Written by A.D.H. Thomas

Brethren Of Christ Articles - Doctrinal Matters

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Who are God's people?
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It may be claimed that, in so far as we are all descended from Adam, we are all the children of God. Whilst this claim may have a certain appeal it lacks any Biblical credibility. We may, as the Apostle Paul writes, be the offspring of God, but this is in the sense that God is the Creator and sustainer of all life. Certainly not everyone is a child of God or one of the people of God, according to the Scriptural revelation. This is evident, for example, from His words to the prophet Hosea; “I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people . . . . . .” (Hosea 2:23).

Again, if all were children of God by nature then the words of the Lord Jesus Christ concerning the peacemakers would be falsified, for he said “blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God,” (Matt 5:9).

The children or people of God are such by virtue of God’s determination, whether by His selection of such or by their fulfilling certain conditions.

There are three categories of people that the Bible calls God’s people.

In the first category, which are identified by numerous Biblical references, a selection of which we can review later, are the Jewish people. By these we mean the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob, from which descended the 12 tribes of Israel. There are two classes within this group; those who the physical descendants of Abraham, without regard to the belief or faith of Abraham. The other class are those who are both the physical and the spiritual descendants of Abraham, in that they embrace his faith and hope.

The second category are comprised of gentiles who embrace the faith of Abraham and become related to him, by baptism into Jesus Christ, the seed promised to Abraham. In so doing they become part of the seed of Abraham and, as such, heirs of the promises made to him.

The third category are those nations who submit to the reign of Jesus Christ, when he returns to rule the world in righteousness justice and peace.

Before looking at the Scriptural evidence for these things it may be as well to briefly consider how these categories of people fit into God’s revealed plan and purpose.

The failure of Adam and Eve to obey God’s commandments resulted in their expulsion from the garden in Eden and their condemnation to a life of sorrow and suffering and death. But God, in His love, justice and mercy, promised that a deliverer from this state of things would be raised up, in due time, from the seed of the woman (not the man).

Standing at this vantage point in God’s plan, we can look back to the birth of Jesus Christ, as the fulfilment of that promise to raise up one who would be born of a woman, to be the deliverer from sin and death. It was some 4,000 years from the original promise to the birth of Jesus and a further 2000 years from that time until now. Throughout this long period of mankind’s history God has been working out His determined purpose through nations and individuals. In his wisdom He determined that His plan would be realized through a nation that He would found by a man whom He would select, and that from that man and out of that nation would come the promised deliverer. The man chosen by God was Abraham, and the nation so founded was Israel.

The Old Testament supplies both a history and a prophecy of that man, of his descendants, the Jewish people, and of the nation of Israel. In due course the nation became a great kingdom, particularly under the reign of King David. But later kings forsook God’s laws and in consequence the nation, which by this time had become divided, was overthrown and its people taken into captivity. God’s purpose cannot, however, be negated by men. At the time of the overthrow of the kingdom of Israel, which the Scriptures also call God’s kingdom, (1 Chronicles 28:5), He promised that it would not cease for ever. It would be restored and reigned over by one who would come out of the tribe of Judah, who would be the deliverer of the people of Israel. And that the Lord Jesus Christ is Israel’s promised deliverer as confirmed by the angel to Mary and by Zacharias the father of John, (Ezekiel 21:25-27, Micah 5:2,5,6, Luke 1:68-79, Luke 1:30-33).