The Lord’s Testament (testimony) is known as the Holy Bible, was written to, for and about Israel.  In it, the only time Gentiles are mentioned  is when they came into contact with Israelites.  The Hebrew word for Gentiles is “goiim,” which means “heathen.”  Jesus called a Gentile woman a “dog.”  She was no different from all other Gentiles, therefore the Lord’s Messiah called all Gentiles the same thing–“dogs.”  The best characterization of Gentiles is found in Ephesians 2:11-13 where the Apostle Paul reminds the biological Gentiles that comprised the Ephesian church to “remember that you WERE IN THE PAST (both physical and spiritual) GENTILES ….  At that time you were without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, separated from the (old and new) covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”  He added that they were “far off from God.” In other words, Gentiles are heathen.  Note that those who “WERE (BIOLOGICAL AND SPIRITUAL) GENTILES” had become SPIRITUAL ISRAILITES.   Nothing has changed.  Gentiles, including “Sinners Saved By Grace,” are, in Christ’s eyes, spiritual “dogs” who occupy the same spiritual status as did the Ephesians prior to believing and obeying the Lord.  “SSBG” must become spiritual Israelites in order to be converted–the first step on the life-long journey to salvation and rebirth, both of which will take place upon the return of Jesus Christ to earth.  Read Hope and Salvation.  Key word–Hope.  So how did those Gentile “dogs” of old join Christ, participate in the covenants of promise, have hope for salvation and be joined to God while in the world?  How did they change from serving Satan (as spiritual Gentiles) to serving God (as spiritual Israelites)?  The short answer is found in verse 12.  THEY JOINED IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL BY OBEYING THE LAW OF ISRAEL’S GOD–THE SAME LAW PAUL CALLED “HOLY, JUST AND GOOD,” WHICH CANNOT BE ALTERED IN ANY WAY, WHICH DEFINES SIN AND RIGHTEOUSNESS AND BY WHICH MANKIND WILL BE JUDGED.

As is made clear in the Scriptures, Gentiles and Israelites who do not obey God are of the same spirit–antichrist–and serve the same god–Satan.  Both groups are described in verses 11,12.  Sinning Israelites and sinning Gentiles are no different in the eyes of God.  Sin is the transgression of God’s Law (1 Jn. 3:4) for both groups, and the wages of sin is death for both groups.  God’s will is for both groups to come to Him in submission to His will, which He explains in detail in the Holy Scriptures.  To explain how most Israelites and all Gentiles came to be alienated from Him, and how He is working to bring both groups to Him is found in chapter 11 of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church at Rome.  Whosoever has ears to hear and eyes to see God’s right way and embraces it will do so.  Let us turn to Romans 11 to learn what happened, how it happened and God’s remedy for correcting what happened.

Verse 21 of chapter 10 tells us that, although the Almighty did divorce rebellious Israel in the past, He says that He has “… stretched forth My hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people.”  In 11:1-11 Paul asks THE question that church people have answered incorrectly for 2000 years because they refuse to study God’s Word.  Paul asks: “Has God cast away His people?”  His answer: “God forbid”–God forbids us to even consider the possibility.  In verses 2-4 we find Elijah wondering if he was the only obedient Israelite after reminding the Lord of their many sins.  God reminded the prophet that He had preserved for Himself 7,000 men who have remained loyal to Him.  In verses 5-11 Paul tells the church that at that time there remained a REMNANT of Israelites who had not been seduced by Satan.  This means that the vast majority of Israelites had fallen away from the Lord.  In verse 11,12 Paul makes it clear that though the majority of Israelites had “stumbled” (backslidden), they had not fallen beyond the possibility of reconciliation with their God.  On a positive note, their fall had provided an opportunity for Gentiles to enter God’s family (church).

Why did Israel fall?  What did they do that separated them from their God.  We are told in verses 20,23,30,31 and 32 that Israel’s sin can be summed up in one word: UNBELIEF.  Israel did not believe what God said.  Sound familiar?  It should, for that is the same sin that keeps the Institutional Church separated from God.  People do not obey what they do not believe.  The church does not believe God’s Word and therefore does not obey Him.  Isaiah 59:2 warns that sin separated Israel (and separates us) from God.

