Transcription
Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters in Christ, we are living in extraordinary times. Every headline, every breaking alert, every political pundit is fixated on one small nation in the Middle East, Israel. The world is watching. Nations are aligning. Tensions are rising. Prophetic interest has surged. And rightly so, because Israel plays a vital role in redemptive history. But I am here to warn you: while everyone's eyes are on Israel, most are missing what's coming. And what's coming is far more terrifying than any war, any political alliance, or any peace treaty. What's coming is divine judgment.
Point one, the world is distracted by the temporal. Turn with me to Matthew 24, where the disciples ask our Lord about the signs of his coming and the end of the age. Jesus speaks of wars and rumors of wars, nations rising against nations, earthquakes, famines. But what does he say in verse six? "See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet." Do you hear that? These are not the end. These are precursors. They are labor pains; and labor pains, as any mother knows, are a signal, not the event itself. The danger is in being so captivated by the signs that we ignore the birth that's coming.
Point two, judgment begins in the house of God. While the church stares at geopolitical events, many are blind to the rot within their own souls and their own pulpits. Turn to 1 Peter 4:17: "For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God. And if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel?" That's what's coming. Judgment. Not just in some far-off future. Not just in the tribulation, but even now, in part, through the hardening of hearts, the apostasy of churches, and the silence of shepherds who were entrusted with the truth. What good is it to map Daniel's weeks if you won't repent of your sin? What value is it to dissect Revelation if you won't proclaim the gospel that spares men from the wrath to come?
Point three, the return of Christ is imminent. And he will not come as savior, but as judge. When Christ came the first time, he came as a lamb, gentle, silent before his accusers, slain for the sins of his people. But Revelation 19 tells us how he comes next: riding a white horse, eyes like a flame of fire, wearing many crowns, and the armies of heaven behind him. He comes with a sword. And listen carefully: He is not returning to take sides in a political conflict. He is coming to rule, to judge the living and the dead. And only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life will stand. So I ask you, are you ready for that?
Point four, we must preach the gospel with urgency. Everyone is watching Israel, but few are watching their own soul. We are not called to be political analysts. We are called to be ambassadors of Christ. Your task is not to decode the news, but to declare the truth. The time is short. The night is far gone. People are perishing, and the church is busy with entertainment, distracted by lesser things. Turn to Corinthians 5:11: "Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others." That is our duty. That is our mandate.
The world today is captivated by the unfolding events in the Middle East. News outlets, politicians, analysts, and even casual observers are riveted by what's happening in and around the land of Israel. Every rocket launched, every political speech, every alliance or broken treaty commands global attention. And while the focus on Israel is not unwarranted, because Israel undeniably holds a central place in the unfolding plan of redemptive history, it has also served as a massive distraction for many. A distraction from a far greater reality, a distraction from what is ultimately coming, not just for Israel, but for the entire world.
The danger here is subtle but severe. When people become so consumed by the signs, they ignore the meaning behind them. They watch the theater of prophecy but fail to recognize the divine hand directing it. Jesus warned his disciples in Matthew 24 that in the last days there would be wars and rumors of wars. Nation would rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom. There would be famines, earthquakes, and all sorts of upheaval. But he also said, "See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet." In other words, these signs are not the main event. They are markers. They are labor pains. And labor pains are not the birth itself. They are the warnings that something far more intense is about to arrive.
Many in the world and tragically even in the church are so focused on the labor pains that they are completely unprepared for the judgment that follows. This fascination with Israel, prophecy charts, red heifers, Temple Mount politics, and blood moons often becomes a spiritual sedative. It gives people the illusion that they are discerning and aware when in fact they are often spiritually numb. They can quote Ezekiel 38 but can't quote Romans 3. They can analyze the movements of nations but neglect the movement of the Holy Spirit in the heart. They are captivated by geopolitical shifts but apathetic about personal holiness. They're watching CNN and Fox News more than they're watching over their own soul.
The truth is that Israel is not the center of the story. God is. Israel is not the point. Christ is. And while the world's attention is on the land, God's eyes are on the hearts of men. While people dissect treaties and troop movements, they miss the greater reality that the wrath of God is already being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. That's not future prophecy. That's Romans 1. That is happening now.
