individual or group, principals that guide them through life setting a standard of beliefs to which they hold as truth undeniable. The Old testament has been a historical book covering the centuries of a people from the beginning of time. A people who followed God faithfully, and of a people who failed to live up to God’s tenets. As the reader you may have noticed that I gave no religious affiliation of these people has we do today in describing any one group of people who follow God’s tenets. My reason for this was to steer away from the blame game many play toward one group of people or another. Why you may ask? Well to be honest, I have no intention of playing this blame game for I see to do so is to perpetuate the centuries of prejudice, hate, and ugliness that has followed this one group of people. The O.T. gives them an identity of being of the tribe of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Genesis 32:28 (NLT)
"Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him. "It is now Israel, because you have struggled with both God and men and have won."

Exodus 6:7-8 (NLT)
I will make you my own special people, and I will be your God. And you will know that I am the Lord your God who has rescued you from your slavery in Egypt. [8] I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It will be your very own property. I am the Lord!' "

Exodus 19:5-6 (NLT)
Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the nations of the earth; for all the earth belongs to me. [6] And you will be to me a kingdom of priests, my holy nation.' Give this message to the Israelites."

Deut. 26:18-19 (NLT)
The Lord has declared today that you are his people, his own special treasure, just as he promised, and that you must obey all his commands. [19] And if you do, he will make you greater than any other nation. Then you will receive praise, honor, and renown. You will be a nation that is holy to the Lord your God, just as he promised."

And from Jacob comes the name Israel and that name was given to the nations that Jacob fathered. As you will learn in your reading of the O.T., not all the Israelites obeyed God and the other nations (non-Israelites) began to call them Jews, this being a dissolution of Hebrew. Hebrew is not a nation but rather a language spoken by one nation of Israelites, as their was Latin Israelites, Greek Israelites and so forth being from the twelve tribes of Israelites. God made the tribes of Israel a people feared by many for being a people believing in one God and being faithful to one God. The Israelites stood out among many non-believers who worshiped multi-forms of Gods and religions. These pagans where descendants of Noah through his son Ham, who’s disrespect toward his father Noah and God, was cursed.

Genesis 9:24-27 (NLT)
When Noah woke up from his drunken stupor, he learned what Ham, his youngest son, had done. [25] Then he cursed the descendants of Canaan, the son of Ham:

"A curse on the Canaanites!
May they be the lowest of servants
to the descendants of Shem and Japheth."

[26] Then Noah said,

"May Shem be blessed by the Lord my God;
and may Canaan be his servant.
[27] May God enlarge the territory of Japheth,
and may he share the prosperity of Shem;
and let Canaan be his servant."

As I have said before the O.T., is a book of historical fact as it pertains to the people, nations, and governments of that era. Most importantly it is a book of God’s people, those He favored because of their faithfulness to Him and the tenet’s He as brought to his people, inspired by God, His words as told through God’s chosen men. We discovered six principal tenet’s among hundreds that have guided God’s chosen. We have also discovered what happens to those who defy God, and what punishment He promises them for their sin. Throughout the O.T., God has shown is divine self, through divine power and the many covenants and promises He has made his chosen people. God has shown He can without reservations, destroy not just a group of people, or one nation, but the whole world, to which He created. He has made it very clear that He can give as well has take back what He has given. There is no doubt about this in the O.T. Even clearer is that fact that He is a remorseful God, having seen what His own hand can destroy and how He made a promise never again shall He destroy man as he did at Noah’s time. Therefore he has set forth a plan of redemption for man’s sinful nature and flesh.

