Why Bother With the Identity Message
So, what if we are the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel? Is this of any importance to us or the people we associate with each day? Are we not supposed to just live the Christian life and bring the gospel of personal salvation to others? These are valid questions and they require our response as identity Christians. Our goal should be to have the mind of Christ on this matter as on all matters (I Corinthians 2:16). We must first determine if Jesus Christ made a distinction between Israelites and Gentiles. The Bible shows that Jesus had a love and respect for most Israelites.
“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” John 1:47
Evidently, Jesus thought that honesty was a characteristic of Israelites. Later in his ministry a man named Zacchaeus repented of his sins and believed on Jesus.
“And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.” Luke 19:9
Abraham believed in God and believed God, and Jesus knew that many true Israelites had the character of Abraham. Jesus cared for the Israelites of Judea and Galilee, as his fold of sheep, feeding them with his word and healing them. He also said he had other sheep.
“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” John 10:16 This other fold was a fold that he already had. He did not have the Gentiles until after Pentecost. These other sheep were the dispersed House of Israel, living in the heathen countries to the north and east of Judea and Galilee, and some in the British Isles. One of the psalmists referred to them prophetically.
“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us. Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” Psalm 80:1-3
Even when Jesus went to Samaria, he chose an Israelite to speak with, and she was amazed that he spoke to her.
“Then said the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.” John 4:9
When he spoke to her of living water, which he could give her, she asked, “Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?” John 4:12
Jesus cared for Israelites, whether they were Jews or not, but when dealing with the Gentiles, we would say that he was not politically correct. A woman of Canaan came to him, begging him to heal her daughter of demonic oppression.
“But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to the dogs.” Matthew 15:26
She then acknowledged that she was a dog because she was a Gentile, and Jesus had compassion on her for her faith and humility, and healed her daughter.
In John 12:20-21, certain Greeks wanted to see Jesus. He did not receive them. What do we make of this? Was Jesus a bigot? Certainly not, for he said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” John 12:32 We must also remember the great commission, which he gave after His resurrection.
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:15-16
Jesus was illustrating how the kingdom would be established, by showing us the method of his ministry. He would first work with Israel, and their influence would then spread to the world. This is how it will be in the kingdom age, Israel first, and then the rest of the world being brought under his lordship. This should also be the method of our ministry. If we let the Christian faith die in the Israelite nations, it will eventually die in the rest of the world.
Jesus knew that Israel had to be strong, for the work of spreading the gospel, so He healed many of them, probably thousands. He knew that Israel had to seek the kingdom of God, so He taught thousands of them about the kingdom. We Christian Israelites need to do the same. We must teach the commandments of God, with the food laws and Sabbath commandment for the health of our people. It is not a sin to eat unclean foods, but we believe the eating of them will bring illness on our bodies. However, the Sabbath law is one of the Ten Commandments.
We also need to teach about the coming kingdom so that people will look to the kingdom riches rather than the temporary wealth of this life.
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
The saints from the previous six thousand years, the angels, Jesus, and the great city of God are coming from heaven, but they will form the heart of a Kingdom that will be on this earth. The law shall go forth from Zion. Jesus knew that Israel was the key to the success of the kingdom, and Christians should know that too. The Israelites who heard Jesus teach knew that the kingdom would be on this earth.
“And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.” Luke 19:11
He then spoke about the kingdom that he would receive when he returns. As far as I can tell, no groups other than identity Christians are trying to reach the world the way Jesus did, by teaching Israel about the kingdom, the literal kingdom on earth with Israel at its center, and few are trying to heal our people by methods that work. So far, only the apostles have discovered how to heal as Jesus did (Acts 5:16). Divine healing seems to be an unpredictable affair. Sometimes it happens, and sometimes it doesn’t. Of course, we should keep praying for healing miracles. However, we know that the food laws and the Sabbath commandment also work to promote health and wellness. Let’s continue our mission of spreading the message of the Kingdom and its Laws until He comes who will fully establish the kingdom and bring healing to the whole planet.
“For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.” Isaiah 61:11
