Did the Church Replace Israel?

Did the church replace Israel? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of CORE Christianity. Hi, I'm Bill Meyer, along with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and this is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question.

Our phone lines are open for the next 25 minutes or so. Here's the number. It's 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on one of our social media sites, and you can always email us your question at questions at COREChristianity.com. First up today, let's go to a voicemail from one of our listeners named Natalie. Hi, Pastor Adriel.

My name is Scott. My question is in regards to a billboard or a sign I saw in somebody's front yard. It says, we depend on God, and God depends on us. So I thought that was interesting, and I posted it on Facebook with the question, do you think this is true?

I said, I do. I was thinking of world evangelism. God depends on us. God uses us.

I don't know if depends is the correct word, but his plan for spreading the gospel is through people, and he doesn't have a backup plan. I raised quite a stir on Facebook. People didn't agree with what I was saying at all, but I'd like to know what your opinion is of that. Thank you. Have a great day.

God bless. Hey, thank you, Scott. Yeah, not Natalie. This one was Scott.

We'll get to Natalie in just a bit. That's right. Yeah, sorry about that, Scott, but interesting billboard.

I don't think I've seen that one around. Does God depend on us? Well, no. God doesn't depend on anyone or anything. He has life in himself.

It's the doctrine of what's sometimes called divine aseity. He doesn't need anything. God doesn't need air to breathe.

He has life in himself. He's the self-existent one, the Lord, God Almighty. He doesn't need anything, but in his love, he chooses to use us, and he creates out of the abundance of his love. He could use angels if he wanted to proclaim the message of the gospel, but he doesn't. He includes you and me in this wonderful privilege of communicating the truth, the message of the gospel, and even when it comes to the advancement of that gospel, we are totally dependent upon the Lord, even though he uses us. I think of what we read in Acts 16, where we're hearing about the preaching of the gospel, Paul proclaiming the gospel, and we read in verse 14 of Acts 16, In other words, it was the Lord himself who is working and was working through the preaching of the gospel. Yes, he used Paul, but it was the Spirit. It was God himself opening the heart. This is something that we see corroborated throughout the scriptures earlier in the book of Acts, in Acts chapter 13, verse 48.

Again, when it comes to the preaching of the gospel, we read, Now, who did the appointing there? It was the Lord, God himself, and so we have to recognize, one, the sovereignty of God, the fact that God doesn't need anyone, but God, in his glorious wisdom, chooses to use us, and we're the ones who benefit from this. It's not like God is saying, Oh boy, if only I just had somebody. No, God uses us, and it's our great privilege to be used by the Lord in this capacity. I would not say, Scott, that God depends on us. One of my concerns with that language is it puts an enormous burden on the evangelist. If you don't do your work, well, then God's sovereign will is not going to be accomplished.

It's all on you. No, God is the one who's working in us, both to will and to do for his good pleasure. He gets all the credit. He gets all the glory, and you and I are blessed with participating in this through the sovereign grace of God, the privilege of getting to serve him, of getting to share the gospel, of getting to preach the gospel for those who are pastors. It's not that God needs us. It's that in his kindness, he chooses to use us. God bless. Love what you said, Adriel, about it being a privilege to share the good news.

It's not something that we have to do or that God is expecting of us, but it's a wonderful privilege that we should take advantage of. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, and our phone lines are open. If you have a question about the Bible, the Christian life, doctrine, theology, maybe a question about what kind of church you should be attending, or maybe how your Christian walk intersects with today's culture and what's happening in our world today. Here's the phone number to call for the next 20 minutes or so, 833-843-2673. That's 833-THE-CORE.

Looking forward to hearing from you today. By the way, we do receive a lot of questions about the end times here at Core Christianity and the Book of Revelation. And here at the Core, we have a Bible study on that book.

Yeah. Many Christians wonder, you know, how am I to understand the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, with all of its prophecies, with all of the symbolism, the dragons, the lampstands, all of those. How do I make sense of this? Well, we want to help you make sense of the Book of Revelation because it's meant to be a comfort for believers. And so we've created a 10-week Bible study through the Book of Revelation that will really help you get a grasp on the last book of the Bible.

