by Christ Alone 42 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
-God saves through his son. It's that concept that matters to me.
-What is essential is God's will to save. No doctrine of men can change that or determin who will be saved or to what destiny.
-Your slavation does not depend on your (or anyone else's) understanding of a covenant. It depends on God who saves us through Christ.
Great points OG, and I share them too. Thanks for answer.
The old covenant wasn't for all God's people. It was for Israel. That there were others who were God's people is evident in the "stranger" concept found in the law. The alien residents had to keep the law if they lived in Israel, but they were not parties to the covenant and the law made exceptions for them.
True, for the covenant originally made at Horeb. However, that covenant was amended by God at Moab after 40 years in the wilderness. Read Deuteronomy 29. This amended covenant, albeit years later, absolutely included foreigners.
vs 1: These are the words of the covenant that Jehovah commanded Moses to make with the people of Israel in the land of Mo′ab, in addition to the covenant that he made with them at Ho′reb.
vs 2: "Moses then called together all Israel and said to them" (so Israel was the audience)
vs 10-13: “All of you are stationed today before Jehovah your God, the heads of your tribes, your elders, your officers, every man of Israel, your children, your wives, and your foreign resident who is in the midst of your camp, from the one gathering your wood to the one drawing your water. You are here in order to enter into the covenant of Jehovah your God and his oath, which Jehovah your God is making with you today in order that he may establish you today as his people and that he may be your God, just as he has promised you and just as he swore to your forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
vs 14, 15 (remember, the audience is "all Israel"): “Now it is not with you alone that I am making this covenant and this oath, but it is with those standing here with us today before Jehovah our God and with those who are not here with us today
Basically, God made an allowance for these "strangers", "alien residents", "foreigners" in their midst and invited them into the covenant, thus they would become the people of the promise, and could rightly be called God's people.
Thanks leaving_quietly for those texts. It is very clear that in the amended covenant ALL were included.
