BY COVENANT OR BY GRACE?
Joel Finck
Scripture Reading:
Ephesians 2:11-13
Israel was a nation
blessed beyond measure. She was chosen being the fleshly seed of
Abraham to be a light and a testimony to the rest of the earth
(Genesis 12:1-3). In order to carry out this task, God established
many promises or covenants with her, signifying the special
relationship between Him and this nation. Israel was God's "Covenant
People," a relationship which the Gentiles did not have. In
fact, for a Gentile to come to God at that time, he had to
joinhimself to the Jews. This is
illustrated in the Old Testament Scriptures. "Thus saith the
LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men
shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will
go with you: for we have heard that God is with you" (Zechariah
8:23).
In today's text, Paul
outlines the dilemma the Gentile was formerly in: "That at that
time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of
Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope,
and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12). There was
simply no way around it. Gentiles did not have access to the
blessings of the covenants except through Israel; but Israel herself
failed to enter into these blessings because of her unbelief. How
would God now bring salvation to the Gentiles? The answer is, not
by covenant, but by grace. "For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of
works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8, 9). We
Gentiles should thank God for His matchless wisdom and grace!
(A 10 Minute Video)
How God Saves
Men
Believing
Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing
Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read
Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
(A 10 Minute Video)
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