The judgment of God is not just something coming one day in the great tribulation. It is already at work in the moral collapse, in the corruption of truth, in the handing over of cultures to depravity and delusion. These are not accidental developments. They are acts of judgment. And yet so few recognize it because they're watching the wrong thing.
The obsession with Israel has caused many to take their eyes off the cross and the resurrection. The very gospel that has the power to save is sidelined by endless speculation. People become excited about discovering hidden codes in scripture, but show little interest in the plain commands to repent, believe, and follow Christ. They are fascinated with dates, but indifferent to doctrine. They will passionately argue about timelines but will not weep over sin. They fear nuclear war but not the judgment seat of Christ.
Even within the church there is a kind of prophetic escapism. Some assume that because they understand dispensations or because they believe in a pre-tribulational rapture, they are spiritually prepared. But understanding eschatology is not the same as being born again. Being able to quote Revelation is not the same as walking in righteousness. The Pharisees of Jesus' day could interpret the weather by looking at the sky, but he rebuked them because they could not discern the spiritual signs of the times. The danger today is the same. People can see what's happening in Gaza, in Iran, in the United Nations, but they can't see what's happening in their own soul. They are watching the fig tree, but ignoring the condition of their own branches. They are fascinated by prophecy, but deaf to the call of repentance.
God's dealings with Israel are significant, and they are not over. Scripture is clear that God has a plan for that nation and he will fulfill every promise he made. But the ultimate purpose of prophecy is not speculation. It is sanctification. It is meant to awaken us, to humble us, to lead us to worship, to make us vigilant, and to fix our eyes on the one who is coming again. And the sad irony is that many who claim to be waiting for Christ are not living like they expect him. They are distracted. Their lamps are not trimmed. Their hearts are far from him, though their mouths speak much of his return.
The warning is this: When everyone is watching Israel, many are missing what's coming. Not just the events, not just the turmoil, not just the antichrist or the tribulation, but the King himself. Judgment is not a theory. It's a certainty. And the Judge of all the earth is coming not to be analyzed, but to be feared, to be worshiped, and to be obeyed.
While the eyes of the world remain fixed on global events, on Israel, on international alliances, and on prophetic signs, what is often overlooked is what God is doing within his own household. The most sobering reality in all of scripture is not merely that judgment is coming upon the world, but that it begins with the people who claim to represent God. This truth is stated plainly in 1 Peter 4:17: "For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God." That verse alone should stop every professing believer in their tracks. Before God pours out his wrath on the nations, before the seals are broken and the bowls are emptied in the book of Revelation, he first purifies his church. He tests his people. He confronts hypocrisy. He exposes false faith. That is the divine order of things. And it is already happening.
The modern church is in a state of spiritual crisis. We live in a time when evangelicalism has largely traded reverence for relevance, exchanged holiness for popularity, and replaced the authority of scripture with the authority of personal experience. Many congregations have grown numerically, but have shriveled theologically. The pulpit has been softened, the message diluted, and the fear of God dismissed as outdated. Preachers are more concerned with being liked than being faithful. Sermons are crafted to entertain, not to convict. Church members want comfort, not confrontation. They want blessings without obedience, grace without repentance, and community without truth. But God is not mocked. Judgment begins with the church because the church has been entrusted with the truth. It is the pillar and support of the truth. As Paul said in 1 Timothy 3:15, when that truth is compromised, misrepresented, or ignored, God does not look away. He acts. He prunes. He purges. He purifies.
Just as he disciplined Israel in the Old Testament for its idolatry, carnal and complacent, this divine judgment does not always come in the form of lightning bolts or fire from heaven. It often comes quietly, subtly, and devastatingly. It comes when a church is left to itself. When God removes his lampstand. When a congregation becomes lukewarm and doesn't even realize that Christ is no longer in its midst. Think of Revelation 3, where Jesus says to the church in Laodicea, "You say, 'I am rich; I have prospered and I need nothing,' not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked." That is a picture of judgment already begun, a church under discipline and unaware.
