There’s an old line often attributed to Martin Luther: “Find the spirit of the age and stand against it.” Whether or not he said it exactly that way, the principle is sound. Every age has its dominant current—its pressures, its passions, its prejudices.
And right now, one of the most dangerous currents running through our culture is a renewed and increasingly normalized anti-Semitism.
It’s subtle in some places, aggressive in others. It hides behind political language, theological confusion, and cultural frustration. But make no mistake—it’s there. And it is growing.
So let me say plainly, without apology: I still love the Jews.
Not because it’s fashionable. Not because it earns social points. But because my convictions—biblical, theological, and moral—demand it. Here are five reasons why.
1. Because My Biblical Worldview Demands Human Dignity
At the foundation of everything is this: human beings have value because they are made in the image of God.
Not because of ethnicity.
Not because of nationality.
Not because of political alignment.
Because they are human.
Genesis establishes this clearly, man is created in the image and likeness of God. That truth alone places an immeasurable value on every human life, including the Jewish people.
A biblical worldview does not allow me to categorize the souls of entire groups of people as disposable. Rights are not granted based on group identity, they are inherent to human existence.
Now, individuals can forfeit certain rights through personal actions such as murder, violence, and criminal behavior. Scripture is clear about justice. If I am consistent with Scripture, I cannot embrace anti-Semitism any more than I could justify hatred toward any other group of people.
2. Because God Desires All Men to Be Saved
Scripture tells us plainly:
God our Saviour “ will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth (I Timothy 2:4).”
That includes Jews.
This matters because anti-Semitism doesn’t just distort morality—it distorts evangelism.
The Gospel is not selective in its offer. Christ did not die for one ethnicity over another. The call to repentance and faith goes out to all, Jew and Gentile alike.
And let’s not forget something critical: the Gospel itself is deeply Jewish in its origin.
Jesus is a Jew.
The apostles were Jews.
The early church was Jewish.
To despise the Jews while claiming allegiance to Christ is a contradiction that collapses under even basic biblical scrutiny.
If God desires their salvation, then I must desire it too.
3. Because God Keeps His Promises to the Fathers
God made promises—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
And Scripture is clear: God does not break His promises.
Paul writes of Israel: “As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes (Romans 11:28).”
That’s a tension many people don’t like, but it’s a biblical one.
On one hand, many in Israel reject the Gospel. That is true.
On the other hand, they remain beloved because of the promises God made.
Why? Because God is not slack concerning His promises (2 Peter 3:9).
If God could abandon Israel completely, then what confidence do you or I have that He won’t abandon us?
The faithfulness of God to Israel is actually a pillar of our assurance. His covenant integrity is on display in how He deals with them.
You don’t have to flatten that tension, you’re supposed to feel it.
They are enemies of the gospel.
They are beloved for the fathers’ sake.
Both are true.
And that reality should produce humility, not arrogance.
4. Because God Has a Future Plan for Israel
I hold to a dispensational framework, not because it’s trendy, but because I believe it best reflects the literal interpretation of Scripture.
God distinguishes between Israel and the Church.
Yes, Salvation is only through Christ. But that does not mean that God’s program for Israel as a nation is erased or absorbed into the Church.
Even outside of modern dispensationalism, many early church writers (a.k.a. church fathers) anticipated a future restoration of Israel. The idea that God would bring His people back into the land and fulfill His promises is not new.1
Irenaeus (c. 130–202 AD): In Against Heresies, Irenaeus emphasized the literal restoration of the land promises, stating that the descendants of Abraham will regain their inheritance. He wrote, “He will restore them to their own land which He gave to their fathers”.
Justin Martyr (c. 100–165 AD): In his Dialogue with Trypho, he maintained that the tribes of Israel would be gathered and restored in accordance with prophecy. He believed in a thousand-year reign in a rebuilt Jerusalem.
John Chrysostom (c. 349–407 AD): Commenting on Matthew 17:11, he indicated that Elijah would come before the second advent and “shall correct the unbelief of the Jews that are then in being,” interpreting this as a future restoration of the Jewish people.
Dispensationalism simply maintains that:
- God’s promises to Israel are literal
- God’s covenants are still binding
- God is not finished with His people
This matters because anti-Semitism often flows out of bad theology, especially the idea that the Church has completely replaced Israel in such a way that the Jewish people no longer have any distinct role in God’s plan.
But Scripture doesn’t support that.
Romans 11 makes it clear: blindness has happened in part but not forever.
God has a future purpose for Israel.
And if God is not finished with them, then I certainly shouldn’t write them off.
5. Because I Can Hold Truth in Tension
Here’s where maturity comes in.
Loving the Jewish people does not mean blindly endorsing everything done by the modern state of Israel.
The Bible itself is brutally honest about Israel’s failures.
God judged Israel repeatedly:
- Through Assyria
- Through Babylon
- Through various oppressors
And here’s something many overlook: God would raise up a nation to judge Israel—and then judge that nation afterward.
So yes, we can say:
- The Jewish people have a role in God’s redemptive plan
- God has made promises He will keep
- There is a future for Israel
And at the same time say:
- Governments can act unjustly
- Nations can sin
- No political entity is above moral scrutiny
Those things are not contradictions. They are biblical categories.
The majority of Jews today reject Christ.
That means, apart from faith in Him, they face a Christless eternity burning in the lake of fire.
That should not produce pride or hostility (Romans 11:21).
It should break our hearts.
Scripture also says there is a remnant according to the election of grace (Romans 11:5).
God will always have His remnant.
Final Word
So why do I still love the Jews?
Because my worldview won’t let me do otherwise.
Because the Gospel compels me.
Because God’s promises demand it.
Because Scripture teaches it.
Because truth is bigger than cultural pressure.
The spirit of the age may be drifting toward hostility, suspicion, and even hatred, but I will stand against it.
Not because I’m trying to be contrarian.
Because I’m a Bible Believer.
And the Bible leaves no room for anti-Semitism.
- See “The Church Fathers and the Restoration of Israel,” Catholics for Israel, Read article. (I don’t endorse Catholicism, I am citing a reference.) ↩︎
A very timely article.
Excellent
Thank you
Excellent! Very relevant today.
I think I’ve heard another version of that quote, “the duty of every Christian is to identify the spirit of the age and go against it…”
Spot on brother Keener!
Superb insights here