We mentioned in previous dispensationalism teachings that God’s physical dealings with the Jews have finished and have since passed to purely spiritual dealings with the Christian Church. That being said, a Jew or any other person of any religion or nationality, has to go by God’s spiritual dealings in the present time if he or she wants to be saved today. We find these physical dealings within the Pauline epistles.
*Note: Refer to previous dispensation videos for more information concerning the Pauline epistles.
God’s Replacement of the Jews with the Non-Jew
Now, because God’s dealings with the Jews are done, we Christians have become their replacement. Thus, we are known by our new name the Christian Church, not Israel. Now when the Bible mentions a Christian doing anything related to the Jew (baptism, the law, etc.), it will be purely from a spiritual aspect, not physical. An example of this would be water baptism, which can be found in 1 Corinthians 12:15 and 1 Corinthians 1:17. The later verse shows us that baptism is spiritual through the Holy Ghost and that water baptism is separate from the salvation gospel. Through this spiritual baptism, among other things now made spiritual, we see the replacement that occurred from the Jew to the non-Jew.
Now, recall that the Jewish salvation consisted of all things physical; through water baptism and the receiving of the Holy Ghost because they met the condition of water baptism first.
A second example of God’s replacement of the Jews with the Church is found in Colossians 2:11 and Romans 4:11. When you compare these two verses, you see that physical circumcision was replaced with spiritual circumcision. Recall that Abraham, and by extension, the Jews, had to practice circumcision in relation to their salvation. Christians do not need to physically circumcise but rather undergo a spiritual circumcision. This means that we (our souls) are separated from our body of sin (flesh), so we are not contaminated whenever we sin in our body, because body and soul have been separated as Christians.
A third example of the Christian replacement is concerning the law and can be found in Galatians 5:14-18 and Colossians 2:14,16. These two verses, when compared, show that Christians are not bound to Moses’ law on physical aspects (observance of days, diet restrictions. etc.). Seventh-Day Adventists will insist on these two things but it is important to know that these two verses contradict that. Now, if we are going to follow the law, we will avoid the flesh and do it spiritually because we are led by the Holy Spirit. That being said, stealing and committing adultery are physical things done by the flesh but we observe those things of the law in a spiritual sense. In other words, the Holy Spirit will lead us to not commit these things because He is in us so we do not have to physically go out of our way to avoid doing them.
A fourth example is the Jews themselves. which is found in Acts 13:45-46 and Romans 2:29. By comparing these two verses, we see that God is done with the Jews (as He had warned them multiple times before). With the Jews gone, a new people has replaced them, which are the non-Jewish Christians. Now, this does not mean that God has completely replaced His nation with Christians as replacement theology cults will have you think. What these groups do not understand is that when they use verses to justify our complete replacement of the Jews, they are looking at a wrong timeline and covenant, meaning that God will still deal with His people but at a later time, namely during the Tribulation and Millennium. Logically speaking, it is silly to think that out of the 66 books in the Bible, God only chooses the 12 that encompass Christian doctrine (Pauline epistles) and ignores the 54 that are left. This means that God will inevitably revisit the Jews as His people, not to mention that He is still bound by the eternal covenant He has with them.
Now that we understand that presently, Christians are the new Jews, if a Jew today wants to be saved, he has to become a Bible-believing Christian and not rely on physical dealings. It is also important to note that we as spiritual Jews cannot apply physical dealings to ourselves because we are a spiritual nation.
Christians Spiritual Observances
Christians observe two things through spiritual aspects: water baptism and the law. First, we will look at water baptism and its spiritual context.
1 Peter 3:21 “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”
“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us”
Many cults will try to use this verse to prove that water baptism is what saves a person. What they fail to see is that the following part in parenthesis states that baptism cannot wash away our sins, which is what salvation is.
“(not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”
We observe physical water baptism concerning our spiritual aspect because our conscience leads us to do it, not for salvation. Many times after a person gets saved, they want to partake in water baptism because the Holy Spirit convicts them.
Now, let’s look at the law concerning physical dealings for Christians.
Galatians 5:14-18 “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”
“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this;”
Notice that what we follow in the law will be encompassed in one spiritual thing.
“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
It boils down to this, if you are spiritually right with God and you truly love another person as you would yourself, you are following most of Moses’ law anyway. This is, again, in a spiritual aspect, not a physical one.
