Jews, Christians and Muslims

Romans 9:4 "Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen. 6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: 7  Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. 8 That is, 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. 9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son."

It's hard to understand how those in early times could understand this abstract speaking of Paul, and he was even speaking to the Romans who knew so little of the Jewish religion. No wonder modern Christians fail to understand!

I'll make just a few points.

Point One: The Jews are God's chosen race of people. They were sons of Satan until God adopted them with the Abrahamic Covenant. At that time God cut a deal, and it was contingent on one thing: I will make you a great nation, and a savior will come from the seed of Isaac. The contingency: if you love and obey me. Abraham agreed, and cut off the flesh in obedience, of all those who were males. That act was changing. It was by faith they did it, and then the act was one of grace. They were new people. It's the Old Testament act akin to New Testament baptism, the first cutting off the flesh of the sexual organ, and the latter cutting off the flesh of the heart.

It would seem that mankind's problem was of a sexual nature in that the first reprieve from sin was covering the genitals. It would appear that the flesh in the area of the groin is mankind's biggest problem. Indeed, theologians have always acknowledged that the first sin was likely sexual in nature, that sin being fornication against God by flirting with other gods - namely each one their own self.

Point Two: Non-Jewish people are of the flesh. The Romans were children of the flesh because they retained their foreskins. Since those not of the flesh - the sons of Hagar the Egyptian, through her son Ismael, then God emancipated them in the time of Abraham. They were not adopted sons of God., but still belonged to the evil one. Those people today are the Arabs. Islam traces their heritage back to Ismael.

Romans were not from Isaac nor Ismael, but they were still of the flesh because they still retained their foreskin. They were of the line of Japheth. Most modern day Christians are from Japheth, but they too are of the flesh. Gentiles are any race of people not of Isaac's line, and are of the flesh.

Point Three: God adopts those who accept Jesus Christ as Savior. As such, gentile Christians are as much favored as his chosen people. We are adopted because we are children of the promise. Remember that the promise was a Savior. If we are born-again through Jesus Christ, we are children of the promise and heirs of God. As heirs, we are adopted into the family of God!

Point Four: Christians are as Jewish as the Jews! As such Christians are a favored people! We never have to suffer the pain of genital circumcision if our hearts have been circumcised. Baptism is the ordination where Christians acknowledge that the foreskins of their hearts has been removed. They are no longer of the flesh, but are of God!

Point Five: Muslims are not children of God or Allah.

For Muslims, circumcision is called Khitan. Although, male circumcision is more prominent, in many places females are circumcised as well. Society calls that female genital mutilation. Since Muslims are of Ismael, and not Isaac, they are not favored people since Christ does not come through Ishmael's line. To become children of God, who they call Allah, they suffer cutting off the flesh to earn adoption. Rather than Christ bearing the pain of salvation, they bear it themselves.

Arab Muslims attempt to become children of God, but on false premises. They are not Jews and can never be (more shortly). Circumcision does not make them Jews! They are jealous of that! However, us Westerners can be "Jews" by accepting Jesus Christ. When that is done, Christians are God's chosen people. We are as Jewish as the Jews!

Point Six: Muslims can become "Jewish" or a race of God's favored people, only by adoption, but it's not through circumcision, but Jesus Christ. Rather than referring to Christians as infidels and devils, they should call us God's chosen people for we are! The only way that they can become children of God is to accept that Jesus Christ, Allah himself, died on the cross for them too! Then they allow God to circumcise their hearts, and become joint heirs with Christ himself!

Point Seven: Muslims must allow God to do the circumcision of the heart. Unlike genital circumcision which they do, only God can wield the knife of spiritual circumcision.

Point Eight: Muslims will be destroyed in the end. However, they too have a way out. Jesus Christ is the way! Christ is Christ for anyone and all who will trust in his sacrifice by God's death on the cross.