Are followers of Christ Israel by faith?

Social Media Question:

Followers of Christ are grafted into the vine, correct? So that would mean that followers of Christ are Israel by faith, would it not? Jesus fulfilled the law. His disciples enter into the New Testament of Jeremiah 31, receive the Holy Spirit (Joel 2). So, under the new covenant we, gentiles, are technically Israel, sons of Jacob. Whereas the ethnic Jews who reject their Messiah are technically not God's Israel until they repent, like the rest of us. Do you agree?

My Reply:

One must take into account that there are two completely distinct programs in God’s redemption plan. The nation of Israel as per the Old Testament and gospels, and the Body of Christ as per Paul’s doctrine.

Israel was under law, prophecy, and covenants. The Body of Christ is not under law or connected to prophecy and covenants. Thus, where many modern denominations today mix up and blend together all of the bible, thinking that since Israel has been blinded (Rom.11:25), that they are now the replacement of God’s ethnic people in a spiritual sense, claiming Israel’s program, covenants, blessing (without the curses) and prophecy.

Being grafted into the vine means that we are grafted into Christ, not into Israel. Israel is the natural branches on the vine, not the vine itself. Gentiles are branches too, (but of a wild olive), grafted into the true vine. Being grafted into Christ does not make us Israel or natural branches, but we can share in the goodness and fat of the vine, praise God.

Jeremiah 31 is a new covenant that will be ratified with Israel in the end times. Jesus initiated it just before His death, but it has not yet been fulfilled as Israel has not yet had the law written in their inward parts and written it in their hearts. They have not yet had their iniquity forgiven. This will happen when the Lord comes again and sets up His earthly kingdom. Converse to this, we as the Body of Christ (both Jew and Gentile under grace) have had their sins forgiven already through the blood of Christ and we have the written Word of God that we can live by.

One cannot blend these two programs together. They are distinct and separate, yet both play a role in the full redemption plan of God. One program (Israel) for the redemption of earth and the other, the Body of Christ for the redemption of the heavens.