Numerous religious beliefs attempt to explain how one can establish a meaningful relationship with God. Essential to the Christian faith are two unique teachings: 1) each person is born with a sinful nature that separates him or her from God; and 2) God provides an avenue of redemption that can only be found through faith.
As believers, we know our faith is expressed in belief in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as atonement for our sin. In the Old Testament era there were various views as to the role of faith and works in attaining a redemptive relationship with God.
Why do we find so much comfort and help through the study of the Old Testament scriptures if in fact the authors were saved on a different basis than we are? If they were saved by works, then how can we relate to them? The truth is that Hebrews 11 clearly teaches that those who lived before the advent of Christ were saved by faith and received their salvation because of God’s grace.
The continuity throughout God’s dealings with humanity is grace and faith, apart from which there is no salvation. While those before Christ could not understand his death and resurrection, they did understand what God asked of them, that they express their faith through obeying his decrees.
In the Gospels, a ‘new idolatry’ has replaced the worship of physical idols. Now there is worship of the Law while the heart is far from the giver of the Law, God. The journey to this misunderstanding is told in the Old Testament and it is through this journey we come to appreciate the continuities and progressive revelations of God’s plan of salvation, which includes each of us. All the Old Testament is for our reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, with the goal of being equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
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