23/03/2009

Question - Are the OT Saints saved? And if so are they saved by Grace through Faith like us today?

Let think about a number of questions...(Go through them slowly thinking about each one).

Where the OT saints saved because they were children of Israel?
Or where they saved because they were redeemed from Egypt?
Where they saved because they were in Covenant with the Lord and under law?
Where they saved because they were circumcised?
Where they saved by their obedience to the law?
Where they saved from their enemies by the Judges and the Kings of Israel?
Where they saved by baptism unto repentance that John, Christ, the Apostle preached?
Or where they saved by becoming disciples of Christ?
Maybe they were saved by becoming apostles of Christ!

As you can see this is a much more complex question that it appears at first.


One of the oldest books of the Bible - the book of Job says this…

Job 19v25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Job had come to understand three important truths,

One, that His redeemer (Christ) will stand in resurrection at the latter day upon the earth.

Secondly, he says that though he will die and worms will eat his flesh yet – in his flesh – he will see God. In other words he is saying that l will be raised from the dead

Thirdly at that time l will see God (Christ). This l believe is the key to understanding this question.

All the OT Saints from Adam, Enoch, Noah Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel and John the Baptist were righteous before God. That is they kept the Law of the Lord as it was revealed to them. Their Faith in God led to Obedience and their obedience led to the testimony of God that they were Righteous.

Heb 11v1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

v4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. 5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

Their faith did not save them rather it led to obedience and that obedience led to the report that they were righteous.

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

They all obtained a good report through faith but did not receive the blessings of the promise.

Of course their righteousness did not save them as we know it as in being born again, but it did mean that God will on the day of the first resurrection will raise them from the dead to meet Christ in person and when they meet Christ in person God will bring them into the New Covenant. The New Covenant will be established to both the righteous resurrected and to the righteous mortal who live at that time.

Jer 31v31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Clearly all the righteous (both mortal an immortal of that day who meet Christ will be born again.

Rom 11v25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

So the ‘born again’ salvation experience of Israel is future and bound up with the personal appearance of Christ in which he takes away their sins forever and gives them a new heart.

the really amazing thing is that at this time, while Israel is in a state of LoAmmi God is his wisdom has declared that men do not stand before him on the basis of personal obedience to the law but rather they forsake all law keeping in order to come down from the hights of priveldge in order that God can deal with them in the gutter on the ground of faith.

Paul put it like this...

Phil 3v4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Paul did not dispise his Jewish breeding or heritage but in the present time these things disqualify him from Grace - So he places all the jewish stuff on the dunghill and takes his place with a gentile heathen that God might deal with him by Grace.

These are my thoughts up to this present time and l am sure that there is more for the Lord to reveal. i would appreciate your constructive comments.

The Grace of God be with you
Steve

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