Time Travel Theology

[Deacon]

Van, I ask your pardon because I am ignorant of your concept of "spiritual time".

Now the bone of contention is whether we should use the term "justified" when OT saints gain approval through "live faith." Or, the alternate view, should we reserve the term "justified" to only refer to those washed by the shed (past tense) blood of Christ. This alternate view is the one I advocate. I believe where we see translations use the term justified for OT Saints, that the translation should read "acted righteously" or "self proclaimed righteousness" Thus we do not use the term "justified" to mean two very different things, which creates confusion.

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Romans 4:3 NASB
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

Hebrews 11:1–2 NASB
Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. For by it the people of old gained approval.

Hebrews 10:11-14 NASB
Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.


Hebrews 10:11-14 NASB
Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.

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"The Scriptures were written in a human or social environment and its analogies are drawn from that environment. When we learn the content of that environment we can know the meaning of the revealed analogy.
Through such accommodation the truth of God can get through to man and be a meaningful revelation. Stated another way, revelation must have an anthropomorphic character.
Bernard Ramm, Protestant Biblical Interpretation: A Textbook of Hermeneutics, Third Revised Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1970), 99."​

Discussions of time relating to God's justification of humans are simply an accommodation to our perceptions.

Read Romans 3:21-26 with that in mind.

But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in God’s merciful restraint He let the sins previously committed go unpunished; for the demonstration, that is, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. NASB​

Rob