B-A-C
Loyal
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2008
- Messages
- 12,067
For those of us who have been around the church and teachings for many many years, I think we sometimes forget the basics.
Sometimes we take for granted "all Christians know this stuff". Sometimes I am reminded... maybe they don't.
I was recently asked about the saints of the old testament, Isaac, Abraham, David, etc.... are they in heaven? (this isn't a discussion about heaven, you know what they mean here)
How did they get saved without Jesus?
The quick and short answer is.... they didn't.
But Jesus isn't mentioned in the old testament, is He? Well of course... Jesus is everywhere in the old testament if you know where to look.
There is another discussion about whether those people went to heaven immediately or were held in "Abraham's Bosom (Paradise)" until Jesus came to set them free.
But this thread isn't about that either. The question is... did they get saved without Jesus?
Sometimes it's obvious...
When Abraham was going sacrifice Isaac, his only son whom he loved, we are reminded of another Father who sacrificed His only Son whom He loved.
Now in the story of Abraham and Isaac, God provided a ram, a sacrifice for them to use. In the new testament, God provided a lamb, a sacrifice.
When the Jews were wandering around the wilderness for 40 years, God provided them with a type of bread called Manna, and He provided water for them.
Jesus said He was the bread of life, and the water of life.
When Meshach, Shadrach and Abednigo were cast into the fiery furnace, people saw four men in the furnace, not just three. And the fourth was "like the Son of God".
But more to the point... In the old testament people killed animals as a sacrifice to atone for their sins, they also used this blood over their doors for the passover.
Yet in the book of Hebrews it says the blood of animals can never take away our sins. Why then.. did they do this?
Because this was a symbol of Jesus's blood. The people of the old testament believed a Messiah was coming, they believed a Savior was coming.
When Jesus finally was crucified... I like the word "sacrificed" better here... because it tells the reason Jesus was crucified He didn't die for nothing.
All of the people of the old testament that believed God would save them. Their faith was counted as righteousness, their obedience to offering sacrifices
for their sins, was counted the same as Jesus's sacrifice and blood for atonement for them as well as us.
Sometimes we take for granted "all Christians know this stuff". Sometimes I am reminded... maybe they don't.
I was recently asked about the saints of the old testament, Isaac, Abraham, David, etc.... are they in heaven? (this isn't a discussion about heaven, you know what they mean here)
How did they get saved without Jesus?
The quick and short answer is.... they didn't.
But Jesus isn't mentioned in the old testament, is He? Well of course... Jesus is everywhere in the old testament if you know where to look.
There is another discussion about whether those people went to heaven immediately or were held in "Abraham's Bosom (Paradise)" until Jesus came to set them free.
But this thread isn't about that either. The question is... did they get saved without Jesus?
Sometimes it's obvious...
When Abraham was going sacrifice Isaac, his only son whom he loved, we are reminded of another Father who sacrificed His only Son whom He loved.
Now in the story of Abraham and Isaac, God provided a ram, a sacrifice for them to use. In the new testament, God provided a lamb, a sacrifice.
When the Jews were wandering around the wilderness for 40 years, God provided them with a type of bread called Manna, and He provided water for them.
Jesus said He was the bread of life, and the water of life.
When Meshach, Shadrach and Abednigo were cast into the fiery furnace, people saw four men in the furnace, not just three. And the fourth was "like the Son of God".
But more to the point... In the old testament people killed animals as a sacrifice to atone for their sins, they also used this blood over their doors for the passover.
Yet in the book of Hebrews it says the blood of animals can never take away our sins. Why then.. did they do this?
Because this was a symbol of Jesus's blood. The people of the old testament believed a Messiah was coming, they believed a Savior was coming.
When Jesus finally was crucified... I like the word "sacrificed" better here... because it tells the reason Jesus was crucified He didn't die for nothing.
All of the people of the old testament that believed God would save them. Their faith was counted as righteousness, their obedience to offering sacrifices
for their sins, was counted the same as Jesus's sacrifice and blood for atonement for them as well as us.
