One of the most important things about right division is that it enables us to understand and clearly present the only gospel by which sinners are saved in this present age (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Yet, one of the biggest problems that people have with right division concerns the issue of salvation in different ages because the common and traditional view is that salvation is the same for all people in all ages. Most professing Christians believe there is only one gospel in the Bible, not because they personally studied the matter, but because that is what they have always heard.
The common cliché is that "People in the Old Testament were saved by looking toward the cross and people in the New Testament are saved by looking back to the cross." How can that be true when the twelve apostles weren't even looking toward the cross! The fact that they had been preaching the gospel (Lk. 9:1-6) for three years BEFORE Christ began to speak to them about His death, burial, and resurrection, and that they did not understand or believe it (Lk. 18:31-34), PROVES that there are different gospels in the Bible.
There is much confusion on this issue, and I have to say that some of the blame is to be laid at the feet of dispensational teachers who make it sound like salvation is by works in other dispensations. God has never and will never accept the works of sinful flesh (Jn. 6:63; Rom. 7:18; 8:8).
I am going to give you five points that I hope will help you to better understand the dispensational truth of the word of God concerning salvation.
1. The basis of salvation in every age is the blood of Christ.
The death and resurrection of Christ is the only basis upon which God can save a sinner in any age. It was planned before the world began and prophesied in the OT. However, it was not understood or preached as good news until after it was accomplished (1 Cor. 2:8). Its full meaning was a mystery revealed through Paul’s gospel (Gal. 1:11-12). The cross-work of Christ is the secret to God’s dealings with sinners in every age, but it was not fully revealed until this present age. By faith, the OT saints obeyed the commandments of the law and brought the required sacrifices for their sins. Through forbearance God allowed the blood of bulls and of goats (that cannot take away sins, Heb. 10:4) to cover sins because He knew the blood of Christ would be shed for the remission of sins (Rom. 3:25).
2. The condition for salvation in every age is essentially faith.
Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). The eleventh chapter of Hebrews demonstrates that men before the law and under the law obtained a good report from God by faith. Why did God accept the sacrifice of Abel? He brought it by faith (Heb. 11:4).
3. The object of faith in every age is the word of God.
Faith is not just believing. Everybody believes in something, but not everybody has faith (2 Thess. 3:2). Faith is believing the word of God (Rom. 4:3-5; 10:17).
4. The content of faith is not the same in every age because God has not given man the same message in every age.
God has not always told men not to do any works but to simply trust the finished work of Christ alone for salvation as He does in this age (Rom. 4:5). In time past, He required works of men to prove their faith, and He will do so again after this age. If God requires works, real faith will seek to do those works (Jam. 2:14-26), but the works in and of themselves have never and will never save a sinner. A man’s faith must be proven. Why doesn’t God require us to do works to prove our faith in this age? We are justified by "the faith of Christ" (Gal. 2:16; 3:22-23) and His faith is perfect and proven!
The word “gospel” means good news from God. As good as God is, do you really think that he has only had one message of good news throughout the ages? For example, here are four gospel messages in the Bible that are not the same gospel we are to preach in this age:
1.) Preached to Abraham (Gal. 3:8)
2.) Preached to Israel in the wilderness (Heb. 3:7-4:2)
3.) Kingdom (Matt. 4:23; 24:14)
4.) Everlasting (Rev. 14:6-7)
5. The results of faith are not the same in every age because God has not given believers in every age the same position, blessings, and destiny. There is doctrine revealed in Paul’s epistles concerning the position, blessings, and destiny of the Body of Christ that we do not find in the OT, Gospels, or Hebrews through Revelation and we must not try to force things that are different to be the same. This information is only found in Paul’s epistles because he is the one to whom the glorified Christ from Heaven revealed it. Christ committed these truths to Paul to make it known. Our position as members of the Body of Christ means that nothing can separate us from the love of God (compare Rom. 8:35-39 with John 15:10 and Jude 21). We are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13) and therefore would never have to pray, "take not thy holy spirit from me" as David did (Ps. 51:11). The Spirit of the Lord will never depart from us as He did from King Saul (compare 1 Sam. 16:14 with Eph. 4:30). We are never told to endure unto the end (Matt. 24:13), but rather that Christ will confirm us unto the end (1 Cor. 1:8). Our blessings are spiritual and in heavenly places (Eph. 1:3), not material blessings on earth (Deut. 28). We did not obtain our blessings by keeping the commandments of the law but by being in Christ. The Body of Christ is destined to reign with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6-7). It is Israel that is destined to reign on the earth (Ex. 19:5-6; Rev. 5:10).
