Spiritual Israel

“But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel…” – Romans 9:6

In Romans 9:6, Paul makes a bold and clarifying statement: “For they are not all Israel who are of Israel.” This verse cuts through centuries of assumption and tradition. Paul is explaining that salvation is not inherited by bloodline but received by faith. Just as not every citizen is a patriot, not every descendant of Abraham is a child of promise. The true Israel—the spiritual Israel—is made up of those who believe in Jesus Christ. Paul’s heart breaks for his fellow Jews who assume that being born into privilege guarantees salvation. But he lovingly reminds them that God’s promises are fulfilled not through physical descent, but through spiritual rebirth. The significance of Israel, Abraham, and Isaac is not in their heritage alone—it’s in their connection to Christ.

Paul illustrates this truth by pointing to Elijah’s despair in 1 Kings 19. Elijah thought he was the last faithful believer, but God revealed that He had preserved 7,000 who had not bowed to Baal. The point? God chooses and preserves His remnant. Even in a nation chosen for privilege, only individuals chosen by grace are truly saved. Paul then brings up Nathanael in John 1, whom Jesus calls “an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit.” Nathanael’s faith, not his lineage, made him a true child of God. This echoes the pattern throughout Scripture—Abraham believed, and it was counted to him for righteousness (Galatians 3:6). Jesus confronted the religious leaders in John 8, who boasted of their descent from Abraham but lacked his faith. Jesus told them plainly: “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham” (John 8:39). The work of Abraham was belief.

Paul then turns to Isaac to drive the point home. Though Ishmael was also a son of Abraham, he was not the child of promise. Isaac was born by divine intervention, pointing forward to Christ. Paul writes, “In Isaac your seed shall be called” (Romans 9:7). Isaac’s birth was miraculous, just as Christ’s was. His life was a foreshadowing of the Messiah—born not by human effort, but by God’s promise. The story of Abraham, Israel, and Isaac all converge on one truth: salvation is centered on Christ. Do not rely on heritage, tradition, or outward religion. Be like Abraham, who believed. Be like Nathanael, who recognized the Son of God. Be part of the spiritual Israel, the true remnant, by placing your faith in the promised Seed—Jesus Christ. That’s where all the promises find their fulfillment

“The promises made to Israel were not based on physical descent and national life, but were associated from the very beginning with spiritual blessing and a relationship with God. The real, that is the spiritual Israel, is therefore within the limits of natural and national Israel.” – Griffith Thomas