The problem is not just in the pews. It is in the pulpits. Many shepherds have abandoned their call. They have stopped feeding the flock the word of God. They have ceased warning sinners of judgment. They avoid preaching about hell, sin, wrath, and repentance. In doing so, they have become complicit in the spiritual downfall of their people. Ezekiel 34 speaks of shepherds who feed themselves rather than the flock, who do not strengthen the weak, heal the sick, or bind up the injured. The Lord says, "Behold, I am against the shepherds." That same indictment hangs over many pulpits today. Men who should be watchmen have become blind guides. Leaders who should protect the sheep from wolves have opened the gate. This is why judgment begins in the house of God. Because when truth is entrusted, accountability increases. When light is given, blindness is inexcusable. It is not enough to have a Bible on the shelf or sound doctrine on paper. The question is whether the word is obeyed, whether Christ is exalted, whether the church fears God more than men. The greater the light rejected, the greater the judgment.
Furthermore, this judgment is often disguised as success. Churches may be large, their programs bustling, their buildings impressive, but spiritual death can hide behind a polished facade. Just as Sardis in Revelation had a name that it was alive but was dead, many churches today boast of their activity while being completely devoid of spiritual power. God's judgment sometimes looks like this: Letting a church grow without truth, expand without conviction, and operate without the presence of Christ. That is the most terrifying form of judgment, not immediate destruction but divine abandonment. And it is not limited to churches as institutions. Judgment begins with individual believers who name the name of Christ but live as though he does not reign. Professing Christians who harbor sin, justify compromise, resist correction, and love the world. These are the ones who will be refined or exposed. Hebrews 12:6 tells us that the Lord disciplines the one he loves and chastises every son he receives. That chastisement is a form of judgment, not condemnation, but correction, a refining fire meant to purify faith, burn away hypocrisy, and restore holiness.
The message is not that Christians are under condemnation. Romans 8:1 assures us they are not. But it is to say that God is not indifferent to the condition of his people. He is not passive about sin in the camp. He is not silent when his name is profaned by those who bear it. He will act. He is acting now. The decline of biblical preaching, the rise of apostasy, the infiltration of false teachers, the moral failures of leaders, and the shallowness of much contemporary worship are not simply unfortunate trends. They are evidence that judgment has already begun.
The return of Jesus Christ is not a distant myth or a theological abstraction. It is an absolute, imminent reality. Scripture does not speak of his return as a possibility, but as a certainty. And the sobering truth that many overlook, ignore, or suppress is that when Christ returns, he will not come as the suffering servant, but as the righteous judge. The Lamb who was slain will return as the Lion of Judah. The one who was mocked, rejected, and crucified will come in power and glory, and he will judge the living and the dead. This is the most staggering truth in all of human history. And yet, it is the most neglected in our time.
There is a sentiment even among those who claim to be Christians that Jesus is only gentle, kind, forgiving, and tolerant. That he overlooks sin. That he simply wants people to be happy. This distortion of Christ has produced a false gospel and a false sense of assurance. The Jesus of modern evangelicalism is often presented as a passive friend, a cosmic life coach, or a non-judgmental supporter of whatever lifestyle someone chooses to adopt. But this is not the Jesus of scripture. The Jesus of scripture is full of grace and truth. He is merciful to the repentant and fierce toward the unrepentant. He is both savior and judge. He is both redeemer and king. He is both the door of salvation and the one who will shut that door forever.
Revelation 19 provides a terrifyingly majestic picture of the returning Christ: Heaven opens, and behold, a white horse. The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. This is not a metaphor. This is not a symbolic gesture. This is the real, physical return of Jesus Christ in judgment. He will not come to negotiate. He will not come to plead. He will not come to offer another chance. He will come to rule with a rod of iron and to render to every man according to his deeds. For those who have rejected him, denied him, mocked him, or treated his cross as a trivial thing, there will be no refuge. The Judge of all the earth will do what is right, and what is right is perfect justice.
The world is not ready for this Christ. In fact, the world hates this Christ. The idea of judgment is offensive. The thought that there is a holy God who demands righteousness and will punish sin is intolerable to a generation steeped in self-worship and moral relativism. But this offense does not change reality. Romans 2:5 says that because of hardened and unrepentant hearts, people are storing up wrath for themselves on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. That day is not fictional. That day is not merely symbolic. That day is coming. It is coming. It is just near.
