No one could get saved (Born again) untill Jesus died, Rom 5: 8--10. 2 Cor 5: 19.
And rose again, 1 Cor 15: 17--22.
saved1975 is real close to my train of thought here.
I thought that the Kingdom of God is something that we are waiting for, something that has not happened yet...
How did they get where? The Kingdom of God is to come.
Where does it say that "no man has hear God"?
Simona, I believe the Kingdom of God arrived with Christ. He told the woman at the well "the time cometh and
now is...."
Yes, by faith through grace...never by law.
Heb. 11
cross is close also.
All of you had some good things to say, but I will admit, it is a loaded question. Abraham got saved by faith. That is really where I am going. I got started on this by a discussion I had where I told hiz to think about how close he was to blaspheming the Holy Ghost by calling Paul saul.
Now of course there are many saints from the old testament going to heaven, but they didn't get saved in the same manner as we do in the new testament.
I want you all to think, and think seriously about this. The new testament, the new covenant, was ushered in by the Holy Ghost. The Spirit impregnated Mary, brought us Christ, inspired holy men to write down God's words, and on and on. This is a new testament. The old is done away.
I submit to you this: Any clinging to the old testament as a form of commandment is rejecting the work of the Spirit. Calling Paul, for instance, Saul, is rejecting the work that the Spirit wrought in Paul. Paul was never called Saul again. The new man was Paul. Paul himself rejected the old saul and proclaimed the new man, Paul. If one clings to law, whether it is one or all, one is rejecting the work of the Spirit. That is blasphemy of the Holy Ghost, my friends. This is a new contract with God that He gave us by His spirit, and when we refuse it we blaspheme His spirit. Think about what I am saying. When you say we must obey old testament commandments, when the new covenant clearly refutes that,
you are saying what the Spirit brought isn't good enough for you and you must fall back on the old directives for salvation.
If you bring your car to me and ask me to fix it, and ask what it will take, when I tell you you say that won't do it, that you have to have another method to get it fixed, what do you tell me by such actions? Do you think I am going to help you? I will consider your words to be spitting in my face.
That is what you do to the Spirit. It was prophesied that Christ would come, but He wasn't Christ until He was born physically. Yet there are those among us that want to call Christ by a hebrew name. The Holy Ghost brought Christ to us, and His name, given by the Holy Ghost isn't good enough for you?
Really?
Tell me those of you to whom this applies,
just who/what will be good enough for you to accept when he brings God's plan to fruition?
I sincerely hope this gives all of us pause...something to think about and reflect on. We live in the new covenant days and salvation is obtained thru regeneration made possible by the Holy Ghost. Christ is the only way to heaven, and the Holy Ghost brought Him. He is named Jesus Christ and that is a great name in my world, how about you?
Hebrews 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
Do you really want to use a covenant that wasn't perfect when a perfect one is at the end of your nose? Well, do you?