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Answer: First, we do not become Jews by becoming Christians. We are, however, considered to be ‘spiritual’ children of Abraham. This is because we have faith like Abraham had in order to get saved. "…just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham." (Galatians 3:6-9)
St. Paul is making a point here that physical descendants of Abraham are not really [completely] children of Abraham unless they believe like he believed. Gentiles that believe and are saved are ‘spiritual’ children of Abraham by exhibiting the same kind of saving faith he had. However, look at the passage carefully, he still called us Gentiles even though we are spiritual heirs of his faith. We are blessed with Abraham, but we do not become real physical Jews. In other words, we do not become genetic descendants of Abraham.
I know that there is a lot of talk these days about ‘replacement theology’, which teaches that there is no future for Israel outside of the Church. They say we become the real children of Abraham when we get saved [I know they don’t mean physical Jews.], and they say this is what God was speaking about here. Also, they teach that since Israel as a nation rejected Jesus, the first time He came to offer Himself as their Messiah, there is no hope for the nation now. So they say that now we have taken their place, and all the prophecies about the nation will be fulfilled ‘spiritually’ in the Church.
This is completely wrong, and it ignores hundreds of Scriptures on the subject! I am surprised that so many Christians are buying this line. We are not Jews, even though we love the Jews, and pray for them. We bless the Jews as we are told to do in Scripture. God said of Abraham and his descendants: "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:2-3)
We know Jesus was a Jew, being a descendant of Abraham, and through Him the whole earth is being blessed! However, we do not have to agree with everything the nation of Israel is doing. They as a nation have not received their Messiah, and they will have no lasting peace until they do. In the mean time we pray for their salvation as individuals, and that they as a nation will receive Jesus of the Bible as their Messiah.
Paul taught us that there are two groups in the Church right now, believing Jews, and Gentiles, but they are united as believers. These two groups make up one body. That does not make us Jews. We are still Gentiles. "Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision [Jews] made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
"For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." (Ephesians 2:11-18) You may want to look at our study of this from the book of Ephesians to understand it more clearly.
To answer the last part of your question, yes, it would be a sin to be anti-Semitic. We love Jews and bless them, even as the Bible tells us to do for all people. Remember Jesus was a Jew!
Thanks for the question,
Gary T. Panell
The Scripture used in this discussion is taken from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible.
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Keywords: jew, gentile, greek, anti-semitic, antisemitic, anti-semitism, antisemitism, replacement theology, isreal