It's yours for a gift of $20 or more. And like I said, this resource, this Bible study will really bless you as an individual or it's something you can go through with a group of friends. We'd love to get that in your hands. You can call us for that or you can go to our website and find it corechristianity.com forward slash revelation. Again, corechristianity.com forward slash revelation. And as Adriel said, it would be great for a small group or a Sunday school class.

We actually have a discount available if you buy several of those. So give us a call and we'll put that in your hands. 833-843-2673.

833 the core is the number. Let's go to a voicemail we received from one of our callers earlier this week. My name is Todd and I so appreciate your program and your show and I would like to know what your thoughts are on the teaching of replacement theology and what the Bible says either for or against. And then what your answer would be in contrast and or comparing what Ephesians chapters 1 through 3, 1, 2 and 3 says about replacement theology. Thank you so much for your program and I look forward to hearing your answer on air.

Bye-bye. Todd, thank you for that question. Now we're getting into here the identity of the people of God specifically. We're getting into eschatology, the study of the last things, and usually that phrase, replacement theology, is used to describe those who have a more covenantal framework reading of the Bible. That is, those who view the Bible as this unified story of redemption rooted in God's promise and the various covenants that God made with his people tracing that promise, ultimately the promise of redemption in Jesus Christ.

And there are of course a number of ways in which Bible teachers and theologians have read the scriptures, interpreted the scriptures. There is that more covenantal framework which is the one that I embrace that I think is most faithful to the word of scripture. There are others who have what's sometimes referred to as a dispensational reading of the Bible and it's typically those individuals who hold to what's known as dispensationalism who will say, well, reading the Bible the other way, that's replacement theology and what they mean by that is this idea that the church, Christians, have replaced Israel so that God no longer has a purpose or plan for Israel as a nation. Now, whether or not that's a true characterization of those who hold a covenant theology, I'm not sure that that's the case.

My sense, brother, in reading texts like Ephesians 1-3 and Romans 11 and the book of Hebrews, for example, is that Israel under the old covenant was a type, if you will, of the church, of the people of God. There's only one people of God throughout redemptive history. God doesn't have multiple peoples and multiple plans of salvation. He's going to save the Israelites in the Old Testament one way and he's going to save Christians under the new covenant another way.

No, no, no, no, no. There's one people of God and this is absolutely clear and those who believe in Jesus Christ, who have embraced the gospel, are grafted into that one people of God. We receive by faith the promises of God that were made to the patriarchs. This is why Paul in Galatians says that we are the children of Abraham, places like Galatians 3. Or again, this idea of being grafted into the people of God, Paul in Romans 11. Or you brought up the book of Ephesians, Ephesians 2, beginning in verse 11.

I think it states it so clearly, Todd. Therefore, remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, that is non-Jews, you weren't a part of Israel. Gentiles in the flesh called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands. Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. In other words, at one time you were not a part of the people of God. But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

He himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man, in place of the two so making peace. That is the one people of God through faith in Jesus Christ. It's not that the church has replaced Israel in the sense that sometimes people will say, it's that Israel was always a type of God's people, the new covenant people. And it's through Jesus and faith in Jesus that we are a part of that group. It really is quite wonderful when you think we are the children of Abraham by faith. This is a glorious promise, and that doesn't mean that God has cast aside the Jews. In fact, Paul says, no, just the opposite in Romans 9-11. God is still drawing all people everywhere to himself, including ethnic Israel, through the promise of salvation in Jesus Christ. The only way any of us, any of you, can ever have a saving relationship with God, can be considered a part of the people of God, is through Jesus Christ himself. I believe that with all my heart, and I think that's what the scriptures teach.

Amen. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. We'd love to hear from you if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. Or maybe you've got some doubts or some struggles about the Christian faith.

Maybe you consider yourself to be an agnostic or an atheist. We're welcome to take your call as well. You can call us right now for the next 15 minutes or so. 833-843-2673 is the number.

