(2 Pet. 3:9 KJV) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But Scripture also tells us that some men will perish, i.e., some Jews and some Gentiles:

(2 Th 2:10 KJV) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

God's business on the earth today is to save men be they Jew or Gentile and He is working out His plan to save both and that plan is established in His Son. The Church is to preach the gospel that men might believe on the Lord Jesus Christ:

(John 3:14 KJV) And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

The Church has not been left here on earth to unite the Gentiles to the Jews or the Jews to the Gentiles. The Church is here to share the gospel with all as individuals so they will not perish. Whether men accept it or not is between them and God. If they do accept it and believe on Him, they become members of the one body in Christ. We cannot condemn or judge any man, only discern the words they say for our own spiritual protection. God has not left the Gentile to perish and to think that God has turned His back on Israel for good is unbelievable. Christ's blood was shed for all men and all men have to make their own decision whether that blood was common blood or the blood of the Son of God become flesh, holy blood, righteous blood, redeeming blood, saving blood. We absolutely believe it was the latter and through its being shed 2,000 years ago, we have gained access to the body of Christ making us citizens of the heavenly Jerusalem. While on earth, we are to share the gospel with the Jew and the Gentile alike and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit to work through that word or not as He sees fit because He knows the hearts of every man. This sharing of the gospel is to go on until Israel is gathered into her land and the fullness of the Gentiles comes in when Christ shall return and determine who is His and who is not. Today, we find that all is in confusion, but this is the simple plan of God in Christ.

Many today think that the Jews, upon believing, are added to the Gentile Church. But Jesus told the Samaritan woman that salvation was of the Jews, meaning they alone had all the promises, covenants and ceremonies delivered from the hand of God Himself. Within those promises was one who would come and open the way for the Gentiles to be partakers of salvation through the New Covenant.

What God had in mind was that all of the Jews in His time would recognize the one who would come and receive Him as the author and fulfiller of their faith, but He also foreknew that all would not believe. After Christ was glorified at the right hand of God, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell those who would believe. The Holy Spirit was received by a Jewish remnant and from that moment on, all of Israel heard the good news, and many came to understand the events that had transpired, repented, believed on Christ and received the Holy Spirit. But not all. Some did not. After a period of years, God then raised up Paul to take this same gospel to the Gentiles, and the Gentiles were added to this Jewish remannt, which had now grown through the proclamation of the good news. Rather than the Jews being added to Gentiles, the Gentiles were really added to the believing Jews. But, contrary to what many believe today, that did not make the Gentiles Jewish, either. It made both Jew and Gentile one body in Christ, the household of God, and together they were and are called the body of Christ:

(1 Cor. 12:13 KJV) 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. 14 For the body is not one member, but many.

At this point, Paul said something that would reveal the true nature of this growing group of believers, that in Christ, there were no class distinction, but all were now adopted as sons of God in Christ:

(Gal 3:26-29 KJV) {26} For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. {27} For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. {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. {29} And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

(1 Pet. 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Paul says in Christ "there is neither Jew nor Greek," but look what Paul says in Romans:

(Rom 11:28 KJV) As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

In these words we find God's love for both the Jew and Gentile and in spite of the fact that some were cut of because of unbelief and some Gentiles were not added in because of the same unbelief, Paul says the Jews are beloved by God for the fathers' sakes. In fact, earlier in Romans Paul said,

(Rom 11:15 KJV) For if the casting away of them [in part] be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

Even in the partial casting away of those in unbelief in Jesus' time, the Jews maintained an esteemed place in the plan of God and in the eyes of the disciples for the fathers' sakes and for sake of their election. In this sense, Paul is saying that the Jews are esteemed above the Gentiles, but IN CHRIST they are on the same footing because Christ is now esteemed above all; all become a new creature in Him. Paul stated this clearly in other places as well:

(Rom 10:12-13 KJV) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. {13} For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

(1 Cor 12:13 KJV) 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.

(Col 3:9-13 KJV) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; {10} And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: {11} Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. {12} Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; {13} Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

In the body of Christ, Christ is all in all, i.e., He is "all" in both Jew and Gentile. Paul reminded the Church of his time and speaks to us today through God's word that all the promises of God are now "Yes" in Jesus Christ:

(2 Cor 1:18-20 KJV) But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. {19} For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. {20} For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

We are the adopted sons of God to be conformed to His character, to His image and likeness. That does not mean we can live a life without ever sinning, nor does it mean we will reach a state of sinless perfection in this world. We will not, but when He returns, He has promised to change our corruptible bodies to be like His glorious body. Paul had cried out,

(Rom 7:24 KJV) O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

But then he rejoiced:

(Rom 7:25 KJV) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

(Rom 8:1-2 KJV) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. {2} For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Every promise is yes and amen in Jesus Christ, and when He returns to begin His visible reign on earth, we will receive our promised inheritance as the children of God that Paul and the others apostles spoke of so often. Rather than man striving towards sinless perfection, which is a futile effort, God's word tells us to patiently work out our salvation in Christ and patiently wait for His glorious coming. The "revival" wants it now, but God says to wait for it through patient endurance:

(2 Th 3:5 KJV) And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.

(James 5:7-8 KJV) Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. {8} Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.

The "revival" has tried to destroy much concerning our inheritance in Christ and has offered a substitute. They want to be conformed to Christ, but not as the Scripture has promised. They want sinless perfection so they can manifest the glory of God now. They want the nations so they can rule the world now. They want to be Christ to the nations that they may rule as Him now. But adoption as a son of God does not mean we become Him. It means we are placed in the one who is to inherit all things because He alone is the sinless one, the perfect one, the glorious one God has chosen to exalt over all things:

(2 Cor 5:13-21 KJV) For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. {14} For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: {15} And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. {16} Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. {17} Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. {18} And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; {19} To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. {20} Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. {21} For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Christ died for all because in Adam all [Jew and Gentile] fell, but in Christ all who believe are made righteous before God and given life in Him. The call of God to the Jew and to the Gentile since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the first Pentecost is to be reconciled to God and to understand what it means to be a new creature in Him:

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

(Rev 22:17 KJV) And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

[End of Series]