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Brother Love
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« on: October 12, 2004, 05:19:19 AM » |
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Salvation Under the Dispensation of Law
No doubt you have heard the saying, "people were saved under the Law by looking forward to the cross and people today are saved by looking back to the cross." This is the standard teaching of most Christians. However, it is obvious that many Christians do not read the Bible and those who do, leave us with the impression that they have not paid attention to what they read. Proof of what we have just said is evident, in spite of the fact that Christians have been reading the following Bible verses for years.
The Twelve Disciples were not saved by their faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. This fact is abundantly clear throughout the four gospels. "Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. [32]For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: [33] And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. [34] And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken." Luke 18:31-34
The above text says that the disciples did not have the slightest idea that Jesus Christ was going to die. The text says, "they understood none of these things" It further says, "this saying was hid from them" It adds emphasis by saying that "neither knew they the things which were spoken."
Peter was not looking toward the cross for salvation. He was horrified at the very idea that Jesus might die. Listen to the stern rebuke Jesus gives Peter on this matter. "But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." Matthew 16:23. The following text from John’s gospel will explain why no one believed that Jesus was going to die and then be resurrected from among the dead. "The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?" John 12:34. Take a long look at that text and you will understand the problem.
Not only did they not believe in His coming death, neither did they believe in the report of His bodily resurrection. This proves that they were not expecting, nor looking forward to it. "And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. 14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen." Mark 16:13-14.
With the above proof, a man would have to be dishonest to insist that people before the cross looked forward by faith to the cross for salvation. Even an unsaved man can understand that the Twelve Disciples did not believe in the coming death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Furthermore, to teach that Old Testament saints look forward to the cross for salvation is to relegate the Disciples to an unsaved position while they preached the gospel of the Kingdom. That is unthinkable. Notice in Luke 4 that Jesus preached the gospel. The gospel preached by Jesus and the Twelve did not contain one word about His death, burial and resurrection. (See Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 11:5; 24:14; 26:13; Mark 1:1, 14-15; 13:10; 14:9; 16:15. Luke 4:18; 7:22; 9:6; 20:1.) The most difficult thing in the world is for a born again man, who has defended the false idea that there is only one gospel in the whole Bible, to admit he was wrong and accept the fact that there are several gospels throughout the Word of God! The verses above are clear that Jesus and John the Baptist preached a gospel. Also, Jesus commissioned His Twelve and sent them to go and preach the gospel of the Kingdom. But the irrefutable truth is that that gospel did not contain ONE WORD ABOUT THE DEATH BURRIAL OR RESURRECTION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!
It is true that faith is required for salvation in every dispensation. However, the object of that faith is not always the same. It is different in practically every dispensation. The blood of Jesus Christ has always been, and ever will be, the basis of salvation. However, His blood was not the object of the believer’s faith in other dispensations. THEY DIDN’T BELIEVE HE WAS GOING TO DIE!
Some make much ado about the statement that Abraham was counted righteous before the law or before he was ever circumcised. Paul uses that fact as a type of our salvation. We must keep in mind that Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God. We are told that it was because Abraham believed God he was counted righteous. If one is unclear about what it was Abraham believed, the following will clear it up. "And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. [6] And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness." Genesis 15:5-6.
Paul uses this as an illustration. It by no means suggests that Abraham believed what we are required to believe today for salvation, or that Christ’s righteousness was imputed to him. That which we must believe in order to have Christ’s righteousness imputed to us is clear. But what was it that he said to Abraham? What was his "plan of salvation"? Was it in the stars?
David’s comment in Psalm 32:2, "Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile" is also used to illustrate imputation. Certainly this text is not a commentary on how men were saved under Law. Paul simply used David’s use of the word "imputeth" to illustrate what he, himself, meant by the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to believers under grace. Paul took this liberty with many Old Testament Scriptures. Nothing is imputed to anyone in Psalm 32:1-2. An example of Paul "taking a text out of context" to illustrate or apply a point is found in Romans 10:13. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." This is a Tribulation text quoted from Joel 2:32 and speaks of the Remnant of Jews who will be saved from the Antichrist and his armies. "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call."
Therefore, David is not speaking of the plan of eternal salvation in Psalm 32 when he speaks of the blessings of those whose iniquities were not imputed to them. Neither is he speaking of Christ’s righteousness being imputed to anyone. There are many examples in the Old Testament where the nation of Israel’s and certain men’s iniquities were not imputed to them. Abijam reigned over Jerusalem and was exceedingly wicked. However, his iniquities were not imputed to him for his father David’s sake. (1Kings 15:1-6) David, himself, could be the "blessed man" of this Psalm because his sin of adultery and murder was not imputed to him. Otherwise David would have been put to death. He was guilty of adultery and murder. We find that his sin was "put away" by God and it was not imputed to him. (2 Samuel 12:13) In addition, Solomon’s sins were no imputed to him. Judgment was withheld for David’s sake.
There are a couple of other observations in the statement by David which we should note. David speaks of "the man" whose iniquities are not imputed, as one "in whose spirit there is no guile." Doctrinally, this "man" is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
David also speaks of the blessed man as one "whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." This is Old Testament terminology. It is noteworthy that the sins of saints in the Old Testament were "covered." They were "covered" under the Law because the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ had not been shed on the cross. His blood takes sin away forever. They are not covered. Paul never speaks of the believers’ sins being covered.
End of Part 1
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