“But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
Again, if you are walking in the spirit, the Holy Spirit will deal with you and you will not commit these faults.
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. “
We do not follow the flesh concerning the law.
“But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.”
Verse 18 is important in showing that we are not following the physical Jewish dealings of the Mosaic law but the spiritual dealings that are led by the Holy Spirit and encompassed in verse 14. This being said, the final authority of the Christian is not the Mosaic law but how the Holy Spirit deals with us individually.
The Need for Separation
Now, if you are familiar with your covenants you are aware of dispensationalism and segregation happening in the Bible. This is not because God is a deliberate hater of specific groups but because He saw that unity among humanity and animals without Him in their midst brought forth corruption in the world. This is why the worldwide flood was necessary, because of the immense evil that humankind’s unity provoked. This is also why God put a division and fear between man and animal that was not placed before. Shem, Ham, and Japheth were also separated into their own places so humanity would not create chaos again, which they tried to do again during the tower of Babel. Seeing this God divided them again into different languages. In fact, one-world unity is so dangerous that it is what brings the Antichrist’s kingdom in the future. With segregation and division in place, this is less likely to happen.
Now we have to ask ourselves why God started with a new group of people, the Jews, and why He wanted them separated from everything in the world. The answer is that humanity will always find a way to unite despite the divisions put in place. God cannot keep drowning out the world because of His promise to Noah, so He chose one people to start over again. The Jews however wanted to intermarry with other people and this is how wrong doctrine and idolotry made their way within their culture and the kingdom that God had given them. Because of this, segregated marriage was necessary. Today, however, because Christians are no longer under the physical dealings that the Jews were under, our race/ethnicity no longer matters because we are one spiritual brethren under the same Father.
Galatians 3:28 “ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
“ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one“
All believers are one.
” in Christ Jesus.”
With the condition of being in Christ Jesus.
God’s people are no longer a physically segregated group because we are a spiritually unified group.
You have to wonder where equal rights activists get their ideas from. These groups believe that physical races are the same and should be considered one and pull up verses that support spiritual unification and use them to wrongly apply them to the unification of the human race. This is why they fall prey to the one-world government of the United Nations and show a lack of understanding of the covenants. Physically, God wants us to be divided because He knows what happens when we get together (tower of Babel). Spiritually, however, God wants us to be united because we are under Jesus Christ and should live according to how He wants us to live.
1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
This verse shows that it does not matter who we are or where we come from, spiritually, we are united through Jesus Christ. If we get rid of the physical and focus on the spiritual, it truly is a beautiful thing that we can see each other as brothers no matter our background if we all follow Jesus Christ. Now, if we are not united under the Spirit, but physically, God has to divide us. This is why dispensationalism is important in identifying correct doctrine as well.
In His Blood
It is important to know that our physical living no longer affects our salvation because God’s physical dealings with Jews are done with. Now, when Jesus died on the cross for us, He Himself did the washing of our sins with His blood meaning we did not have to do anything ourselves.
Revelation 1:4-6 “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
“John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; “
John here is addressing the Churches.
“ And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,”
The Lord Jesus Christ did the washing of sins for us.
“And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”
Notice that we Christians did not have to do anything to become kings and priests and to wash our sins, Jesus did it for us with His blood. We received all of this by faith in what He did.
Here is another verse that mentions that Jesus did the washing of our sins with His blood.
Revelation 5:9-10 “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;”
“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
Again, Jesus Christ was the one who used His blood to wash us, we did nothing for ourselves.
Now, anything that has to do with our physical workings and living for Christ will be unrelated to our salvation. Instead, it will be aimed toward our fellowship. Our physical works do not count for our salvation but are an important part after we are saved. In other words, because we are now saved and have the Holy Spirit in us, it is now possible for us to do physical works for the Lord, whereas before with the Jews, it was the other way around (had to do good works to attain something spiritual).
That being said, what you will find out is that for the blood of Christ, if there is something physical tied to it, it will occur after salvation. A good example of this is the confession of sins.
1 John 1:6,9 “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
In order for us to walk in the light of the spirit and not in the darkness of sin, we have to have Jesus’ blood to cleanse us which is based on fellowship with Him. Now, how do we attain that blood that cleanses us? We have to do one physical thing; confess our sins.
