It's a Bible absolute! When you became a Christian, you also became the seed of Abraham regardless of your ethnic background and whether you are aware of it or not! Your redemption is defined in the death of Messiah, but your heritage is defined in Abraham. This may sound like a questionable assertion to the average Christian but if it were not true, the foregoing statement of Paul the apostle to the Galatians serves no purpose whatsoever. Paul is simply showing the centrality of Christ for gaining eternal life while preserving the concept of a covenantal heritage in Abraham. Our access to the riches of a Hebraic heritage in Abraham is not simply a novel idea; it is a messianic birthright. A birthright refers to that which one is entitled by reason of birth, especially the first born. If you are a born again believer, you should stop to consider what this means!
Jesus explained to Nicodemus, a Jewish leader, the process of entry into the new (spiritual) economy of God. Jesus said to him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (Joh 3:3) While Nicodemus was of Abrahamic heritage by reason of birth, this alone could not assure him of being a kinsman in the eternal Kingdom of God. He needed a re-birthing for validation to eternal life. Jewish birthright did not enhance the possibility of, nor guarantee Nicodemus a Messianic birthright, This questioning by Nicodemus is quite the reverse to the typical, present day Christian mindset. Most Christians would not question why spiritual rebirth was required for entrance into the Kingdom of God but know virtually nothing of the accompanying birthright they have in Abraham. To be sure, it is "birthright" that defines the specifics of one's natural inheritance and no less in the Kingdom of God. That is what a birthright does! The question should arise "to what exactly, do we have a 'right' in Abraham?"
The word birthright is mentioned only eight times in the scriptures, mostly relating to the stories of Jacob and Esau (Gen. 25 and 27) and of Joseph and his brothers (1 Chron. 5). But it clearly establishes the "birthright of the firstborn" principle and it figures significantly into the process and content of heritage ¾ spiritual heritage in particular.
Jesus was both the firstborn of his heavenly Father and his earthly mother. He is referred to by the apostle John as "the only begotten son" of God (John 3:16). Of Mary it is said, "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; (Lu 2:7). As the "firstborn", Jesus possesses a birthright of which we are co-inheritors. Jesus enjoyed all of the privileges of his Jewish birthright (Mt. 1:1). Christians are His brothers, sharing in that spiritual inheritance:
The foregoing scripture begs the question, what will Christ inherit?
Certainly not salvation for he
committed no sin to be saved from. What then? Kingship, over the physical
kingdom of the God in the eternal earth, and we shall be kings and priests
with Him in the company of the patriarchs.
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Rev 20:4)
BIRTHRIGHT - That to which one is entitled by reason of birth, especially the first born
But there is an even larger picture to consider. By the process of creation all of humanity is considered children of God and blessed with a posterity perpetuated through the ongoing natural birth process. Early on in the creation, humankind through sin became spiritually estranged from his Creator resulting in the need for a spiritual re-creation or rebirth. Those who would become re-born through faith in the Messiah (Jesus) experience an inner restoration and re-connection to the God of creation (Yahweh). Frequently, throughout scripture, our heavenly creator is referred to as the "God of Abraham Isaac and of Jacob". Why? Because it is through their lineage that a divine heritage for the spiritually restored would be clearly defined. Our heritage has been defined for us through at least three significant mediums (1) by verbal declaration (prophets), (2) by physical and practical demonstration (symbolism), and (3) through official documentation, the written word of God (Bible). God's will for our lives is for Him to take us through the process of "re-birth" in Messiah to an eternal heritage guaranteed by a spiritual birthright defined in Abraham.
The concept of "spiritual rebirth" is well documented in scripture, referenced sixteen times in the New Testament. One of the more familiar references is:
It is through the "born again" process that we are counted as "firstborn" by God's grace (Heb. 12:23). Believers being considered "firstborn" because of their brotherhood with Jesus makes us heirs with him rather than of Him.
That the members of Christ's church are considered firstborn is made clear by the writer to the Hebrews when he addresses them,
Because of the birthright principle of the firstborn, who received the greater inheritance, the apostle Paul had no qualms in saying to the Roman congregation that they were "joint" heirs with Christ. To be "joint heirs" with Christ requires "firstborn" birthright status for all believers. All that is needed now is to examine the nature of that birthright. First, Jesus was a Jew of the seed of Abraham in the strictest sense of the word, since he was from the tribe of Judah. The Jewish heritage of Jesus was reflected in His possession of a particular worldview and special value system, a distinct concept of family, social and religious life.
Make no mistake about it! Our adoption as Christian believers into the commonwealth of Israel in addition to initial salvation was a blood bought possesion. Jesus died not only to save us from our sins but also to gain for us a heritage in Abraham through the Jewish people.
To have the mind of Christ is to have a Jewish mind!
That heritage impacts our world view, our concept of destiny, our life style, our religious value system, our political views, our civic responsibilities, our domestic life, personal conduct and last but not least, our understanding of the eternal God.
The story of Jacob and Esau teaches us the consequences of a flippant attitude toward ones Abrahamic birthright. Could Christians be selling their spiritual heritage for a "mess of pottage", as did Esau? Will we "sell out" the Hebraic nature of our Messianic birthright for a generous portion of the doctrines of men simply because they may seem academically sound and attractive or because they are commonly believed? This challenging decision is now confronting the body of Christ.
From a Biblical standpoint, the population of earth is divided into two distinct groups, Jews and Gentiles. If one is not a Jew (genetic descendant of Abraham), that person is a Gentile (include all other nationalities). It's just that simple! But, how the Jew and Gentile respectively, fit into the prophetic outworking of the earthly plan of God is fascinating to many, and a myriad of doctrinal scenarios have been postulated by Bible expositors. We have theologies ranging from Replacement theology (the church has replaced the Jews)to British Israelism (Israel and the U.S. are God's chosen)and Christian Ephraimism (Every Christian has a genetic (Jewish) connection to Jesus through Ephraim, the second son of Joseph.) Many are caught in these various camps of dogmatic persuasion, the details of each tend to be complex. But even if true, these hypotheticals represent an exercise of majoring in minors and beg the "so what?" question. Their importance pales in the light of the statement of Jesus to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Salvation is not accessed nor even accompanied by special privilege, merit or bloodline. Eternal life in the kingdom of God is accessed by God's love to all people, for "God is love" (1Jo 4:16):
The Jews gave the title, first-born, to those who were very eminent or excellent; what we would term the head or top of his kin. The church of the first-born is the assembly of the most excellent. (from Adam Clarke Commentary)