I do want to thank all of you that have come out this morning to be a part of this message of the gospel. Our pastor, as Mark said, He's up in Ashland, Kentucky with his family and grandchildren. But this morning, as you can see on the screen up there, the message that I got is entitled, The Seed of Israel.

Now, you frequently hear, and profess Christianity, that is Christianity in name only. that the physical nation of Israel are God's people in an eternal sense. They're God's people in an eternal sense. We all readily admit that God did choose the physical nation of Israel as an instrument to send the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, into this world. This nation had many benefits during this time. God gave them many laws and ordinances which they continually broke, only proving that with man it's impossible to work our way into God's favor. The whole purpose of these laws that was given to the physical nation of Israel were to show them their sinfulness, and to cause them to flee to that Lamb of God, which was pictured and typified in the ceremonial law that required all of those blood sacrifices, all of which pictured the Lord Jesus Christ, that true Lamb of God.

This morning, we're gonna take a little closer look at who are the true Israel of God, and exactly who are the true seed of Israel. Our message title this morning is taken from Isaiah 45, 25, but we'll begin the message with one of the more startling statements in the New Testament concerning the physical nation Israel. The Apostle Paul says in Romans 2, beginning verse 28, 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 and the spirit, not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God. In other words, those physical things mentioned in that old covenant with the nation of Israel, they were only pictures and types of the spiritual application

And then a little later on, the apostle says in Romans 9, 6-8, not as though the word of God had taken none effect, or made void. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children. But in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Now the apostle Paul, He goes on explaining the verses six and seven. He says, that is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God. And it says, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. That word counted could well be translated as reckoned or imputed, according to Young's literal translation.

Well, God's word of promise to Abraham that he would be a God to him and to his seed after him, and that Abraham and these seeds should be heir of the world, in particular, the heavenly inheritance, which God gave to Abraham by promise. This was not made void or had not taken on effect, for this was made only to Abraham and his spiritual seed. And therefore, though most of his physical seed believe not, and because of their unbelief they should be cut off, this did not make the faith or faithfulness of God of none effect.

Well, who are these children of God who are counted or reckoned for the seed? Well, there are those who are the seed that was promised to Abraham by God, who told Abraham that thou shalt be a father of many nations. Therefore, these promises of God belong to these seeds. And because these seeds were promised to Abraham as his children, therefore, they are called children of the promise. Or rather, because as Isaac was a child of promise, being born after the Spirit by virtue of the promise of God and through God's divine power and goodness, and when there was no ground or any foundation in nature for Abraham and Sarah to hope for a son that God had promised them. Because both of them were well beyond childbearing age, therefore these are called children of the promise.

And because they are born again, not through power of nature and strength of their own free will, they're also not born of the will of the flesh or will of man, but of God, according to the will of God and his abundant mercy. And by the word of truth, God's word, through God's power, spirit, and grace. And it's by God-given faith that they, these seeds, received the promises made to him. And because of this, they are counted and reckoned as Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

Paul now answers a question concerning the salvation of Israel and exactly what it means. The Apostle Paul answers this question that arose from the fact that God had promised to save all Israel. Look at Isaiah 45, 17. It said, but Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation. Isaiah also says in Isaiah 45, 25, in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory. As you can see here by these scriptures, the physical Israelites, those physical Jews, thought that God had promised to save all of natural-born Israelites. And even today, in, like I said, professed Christianity, so many of them think the same thing. They think of Israel as God's chosen people now. But this is what we're dealing with this morning in trying to go through some of these details having to do with the true meaning of God saving all Israel and all of his seed.

Now let's also look at Prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 23. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, and I will raise up David a righteous branch. And a king shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days, Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. And this is his name, whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness." That's Christ, the Messiah. God says through the prophet Jeremiah that in the days of the Messiah Christ, the righteous branch and the reigning prosperous king, not only the people of the Jews are God's elect among them, but all of God's elect, all of spiritual Israel, who truly embrace Christ and confess him, they all shall be saved from all their sins. All the seed of Israel. all spiritual Israel will surely be saved.