God being all powerful, could have simply done just that forgiving and forgetting the sins of his chosen and granted them eternal life. But God knew his people where children, yet to mature into a nation of people who could truly without doubt receive this eternal life. So the O.T. is the many years God has guided, pushed, and shoved his people toward this eternal life. Like children, as they are want to do, will do want they please. Therefore God has been patient like a loving parent, waiting for the day his children will be ready for his eternal life. Meanwhile many of His chosen have continued with “Free Will” and have guided themselves without God’s tenets in their life, and to these God has promised that life will end in death. To those who follow his tenet’s they will have life eternal when they die of the body that resides on earth. To achieve this grace even to those who sin, God put on earth in the body of man, the messiah, a promise of that which is to come, as He has given his people in the O.T. This is were we come to the NT, and discover our Lord Jesus as that promised messiah. Unfortunately, many of Gods chosen, even those faithful to God, failed to realize who the messiah was, and misunderstood Gods promise of this messiah. For they believed it would be a earthly King, with powers to vanquish their enemies and deliver them from the occupation of their land from the Romans. A king who would rally armies and smite the Romans, returning the land back into the control of Israel. Instead through the misguided, and jealous leadership of the chosen, they took part unknowingly in fulfilling God’s promises, and in the process of doing so, they lost God’s covenant of eternal life.

It has been told many time to many people in the O.T. regarding the coming of Jesus.

Genesis 49:10 (NLT)
The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from his descendants,
until the coming of the one to whom it belongs,
the one whom all nations will obey.

Micah 5:2 (NLT)
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.

The NT starts us with details of who’s genealogy the messiah was to come from.

Matthew 1:1-23 (NLT)
This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of King David and of Abraham:

[2] Abraham was the father of Isaac.
Isaac was the father of Jacob.
Jacob was the father of Judah and his brothers.
[3] Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (their mother was Tamar).
Perez was the father of Hezron.
Hezron was the father of Ram.
[4] Ram was the father of Amminadab.
Amminadab was the father of Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
[5] Salmon was the father of Boaz (his mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (his mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.
[6] Jesse was the father of King David.
David was the father of Solomon (his mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah).
[7] Solomon was the father of Rehoboam.
Rehoboam was the father of Abijah.
Abijah was the father of Asaph.
[8] Asaph was the father of Jehoshaphat.
Jehoshaphat was the father of Jehoram.
Jehoram was the father of Uzziah.
[9] Uzziah was the father of Jotham.
Jotham was the father of Ahaz.
Ahaz was the father of Hezekiah.
[10] Hezekiah was the father of Manasseh.
Manasseh was the father of Amos.
Amos was the father of Josiah.
[11] Josiah was the father of Jehoiachin and his brothers (born at the time of the exile to Babylon).
[12] After the Babylonian exile:
Jehoiachin was the father of Shealtiel.
Shealtiel was the father of Zerubbabel.
[13] Zerubbabel was the father of Abiud.
Abiud was the father of Eliakim.
Eliakim was the father of Azor.
[14] Azor was the father of Zadok.
Zadok was the father of Akim.
Akim was the father of Eliud.
[15] Eliud was the father of Eleazar.
Eleazar was the father of Matthan.
Matthan was the father of Jacob.
[16] Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Mary was the mother of Jesus, who is called the Messiah.

[17] All those listed above include fourteen generations from Abraham to King David, and fourteen from David's time to the Babylonian exile, and fourteen from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah.

[18] Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. [19] Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly.
[20] As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. [21] And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." [22] All of this happened to fulfill the Lord's message through his prophet:

[23] "Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and he will be called Immanuel
(meaning, God is with us)."

Thus we have the fulfillment of the prophecy God gave His chosen. As we have learned God keeps his promises and fulfills His covenants to his people. We can’t deny that God is faithful, loving, and compassionate toward his people. For if He wasn’t then God’s power would diminish before His people, and like many Gods at that time would fade away as a useless and impotent God. But our God isn’t impotent, nor is He frivolous with his covenants & promises. For hundreds of generations He has promised his faithful that a day would come that they would receive the full measure of His love for them, and those who deny God, would receive the full of measure of his wrath. We learn in the NT just what that full measure is by the additional tenets of God demonstrated by his love & compassion through Jesus his son and just who will receive fully this full measure.