There is a pervasive apathy in the church regarding the return of Christ. Many professing believers speak of his coming casually, with little fear and even less urgency. They assume it will not happen in their lifetime or that it will be preceded by enough warning signs to allow for last-minute repentance. But Jesus said in Matthew 24 that his return will be like the days of Noah. People were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the flood came and swept them all away. That is how the coming of the Son of Man will be: Unexpected, swift, final.
The Apostle Paul in 2 Thessalonians 1 says that when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, he will inflict vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his might. This is not a secondary issue. This is not a fringe doctrine. This is the culmination of all redemptive history. Christ came once to bear sin. He comes again to bear the sword.
For the believer, the return of Christ is a blessed hope, a promise of eternal joy. The day when faith becomes sight and sorrow is swallowed up in glory. But for the unbeliever, for the hypocrite, for the unrepentant, it will be a day of terror. Hebrews 10:31 declares, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." There will be no excuses, no appeals, no opportunities to bargain. The time for mercy will be over, and the King will judge in perfect righteousness. This should awaken urgency in every soul. Not panic, but sobriety. Not speculation, but preparation. The question is not when Christ will return, but whether you are ready for him when he does. Because he will return suddenly. He will return bodily. He will return in power. And he will not come to be examined, analyzed, or debated. He will come to reign. He will come to separate the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the chaff, the true from the false. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess, not by invitation, but by the sheer force of his unveiled glory.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are living in perilous times, times of confusion, compromise, and deception. And it is in times like these that the church must speak with clarity. Not political clarity, not emotional clarity, biblical clarity. For we have not been called to parrot the world's narratives, but to proclaim God's truth, no matter how unpopular it may be.
Today I want to address a topic that has become tragically a sacred cow in American evangelicalism: The unqualified support for the modern state of Israel. Let me be clear: This is not about politics. It's not about nationalism. It's not even about foreign policy. This is about theology. This is about God's word. And God's word must always correct our assumptions. America supports Israel. But what if God is against it? What if the uncritical alliance between evangelicals and the modern Israeli state is not a fulfillment of prophecy, but a betrayal of the gospel?
One, Israel today is not Israel of old. Let us begin by understanding something essential. The Israel of the Old Testament, the covenant people of God, were chosen not because of merit, but because of God's sovereign grace. Deuteronomy 7 tells us, "The Lord did not set his love on you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the fewest of all peoples; but it was because the Lord loved you." But that covenant came with stipulations. Obedience brought blessing. Disobedience brought judgment. And tragically, Israel rebelled time and again. Ultimately, they rejected their Messiah. In Matthew 21, Jesus said to the religious leaders, "The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits." That is a divine indictment. Romans 11 says, "Israel was broken off because of unbelief." That is not anti-Semitism. That is divine judgment. And the modern nation of Israel, founded in 1948, is not a continuation of biblical Israel. It is a secular, unbelieving nation that rejects Christ. It is not the people of God. It is not a covenant nation. And to equate the two is to misread the Bible and mislead the church.
The true Israel is not political. It is spiritual. Romans 9:6 says, "They are not all Israel who are descended from Israel." What does that mean? It means that ethnic lineage does not guarantee covenant inclusion. The true Israel is made up of those who belong to Christ. Galatians 3:29 says, "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to promise." The church, not the nation of Israel, is the people of God. That is not replacement theology. That is fulfillment theology. Christ fulfilled the promises. Christ is the seed of Abraham, and all who are in him, Jew or Gentile, are part of God's redeemed people. To continue supporting
A nation simply because of its ethnicity, while it remains in rebellion against God, is not love. It is delusion.
Three, God's judgment rests on all who reject the Son. Jesus said in John 14:6, "No one comes to the Father but through me." That includes Israel. There is no covenant with God outside of Christ. There is no salvation apart from the gospel. Romans 10:1-3 is Paul's heartache. They have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. Why? Because they sought righteousness through the law and not through faith in Christ. Do we grieve for Israel? Yes. Do we pray for their salvation? Absolutely. But do we say that God blesses a nation that rejects his Son, persecutes believers, and walks in secular defiance? God forbid. You say, "But Genesis 12 says, 'I will bless those who bless you.'" Yes, but who is the "you"? Abraham. And who is the seed of Abraham? Christ. And who are those who bless Christ and his church? They are the ones God blesses.
