Are the Jews God's Chosen People?

Today many in the body of Christ believe that ethnic Jews are God’s “chosen people.” They also may believe that the promises made to Abraham and Israel in the Old Testament still await fulfillment in present day national Israel. Do the Jewish people who are biologically descended from Abraham have special status with God? Does the Bible say that the nation of Israel will be of primary importance in Christ’s governmental rule over the earth? These questions are quite important. The only way we can rightly answer them is if we properly understand the New Covenant. Confusion comes when we view things through the lens of the Old Testament or try to blend the Old Covenant with the New, which is called syncretism. Unless we understand that everything in the Old Covenant pointed to Christ, we will fail to grasp that he is the fulfillment of all of its promises and symbols.

The New Covenant leaves no doubt as to who are God’s chosen people.

God never chose people due to genealogy. From the beginning the Lord made it clear that he chooses some but rejects others purely on the basis of his sovereign will. We can see this truth illustrated in his choice of Isaac over Ishmael and Jacob over Esau. This is called the doctrine of election.

Paul summarized this important truth in his letter to the church in Rome.

That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. 9 For this is the word of promise: “AT THIS TIME I WILL COME, AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON.” 10 And not only this, but there was Rebekah also, when she had conceived twins by one man, our father Isaac; 11 for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls, 12 it was said to her, “THE OLDER WILL SERVE THE YOUNGER.” 13 Just as it is written, “JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.” 14 What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! 15 For He says to Moses, “I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.” 16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy. Romans 9:8–16 (NASB95)

For some reason, many of us detest and refuse to believe in God’s sovereignty because we think that it violates our free will. It is interesting to me that when we are faced with choosing between God’s sovereignty and our free will, many of us insist that the freedom to assert our will requires us to reject God’s sovereignty. We often redefine sovereignty as mere foreknowledge, believing that God’s sovereignty is limited to his knowing ahead of time what our choices will be. That is not sovereignty. That is having good intel. Sovereignty is different from foreknowledge, which is proved by both words being in the same sentence.

...this Man [Jesus], delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. Acts 2:23 (NASB95)

Choosing to assert our freedom over believing God’s Word about sovereignty is a repeat of Adam’s sin.

God’s sovereignty is not limited by our choices. If that were the case, we would be sovereign, not God. But the Bible makes it clear that God is indeed sovereign and we are responsible to him for our choices. If we cannot accept this biblical truth, we will not be able to move forward.

God chooses those who will belong to him, and it is never merely a matter of genetic inheritance.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:12–13 (NASB95)

The new birth takes place because God wills it, but we have a responsibility to participate by receiving Christ as the Lord. God’s sovereignty does not cancel human cooperation and responsibility, and our responsibility does not rule out divine sovereignty.

Jesus said:

...“For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” John 6:65 (NASB95)

This simple truth will likely offend us if we insist that we are the deciding factor when it comes to our own salvation. If we require our will is the deciding factor, it means that Christ actually saved no one, but only made salvation possible. It means that God put in every single person an inherent ability to choose to believe the gospel or not, thus making us responsible to save ourselves, in a sense. This is Armenian theology that does not agree with the Bible. The only thing that comes naturally to unredeemed people is to sin. Faith originates in God.

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:8–10 (NASB95)

To deny God’s sovereignty in salvation means that the only difference between me and an unsaved person rests in me, not God.

In other words, we have cause to boast because we were smart or wise enough to choose life, but others were not. But that contradicts the Bible, which says we have no room to boast, since faith is a gift, not an inherent ability.

Jesus taught that we do not make the choice for him. He initiates. We respond by grace alone.

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 (NASB95)

The Bible teaches us that all people before responding to the gospel are dead in sin. Dead people are not able to respond to anything; therefore, for any person to respond to the gospel in a positive way requires the Holy Spirit to first enliven us. If Christ’s words are true, and they are, the Holy Spirit does an internal work in each person who is drawn to Christ. Otherwise, we never would be able to respond in faith, since spiritually dead people are not able to do so.

Therefore, God’s chosen people are those whom God sovereignly elects and draws to Christ and who demonstrate their election by believing the gospel and proclaiming that Jesus is Lord. Anyone who believes the gospel participates in the same faith in God and his promises as did Abraham.

It was never sufficient simply to be a physical descendant of Abraham. Those who are part of God’s elect, whether Jew or Gentile, also must walk in the same faith as did Abraham.

