Israel is largely a secular nation today. How can they still be God's chosen?
Israel is not God's chosen people because of merit or belief. If it is wrongly believed that God chose Israel bc of their merit, then it will be wrongly believed that God has abandoned them because of a lack of merit. Perhaps this is why the Apostle Paul addresses the issue in Romans 11:1-2:
"I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew [chose]."
Why should Israel be chosen? What do they have that I don't have? It's not fair! God does not have favorites.
Deut. 7:6-8 explains the reasoning of God's decision. It has nothing to do with playing favorites. It has nothing to do with loving someone else more than another. It has to do with His sovereignty & faithfulness:
“For you are a people holy [set apart] to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you [set you apart] to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you [set you apart], for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers..."
OK, but it happened in OT times. But now we have the New Covenant. Didn't that change things and remove Israel as the unique people of God? Isn't that the Church now?
God's love and faithfulness, His own sovereign choice, is as operative today as it was back then. God is not swayed by time. God is outside of time. God does not forget His commitments and eternal promises. He has not grown tired or bored of it all. He has not moved on to something else. God is faithful. God is patient. God is long-suffering. And the New Covenant is made with Israel, not the Church (Jer. 31:31-35). And remember Paul's words above, from Romans 11:1-2? In addition, Paul also states: "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." (Rom. 11:29 ) In addition, the word Israel is found many times in the NT. Not once is the church called Israel. You can see every instance at this link: lifeinmessiah.org/nt-reference-t
So, why should Israel matter to me?
Beyond Israel being a conduit for God's blessings (Gen. 12:3, Rom. 9:1-5), God's choice of Israel creates a litmus test for each person and every nation. Our disposition toward His choices reveals our heart position toward Him. Israel matters to God and, therefore, should matter to us.
So, why do some people say that the church is the new Israel or spiritual Israel if there it is not taught in the New Testament?
This belief has been around for many centuries. It started with the early "church fathers". It has been passed down from generation to generation ever since via teachings and commentaries. But it is not derived from the Bible. Rather, spreads via tradition and from scriptures ripped out of their context. A wonderful resource that explores the history and problematic, allegorical interpretative method is called Has the Church Replaced Israel? It's by
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Are we willing to submit ourselves to God's choice of Israel? Do we believe His choice is a good choice? Will we bless Israel as commanded and exemplified throughout the Bible? Or we will put God to the test?