Race – “The lineage of a family, or continued series of descendants from a parent who is called the stock. A race is the series of descendants indefinitely. Thus all mankind are called the race of Adam; the Israelites are of the race of Abraham and Jacob.”

Noah Webster, American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828

According to prophecy and just general history, there are two races that all people can be grouped. There is the race of Adam. In other words, this can also be called the human race. We are all humans. Then, there is the race of Abraham. This is specifically the nation of Israel (God’s chosen nation or people). But, there is a third race that is according to the revelation of the mystery that was given or revealed unto the Apostle Paul for the first time. That race is not a physical nation of people, but rather a spiritual organism called the Body of Christ.

According to what God said since the world began (Acts 3:21)

• Race of Adam – human race
• Race of Abraham and Jacob – Israel

By one man came condemnation to all (Rom. 5:18). Adam sinned and brought death to every person as a result (Rom. 5:12). We have all sinned and come short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). Therefore, we deserve death. In the days of Noah, all the people were only wicked all the time (Gen. 6:5). At the tower of Babel, they were of one language and one speech trying to reach Heaven by religion (by their own good works) (Gen. 11:1-9). Man just couldn’t get it right, and still can’t.

Then, God called one man out of the nations. That is, Abram (later called Abraham). He was called out of the nations to be the father of a great nation (Israel). All the families of the earth would be blessed through his name (Gen. 12:1-3). God gave to Abraham the covenant of circumcision to distinguish his people from the rest of the nations, so that they would be a light unto the world and bring blessing to them. It was to Israel God gave the covenants, the law, the promises, etc (Rom. 9). Gentiles were without these things (Eph. 2:11-12). Israel was to be a light unto the world but fell in unbelief. But, they will be saved in the future. If any Jew didn’t get circumcised they were to be cut off from the rest of the nation (Gen. 17:14). They were then to be considered no better than the Gentiles. Leviticus 11 goes through what animals were clean and unclean for Israel to eat and not to eat. If they ate something unclean they would be unclean with it. So then, fast forward to this Dispensation (the Dispensation of the Grace of God (Eph. 3)) where God has put His grace and mercy at full display.

“For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.”

Romans 11:32

The Gentiles were given up to their reprobate minds (Rom. 1:28), then Israel was concluded in unbelief with them, so that God could show mercy upon them all. That is, both Gentiles and Jews.

According to what God kept secret since the world began, but now revealed (Rom. 16:25-26)

• Race of Christ – or more accurately and Scripturally called “the Body of Christ”

But now, the middle wall of partition has been broken down (Eph. 2:14). There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, male or female, bond or free (Gal. 3:28). For we are all one in Christ. By one man, Jesus Christ, came justification unto eternal life (Rom. 5). The first two races or groups of people were strictly physical, or natural. This third group is spiritual. We are one spirit with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17). There is a natural body and there is a spiritual body (1 Cor. 15:44). It is the Body of Christ. It was hid in God from the beginning of the world (Eph. 3:9). “But now is made manifest” (Rom. 16:26). God is calling out people from among any nation, including the Jewish nation, to be a part of Christ’s own body. Whosoever will believe the gospel of the grace of God will become a member of this Body. Members of Christ are a holy temple in Him. We are identified with Christ, who is our Head. We are no longer associated with our old man, that is, Adam. We are now called saints.

• Image of God (Gen. 1:26)
  • created in God’s image originally
• Image of Adam (Gen. 5:3)
  • Adam sinned, and mankind has been after his likeness ever since. We’ve all sinned too.
• Image of Christ (Col. 3:10)
  • God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself (2 Cor. 5:19)
  • Christ made peace through the blood of His cross (Col. 1:20)
  • Christ made in himself one new man (which is the Body of Christ) (Eph. 2:15)
    • renewed in knowledge after Christ’s image
    • believers are members of this Body

Race has nothing to do with the color of your skin. God created all of us. We were all created by God, who is Jesus Christ. He called out one man to be the father of one nation that was to be a light and a blessing unto the world and they will be one day. But today, God is calling (inviting) out from any nation whosoever will believe (whether they be Jew or Gentile) on His Son that He died for them, was buried, and rose again according to the Scriptures. This offer of salvation is offered to all, but only those who believe it will receive it. Christ is the promised seed to whom the promises were made (Gal. 3:16). God has offered to us the promise of eternal life with Him in Heavenly places through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is through Him that we can receive the promise of the Spirit (Gal. 3:14). It is through Him that we receive the gift of righteousness. For Christ is our righteousness (1 Cor. 1:30)! We receive this gift by faith. By simply trusting in what Christ has done for us on the cross, we are then sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). We are sealed unto the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30). We are predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). God has set this to be His plan for all those that will simply believe on Him. He set this plan in place before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4). When we believe that Christ died for our sins, was buried (He literally buried our sins away and put them out of His sight forever), and rose again for our justification, we are then made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor. 5:21). We are “found in Him, not having our own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Phil. 3:9).

When we believe the gospel of Christ, we become members of Christ. We are joined to Christ’s own Body. For the Body has many members, and yet it is one Body (1 Cor. 12:12-13). We become heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17). Therefore, we also become heirs according to the promise, because we belong to Christ (Gal. 3:29). “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Gal. 4:6). Since we are sons, because we have Christ in us (Col. 1:27), we are heirs of God through Christ (Gal. 4:7). We are no more servants (that is, servants to sin, the law, our old man), but now we are sons. We, of course, should still choose to willingly serve God, because of the life and freedom that He has given to us. Christ gave Himself for our sins, so that we might be able to enjoy eternal life in Him. Therefore, it is our reasonable service to serve Him (Rom. 12:1-2). To enjoy eternal life in Him, all we have to do is believe. He did all the work necessary for us. The only thing left for us to do is take Him at His word and trust in Him.

Lastly, once you do believe, you should then stand fast. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Gal. 5:1). Christ has made us free from the law. He has delivered us from it. He has delivered us from the law of sin and death as well as the law of Moses (Rom. 7:6; 8:2). The Mosaic law that He gave to Israel was added because of transgressions (Gal. 3:19). It was added to show that we are all sinners (Rom. 3:20). We cannot earn eternal life by our own good works, by our own flesh. We are to stand fast in the liberty that we have in Him. We are complete in Christ, who is the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 2:10). There is no one or any thing that can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:33-39).

Be thankful! Give thanks unto God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I’ll say it once again. Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day for your justification. He paid for all of your sins there at the cross. He was made a curse for us (Gal. 3:13), so that the blessing of eternal life would come to those who believe. Those who believe have eternal life in Him. If you haven’t believed yet, do so now. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved! Believe that He died for you and your sins, was buried (that He took your sins away) and rose again from the dead. Once you have that liberty, rejoice! Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice (Phil. 4:4)!

So, what is your race? Are you still a child of Adam or are you now a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus, and therefore a member of His Body? The Body of Christ is God’s people today in the Dispensation of Grace. Believe on Him, today!

End Notes:

1. Noah Webster, “Webster’s Dictionary 1828 – Race,” Websters Dictionary 1828, accessed July 23, 2021, http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/race.