The old saints were looking forward to the life, death and resurrection of Christ. We look back. We are all in Christ by faith. We are one people, one body and one spiritual temple. Christ does not believe in spiritual apartheid amongst His eternal family. There is no division or schism. We are all one!
Ephesians 2:10-19 declares, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth (politeia or citizenship) of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens (sumpolites) with the saints, and of the household of God. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
In the light of the evidence before us, and due to the noise coming from the Dispensational camp, the important question that must be asked in this hour is: are there two distinct and unique spiritual peoples of God on planet earth today, or does God just have one spiritual people? Is natural Israel God’s chosen earthly people and is the New Testament Church His heavenly people, as per Dispensational theology, or is God’s people a unitary transnational spiritual body found throughout all generations?
When you don’t have a theological agenda and you don’t feel compelled to justify a doctrinal position then you are free to let the Bible speaks for itself. This is the place of spiritual liberty. You are qualified to hear from God.
One thing that is abundantly clear when you let the sacred text say what it says is that there is a oneness to the people of God throughout time. There are no divisions or subsets in the body of Christ. They are one harmonious group. Even though the people of God are found under two different covenants, even though they come from varying racial backgrounds and different social classes, they are inextricably connected to each other through their faith in the Messiah Christ.
The New Testament repeatedly emphasizes the oneness of God’s people. Those who disagree have to fight with numerous explicit Scripture. This is not a good place to be.
If there is only one Gospel, pointing to one Savior, that produces one salvation, would it not make sense that there is one people of God? The Bible only recognizes one elect spiritual people throughout time who belong to Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Old Testament and also equally the God of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament. The Old and New Testament saints are joined together through Israel’s Messiah and Redeemer Jesus Christ. In Him, and through faith, they become Abraham's spiritual seed, citizens of true believing Israel, and heirs according to the promise.
We have seen as we have looked at both the origin and development of Israel and that of the ekklesia that these are equivalent designations that represent the exact same people that traverse both covenants. Whilst we saw there was/is an outward visible manifestation of each, true Israel and the true ekklesia are the same ongoing remnant within the overall whole which contains all those who personally belong to God. They are His faithful elect. This reality totally strips Dispensationalism of its core hypothesis that Israel and the ekklesia are two completely separate peoples who are divided in identity, age, calling and destiny. In both testaments, the people of God included both Jews and Gentiles.
Natural Israelites and natural Gentiles enter into an eternal covenant relationship with Yahweh God through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This text tells us that Christ did “reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross” (2:16). It presents “the blood of Christ” (2:13) as the divine work that brings ancient enemies together spiritually as one. The Savior is the crucial factor in unifying God’s people throughout all time. The Old Testament saints looked forward by faith to the promised Redeemer, whereas the New Testament Church now looks back. The unity and continuity are undoubted.
There are many unique metaphors used in the New Testament that you cannot find in the Old Testament. That does not negate the fact that God's people throughout time are one. They are a unitary whole. You cannot divide them in two. You cannot decapitate them.Let us be clear, we are dealing with the greater and fuller revelation in the New Testament. It puts meat on the bones to the old covenant disclosure. What is vague or absurd in the Old Testament is fully revealed in the New Testament. This is something that many Dispensationalists do not seem to see.
