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This thread is in response to a quote I made in another thread as pertaining to the doing (works) of the Law in the Old Testament being the means of salvation for our ancient brothers, as compared to faith without works being the means of salvation in the New Testament for us. This is, by no means, meant to prove who is wrong or who is right. NOOOOOOOO!!!!! But, as the Lord leads, I only seek the Truth to be said and understood. Please, do not see this as a confrontation, but, in all possibilities, a means of undersatnding for all concerned.
My quote:
It was not impossible for Old Testament saints to keep the Law of Moses. In fact, it was required of them. Those of us from the New Testament look at passages such as Rom. 3:20, Gal. 3:10, James 2:10, and conclude that it was impossible for anyone to keep the whole Law of Ordinances and that the Law only pointed them to Christ. But, with an earnest desire to investigate Scripture, let us go and search out what is said concerning the Law of the Old Testament being the means by which our ancient brothers were saved.
We understand that Jesus' death upon the cross was a gracious act of God for us to obtain salvation by faith alone. In fact, the word 'cross' is nowheres to be found in the Old Testament and is not mentioned until Matthew 10:38. So this question must be asked, 'how were the Old Testament believers to look ahead to something that was not yet revealed, but remained the mystery of God until due time, and thus, knew nothing about?' They simply could not.
If salvation by faith was through God's grace enacted by Jesus Christ, then they of the Old Testament, having not yet received that everlasting sacrifice of Jesus, must have been saved not by faith in Christ, but by the deeds commanded by the Law. Under the Law, people were saved by keeping the law God gave them through Moses until Christ's death purchased their eternal redemption (the reason He went to Hades was to preach the Good News of their deliverance to those in Abraham's Bosom. That is, He delivered the saints of the Old Covenant, they who walked with Him upon the Earth after His resurrection).
Consider the following commands from God to those under the Law. Note that God expected Israel to keep His law ('shall' being a command of future action enacted upon one's self. Future Middle Voice Indicative = you shall cause yourselves to...).
When a person violated an ordinance of the Law, except for those of worthy of the death penality, there was a sacrifice available within the Law to atone for that infraction. Thus, when one broke a law, but then offered the proper sacrifice, he was keeping the law overall.
Scripture mentions that some of those in the Old Testament did keep the Law:
My quote:
Yes the same deliverance from comdemnation is offered in both Testaments, But, how to obtain that salvation is different. One was through constant sacrifice, the other with one everlasting sacrifice. One was under condemnation, the other under grace. One had the Law to guide, the other, the Spirit. One says salvation is based on your obedience to the Law, the other says that salvation is based on faith, and that not of your own accord, but was through a gracious act of God. Do we, therefore, obtain salvation through obedience of the physical flesh, or through obedience of the guidance of the Spirit, namely, faith? Do we have salvation through the flesh or through Christ?
Note: One = Law of Ordinances of the Old Testament. Other = The Law of the Spirit by Christ of the New Testament
It was not impossible for Old Testament saints to keep the Law of Moses. In fact, it was required of them. Those of us from the New Testament look at passages such as Rom. 3:20, Gal. 3:10, James 2:10, and conclude that it was impossible for anyone to keep the whole Law of Ordinances and that the Law only pointed them to Christ. But, with an earnest desire to investigate Scripture, let us go and search out what is said concerning the Law of the Old Testament being the means by which our ancient brothers were saved.
We understand that Jesus' death upon the cross was a gracious act of God for us to obtain salvation by faith alone. In fact, the word 'cross' is nowheres to be found in the Old Testament and is not mentioned until Matthew 10:38. So this question must be asked, 'how were the Old Testament believers to look ahead to something that was not yet revealed, but remained the mystery of God until due time, and thus, knew nothing about?' They simply could not.
If salvation by faith was through God's grace enacted by Jesus Christ, then they of the Old Testament, having not yet received that everlasting sacrifice of Jesus, must have been saved not by faith in Christ, but by the deeds commanded by the Law. Under the Law, people were saved by keeping the law God gave them through Moses until Christ's death purchased their eternal redemption (the reason He went to Hades was to preach the Good News of their deliverance to those in Abraham's Bosom. That is, He delivered the saints of the Old Covenant, they who walked with Him upon the Earth after His resurrection).
Consider the following commands from God to those under the Law. Note that God expected Israel to keep His law ('shall' being a command of future action enacted upon one's self. Future Middle Voice Indicative = you shall cause yourselves to...).
- You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you. (Deut. 6:17)
- And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: (Deut. 17:19)
- Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left; (Josh. 23:6)
- As well as these verses: Exodus 15:26, Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 4:6, 4:9, 6:1-2, 6:17, 11:13, 11:22, Joshua 1:8, 22:5, 1Kings 2:3, 1 Chroncicles 28:7-8, Psalms 119:4.
When a person violated an ordinance of the Law, except for those of worthy of the death penality, there was a sacrifice available within the Law to atone for that infraction. Thus, when one broke a law, but then offered the proper sacrifice, he was keeping the law overall.
Scripture mentions that some of those in the Old Testament did keep the Law:
- Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: (Josh. 22:2)
- And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so. (Judg. 2:17)
- David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes: (1 Kings 11:34)
- For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses. (2 Kings 18:6)
- I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law. (Psa. 119:55)