Matthew 12:17-21 (NLT)
This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him:

[18] "Look at my Servant,
whom I have chosen.
He is my Beloved,
and I am very pleased with him.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
[19] He will not fight or shout;
he will not raise his voice in public.
[20] He will not crush those who are weak,
or quench the smallest hope,
until he brings full justice with his final victory.
[21] And his name will be the hope
of all the world."

Matthew gives us a very strong tenet here through the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah. Here we find that what Jesus temperament will be like. Which was the opposite of what others thought the messiah would be. For they believed he would be a forceful leader, one to inspire armies to obey through his rough nature, will step on and over any who gets in his way, and will certainly lead Israel to becoming the strongest nation in the known world. We are asked to be like Jesus, our seventh principal tenet is that we are to be like Jesus in all things, from his temperament, to his wisdom. We learn throughout the NT just how Jesus reacts to situations when faced by the enemies of God, and how we are to respond to these enemies.

Matthew 5:39-44 (NLT)
But I say, don't resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other, too. [40] If you are ordered to court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. [41] If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. [42] Give to those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow.

[43] "You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. [44] But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!

Jesus also taught us in Matthew just how God will bless us for our temperament toward others. Here we have our Eighth principal tenet which is how we are to behave toward others and how we are to interact with them and what reward we are to get for our Godly behavior.

Matthew 5:1-12 (NLT)
One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up the mountainside with his disciples and sat down to teach them.

[2] This is what he taught them:

[3] "God blesses those who realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.
[4] God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
[5] God blesses those who are gentle and lowly,
for the whole earth will belong to them.
[6] God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice,
for they will receive it in full.
[7] God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
[8] God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
[9] God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
[10] God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

[11] "God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. [12] Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too.

What we have here is a clear picture of what our Godly behavior will earn us. God continues to make covenants and promises to his chosen, and through his Son, reinforces those promises.
God again shows us just what He expects of us, and how we are to behave. To do less is to receive less from him.

Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.

2 Peter 1:5 (NLT)
So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better.

Deut. 4:9 (NLT)
"But watch out! Be very careful never to forget what you have seen the Lord do for you. Do not let these things escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.

Our Ninth Principal tenet is how hard we are to prove ourselves through our Good works in the name of the Lord.

2 Peter 1:10 (NLT)
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Doing this, you will never stumble or fall away.

1 Cor. 15:58 (NLT)
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Romans 12:1-8 (NLT)
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? [2] Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.
[3] As God's messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you. [4] Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, [5] so it is with Christ's body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others.
[6] God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. [7] If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. [8] If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

1 Cor. 12:12-31 (NLT)
The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up only one body. So it is with the body of Christ. [13] Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ's body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit.
[14] Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. [15] If the foot says, "I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand," that does not make it any less a part of the body. [16] And if the ear says, "I am not part of the body because I am only an ear and not an eye," would that make it any less a part of the body? [17] Suppose the whole body were an eye—then how would you hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything?
[18] But God made our bodies with many parts, and he has put each part just where he wants it. [19] What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part! [20] Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. [21] The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you."
[22] In fact, some of the parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. [23] And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, [24] while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. [25] This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other equally. [26] If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
[27] Now all of you together are Christ's body, and each one of you is a separate and necessary part of it. [28] Here is a list of some of the members that God has placed in the body of Christ:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who can get others to work together,
those who speak in unknown languages.

[29] Is everyone an apostle? Of course not. Is everyone a prophet? No. Are all teachers? Does everyone have the power to do miracles? [30] Does everyone have the gift of healing? Of course not. Does God give all of us the ability to speak in unknown languages? Can everyone interpret unknown languages? No! [31] And in any event, you should desire the most helpful gifts.