*Note: If this seems confusing, remember that we cannot plead the blood of Christ without having received salvation first so the first spiritual and then physical rule is applied here.
“ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.“
It is important to do this for the sake of our fellowship with Jesus because anything that we do now is not going to be in salvation but after salvation (spiritual things first followed by physical things).
That being said, the physical blood sacrifices are gone due to Christ’s sacrifice. So the physical dealings as well as the spiritual dealing concerning the cleansing of sin are now based on the blood of Jesus Christ, not animal sacrifices.
Two Natures
Now, something important to note here is that hyper-dispensationalists think that because Jesus died on the cross and washed away all our sins (past, present, future) it is no longer necessary to physically confess our sins. As we have discussed earlier in this teaching, we received spiritual salvation through Christ’s sacrifice in order to partake in physical fellowship with Jesus. So yes, the physical confessing of sins on our part is crucial to having fellowship with the Lord as we have seen in 1 John 1:6,9. The following verses will also help in explaining this point.
Colossians 2:11 “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:”
“In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:”
We see here that God saved our soul, not our body. This means that whatever sin we commit in the body it will not corrupt our soul (spiritual). Thus, the shed blood of Jesus Christ in connection to our salvation is also spiritual. However, our body is most certainly judged when we commit a sin. That being said, you might think that Jesus really did not cleanse you of all sin (past, present, future) if your body can still be judged when you commit sin. So you can still go to hell if you sin, right? Wrong. What Jesus saved with His blood was your soul (the essence of who ‘you’ are). Because of Colossians 2:11, we know that our body and soul are divided, so our soul is maintained pure despite what we may do in the body (soul goes to heaven or hell if not saved, body goes to the grave). This is why dispensationalism is detrimental to identifying correct doctrine.
The following verse explains why it is important to confess your sin done in your body.
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
“For we”
Paul includes himself, a saved Christian.
“must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
When God saved us, our body was not included so what we do in our body is judged. Again, we see here that the judgment toward our body is not bound by the spiritual parameters of spiritual salvation but rather by the physical fellowship we must adhere to following salvation.
It is important to note that because God’s physical dealings with Jews are done, He is now dealing with non-Jews, meaning that we adhere to spiritual dealings. That being said, physical living must have zero dependencies in relation to our salvation. In other words, physical works should not have any bearing on our salvation. If we deny this, then all of the Old Testament verses that mention God’s spiritual dealings, the Apostles’ and the church’s conclusions, as well as Paul’s arguments concerning spiritual salvation for the non-Jew are a lie. This is why works for salvation in the present time cannot work unless you cut off verses in the OT about God’s spiritual dealings and ignore the Apostles’ conclusion, Paul’s teachings, and the blood of the martyrs.
Saved by Grace not by Works
The following verse shows that we are saved by grace.
Romans 4:4,6 “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,”
“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.”
Notice that work for salvation is not mentioned.
“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,”
Even if you do not do one good work, but have faith, it is counted for righteousness.
Catholics and Mormons believe in salvation by faith but they also believe that works are an integral part of it. Seventh-Day Adventists also insist on faith alone for salvation but believe that once you are saved you are supposed to do good works, which we saw in the previous verse, is not true. Lordship salvation protestants stress the doctrine of repentance and sanctification and misapply it. They stress faith alone without works for salvation but insist that a person needs to show good works for their salvation to be complete. With all these wrong doctrines it is apparent why dispensationalism is such a crucial necessity in avoiding wrong doctrine. It prevents us from wrongly damning souls to hell through the teaching of wrong doctrine as well as avoiding the perverting of the gospel, which is what the enemy wants.
Romans 11:6-7 “ And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
“ And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
Grace is grace and works is works and if you add either works to grace or vice versa, either term loses its respective definition. To reiterate, when you add works to grace it no longer means grace.
Now, there are some Christians who believe that salvation has been the same from the beginning of the OT to the end of the New Testament, which is not true. Only in the Church Age have we had faith without works and we see that throughout the Bible. This is why acknowledging and differentiating between different salvation plans through dispensationalism is so critical, it can save a soul from being damned to hell.
Galatians 3:12-13 “And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:”
“And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.”
“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree::
Law is not of faith and we have been redeemed of the law through Christ. This contradicts what Seventh-Day Adventists teach about following the law after we are saved by faith and dispensationalism makes this very clear. Thus, faith only is for our salvation as Christians.