Four, the danger of idolatrous patriotism. Many in the church today have fused Christianity with nationalism and Zionism with eschatology. They've turned the modern state of Israel into a sacred icon. That's not theology. We must stop looking to earthly nations for prophetic fulfillment. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." He did not come to restore geopolitical borders. He came to redeem sinners from every nation, tribe, and tongue. God is not building a political alliance. He is building a church. And that church stands not on a flag or a nation, but on Christ and his gospel.
Final appeal. So dear friends, do not be swept away by sentimentality or political fervor. Let scripture guide your convictions. Let the gospel shape your worldview. Love the Jewish people, but not with a blind nationalism. Love them enough to preach Christ crucified. Love them enough to call them to repentance and faith. Because in the end, God is not for a nation. God is for his Son. And to reject the Son, whether Jew or Gentile, is to stand under judgment. Let us not be deceived. Let us be faithful. Let us be biblical.
The modern state of Israel, established in 1948, is often viewed by many evangelicals as the prophetic continuation of the Old Testament nation of Israel. This assumption has become almost unquestioned in certain theological circles, particularly among those influenced by dispensationalist teachings. Yet, when we turn to scripture, we must carefully distinguish between biblical Israel, the covenant people of God, and the secular political entity that exists today in the Middle East. To conflate the two is to ignore the clear theological boundaries that God himself has set.
Biblical Israel was a theocratic nation chosen by God for a specific purpose in redemptive history. God called Abraham out of Ur, made an everlasting covenant with him, and through his descendants formed a nation set apart from all others. That nation, Israel, was to be holy unto the Lord, governed by God's law, and centered around worship of the one true God. Their identity was not merely ethnic or national. It was covenant. They were God's possession, not because of any merit in them, but because of his sovereign grace. As Deuteronomy 7:7-8 states, "The Lord did not set his love on you, nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which he swore to your forefathers."
That covenant, however, was conditional. The blessings promised to Israel were always tied to their obedience. If they walked in God's ways, they would dwell securely in the land. If they turned to idols, God would drive them out. This pattern plays out repeatedly throughout the Old Testament. The northern kingdom fell to Assyria, the southern kingdom to Babylon. The prophets continually warned that covenant breaking would result in judgment. And history confirmed that warning.
Even after the Babylonian exile, when a remnant returned to rebuild the temple and the walls of Jerusalem, Israel never regained the theocratic glory of David and Solomon's reign. By the time of Christ's birth, they were under Roman occupation. But the deeper issue was not political subjugation. It was spiritual rebellion. When the Messiah came to his own, John 1:11 says his own did not receive him. The religious leaders who claimed to uphold the law of Moses were in fact blind guides who rejected the very fulfillment of the law and the prophets. Jesus pronounced judgment on the nation for its rejection of him in Matthew 23:37-38. He cried, "Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, behold, your house is being left to you desolate." That was not a mere political prediction. It was a divine verdict. In Matthew 21:43, he told the chief priests and elders, "The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit." That is not a temporary shift. It is a transfer of kingdom stewardship from a rebellious nation to a redeemed people.
The Apostle Paul, himself a Jew, affirms this reality in Romans 9. He makes the striking statement: They are not all Israel who are descended from Israel. That is, not all physical descendants of Abraham are part of the true Israel of God. In verse 8, he says, "It is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise." This distinction is critical. Ethnicity does not equate to covenant status. The promises of God were always aimed at a faithful remnant and ultimately fulfilled in Christ.
So when the modern state of Israel was founded in the 20th century, it was not a fulfillment of God reestablishing his covenant nation. It was a geopolitical act driven by nationalism, secular Zionism, and the aftermath of global war and persecution. The Israeli government is secular. Its institutions are not grounded in the Torah. The majority of its population does not believe in Christ, nor do they honor the God of scripture. They may possess the land, but without faith in the Messiah, they do not possess the covenant.
This is not to say God is finished with the Jewish people. Romans 11 speaks of a future gathering and God's continuing faithfulness to his promises. But that does not mean that any political movement bearing the name Israel is thereby endorsed by God. God's purposes for ethnic Israel will unfold according to his timing and through faith in Christ, not through military strength or national borders.