The nation Israel as a whole down through the ages rejected God's gospel and rejected Christ when he was among them. The nation Israel as a whole today rejects Jesus the Nazarene as a Messiah. The nation Israel is no different than any other nation, though, when it comes to rejecting the true Christ of Scripture. They're no better, and they're no worse. By nature, all men, by nature, reject the true Christ of Scripture. The nation Israel still looks for the Messiah to come. So then, if God promised to save all Israel and yet the majority of that nation perished in unbelief, and even still today reject God's gospel of grace in Christ, then what's the problem? Was God not able to fulfill his promise to save and justify all Israel? Was he unfaithful to do so? Was his promise not effectual because the nation would not cooperate with him? We'll see the answers in the next few verses.

Look again at Romans 9, verse six. Not as though the word of God had taken a non-effect. God's word of promise and grace is not ineffectual toward any of the objects of his love. God's promise of eternal salvation was never, has never been conditioned on sinners. but always conditioned and based entirely on the Lord Jesus Christ, the surety of the everlasting covenant of grace.

Look at 2 Corinthians 1, verse 20. For all the promises of God in him, that is in Christ, are yea, and in him, amen, unto the glory of God by us. Also Ephesians 1, 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Also 2 Timothy 1.9, who have saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ before the world began.

God's power and faithfulness to save his people, all Israel, is never in question and never fails. Look at God's faithfulness in Lamentations 3. It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness.

The Apostle Paul then makes a statement that I'm sure upset the Jews, and even today will upset a lot of people who still look to that physical nation, Israel, in some way, still being God's chosen nation. Look at what Paul says here, Romans 9 verse 6. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel, Paul shows that the all Israel whom God promised to save is not necessarily made up of those who are born as ethnic and national Israelites, or the physical seed of Abraham. God's never promised to save every individual physical Israelite, never.

The all Israel that God has promised to save is another Israel. Who are they? Paul goes on to answer this in Romans 9, 7. It says, neither because they are the seed of Abraham, that is physical seed, are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. Here Paul shows that just because a person is one of the physical seed of Abraham, does not make that person a child of God, a sinner saved by grace.

We know that the seed of Abraham, in this verse here, refers to Abraham's physical offspring because Paul called them children of the flesh. Then in the next verse, he gives the explanation of verse seven. It says, that is, Paul says, that is they which are the children of the flesh natural-born Israelites. These are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are reckoned for the seed.

One of the Jews' greatest boasts that they were blessed and children of God was their claim, we have Abraham to our father. Look at what John the Baptist says in Matthew 3.9, says, and think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father, and we be Abraham's seed. Also, look at what the Jews responded to Christ in John 8, 33. They answered him, answered Christ. We be Abraham's seed, and we're never in bondage to any man.

How sayest thou, you shall be made free? Even though these physical Israelites were the children of the covenant or promise which God made to Abraham and his natural seed, speaking of that covenant, that old covenant, which respected the land of Canaan and their enjoyment of all the temporal good things in it, but they were not all of them the children of the promise, which God made to Abraham and his spiritual seed, whether Jews or Gentiles, which respected spiritual and eternal things, to whom alone the promises of God as being their God in a spiritual sense, which was of a spiritual and an eternal salvation by Christ and of the grace of the Spirit of God and eternal life.

Both John the Baptist and our Lord told them that they'd been Abraham's seed was no proof of a guarantee of salvation. In fact, boasting in their physical pedigree as proof of salvation was only proof that they were yet in unbelief.

Let's look at the account of John the Baptist as he was baptizing in the River Jordan. Matthew 3 beginning verse 7.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to the baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance, and think not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father. For I say unto you that God is able to, of these stones to raise up children of Abraham, and now also the ax is laid unto the root of the tree. Therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.

This is the ax of God's judgments and vengeance, which because of the certainty of it, is said to be now laid. And this ax is now laid to just, is not just laid to some of those branches, to take away some privileges that the Jews had, but it's laid to the root. of all the privileges that the nation Israel had, both civil and ecclesiastical, even the covenant which God had made with them, with that people as a nation, so that going forward, they would have nothing to expect from there being a physical seed of Abraham and Israelite, or there being circumcised.