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; 15 for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. 16 For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” Romans 4:13–18 (NASB95)

Paul described the elect quite clearly in Ephesians.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:3–6 (NASB95)

Nothing could be clearer than this. God chose us before he created the world. Therefore, election, just as Paul wrote in Romans 9:16, is solely dependent on God’s choice which was made before we breathed our first breath or made any choices whatsoever.

We either believe this or we do not. If we do not, we are guilty of elevating our own understanding above God’s Word, which is always destructive and deceptive. If we do believe it, it makes it plain that biological descendants of Abraham are not God’s chosen people – unless they are part of God’s election who demonstrate their calling by putting their faith in Christ.

The second great truth contained in the passage from Ephesians is that all blessings are found in Christ.

Unless we are in Christ, we are estranged from God’s blessings because that is the only place they exist. Being a genetic Israelite has no blessing attached to it, since every blessing is in Christ.

If we are in Christ, it shows that we are God’s chosen people. Outside of Christ, there is no salvation at all and no blessing.

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NASB95)

If we think of the kingdom of God as being a tree or vine (the vine and branches analogy), the only way to become part of the tree or vine is for us to be “grafted” in.

We become part of the kingdom of God when the Holy Spirit makes us one with Christ at the new birth.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 (NASB95)

All who have believe the gospel and acknowledge Christ’s lordship, whether we are Jew of Gentile, are grafted into the “vine” or “olive tree,” which symbolize Christ. Paul describes this in Romans 11:16-24.

Before being grafted in, Gentiles likely did not even know there is a tree. We were outside of God’s covenantal promises and probably were totally ignorant of them. Biological Jews who are not grafted in through faith in Christ are said to be “cut off through unbelief.” In other words, Jews had the advantage of knowing the Old Covenant promises, which all pointed to Christ, but still did not believe, which will bring upon them an even stricter judgment.

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2:28–29 (NASB95)

It really makes no difference whether we are biologically descended from Abraham or not, unless we are born again we are not part of Christ (the vine or olive tree). In the New Covenant, genetic inheritance does not matter one bit. The only thing that counts is the new birth.

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. 15 It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. Galatians 6:14–15 (NLT)

Once we are grafted in through the new birth, however, Jews and Gentiles have equal status because we are one in Christ. Nothing else matters at all.

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:26–29 (NASB95)

This is similar to Jesus’ words to Peter: “Upon this rock I will build my church.” (Matthew 16:18) The rock is our faith confession of Jesus’ lordship. There is no other way into the body of Christ other than through faith in Christ and confession of his lordship. (Romans 10:9-10)

Abraham believed God, which was the proof that he was and is part of the elect. God’s chosen ones always will exhibit faith. Those who believe God are called children of promise, which shows they have been grafted into Christ through believing God’s promises, the gospel being chief.

Biological descendants are not automatically included and never have been, only those who believe.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. Galatians 5:6 (NASB95)

All those biological children of Abraham over the centuries who had no faith in God and his promises were never part of the chosen people. Genetic inheritance has nothing to do with it, only faith.

Therefore, when people say that biological Jews are God’s chosen people, whether they believe in Christ or not, it reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of the new covenant and is a false statement.

Abraham’s physical descendants had a special calling and responsibility to preserve God’s Word and keep the bloodline pure. The Messiah eventually would be born miraculously, just like every new birth in Christ, from this pedigree. Jesus is “the seed” that God promised would be a blessing to the entire earth (Genesis 12:3). Jesus was also descended from King David in the line of Abraham, of whom it was promised that he would rule on David’s throne forever (2 Samuel 7:12-13).

If we must talk about any chosen person, it is Christ. All the rest of God’s elect are so because we are included in him.

Everything in the Old Testament points to Christ. All the types, symbols, and shadows found in the Old Covenant were fulfilled in Christ and then faded into insignificance, since they are no longer needed. (Hebrews 8:13)

Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? 9 If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 10 In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. 11 So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever! 2 Corinthians 3:8–11 (NLT)

This includes the nation of Israel’s role as a chosen nation. Since the resurrection of our Lord, God is raising up a new nation, those who are born again.

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 1 Peter 2:9–10 (NASB95)

God has established a new temple, one built out of people, the church or body of Christ, which the Bible calls “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5). There is no longer any need for a nation of Israel made up of biological descendants of Abraham because God has established his new Israel of God composed of all who believe.

For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. Galatians 6:15–16 (NASB95)