We need to start with the “big-picture” of salvation in the Old Testament. Then we’ll look at a few places—particularly in Romans—that speak directly to the question of salvation prior to Christ’s coming. Once we do this, the popular but heretical answers that people were “saved by their works” or “saved by animal sacrifices” can be rejected. We’ll hopefully realize that there’s a lot more grace in the Old Testament than is usually realized!
1. BACKGROUND:
Of course, prior to the fall, the means by which people were “saved” was by perfect obedience to the law of God—though it’s not really salvation, since there was not yet guilt or sin from which to be “saved”. The standard was passing the test about not eating the forbidden fruit—a test that Adam failed.
In a sense, this same standard applies for all time. God never lowered his standard—only those who are blameless in his eyes can enter his presence. What he’s done—rather than lowering his standard of perfection—is to fulfill that standard for us in the life and death of Jesus, our substitute. Through faith, we receive Christ’s righteousness, just as he receives our guilt—which he is punished for (atones for) on the cross. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us” (2 Cor 5:21).
2. Old Testament SALVATION—THE COVENANT
Salvation in the Old Testament isn’t discussed primarily in terms of “going to heaven”— but in terms of belonging to God” as his people. This is true of the New Testament, too—heaven is mentioned, but union with Christ is mentioned almost 200 times just in Paul’s letters.
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