After saying that, neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, Paul goes on to say it in the verse seven. But in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

Isaac was Abraham and Sarah's miracle child of promise. He was a gift from God and it wasn't conceived or born in the power of the flesh. Ishmael, Abraham's other son, was also a son of Abraham, but not Sarah. He came from Hagar, the handmaid, and was born of the flesh. If physical connection with Abraham guaranteed salvation, then Ishmael would have been saved. The Jews could argue against this by claiming that Ishmael was not born of Sarah, and that they were descendants from Abraham and Sarah, which connected them to Isaac.

Paul answers this objection later in Romans nine, showing that Jacob and Esau had the same father and mother, and yet God loved Jacob and he hated Esau. Look at Romans 9, beginning at verse 10.

For this is the word of promise. At this time will I come and Sarah shall have a son. And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by her father Isaac. For the children not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. It was said unto her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated.

The issue of Isaac's birth was connected to the promise. the promise of God to send Christ into the world to save all of Israel, all his covenant people from their sin. It was through Isaac that the promise of eternal salvation would be accomplished, not by physical pedigree, but by the grace of God through Christ. It's very important to look at these two births. that we have before us, Isaac and Ishmael. In their contrast, one to another, Isaac was a miracle child. He was a miracle birth. Sarah was well beyond childbearing age and not able to have children. But Abraham, Abraham's son, Ishmael, was of Hagar. He represented the law and the works of the flesh.

Every child of God can be compared to Isaac in the way that our new birth is a work entirely of God. You must be born again, scripture says. Entirely a work of God, not of the flesh. We must be born again, not of flesh, but of spirit. God must regenerate his elect. Give them faith, the same faith that Abraham had, and cause us to look only to Christ for all of salvation and final glory.

Paul then continues to explain what he meant in Romans 9 and verse 7 when he says, neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall thy seed be called. And in explaining verse 7, Paul says here, in verse eight, that is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

That is, not all of the physical seed of Abraham, nor any of them, on account of their being born of the flesh, are that they were Abraham's natural seed. This is because adoption does not come this way. or by way of natural regeneration. Men do not become children of God by their fleshly descent. They are not born of blood, but of God.

These are the sons of God, adopted by God. God made a distinction between Abraham's natural physical descendants, the children of the flesh, natural descendants, and Abraham's spiritual descendants, the children of the promise. The children of promise are not only all whom God promised to save in and by Christ, but all who God brings to believe the promise of salvation in and by Christ.

Paul goes on back in Romans 2, explaining who the true Jews are and the spiritual meaning of circumcision. Look at Romans 2 beginning verse 28. For he is not a Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision which is outwardly in the flesh. You know, a little background, you know God had commanded the nation Israel to circumcise every male child. And so it was command of God for the nation Israel to separate them, keep them separate from other nations.

And then it says, but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart. He's explaining what the true meaning of circumcision is, spiritual meaning, in that it's in the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Galatians 3.26. says, for you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There's neither Jew nor Greek, there's neither bond nor free, there's neither male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christ, then you are Abraham's seed. and heirs according to the promise.

The apostles not saying that they are all children of God by nature and by birth, nor by creation as was Adam and all mankind, but the children of God are by faith in Christ and by a divine adoption. And by an act of God's rich and sovereign grace, putting them among the children, Paul is saying all this for the Gentiles' comfort.

Also, Galatians 6, beginning verse 14, it says, but God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision, veil of anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God.

Then the apostle here excludes any boasting that a sinner might have concerning any works any works of the flesh like circumcision or any other works of the flesh. Look at Philippians 3.3. For we are the circumcision, Paul says, which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus, and we have no confidence in the flesh. That just simply means we don't have any confidence in anything that we do in this life or anything we're enabled to do. in this life. All of our confidence is in Christ and what he did for us in our place as substitute and surety.