833-THE-CORE. We also have a YouTube channel, and you can go there if you'd like to submit a question. Right now, let's go to Ed from Missouri. Ed, what is your question for Pastor Adriel? Hey, good morning.

Good afternoon. Thank you. A few minutes ago, Pastor Adriel said something about all glory and honor belongs to God.

Agree with 100%. But then he went on to say something I don't remember forbading what it was, but he kind of implied that we don't have to do much more after that. Whereas, the way I understand it, we're supposed to be a witness of the truth in God in all places, times, and things, regardless of circumstances or consequences.

Is that not right? Ed, thank you so much for calling and asking that follow-up question. The question that was asked is, does God depend on us as we depend on Him? Of course, we're talking about the Lord, the sovereign Lord, the infinite God of all creation.

We would never want to say that He depends on us or needs us for anything. He's the one who gives to all life, breath, and all things. Now, my emphasis there was in stating just that, that God doesn't need us, but that He chooses to use us to accomplish His purposes, including His purpose to advance the gospel in the world.

You're totally right. We are called as the people of God to be lights, to be a witness. Paul says in Romans chapter 10, after talking about the gospel and the importance of faith in Christ, he says in Romans 10, 14, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news? In other words, it's imperative, it's necessary that people go out and preach the gospel. And we are called, each of us individually as Christians, as the baptized, to bear witness to the truth, to point people to Christ through our lives, through the way that we live, but also through sharing the message of the gospel. I just don't want people to have this sense of, it's all on me.

It's all on my shoulders. If I don't do this, I didn't share the gospel in this instance. God's sovereign purposes are not going to be accomplished, that kind of a thing. No, God works in and through us. And we are called, absolutely, to share the love of Christ and the message of salvation with the people around us. But we need to recognize that even as we do that, we're dependent upon the Lord.

He's not dependent upon us. Thank you for calling again. Great clarification. Thank you for that, Adriel. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Here's a YouTube question that came in from one of our listeners. He says, If God sent Jesus to die on the cross, and Jesus is also God, was the crucifixion a case of self-murder or suicide?

No. Self-murder would be a sin, of course, and Jesus never sinned. Jesus willingly offered himself in our place.

It was the greatest act of love. It was the greatest act of sacrifice. Those who were guilty of sin were those who put him to death. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, when he's preaching, says in Acts chapter 2, verse 22, Men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, the man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know, this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. Here we have both human responsibility, you crucified him, you sinned, this was what you did through the hands of lawless men, and yet also, somehow, mysteriously, God's sovereign purposes. This all happened according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. But in terms of those primary cause, if you will, the ones who were acting, murdering Jesus, that was sinful human beings, and somehow God was using that by his sovereign purposes to accomplish salvation for those who would trust in Christ. It's like what Joseph says to his brothers at the end of Genesis, what you meant for evil, God purposed, meant for good. God can use even the sinful actions of human beings, even our sinful actions, to accomplish his purposes, and that's what he did there in the crucifixion for our salvation. So this wasn't suicide or self-murder, this was Jesus offering himself up for our sins.

Amen. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez, a reminder we have that great Bible study on the book of Revelation available to you today. You can find out more about that by going to corechristianity.com forward slash revelation, again corechristianity.com forward slash revelation, a great study for you individually or for your small group or your Sunday school class.

Our phone lines are still open for the next five minutes or so. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, we would love to hear from you. Here's the number 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. Let's go to Viola from St. Louis, Missouri. Viola, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Hello, Pastor Sanchez. I would like to first bless God for the anointing on your life for sharing, using you, you know, to help us with these questions.

Thank you. I'd just like to ask about angels. I had a friend whose mom recently went home to glory and my heart goes out to my girlfriend and she said, mom's gone on to glory and she's received her wings. And of course, I don't want to say anything then, but would you explain that we're not looking to be like angels?

