The Dispensation Of Grace … or, Perhaps Something Else?

I was recently listening online to a preacher discussing the King James Version and why he and his church use it.  He does a great job presenting the whole aspect of the issue and presenting the facts as he has studied it out.  The best part is he’s not a KJV Only type of guy.  Refreshing.

During his talk, it came out that he’s a Dispensationalist.  No surprise, really.  He doesn’t make a big deal of it though.  However, he made mention of the Dispensation of Grace.

For whatever reason, it caught me just right.  I don’t really know why.  But it got me thinking again about the Dispensation of Grace topic.  This same period of time is also referred to as the Church Age.

I can’t speak for this fellow as to why he thinks as he does on this issue.  Actually, I was taught this too after I was saved.  I got saved in an Independent, Fundamental, Dispensational, Pre-Tribulational, Pre-Millennial Baptist Church.  My first Bible was a New Scofield study Bible.  I was bread-and-buttered in Dispensationalism.  But pretty much from the start, though, I had a lot of questions about Dispensationalism to the point where I gradually left it all behind.

After listening to this pastor, I asked myself again the question:  Why is there the designation Dispensation of Grace?  What brought about the need for this designation? Who in the world dreams up this stuff?  

Was there no Grace before Acts?  Will there be no Grace when Yeshua reigns after the “Church Age?”  Is there more Grace now than there had been in the past?  

In connection with this, the Church has been taught that those sinful, disobedient “Jews” got what they deserved: THE LAW.  And thankfully, the “Church Age” isn’t under THE LAW.  It’s under GRACE.  

We sure do serve a confusing God, don’t we?

So, I got to thinking some more.

Looking at this issue through the Messianic/Hebraic mindset, I think I have a thought worth sharing with you. Rather than thinking we’re in the period generally known as the Dispensation of Grace, could we actually be in something quite different?  

Interestingly, I do think the Bible might tell us.   

James 1:1 says - “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered (ie, dispersed) abroad, greeting.”  

James told those he was writing to (and us by extension) that they were the Dispersed of The Twelve Tribes. That doesn’t sound too Dispensational does it?  For some, it sounds more theologically acceptable to say we’re in The Dispensation of Grace rather than being The Dispersed of The Twelve Tribes.  

Why don’t we use the descriptive phrase The Dispersed of The Twelve Tribes instead of The Dispensation of Grace?  

Well … that would open up a whole can of Dispensational Worms, wouldn’t it?  To even begin to consider that the “Church” is the Dispersed of The Twelve Tribes is to pull on a thread that might unravel a whole lot of accepted theology.   It would be like trying to swim upstream against the flow of things much like Salmon do.  The theological flow is working against us … theologically speaking.  And besides we’re told:  the “Church” isn’t Israel!  If that’s the case, than what in the world were we grafted into?  That’s an important component to this whole issue.  

The Church wants to be in The Dispensation of Grace.  The Messianics want to be in The Dispensation Of Cruises.  Maybe we’re not in either.  Perhaps we should consider an alternative perspective.

How about this?  Since James talks about the Twelve Tribes of Israel, perhaps a better designation for God’s people would be — The Dispersed Seed of Abraham.  Why?  Because saved folks are, through faith, of the Seed of Abraham, grafted into Israel.  We are the DSofA :-)

We, the Seed of Abraham, have been blown/scattered/dispersed aboard for the purpose of bearing fruit unto Yeshua.  And then after that, we’re to teach them to observe all things whatsoever He command us. That which Yeshua taught entails the whole Word (made flesh) of God.

The DSofA are, in reality, the living demonstration of Grace to every generation.  And if anyone knew about Grace, it surely was Abraham.

So are you part of the DOG crowd (sorry, couldn’t resist), or are you living out your life as one of the DSofA ingrafted group?

It does make a difference.