Psalm 123:1-2, 145:1-3, 31:1-4; “Father, I Adore You!”

My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in Romans. The Mind of the Spirit engaged the spirit of my mind in verses 26-27:

Romans 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

Romans 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

God has promised to take away, or set aside, the sins of His people. This “covenant” is spoken of in Daniel’s prophecy of the Seventy Weeks (Daniel 9:24-27). Among the things that must be accomplished in these seventy weeks, the first three are interrelated to this covenant: “to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity” (Daniel 9:24). He promises to accomplish this covenant in Isaiah 27:9 and 59:20-21. It happens when the Messiah (the promised Deliverer) comes out of Zion (Sion).

Jesus, the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36) was led “out of Sion,” north to the outskirts of the city, to a hill called Golgotha, where He was crucified. It was there that the transgression was “finished” (John 19:30), where He made “an end of sins” (Hebrews 9:26; Romans 6:22), and where He made “reconciliation for iniquity” (Colossians 1:20; Romans 5:10).

But Israel, as a nation, did not receive their Messiah, their Deliverer, the Lamb of God Who came to Zion. Indeed, they sent Him “out of Zion” to be crucified, but did so driven by envy (Matthew 27:18). Nevertheless, Jesus fulfilled the Father’s covenant toward His people.

The promise is comprehensive; all of Israel was included in the covenant. But Judas was of Israel. Paul explained, “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel” (Romans 9:6). He said: “They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed” (Romans 9:8). Only those who believe as Abraham believed are counted for the seed (Romans 4:3; Genesis 15:5) and all who do likewise are children of Abraham by faith (Galatians 3:7). The children of Israel (Jacob) are saved in the same way that the Gentiles are saved: by grace through faith. If those “of Israel” who refused Him repent and receive Him, they can yet be saved (Romans 11:23). Because only those “of Israel” who believe are counted as Israel, then indeed, “all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob” (Romans 11:26).

The Gentile is grafted into the good olive tree (Roman 11:24). But some, through unbelief, are warned they will be cut off in the same way the unbelieving Israelite was (Romans 11:22).

Along the still waters, I reflected on what all of this means as pertaining to the Church.

Not all who are of the Church are the Church. All the “Church of God” shall be saved. But not all who are in the Church are the Church. Many are baptized in water only; they are not baptized by the Spirit into Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). Only those who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27).* The Jews who were circumcised in the flesh only are not Israel, though they be “of Israel” (Jacob) in the flesh (Deuteronomy 10:16).

Let’s suppose some member of one of Christ’s true churches is like the Israelite who does not truly believe. He is “of Israel,” he was circumcised the eighth day according to the Law, but he is not Israel, because his circumcision is only in the flesh, and not of the heart. In every way one may assess them outwardly, they appear to be of the household of faith. But unless they are saved by God’s grace through faith, they are not.

Sometimes, a nominal Christian can appear in every way to be a genuine member of the body of Christ, seated with Him on the right hand of the Royal Majesty (Hebrews 1:3; Ephesians 2:6), and be a member in good standing of a local church (1 Corinthians 12:27). But in the end, when the Church is raised up, and those then living are translated into glory, these will be surprised to find they have been left behind (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; Matthew 7:23). Not all who are “of the Church” are the Church.

In the valley, Jesus declared His standing orders to all who are His: “Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2 Timothy 2:19). He challenged all men to answer the call: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

At the table, Christ Jesus our LORD anointed my head with His oil and filled my cup with His grace. Goodness and mercy followed as we went into the harvest.

Praying for revival! 🙏

Going live asap:

https://rumble.com/v7asbno-shepherds-pasture.html

[*Notice that those who are baptized into Christ are neither Jew nor Gentile, male nor female, bond nor free: “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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” (Galatians 3:27-28). In the churches, we see the distinctions between Jew and Gentile (Acts 15:19-21), male and female (1 Corinthians 11; 1 Timothy 2:12), bond and free (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 6:8; 1 Corinthians 7:21). But in the body of Christ seated on the right hand of the Majesty on High, that body into which we are baptized by the Spirit, these distinctions are erased.]