The Holy Spirit in Jewish Chosenness
Most physical descendants of Abraham have a strong sense of their Jewishness. God has put that impression within them affirming their membership in His chosen people. It is a work of the Holy Spirit. That channel of God’s chosenness relates to their national, ethnic calling to be stewards of the Promised Land, guardians of Jerusalem which is the God-claimed Holy City, protectors of inspired sacred Scripture containing the great revealed truths of the identity and character of God and His eternal redemptive plan for humanity, and to provide the family framework for the Messiah for Jews and all people. This is a noble stewardship; it is God’s Spirit moving in them.
But evaluating this calling can be confusing if, as is often the case, that Spirit-urge is assumed to be a saving/redemptive work of the Spirit—and that is not what is happening. The Jewish-calling work of the Spirit involves them in the vitally- important completion of the Great Prophetic Plan, but even with that it is not a work of regeneration. It does not automatically usher him/her into salvation.
Consider Nicodemus in John 3 who strongly sensed his Jewishness and was fully involved in advancing the Jewish national calling, but Jesus in essence told him, “You must be born again or you’ll never see the Kingdom of Heaven.” A saving, indwelling, new-birth work of the Spirit requires an Abrahamic step of faith (see Genesis 15:3) that is (and ultimately always was) in Messiah Jesus. Reliance on one’s Spirit-imparted sense of Jewishness does not constitute saving faith. Jewishness-faith is not enough, it does not bring one into acceptance before God or guarantee entrance into Heaven.
Again, I too feel the pressure: Here we have a God-chosen nation of people being Spirit-directed in a great service to Him, and promised a glorious national future, and very often suffering horrific persecution, because Satan, the world-controller, totally hates Jewish people because of their unique God-connection/Jesus-connection. With all that in the background, it is strongly tempting to assume that Jews must certainly have an inherent Heaven-guarantee. Sadly, that is not the case. Paul, the quintessential Jew, was adamant that every Jew, same as every Gentile, must reach out in faith to the Redeemer/Savior, Messiah Jesus and be born again by the indwelling work of the Holy Spirit. It is the only way (see Romans 3:21–31).
It has always been that way. God intended for all who are Jewish to be chosen on two levels: (1) They are chosen for stewardship of His Land and His redemptive revelation—this does not mean automatic eternal acceptance. (2) They are also to be chosen by spiritually and personally entering by faith into redemption, the level that does entail eternal acceptance. Thus they become not only physical children of Abraham, but also spiritual faith-children of Abraham—the latter level of relationship rendering them (and indeed, anyone who will take that step of faith) to be citizens of God’s Eternal Kingdom.
Historically, all who were ethnic members of National Israel were not members of the higher, parallel Spiritual Israel. That latter parallel group was comprised only of those who saw through the Law, the Tabernacle, the Temple, and the Holy Nation. Those enlightened ones allowed the extensive symbolism to lead them to Christ whom it all portrayed, to whom it all pointed (see Romans 10:4; Galatians 3:24). They placed their faith in Him. At that point they were infused with another work of the Spirit, the New Birth/indwelling/regenerating work that lifted them from being an ethnically chosen one to also being a redeemed chosen one destined for eternity with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Their changed lives and new spiritual outlook revealed their new spiritual condition. The fruit of the Spirit would begin to be displayed in their lives. And often they, like David, would begin to be persecuted by their brothers who had not yet entered into that spiritual position, that salvation-standing where God definitely wants every Jew (and Gentile) if only they will.
A final note:No one in the community of Israel can feel justified in claiming that the call to rise to the level of saving faith was so nebulous that they could not rightfully be expected to perceive it.No indeed.Moses’ appeal (see Deut 30:6, 10–14) for all to make that move of faith was so strong that Paul quoted it in his landmark salvation text in Romans 10:6-13.If one wants to believe, the truth is clearly there—it always was.