The Body of Christ – Colossians 3:9-12

   Originating with the Lord’s covenant with Abram, the Lord placed a difference between one nation, Israel, and all other nations.  There was a distinction between God’s covenant nation and the Gentiles.  This is obvious in the Old Testament with passages found in the Law: “One law shall be to him that is homeborn (a native Israelite), and unto the stranger (alien/foreigner) that sojourneth (abides/assembles) among you: (Exodus 12:49), the books of History:  “And what one nation in the earth is like Thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be His own people…” (I Chronicles 17:21), the Poetical’s “For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto Himself, and Israel for His peculiar treasure. And gave the land for an heritage, an heritage unto Israel his people.” (Psalm 135:4-5), the Major Prophets: “And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks...But ye shall be named the Priests of the Lord; men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.” (Isaiah 61:5-6), and the Minor Prophets “And I will bring again the captivity of My people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them...And I will plant them upon the land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.” (Amos 9:14-15).   From even a casual reading of the Old Te ...