Imperishable Inheritance

From that title I can imagine you're thinking one of two things: (1) I have reverted back to my postmodern relativist days, or (2) I am working on the subtitle for Brian McLaren's new book. Well, I can guarantee you that neither is the case. I'm seeking to challenge the way you look at these terms through the ideas of Scripture. Each of these labels carries much theological and historical weight, so I venture not to use them lightly. I hope only to shed light on what our identity in Christ truly means.

Life As A Jew

The New Testament is filled with the struggles of ethnic Jews figuring out that God's promise to Abraham for a great nation (Gen 12:1-3) is not a physical promise but a spiritual one. Paul has an implicit question in Romans 9: "Has God's promises failed?" Paul responds in what is the most provocative and engaging statements in all of Scripture.

But it is not as though the word of God [his promises] has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED." 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.
Romans 9:6-8 (emphasis added)

What is Paul's thought here? He's saying that God's ultimate promises do not revolve around an ethnic identity. Paul later proclaims in Galatians that "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" (Gal 3:28). The only promise that God is truly faithful to is the truth that if one were to accept His Son, regardless of ethnicity, He would not cast off.

Paul actually defines what it means to be a "true Jew" at the end of Romans 2. I can't imagine what it must have been like for this statement to have been read to a congregation of "ethnic Jews" and gentiles!

For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 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

To be a "Jew" is to be a child of God, in covenant with God. Paul declares that the only thing necessary to receive these promises are to be regenerated. It's not good enough to just follow the law ("the letter"), but one must be changed internally by the Spirit (Eze 36:26-37; John 3:3; Tit 3:3-7). The only thing to be a "true Jew" is to have the Spirit of God which signifies faith in the Messiah (Eph 1:13-14).

Life As A Muslim

This is an area that I'm sure many of my Christian friends are squirming over. The term "Muslim," or the feminine version Muslimah, means "one who submits to God." James tells us: "Submit therefore to God" (Jam 4:7), and Paul tells us that regardless of whatever religion you follow during your life that "at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phi 2:10-11).

It seems that to "submit to God" is only found in the Christian faith (Mat 23:8). When a follower of Islam asks me, "Are you a Muslim?" I candidly reply, "I am indeed. I submit to Isa al-Masi." You can imagine what kind of expressions that brings!

Life As A Christian

It is interesting that the New Testament tells us that "the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch" (Acts 11:26). Antioch was the place that Paul, the preacher to the Gentiles, was trained and commissioned from; and it was also the place where the first true common meeting place of ethnic Jews and gentiles took place. To be a "Christian" was to follow Jesus Christ regardless of ethnicity. The community looked at this gathering as one united in the cause of Christ. Here is, I believe, a good working definition of "Christian:"

The term Christian means "belonging to Christ" and is derived from the Greek noun Χριστός Khristós which means "anointed one," which is itself a translation of the Hebrew word Moshiach (Hebrew: משיח, also written "Messiah")..." (Source)

The New Testament refers to followers of Christ as "Jews" (mentioned above), "the Way" (Acts 9:2), and a descendant of Abraham (Gal 3:29) amongst other titles. The name "Christian" only finds its way in the New Testament three times (Acts 11:26, 26:28; 1 Pet 4:16), but that name has become the predominant title for followers of Christ today.

Conclusion

Hopefully you haven't been scared away but encouraged that there are great spiritual truths in these titles and that by identifying with their true meaning does not sacrifice, but actually increases, the deep meaning for what it means to be a follower of Jesus.