To mistake modern Israel for biblical Israel is to blur the distinction between the old covenant and the new. The covenant people of God are now those who are in Christ, Jew and Gentile alike. As Galatians 3:29 says, "If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." This is the reality of redemptive history. Christ is the true seed of Abraham, and all who are united to him by faith are part of the true Israel.
Therefore, the church must exercise discernment. Political support for a nation should never be confused with theological affirmation. The scriptures do not teach that any nation is immune to judgment simply because of its history. If a nation rejects Christ, it stands under the same condemnation as any other. And while we may grieve the history of the Jewish people or defend their human rights as we would for any nation, we must not ascribe to them a covenantal status that they do not possess apart from Christ.
The true people of God are not defined by ethnicity, geography, or national heritage. They are defined by their union with Jesus Christ. This is a central theme in the New Testament and a critical truth that every Christian must understand. The distinction between physical descent and spiritual identity runs through the entire narrative of scripture, culminating in the gospel where Christ becomes the fulfillment of all Old Testament types and shadows. To miss this is to misunderstand the nature of the church and the redemptive plan of God.
In the Old Testament, Israel was set apart as God's covenant people. They were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, chosen by God to be his treasured possession. But from the very beginning, God's selection was never rooted in merit or racial superiority. It was always about divine grace and sovereign election. Moreover, God's covenant with Abraham included the promise that through his seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Genesis 22:18. That seed, as Paul explains in Galatians 3:16, is Christ. The promise was never ultimately about a nation. It was always about the Messiah and those who would be united to him by faith.
When Christ came, he fulfilled the law, the prophets, and the sacrificial system. He was the true Israelite, the perfect Son who obeyed where national Israel had failed. In him, all the promises of God are yes and amen. 2 Corinthians 1:20. And in doing so, he redefined the boundaries of God's people, not by bloodline, but by belief.
Jesus made this point repeatedly in John 8. He confronts the Jewish leaders who claimed Abraham as their father. He replies, "If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me." He then tells them plainly, "You are of your father, the devil." Despite their ethnic heritage, they were not children of God because they rejected the Son. In Matthew 12:48-50, when told that his mother and brothers were seeking him, Jesus responded, "Who is my mother and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples and saying, "Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." That is a radical redefinition of family, not by blood, but by faith and obedience.
The Apostle Paul, who himself was a Hebrew of Hebrews, lays out this truth with doctrinal precision. In Romans 9:6, he writes, "For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel." This statement draws a critical distinction. There is an Israel according to the flesh and there is an Israel according to the promise. Only those who are children of the promise are counted as offspring. That promise is fulfilled in Christ and all who are in Christ share in the blessings once reserved for ethnic Israel.
In Galatians 3, Paul dismantles any notion that ethnicity plays a role in belonging to God. Verse 7 says, "Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham." And in verse 28, "there is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus." The implication is inescapable. The dividing wall has been torn down. What once separated Jew from Gentile has been abolished in Christ. The true people of God are those who have been born again by the spirit and justified by faith.
This reality is echoed in 1 Peter 2:9 where Peter, writing to a predominantly Gentile audience, applies Old Testament titles to the church: a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession. These were once terms used exclusively for Israel, but now they are applied to the church. This is not replacement. It is fulfillment. The church is not a plan B. It is the eternal purpose of God hidden for ages and now revealed. Ephesians 2 reinforces this truth. Paul describes how Gentiles were once alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise. But now in Christ they have been brought near by his blood. Christ himself is our peace, having made Jew and Gentile one and broken down the dividing wall of hostility. He created in himself one new man in place of the two. Thus the church is not a spiritual Israel adjacent to the physical one. It is the one people of God united in Christ drawn from every tribe, tongue, and nation.
