JEWISH OR CHRISTIAN

ACTS 10:3

A. JEWISH OR CHRISTIAN
  1. When we urge upon our fellow Christians the keeping of the seventh day Sabbath, we are told by some:
    1. "The seventh day Sabbath is Jewish".
    2. "It never was intended for Christians in the first place".
  2. The answer of our Sunday friends brings up another question -- what is Jewish and what is Christian?
    1. If the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is Jewish because it had been given to Israel, then it must follow that the other nine commandments are Jewish also, for they too were given to them.
    2. But what is more is the fact that we have in the Bible given to Israel -
      1. The adoption;
      2. The glory;
      3. The covenants;
      4. The giving of the law;
      5. The promises;
      6. The services of God;
      7. Of whom is Christ according to the flesh.
B. BIBLE FACTS TO KEEP IN MIND
  1. God is no respecter of persons:
    1. The Jews had a hard time realizing this truth - Acts 10:1-36
    2. Even the disciples had trouble with this fact - Gal. 2:11-17
  2. What counts with the Lord is:
    1. Doing God's will, regardless of nationality - Acts 10:34, 35
    2. Keeping His commandments - Rev. 22:14
  3. Removal of all race barriers the aim of the plan of redemption:
    1. That is why Christ died - Eph. 2:11-16
    2. There is but one shepherd and one fold - John 10:15, 16
    3. When we accept Christ all partitions between us and other nations are removed forever - Gal. 3:26-29
  4. God has only one plan for all men:
    1. One way - Matt. 7:13, 14
    2. Christ is that way - John 14:6
    3. There is no other name under heaven - Acts 4:12; Matt. 1:21
C. LET US, IN CLOSING, CONSIDER THE NAMES - "JEW" and "CHRISTIAN"
  1. A true Jew is one that is born again:
    1. That is what Paul teaches - Rom. 2:28, 29
    2. He is a person who has and lives the faith of Abraham - John 8:33-39
  2. A true Christian:
    1. Is a person that is born again - John 3:1-9; 1 Pet. 1:23
    2. He is a fellow heir with Abraham and therefore a true Israelite - Gal. 3:26-29; 1 John 5:1-5
  3. If we want to reject everything that God gave to His people the Jews, we will have to reject:
    1. The Bible - it was written by Jews.
    2. Salvation - it is of the Jews - John 4:22, 23
    3. We would have to reject all God's promises - Rom. 9:1-7
  4. God's promises are all tied in with:
    1. Christ, the true seed of Abraham - Gal. 3:16
    2. The nominal Jews, born after the flesh, are, according to God's word, "a false deed" - Isa. 57:4
  5. We all hope to enter the city of the New Jerusalem:
    1. That is the hope of every Bible informed Christian - Heb. 13:22-28; Gal. 4:26
    2. But the twelve gates of that wonderful city are marked by twelve Jewish names - the names of the twelve tribes of Israel - Rev. 21:1-27
    3. There is, according to the Bible, no difference between a Bible Jew and a Bible Christian - both are born again.


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