What Did Paul Mean by All Israel being Saved?

I mentioned this briefly in a previous post but I feel I should explain it further. What God has always looked for is people who would trust and love him. He chose Abraham and made a nation from his offspring to be a light to the world. It was through them that Jesus was born. He also lived a perfect life, died to ransom those who believed in him and his father, then rose again.

In Romans Chapter nine, Paul explains that not all Israelites are of the ethnic nation. There's a spiritual Israel made up of all who are trusting in God. As he noted in Galatians 3:6 (KJV), "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."

Throughout the Old Testament, we can also find this truth. Habakkuk 2:4 (KJV) says, "Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith."

These just ones are in the Israel of God. As Paul wrote in Romans 9:6to 8 (BBE), "But it is not as if the word of God was without effect. For they are not all Israel, who are of Israel: And they are not all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, 'In Isaac will your seed be named.' That is, it is not the children of the flesh, but the children of God's undertaking, who are named as the seed."

Paul used Isaac as a picture of the children of promise. Since Jesus came from that lineage, and since we are adopted into his family through our belief in him, we too are the children of promise.

And as Jesus said to the Pharisees in John 10:16 (KJV), "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."

So Christ is our good shepherd and we are included with the sheep he has from Israel's flock. As he said in Matthew 25:32 (KJV), "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:"

I could write so much more about the awesome promise of being the Lord's people. I'll save that instead for my next book called You Think You're Going to Heaven? Whoever isn't following Christ is following the Devil, no matter how nice they might seem. People need to realize that and repent of their stubborn refusal of his magnanimous offer.