The implications of this are enormous. It means that no nation today, including modern Israel, holds a unique covenantal position apart from Christ. It also means that the church must view its identity not through national or ethnic lenses, but through the lens of gospel union. The people of God are defined by regeneration, not genealogy. Salvation has always been by grace through faith, not by race, ceremony, or inheritance. Throughout redemptive history, God has been calling a people for himself, not based on bloodlines, but based on faith. From Rahab the Canaanite to Ruth the Moabite to the Ninevites who repented, God has always been gathering outsiders into his fold. In the new covenant, that door has been thrown wide open. The veil is torn. The middle wall is gone. All who come to the Father through the Son are members of God's household. The true Israel, the seed of Abraham, is Christ. And all who belong to him are heirs according to promise. This is the unifying truth of the gospel.
Supporting any nation that rejects Christ is not obedience to God, but compromise. This is a truth that must be reckoned with in a time when many Christians allow political loyalty, cultural sentiment, or prophetic speculation to shape their theology. The modern tendency to offer blanket support to the nation of Israel, regardless of its spiritual condition or its response to Christ, is not grounded in New Testament teaching. Rather, it is often based on a misinterpretation of Old Testament promises divorced from their fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. God's covenant blessings are always tied to fidelity to his Son. Scripture is unmistakably clear that there is no relationship with the Father apart from the Son. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This applies to every nation, people, and tribe, without exception. To support any people, group, or government while ignoring their rejection of Christ is to ignore the most foundational requirement for blessing from God: faith in his Son.
Throughout the New Testament, we see this pattern affirmed repeatedly. In John 3:36, it says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." God's favor does not rest on any ethnic group or nation based on heritage, history, or former covenant identity. The only determining factor is their relationship to Jesus Christ. That includes modern Israel as well as any Gentile nation. Romans 1 makes it plain that God has revealed himself clearly and that those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness are without excuse. This applies to secular nations that reject God regardless of their ancestry or geography. National Israel today functions as a secular state governed by human institutions, promoting religious pluralism and largely rejecting Jesus as Messiah. Its cultural and political achievements do not change its spiritual condition. God's assessment of any nation is not based on borders, military strength, or historic legacy. It is based on whether that nation bows the knee to his Son.
Christ is the dividing line of all history. He is the fulfillment of the law, the culmination of the promises, and the true seed of Abraham. All of God's blessings are now found in him. Ephesians 1:3 tells us that God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Those blessings are not given outside of Christ. There is no parallel covenant system for a particular ethnic group. The new covenant is exclusive to those who are united to Christ by faith. To offer uncritical support to a nation that denies Christ is not only theologically misguided, it is spiritually dangerous. It fosters a kind of political idolatry where human alliances are treated as divine mandates. It treats the geopolitical developments of a fallen world as though they carried salvific weight. But God's kingdom is not of this world. Jesus said in John 18:36, "My kingdom is not of this world." His kingdom is made up of people from every nation who have been redeemed by his blood, not defined by national borders or ancestral claim.
The early church understood this well. The apostles, most of whom were Jewish, did not teach the church to support Israel as a political entity. Instead, they preached the gospel to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles, calling all men everywhere to repent and believe in Christ. Paul, a Hebrew of Hebrews, wept for his countrymen because of their unbelief. He did not assume that their ethnicity secured divine favor. In Romans 10:1-3, he says, "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge." That zeal did not produce salvation because it was disconnected from Christ. Furthermore, in Galatians 1, Paul pronounces a curse on anyone preaching a gospel other than the one centered on Christ. He did not exempt Israel. He did not soften the message for political or historical reasons. He held to one standard: faith in Jesus as the only means of reconciliation with God.
To suggest that any modern nation has a special claim to divine favor while remaining in unbelief is to redefine the gospel. It removes Christ from the center and places ethnicity or political history in his place. That is not obedience. It is compromise. It is to endorse, or at the very least ignore, the rejection of the very one whom God has exalted above every name. The Christian's loyalty must never be primarily national, political, or ethnic. It must be to Christ and his word. That means we evaluate all alliances, all sympathies, and all support through a biblical lens. Do we love the Jewish people? Yes, deeply. Do we desire the salvation of Israel? Absolutely. But that desire must be driven by gospel truth, not political enthusiasm. The love that ignores Christ is not love. It is deception. Supporting a nation in its unbelief, no matter who it is, is not the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. It is the failure to proclaim the truth that only in Christ is their salvation. God is not for those who reject his Son. He is for those who worship him in spirit and truth. Any theology that suggests otherwise distorts both the Old and New Testaments.