Ephes. 4:1-16 (NLT)
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. [2] Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. [3] Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace.
[4] We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future. [5] There is only one Lord, one faith, one baptism, [6] and there is only one God and Father, who is over us all and in us all and living through us all. [7] However, he has given each one of us a special gift according to the generosity of Christ. [8] That is why the Scriptures say,
"When he ascended to the heights,
he led a crowd of captives
and gave gifts to his people."

[9] Notice that it says "he ascended." This means that Christ first came down to the lowly world in which we live. [10] The same one who came down is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that his rule might fill the entire universe.
[11] He is the one who gave these gifts to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, [13] until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's Son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.
[14] Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. [15] Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. [16] Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Now these last passages have said a lot about Good works, and tells us that Good works can not stand alone without faith and love in God. It is important for us to come to a clearer understanding of what our gifts are, and how we are to utilize them in our walk with Christ. Most important of all is to realize that no ones gift is least of or most of then another gift, or another person. When we treat these gifts among our fellowship as equal, then we avoid temptation to see ourselves as greater then another, or our gifts more important then another. Therefore respect each others gifts and how it serves the same God.

Hebrews 6:11 (NLT)
Our great desire is that you will keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.

Now we come to our Eleventh principal tenet, Gods reward for our Faith.

Matthew 1:21 (NLT)
And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)
"You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. [14] But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.

Acts 4:12 (NLT)
There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them."

Romans 10:8-12 (NLT)
Salvation that comes from trusting Christ—which is the message we preach—is already within easy reach. In fact, the Scriptures say, "The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart."
[9] For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. [11] As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed." [12] Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They all have the same Lord, who generously gives his riches to all who ask for them.

Matthew 7:7-11 (NLT)
"Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened. [8] For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. [9] You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? [10] Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! [11] If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

There are many instances in the NT where we find God’s promise and just what that is. To put it in its pure basic form it is forgiveness for our sins, and the faithful will inherit everlasting life. But only through Christ can the chosen enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore we are asked to believe that Christ is the Son of God and through his death on the cross, has the chosen and yes even those who are not traditionally been the chosen, Gentiles can receive the Fathers gift of life. As intangible it may seem for us on this earth, eternal life is our rewards for being faithful to God, but as sinners, we can not inherit the kingdom of God. This is why God allowed his only begotten Son to walk on the earth to teach and share Gods love for mankind. God put his Son on earth so that we may learn of God’s plan for our salvation. We receive that salvation through Christ and through Jesus’s death we are given an iron clad contract that we will be saved.

2 Cor. 5:1-10 (NLT)
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down—when we die and leave these bodies—we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. [2] We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long for the day when we will put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. [3] For we will not be spirits without bodies, but we will put on new heavenly bodies. [4] Our dying bodies make us groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and have no bodies at all. We want to slip into our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by everlasting life. [5] God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
[6] So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. [7] That is why we live by believing and not by seeing. [8] Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. [9] So our aim is to please him always, whether we are here in this body or away from this body. [10] For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies.

Luke 18:29-30 (NLT)
"Yes," Jesus replied, "and I assure you, everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, [30] will be repaid many times over in this life, as well as receiving eternal life in the world to come."

Ephes. 2:8-10 (NLT)
God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9] Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. [10] For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

1 John 5:11-12 (NLT)
And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] So whoever has God's Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life.

Matthew 13:10-17 (NLT)
His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you always tell stories when you talk to the people?"
[11] Then he explained to them, "You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not. [12] To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them. [13] That is why I tell these stories, because people see what I do, but they don't really see. They hear what I say, but they don't really hear, and they don't understand. [14] This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, which says:
'You will hear my words,
but you will not understand;
you will see what I do,
but you will not perceive its meaning.
[15] For the hearts of these people are hardened,
and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and let me heal them.'

[16] "But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. [17] I assure you, many prophets and godly people have longed to see and hear what you have seen and heard, but they could not.