The common cliché is that "People in the Old Testament were saved by looking toward the cross and people in the New Testament are saved by looking back to the cross." How can that be true when the twelve apostles weren't even looking toward the cross! The fact that they had been preaching the gospel (Lk. 9:1-6) for three years BEFORE Christ began to speak to them about His death, burial, and resurrection, and that they did not understand or believe it (Lk. 18:31-34), PROVES that there are different gospels in the Bible.
There is much confusion on this issue, and I have to say that some of the blame is to be laid at the feet of dispensational teachers who make it sound like salvation is by works in other dispensations. God has never and will never accept the works of sinful flesh (Jn. 6:63; Rom. 7:18; 8:8).
I am going to give you five points that I hope will help you to better understand the dispensational truth of the word of God concerning salvation.
1. The basis of salvation in every age is the blood of Christ.
The death and resurrection of Christ is the only basis upon which God can save a sinner in any age. It was planned before the world began and prophesied in the OT. However, it was not understood or preached as good news until after it was accomplished (1 Cor. 2:8). Its full meaning was a mystery revealed through Paul’s gospel (Gal. 1:11-12). The cross-work of Christ is the secret to God’s dealings with sinners in every age, but it was not fully revealed until this present age. By faith, the OT saints obeyed the commandments of the law and brought the required sacrifices for their sins. Through forbearance God allowed the blood of bulls and of goats (that cannot take away sins, Heb. 10:4) to cover sins because He knew the blood of Christ would be shed for the remission of sins (Rom. 3:25).
2. The condition for salvation in every age is essentially faith.
Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6). The eleventh chapter of Hebrews demonstrates that men before the law and under the law obtained a good report from God by faith. Why did God accept the sacrifice of Abel? He brought it by faith (Heb. 11:4).
3. The object of faith in every age is the word of God.
Faith is not just believing. Everybody believes in something, but not everybody has faith (2 Thess. 3:2). Faith is believing the word of God (Rom. 4:3-5; 10:17).
4. The content of faith is not the same in every age because God has not given man the same message in every age.
God has not always told men not to do any works but to simply trust the finished work of Christ alone for salvation as He does in this age (Rom. 4:5). In time past, He required works of men to prove their faith, and He will do so again after this age. If God requires works, real faith will seek to do those works (Jam. 2:14-26), but the works in and of themselves have never and will never save a sinner. A man’s faith must be proven. Why doesn’t God require us to do works to prove our faith in this age? We are justified by "the faith of Christ" (Gal. 2:16; 3:22-23) and His faith is perfect and proven!
The word “gospel” means good news from God. As good as God is, do you really think that he has only had one message of good news throughout the ages? For example, here are four gospel messages in the Bible that are not the same gospel we are to preach in this age:
1.) Preached to Abraham (Gal. 3:8)
2.) Preached to Israel in the wilderness (Heb. 3:7-4:2)
3.) Kingdom (Matt. 4:23; 24:14)
4.) Everlasting (Rev. 14:6-7)
5. The results of faith are not the same in every age because God has not given believers in every age the same position, blessings, and destiny. There is doctrine revealed in Paul’s epistles concerning the position, blessings, and destiny of the Body of Christ that we do not find in the OT, Gospels, or Hebrews through Revelation and we must not try to force things that are different to be the same. This information is only found in Paul’s epistles because he is the one to whom the glorified Christ from Heaven revealed it. Christ committed these truths to Paul to make it known. Our position as members of the Body of Christ means that nothing can separate us from the love of God (compare Rom. 8:35-39 with John 15:10 and Jude 21). We are sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13) and therefore would never have to pray, "take not thy holy spirit from me" as David did (Ps. 51:11). The Spirit of the Lord will never depart from us as He did from King Saul (compare 1 Sam. 16:14 with Eph. 4:30). We are never told to endure unto the end (Matt. 24:13), but rather that Christ will confirm us unto the end (1 Cor. 1:8). Our blessings are spiritual and in heavenly places (Eph. 1:3), not material blessings on earth (Deut. 28). We did not obtain our blessings by keeping the commandments of the law but by being in Christ. The Body of Christ is destined to reign with Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6-7). It is Israel that is destined to reign on the earth (Ex. 19:5-6; Rev. 5:10).
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