Ironside
09-08-2007, 12:56 PM
Salvation in the past, present and future
How are people saved in the Old Testament [before Christ came and died on the cross] and in the New Testament [after He came and died on the cross for our sins]?
Heb 10:12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right of God,
The basis and the ground of salvation from Adam to the last human beings in the last day is the saving work of Christ on the cross. The Old Testament saints looked forward to the Coming Redeemer while the New Testament saints [after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ] looked backward to it in saving faith.
-----Abraham---Moses-------B.C.> Saving work of Christ on the cross <A.D.-------------2007
Notice the verse above I quoted. The word "forever" in bold in the original is also a word that can be rendered "FOR ALL TIME" Christ offered a sacrifice that avails for ALL TIME. In fact the New International Version has it translated:
Heb. 10:12 But when this priest [referring to the Lord Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.
His saving work on the cross has a retroactive and proactive effect. Are the past ages prior to the Crucifixion of Christ part of Time? yes. Are the ages after the crucifixion of Christ part of Time? yes. The verse above tells us that His one sacrifice avails for all time [that is why it need not be repeated again and again]. The New Testament teaches that salvation in the Old Testament period is through faith in coming Savior:
2Ti 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Note above: when the New Testament mentions this word-----> "Scriptures" it almost always means the Old Testament Scriptures [of course for the New Testament was still in the process of being written at the time...only twice in the New Testament has this word ---> "Scriptures" used to refer to the New Testament].
Notice the aforementioned verse above. What can the Old Testament Scriptures do to us concerning salvation? They are able to make us wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Old Testament examples:
Moses
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
There are four things Moses did here by faith, what are they?
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he became of age,
1) refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
2) 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
3) 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt;
4) for he looked to the reward.
Moses knew of Christ way back then. That is the point
Abraham
Joh 8:56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."
The pronoun "My" here refers to the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. Here the Lord said that Abraham rejoiced to see His day. Abraham knew of Christ the Savior way back then. Salvation is faith in the Savior Jesus Christ whether in the Old Testament or in the New.
What about those who have never heard of the salvation of Christ?
If Christ is the only Savior, then what about those people who have never heard of Him? Those people before He came and those people who lived in this world after He came but never came to hear about His salvation, are they doomed forever?
God has given all man light and revelation. He has given all man Creation to testify of His might and eternal power. He has also given all conscience, giving them a sense of right and wrong. [Israel, He has given three: Creation, Conscience and Law].
With these, man can either do two things: a) he can reject that light by not seeking God or b) man can be faithful to that light and revelation by seeking God. Doing the former would ultimately result in judgment while taking the course of the latter would mean further light and revelation from God. God would then send to him the knowledge of the good news of Christ's salvation. Believing it, he would be saved.
A wealthy widow was once passing by a street when she saw an old, bedraggled, poverty stricken fellow lying on the street. Engulfed by compassion, she handed him a crisp 100 dollar bill. She wanted to give him more but she wanted to see what he will do with the money. To her dismay, the poor man spend the money on drugs and liquor. Knowing that the man would not be wise and faithful if she would give him more, she dropped the idea of giving him a thousand grand. He who is faithful with litttle, will be faithful with much.
Romans 1:20 tells us that those people who do not have fuller knowledge of God [as the Jews have] are without excuse. For Creation is revelation enough to prove to him that God exist. He should have followed the proddings of his conscience to seek this one true God who is the creator of all things. He should have remained faithful and true to the dictates of his conscience [no matter how small that guidance maybe]. He, even though without the law of Moses, is fully aware that he has done wrong in his life since he has some degree knowledge of right and wrong through his conscience. Any man on earth who seeks God will certainly find Him. God looks down from heaven to see if there is any man seeking Him, a man who is faithful to the light He has given.
What matters is a seeking heart. For even if you live in a country where the gospel is preached day in and day out, but, if your heart is not seeking God, the gospel will be nothing to you even if Providence allows you to hear it every day. The native aborigine in the center of the jungle of the continent of Africa, if he is not faithful to the light {Creation and Conscience} God has given him by not seeking Him, the gospel will be of no use to him even if a missionary might happen to slip in there. His hearing the gospel and not believing in it will only result to a greater judgment. The missionary fulfilled his responsibility; he on the other hand, did not. To know truths from God {especially the saving truth of God in Christ} is a privilege that calls for our responsibility that not believing in the Gospel is disobedience to it {2Th 1:8, 1Pe 4:17}].