There's even a song out that we often sing and it says, I've got two wings to be on my face. So can you just explain that we're not looking to be like angels? Yeah, thank you for that question and for your encouragement, Viola. And of course, you know, when people talk about death, there's so much confusion out there. You know, the language of just passing on or he's gone to be in a better place or she's gone to be in a better place. And we just sort of have these platitudes oftentimes that aren't rooted in what the Bible teaches. And nowhere in scriptures does the Bible say that when someone dies, when a believer dies, that they're given wings.

No, we do know that when a believer dies, their souls are made perfect in holiness. They immediately go into the presence of the Lord where they worship him, where they're around his throne. It's the picture that's given to us in Hebrews chapter 12. And so for this friend, I think you can provide the encouragement, the comfort that, you know, when our loved ones in Christ die, that they are in the presence of the Lord with great joy. I mean, it's what the apostle Paul talks about in Philippians chapter one where he says, you know, I want to depart and be with Christ because that is far better than anything else that this world has to offer me. He says this in Philippians chapter one, verse 23. Second Corinthians chapter five, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. And so scripture everywhere teaches that when we die as Christians, our souls go to be with the Lord, perfected in holiness, waiting for the final day, the day of resurrection where our bodies are raised up in glory, the resurrection of the dead. So that's what we look forward to as believers. Angels, the author of the Hebrews says, are ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation. That's Hebrews chapter one, verse 14.

And so we don't become angels when we die, but we do join the angels in heaven around the throne of God, worshiping him and waiting for the last day, the final resurrection when we're all together in the new heavens and the new earth, glorified once and for all. Viola, thanks so much for your call. Thanks for being a regular listener to Core Christianity. We really do appreciate you. Well, we're just about to the end of our program today. Our phone number, if you've got a question, is 833-843-2673. You can also leave a voicemail there, 24 hours a day, 833-THE-CORE.

Let's go to Scott calling in from St. Louis, Missouri. Scott, what's your question for Adriel? Yes, on Ezekiel 15 and 16, I'll wait till the end of the chapter, but on 15 especially, 31-15, I'm sorry, 31-15 on Ezekiel. Is that any relation to Genesis 1, chapter 1, verse 2? Is there any relationship there?

And I thank you for your program. Scott, so Ezekiel 31-15, thus says the Lord God, on the day the cedar went down to Sheol, I caused mourning. I clothed the deep over it and restrained its rivers, and many waters were stopped. I clothed Lebanon in gloom for it, and all the trees of the field fainted because of it. Is that the text you're referring to? Is that talking about Satan? Oh, yeah, no, I don't think that that text in particular, I mean, there are a couple of passages that people will go to in the prophets that they will say refer to the fall of Satan, the fall of the evil one, places like the book of Isaiah. But I don't see a direct correlation to Genesis chapter 1, verse 2. Of course, there in Genesis chapter 1, getting into the creation, Genesis chapter 1, verse 2, the earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. But there in Genesis chapter 1, verse 2, what's being emphasized is God's creative power, making all things from nothing, creation ex nihilo, as it's sometimes referred to. And the picture is of the world being this uninhabitable wasteland, if you will, and God bringing light and glory and order and creation out of that.

Emphasizing his divine power and glory and sovereignty as the great king of all creation. So I appreciate that you're wanting to create these or see these textual relationships between those two passages. I don't know right off the bat that I see something there between Ezekiel 31, 15 and Genesis chapter 1, verse 2, though. But God bless you as you continue to read the scriptures. You know, Adriel, we often talk about how in the Old Testament we find the types and the shadows that point us to Christ. And I'm wondering, just in the remaining time that we have left, can you explain what you mean by that?

Yeah, I appreciate you bringing this up, Bill, because we do. And I do frequently use that language of type and shadow, especially as we're looking at the Old Testament. What are those types and shadows? So you think about those institutions that God created, the tabernacle, the temple, the sacrificial system, all of these pictures that you have of sacrifice, of the need for forgiveness for sins.

They're types, shadows of the salvation that was coming in and through Jesus Christ, almost a foretaste of what God would reveal later. Thanks for listening to CORE Christianity. To request your copy of today's special offer, visit us at corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833, the CORE. When you contact us, please let us know how you've been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time as we explore the truth of God's word together.