Did Old Testament Law save in Old Testament times?

[Cix]

In old testament times, could one have been saved by the law?

In my opinion, the answer is no. And I have always thought it to be no since I was saved over 2 years ago. However, a well respected interim Pastor started doing Bible studies and he said that the Law had 3 parts to it?? Does anyone know about this? He was teaching in the book of Leviticus.

 

[yeshua4me2]

civil law, ceremonial law, moral law


the point of the law (moral)was to show God's righteousness, and man's unrighteousness. but this turned into keeping the law for righteousness.

the point of the ceremonial law was repentence, and the looking forward to salvation. but this turned into ceremonies for salvation.

the point of civil law was the smooth running of the govt.

thankyou and God Bless

 

[OldRegular]

Originally posted by Cix:
In old testament times, could one have been saved by the law?

Romans 3:20-28
20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22. Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
27. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

 

[yeshua4me2]

amen OldReg

 

[Paul of Eugene]

They were all saved by Faith, not by the law, any reader of Hebrews 6 knows that . ..

 

[Helen]

In agreement with the above.

In Romans 7:7 Paul says he would not have known what sin was apart from the law. The purpose of the law was to expose us to ourselves as sinful creatures. Since it is impossible to obey the law fully on our own, there is no one who could possibly have been saved by the law.

However because Christ, and only Christ, fulfilled the law, the only way of salvation is through Him. What about in the Old Testament? They knew the Promise of God. Even Job, in the earliest completed book of the OT stated,

"I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
I myself will see him
with my own eyes -- I and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!"

The Redeemer is Christ. Those who believed in the Promise of God before Christ and in Jesus after the Incarnation are all saved through faith in Christ.

 

[Humblesmith]

The statements here are correct. OldReg rightly pointed out that scripture states that we cannot be saved by keeping the law.

The part about dividing the law into moral, civil, ceremonial is a nice way to explain it, and it is generally OK to teach this, as long as we don't go too far with it. The problem is that if you read Exodus, Leviticus, and Dueteronomy, where the law is spelled out, it's not divided that way. And some of the individual laws can fall under more than one category.

For example, marrying your brother's widow was a civil requirement, to keep the land owned by nationals, but was also a moral issue, to take care of widows. Removing the fat from an animal sacrifice was part of the ceremony, but not eating fat has many human health benefits, which is not cermonial.

As I said, no huge disagreement with the common way to divide it, as long as we realize that there are gray areas about all this.

 

[TexasSky]

Acts 13:39 (NIV)

Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

 

[PastorSBC1303]

The Law of the OT was/is not about salvation, but rather sanctification.

 

[TexasSky]

Wondering if that was directed to me or to others. If to me, I posted the verse in Acts as evidence that the law couldn't save.

 

[PastorSBC1303]

Originally posted by TexasSky:
Wondering if that was directed to me or to others. If to me, I posted the verse in Acts as evidence that the law couldn't save.

It was posted as an answer to the overall question, not directed to you.

 

[TexasSky]

SBC, Thank you.

When I saw your post, I thought, "Oh my! Maybe I should have been more clear."

 

[greek geek]

salvation has always been BY GRACE through faith. (it is never about us...even though we like to think so or at least talk like it is.)

Both before and after Christ salvation is rooted in grace (Romans 4:16). The law was what condemned (Romans 3:20)...it showed the need for salvation.

“The basis of salvation in every age is the death of Christ. The requirement for salvation in every age is faith; the object of faith in every age is God; the content of faith changes in the various dispensations.”
—Charles Ryrie

...meaning that the way of salvation does not change but that the people in the OT could not "trust Jesus" since they had no clue who He was.

 

[yeshua4me2]

you're right about the "divisions in law" are only a simple way of explaining it (Christ completed the Whole Law) and now we live under "The Law of The Spirit of Life in Christ" (1648 imparatives in the new testament...ie Laws).

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death

thankyou and God Bless

 

[Artimaeus]

Originally posted by yeshua4me2:
and now we live under "The Law of The Spirit of Life in Christ" (1648 imparatives in the new testament...ie Laws).

Gal 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

If there had been...there wasn't, there isn't, there never will be. Keeping the Law of Moses was impossible and could never bring righteousness. Substituting 1648 laws (I am not saying you are doing this but some do) is still not something we can keep and become righteous.

 

[exscentric]

"I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that in the end he will stand upon the earth.
And after my skin has been destroyed,
yet in my flesh I will see God;
I myself will see him
with my own eyes -- I and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!"

"The Redeemer is Christ. "

I would suggest a good translation, like the ASV and read the whole book as quickly as possible in one setting, without this preconception, and see if you don't disagree with yourself.

 

[yeshua4me2]

ooh you're right that certianly came out that way, was not meant to be the way of salvation, just that there are 1648 imparatives in the NT, oops sorry bout that.