He who is faithful with little revelation about God will be faithful with the Gospel of Salvation.
Cornelius [a non-Israelite] was a man who was faithful to the light he had from God, that he lived accordingly to the light given him. He sought God and he found God in Christ through Peter. God sent Peter to him and he heard of the good news of salvation in Christ, trusted in Christ and got saved.
The wise men who were geographically more remote than the Jews who lived in Israel themselves, found Christ. While the Jews who lived in Israel complete with their Scriptures, with there “Doctors of Theology” did not find Him. Many years later, they even crucified Him.
Rahab was a non-Israelite woman who belonged to a nation and race whom God appointed Israel to destroy as punishment for their sin. All odds were against her. She was a prostitute, a pagan who belonged to a nation bound for destruction, having no earlier promise that she will be spared. But when she heard of the God of Israel and realized that this God was the God of heaven and earth, she acted accordingly [no doubt prompted by the dictates of conscience] that it is but only right to spare the spies Israel sent in their land. The result: God spared her and became part of the elect nation. After that, for sure she must have heard of the coming Savior that will come to Israel through the Old Testament Scriptures through her Israelite friends, she trusted in Him and got saved, even becoming the great, great grandmother of the Lord Jesus Christ, Savior Himself!!!!!!
God has given us conscience and creation. Creation proves that He exists. Conscience gives us a sense of right and wrong. If God sees you faithful to the dictates of your conscience [no matter what religion and race you maybe in] He will take the responsibility to reveal to you the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ because you have been faithful to the light He has given. He who is faithful with little will be faithful with much. How about you my friend? You have heard this message of salvation a million times over in God's Providence
"Christ died for your sins and resurrected again"
Question is: Does that message mean everything to you? Or is it just a sleeping pill that is effective to rock you to sleep? Have you any desire to come to Christ or are you content with sin in your life?
How are people saved in the Old Testament [before Christ came and died on the cross] and in the New Testament [after He came and died on the cross for our sins]?
Heb 10:12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right of God,
The basis and the ground of salvation from Adam to the last human beings in the last day is the saving work of Christ on the cross. The Old Testament saints looked forward to the Coming Redeemer while the New Testament saints [after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ] looked backward to it in saving faith.
-----Abraham---Moses-------B.C.> Saving work of Christ on the cross <A.D.-------------2007
Notice the verse above I quoted. The word "forever" in bold in the original is also a word that can be rendered "FOR ALL TIME" Christ offered a sacrifice that avails for ALL TIME. In fact the New International Version has it translated:
Heb. 10:12 But when this priest [referring to the Lord Jesus] had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.
His saving work on the cross has a retroactive and proactive effect. Are the past ages prior to the Crucifixion of Christ part of Time? yes. Are the ages after the crucifixion of Christ part of Time? yes. The verse above tells us that His one sacrifice avails for all time [that is why it need not be repeated again and again]. The New Testament teaches that salvation in the Old Testament period is through faith in coming Savior:
2Ti 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Note above: when the New Testament mentions this word-----> "Scriptures" it almost always means the Old Testament Scriptures [of course for the New Testament was still in the process of being written at the time...only twice in the New Testament has this word ---> "Scriptures" used to refer to the New Testament].
Notice the aforementioned verse above. What can the Old Testament Scriptures do to us concerning salvation? They are able to make us wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Old Testament examples:
Moses
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
There are four things Moses did here by faith, what are they?
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he became of age,
1) refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
2) 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
3) 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt;
4) for he looked to the reward.
Moses knew of Christ way back then. That is the point
Abraham
Joh 8:56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."
The pronoun "My" here refers to the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. Here the Lord said that Abraham rejoiced to see His day. Abraham knew of Christ the Savior way back then. Salvation is faith in the Savior Jesus Christ whether in the Old Testament or in the New.
What about those who have never heard of the salvation of Christ?