In verses 13-32 Paul explains how Israel was temporarily rejected so that Gentiles could be brought into the fold.  Paul reminds the Roman Gentile Christians that he is an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin (vs 13).  He notes that he tries to show backslidden Israelites how to serve God so that some of them might be saved–turned from death to life.  He noted that they came from holy stock, which he symbolizes as a holy “tree” (vss 14-16).

In verses 17-24 Paul uses tree/branch symbolism to explain how Israel fell away from God and how Gentiles were then offered salvation.  Paul refers to God’s religion as the “good olive tree” and Israelites as “natural branches” of that tree.  Gentiles are called “wild” branches attached to a wild olive tree.  God lumps all Gentile religions together, calling them a “wild olive tree.”  Paul notes that some of the natural branches (Israelites) were broken off of the good olive tree due to their unbelief.  In verse 16 he reminds the Gentiles that the Israelite branches were holy because the lump (trunk) and the root were holy.  But the branches were “broken off” because of their unbelief.  This allowed believing Gentile branches to be broken off of their wild olive tree and to be grafted into the Israelites good olive tree from which most Israelite branches had been broken off.  Only a remnant (good Israelite branches) had remained on God’s good tree.  The Gentiles having been grafted into the Lord’s good olive tree, God then began calling His unbelieving Israelite branches back to His tree (Law-based religion).  As faithful and obedient Gentiles are welcomed into God’s good olive tree, repentant Israelites who return to the Lord in faith and obedience will be welcomed back into that same tree.

Note that Gentiles who would become branches on God’s good olive tree must be totally separated from their former religions–Satan’s wild olive tree.  Read 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 where Paul explains why both Israelites and Gentiles must be totally separated from what is known today as Catholicism and Protestantism.

This ministry has one focus, one agenda: TO WARN THE INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH THAT SHE IS SATAN’S MOST DEADLY INSTRUMENT OF SPIRITUAL DESTRUCTION BECAUSE SHE CLAIMS TO BE GOD’S FAMILY.  Jesus warns salvation seekers in Matthew 24:4,5 about the false church and her false prophets who claim that the Law was “nailed to the cross” and therefore no longer in effect.  The two verses Law-rejecters use to “prove” that lie are Ephesians 2:15 and Colossians 2:14.  In Ephesians 2:15 Paul notes that Jesus “abolished in His flesh the enmity–the law of commandments contained in ORDINANCES ….”  These ordinances were pinned by Moses and involved animal sacrifice.  They were instituted because the Israelites would not obey God’s moral Ten Commandment Law.  In Colossians 2:14 Paul wrote that Christ “blotted out the handwriting of ORDINANCES that were against us” by “nailing it to His cross.”  At the Last Supper Jesus declared that the sacrifice of His body and the shedding of His blood would, from that time forward, take the place of animal sacrifices for the remission of man’s sins.  Thus the “handwriting of ordinances that were against us” was indeed “nailed to His cross.”  Note that animal sacrifices were designed to serve as Israel’s sin-removing agent until the arrival of the Messiah.  Nowhere are we told that the Ten Commandments are “against us.”  Paul declared that without the Law, he would not have know what sin was.  John declared that the Law defines sin (1 Jn. 3:4).  It also defines holiness.  Holiness is the absence of sin and visa versa.  Therefore, if breaking the Law is sin, then obeying the Law is holiness.  This includes commandment #4, about which God said in Isaiah 58:13,14 that THE Sabbath was “My holy day” that we must “delight” in.  God declared that His day was holy and honorable” and by observing IT correctly we “honor Him.”

Why do men hate the Law?  Because the Law brings light.  Therefore men love darkness and hate light, thereby proving that they despise both the Father and the Son (Lk. 10:16).

Concerning God’s grace toward both Gentiles and Israelites, Paul writes in Romans 11:33-36 about the Lord’s incredible goodness and mercy toward all men: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out ….  Who has known the mind of God?  For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Whom is the glory for ever, Amen.”  Simply put, regardless of one’s biological pedigree, in order to join the Lord one must obey His Law.  L.J.