These two statements are very similar, with only subtle differences:
“Jesus sacrifice was only meant for the salvation of the Gentiles. The Jews don’t have to go that way.”
“Salvation through Jesus is only for the Jews.”
I find it interesting that these old arguments that were started in Paul’s day are still being discussed today. I want to take time to look at some Bible verses that refute both of these fallacies.
In Romans 3:19-26, Paul tells us the Law could never save us. The Law’s entire purpose was to show that we could not follow all the law perfectly to earn our way into heaven. We cannot make ourselves perfect by keeping the Law of Moses. Even if we were to commit a “small” sin, it would be just as much a breaking of the law as a “big” sin. Sin is Sin. A person who breaks one part of the law, breaks the entire law.
The answer to this was Jesus perfect life and his sacrifice. In John 14:6 Jesus himself tells us that he is the only way by which we can be saved. When he says “No man comes to the Father except through Me,” he’s not saying, “Gentiles cannot come to the Father except through me,” nor is he saying, “Only Jews can come to the Father through Me.” What he is saying is that all of us are in the same boat. We all need Him to bring us to the Father, and He’s the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life.
And because we are in the same boat, Jesus sacrifice has united us to be one people.
This was the intention of God from the very beginning, even before Adam and Eve sinned. He knew what was going to happen and he made provision for it. Isaiah tells us in chapter 56:6-8 that his temple would be a house of prayer for all the nations, not just the Hebrews. We are one body in Christ. We are his bride, it’s not important where we’re from or who we are. We are all loved by Him. From the beginning, Israel was to be a nations of priests and all the nations would be blessed through Abraham’s seed. That is Jesus.
The fact is, that God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit are the same yesterday, today and forever. Nothing changes the Triune God. He is timeless and He is Almighty and He loves us all with an everlasting love. It doesn’t matter who we are. We can be any nationality, rich, poor, man or woman. His provision for us to have the kind of relationship with Him that He always meant for us to have was through the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus is the only way to God. It could never be what we do or don’t do; what we eat or don’t eat. It’s all about what God through Jesus has done for us.