If Christ is the only Savior, then what about those people who have never heard of Him? Those people before He came and those people who lived in this world after He came but never came to hear about His salvation, are they doomed forever?
God has given all man light and revelation. He has given all man Creation to testify of His might and eternal power. He has also given all conscience, giving them a sense of right and wrong. [Israel, He has given three: Creation, Conscience and Law].
With these, man can either do two things: a) he can reject that light by not seeking God or b) man can be faithful to that light and revelation by seeking God. Doing the former would ultimately result in judgment while taking the course of the latter would mean further light and revelation from God. God would then send to him the knowledge of the good news of Christ's salvation. Believing it, he would be saved.
A wealthy widow was once passing by a street when she saw an old, bedraggled, poverty stricken fellow lying on the street. Engulfed by compassion, she handed him a crisp 100 dollar bill. She wanted to give him more but she wanted to see what he will do with the money. To her dismay, the poor man spend the money on drugs and liquor. Knowing that the man would not be wise and faithful if she would give him more, she dropped the idea of giving him a thousand grand. He who is faithful with litttle, will be faithful with much.
Romans 1:20 tells us that those people who do not have fuller knowledge of God [as the Jews have] are without excuse. For Creation is revelation enough to prove to him that God exist. He should have followed the proddings of his conscience to seek this one true God who is the creator of all things. He should have remained faithful and true to the dictates of his conscience [no matter how small that guidance maybe]. He, even though without the law of Moses, is fully aware that he has done wrong in his life since he has some degree knowledge of right and wrong through his conscience. Any man on earth who seeks God will certainly find Him. God looks down from heaven to see if there is any man seeking Him, a man who is faithful to the light He has given.
What matters is a seeking heart. For even if you live in a country where the gospel is preached day in and day out, but, if your heart is not seeking God, the gospel will be nothing to you even if Providence allows you to hear it every day. The native aborigine in the center of the jungle of the continent of Africa, if he is not faithful to the light {Creation and Conscience} God has given him by not seeking Him, the gospel will be of no use to him even if a missionary might happen to slip in there. His hearing the gospel and not believing in it will only result to a greater judgment. The missionary fulfilled his responsibility; he on the other hand, did not. To know truths from God {especially the saving truth of God in Christ} is a privilege that calls for our responsibility that not believing in the Gospel is disobedience to it {2Th 1:8, 1Pe 4:17}].
He who is faithful with little revelation about God will be faithful with the Gospel of Salvation.
Cornelius [a non-Israelite] was a man who was faithful to the light he had from God, that he lived accordingly to the light given him. He sought God and he found God in Christ through Peter. God sent Peter to him and he heard of the good news of salvation in Christ, trusted in Christ and got saved.
The wise men who were geographically more remote than the Jews who lived in Israel themselves, found Christ. While the Jews who lived in Israel complete with their Scriptures, with there “Doctors of Theology” did not find Him. Many years later, they even crucified Him.
Rahab was a non-Israelite woman who belonged to a nation and race whom God appointed Israel to destroy as punishment for their sin. All odds were against her. She was a prostitute, a pagan who belonged to a nation bound for destruction, having no earlier promise that she will be spared. But when she heard of the God of Israel and realized that this God was the God of heaven and earth, she acted accordingly [no doubt prompted by the dictates of conscience] that it is but only right to spare the spies Israel sent in their land. The result: God spared her and became part of the elect nation. After that, for sure she must have heard of the coming Savior that will come to Israel through the Old Testament Scriptures through her Israelite friends, she trusted in Him and got saved, even becoming the great, great grandmother of the Lord Jesus Christ, Savior Himself!!!!!!
God has given us conscience and creation. Creation proves that He exists. Conscience gives us a sense of right and wrong. If God sees you faithful to the dictates of your conscience [no matter what religion and race you maybe in] He will take the responsibility to reveal to you the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ because you have been faithful to the light He has given. He who is faithful with little will be faithful with much. How about you my friend? You have heard this message of salvation a million times over in God's Providence
"Christ died for your sins and resurrected again"
Question is: Does that message mean everything to you? Or is it just a sleeping pill that is effective to rock you to sleep? Have you any desire to come to Christ or are you content with sin in your life?