The act of being physically circumcised was given to the nation Israel to separate them from all other nations. But the spiritual application is that it represents the new birth, regeneration and conversion. It's a hard work. The apostle here gives further explanation as to who are the true circumcision. The apostle says, which are those who worship God in the spirit are those who have been born from above. These are those who have no confidence in the flesh or any other works of the flesh done by them.

As God has never promised to save all natural Israelites, God's never promised to save all men without exception. However, God has promised to save all without exception who hear and believe this gospel. All who come to Christ for salvation, righteousness, forgiveness, and eternal life. These are those who give evidences. They give evidence that they are God's elect children, his sheep. These are those who gives evidence of that sinners who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ and regenerated by the Holy Ghost. Look at Acts 2 verse 39. For the promises is to you and to your children. and to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

This is not national Israel, but spiritual Israel, made up of God's elect out of every nation, Jew or Gentile. Every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is a full-fledged citizen of a spiritual nation, Every believer in Jesus Christ is part of the spiritual seed of Abraham. Count it for the seed. Reckon for the seed. Every believer in Jesus Christ is a spiritual Israelite.

In closing, let us look at that oneness that we have with our spiritual father, Abraham. Look at Galatians 3 verse 6. even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know you therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scriptures foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preach before the gospel unto Abraham saying, in these shall all nations be blessed. So then, they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. All who believe God, upon the hearing of the gospel of God, the righteousness of God, are manifested to be the children of Abraham. Therefore, they are blessed with him.

What Paul is teaching is the important truth that the church of both the Old Testament and the New Testament are one. All believers are one in Christ. There's no difference, male or female, Jew or Greek. All of God's people were chosen in Christ, in Ephesians 1-4, according to He hath chosen us in Him, in Christ. before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. All enjoy being clothed in the righteousness of Christ. All are redeemed by Christ, Matthew 121. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall Not maybe, he shall save his people from their sin. All are his sheep, they have one shepherd, and they belong to one foal, John 10, 14.

Christ says, I'm the good shepherd and know my sheep, and I'm known of mine, as the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. and other sheep I have, which are not of this foal, speaking of the Israelites, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice and shall be one foal and one shepherd.

All of the elect of God are predestined to the same glory, Romans 8, 29, for whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate, to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn, speaking of Christ, among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified.

" partake of the glories of the heavenly Jerusalem, Matthew 8, 11. And I say unto you that many shall come from the east and the west and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

What a blessing it is to know that God saves only one way. There's not a a number of ways of salvation. Salvation only comes one way, by Christ, by what he did on our behalf. He doesn't save the Old Testament saints one way, then turn around and save the New Testament saints another way. You know, at one time, I used to think that, that he saved Old Testament saints one way, and another way later, New Testament. No, fellow believers, the way of salvation is by Christ and by him alone, his work alone.

Salvation is based entirely on the righteousness of Christ alone. That righteousness he worked out as he came to this earth, obeyed the law, and every jot and tittle went to the cross as our substitute, as our surety for that debt that we owe because we fell in Adam. We owed that debt of eternal death. Christ paid it. He paid it in full. When he says it's finished, that's what he meant. He meant it was finished. Salvation is based entirely on the righteousness of Christ alone, not on any works done by the sinner or in the sinner. God is a just God when he saves. He's holy, therefore he only accepts Perfect righteousness. And the only place he can be found is in his son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, this morning, can you say that you are a spiritual Israelite? Is Abraham your spiritual father? Do you possess the same faith that Abraham had? Christ says in John 8, 56, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad, Christ said. True believers, they do have the faith of Abraham. As Abraham rejoiced to see Christ's day, so we, the true Israel of God, rejoice in the same Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

In closing, let's look at Galatians 3.28. It says, 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. And if ye be Christ, then are ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

spiritual Israel of God, whether Jew or Gentile, no matter what nationality, all the spiritual seed and offspring of Christ, these being given him and being in him from everlasting, are justified in him from all things. And these, all and every one, shall be brought to see their need of Christ's righteousness, and look to him alone for it, and receive it from him by faith. Well, in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified. Amen.