Thanks for the reference but it does not say this group of people is the "Israel of God".
Not really hard to figure out if you read your scriptures.
There is one place where the apostle Paul uses the term "Israel of God"...that would be Galatians 6 as he closes out the letter, but people often overlook the term...Galatians 6:14-16
14 But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
15 For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
16 And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
When you understand Jew (circumcision) nor Gentile (uncircumcision) means nothing...you understand the Israel of God is all believers in Christ.
Paul says this in many ways:
In Ephesians 2:11-13...he makes an interesting statement we have to think about, he says:
11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands—
12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Paul says we were:
*"FORMERLY Gentiles in the flesh" (If we are FORMERLY Gentiles...what are we?)
*"EXCLUDED from the commonwealth of Israel" (If we were EXCLUDED, it follows that we are now INCLUDED)
*"and STRANGERS to the covenants of promise" (If we were STRANGERS, in Christ we are no longer strangers)
So...in Christ we become citizens of "Israel" in "the Spirit"!!! We are included instead of excluded.
Ephesians 2:13-22 is making the total argument for the Spiritual Israel! Furthermore, Paul has alluded to this a few times in Romans:
Romans 2:28, 29...is often overlooked, but this passage tells us we become "Spiritual Jews" when we get saved:
28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.
29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
This again is his point in Philippians 3:3 where he says:
3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,
There are more places to make this point...but these are most profound. It seems people just read past these passages without really thinking about what they say.
I can remember as I was taught the "dispensational teaching" that God has "two peoples". I was doing "Navigators cards" to memorize passages, and I memorized Philippians 3:3 in KJV. I could remember thinking "that passage is calling us Jews spiritually".
The same thing happened with Romans 2:28, 29! I was in the Navy then, and a Christian brother and I were discussing salvation. He spoke to me that Romans 2:28, 29 where saying we're "spiritual Jews" and so I read it, and I had to agree with him.
I'm glad as I matured Spiritually I came to the point that I could no longer hold to the idea God has "two peoples"! He has always had only one people, and that is all who are saved. They are God's "Israel".