Now I have up to these times I have given you many scriptures in hope that I have given you some glimpse at the tenets of God in both the O.T. and the NT. I would certainly hope that you will turn to your bible and read further before and after each reference point to get the fuller story of what the O.T. and NT is all about. Never assume that one reference point is the final or only reference regarding what I have mentioned here. There are not and each book of the bible in the NT shares with us a different point of view from the authors of that book. In most cases these authors where present all together at the same time and they were witness to Jesus walk on earth, and in those instances where they shared only an event alone with Christ, or away from others do we have a variance of the story. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Four Gospels of the New Testament shared together many of the events mentioned with Jesus, others, lived after the ascension of Christ, telling further the growth of the faithful followers of Christ and the early church. A story is not complete unless we read and learn the whole story. Reading the bible in its entirety is a process of growth for any Christian and this process repeats itself often as we return to further our learning and growth in Christ. My only warning is to never take just one reference point as truth based solely on its merit, but take the whole text as written around that reference point. It is this way that you will broaden your experience in Christ and learn not only of the principal tenets, but receive all the tenets of God, learning of his covenants & promises. When you realize that God has been faithful to his chosen from the beginning of time you will have a better grasp of how real God is in the life of the faithful. You will also learn of the punishment of those who have been unfaithful and why they failed to receive the promises of God. When you put these two together, you will understand the everlasting Love of God, and why He gave his son to us for our salvation. Search the Word for yourself thoroughly and know first hand God’s love for his people.

This shall be the last of my text for Part II of Tenets of God. For here I shall briefly take note of who the final chosen were that Gods Kingdom welcomes.

Deut. 32:21 (NLT)
They have roused my jealousy by worshiping non-gods;
they have provoked my fury with useless idols.
Now I will rouse their jealousy by blessing other nations;
I will provoke their fury by blessing the foolish Gentiles.

As we get into the NT, we discover the barriers that Jesus comes against regarding the elders and leaders of the Jewish nation. Needless to say, God has forewarned his people that the coming King would find some very tough resistence to not only his sovereignty and divinity, but jealousy and out right hostility to the ideal that Jesus is the promised messiah. All this was set in motion by God in his dealings with his people throughout their history O.T. God has warned us, and many failed to heed that warning. Therefore, many of his chosen people were passed over the blessing that God promised them because they had failed to recognize the fact that Jesus was truly the promised messiah. Hence, we find Jesus finding many of his followers among the Gentile people, fulfilling once again a promise of God. However, this does not say that Jews today are exempted from God’s eternal life. All they need to do, as many of their forefathers did, was accept Christ as their Lord, acknowledging his divinity and sovereignty over them, and many of the of Gods chosen people did as you will learn in your reading of the NT. Our twelve disciples where traditional Jews and those that followed the same and later the Gentiles where included in Gods plans.

Once converted to a follower of Christ, these traditional Jews were fulfilling their faith in God, his covenants and promises. Out of this conversion came what we have today to be known as the Christian faith and the tenets of that Christian faith come from the teachings of Jesus, which reinforce the many tenets we have discussed as found in the O.T. Except with one exception. Through Christ we accept the final promise and that is eternal life, free of the sins of our past & flesh, and the final reward for our faith in Christ and his Father God. The gentiles of the NT were basically seen as Godless people or pagans by the Jews. Throughout the known world they were pagans, believers of many gods, Romans, Greek, and other nations of that time. God knowingly opened his plan of salvation to these people, because has I believe they truly were the lost in his kingdom on earth, and God wanted them to share the same blessings his first chosen were to receive. By this act, God encompassed the known world of that time with his followers creating the ancient and modern church of God. God’s kingdom is open to all who will be faithful to his tenets.

Article Source: http://www.religionarticlelibrary.com

Rev Robert is an associate member of the Universal Life Church (since 1979) and founder of God’s Temple of Grace Ministry Website at www.geocities.com/revdocrobert. The website offers bible studies and personal testimony. Visit www.todayschurch.blogspot.com for additional written material by Rev Robert.

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