How Were People Saved Before Christ?

How are people in the Old Testament saved?

1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts, and you can email us your question at questions at corechristianity.com. First up today, let's go to a voicemail we received from one of our listeners earlier this week. I have a question. I've been discussing this subject for quite a few days with certain people. It has to do with God's command in the Old Testament. Yes, it was the Canaanites and the Malachites when he gave the Israelites the command to go on and kill the women and the children and the infants. I would love it if you guys would address this question, because a lot of unbelievers have serious problems with it. They think that God was being unjust and even evil for giving such a command, and so I'm having a hard time trying to explain to him why God would do such a thing. Thanks, and God bless.

Hey, brother, thank you for that question. Well, the first text that I would want to go to is one in Genesis chapter 15, actually where God prophesied about this. He gave Abraham a word as he was entering into this covenant with him, and God is speaking to Abraham about the future of the nation of Israel, if you will, and he says to him, Know for certain this is Genesis 15, 13, that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for 400 years. But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterwards they shall come out with great possessions. Now, there Abraham is learning about the enslavement in Egypt, that period of suffering and slavery in Egypt. As for you, God said, you shall go to your fathers in peace, and you shall be buried in a good old age, and they shall come back here in the fourth generation, that is after this time period is complete, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. Now, the Amorites there is just basically stands for all of those nations that God called his people to dispossess when they entered into the land of Canaan, the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, so on and so forth, but essentially one of the things we see here is that God was long suffering toward those people, 400 years, and it was after 400 years of sin, of idolatry, of very wicked practices that God sent his people in to drive them out, and that's precisely what happens in the book of Joshua, the story of the Bible continues.

But one of the things you need to recognize is this is, one, not unjust. God is actually executing justice here. He is condemning these people, driving them out because of their wicked practices. Some of the things that the Canaanites did would just cause the hair on the back of your neck to stand up. They would sacrifice their very own children, burning them to various pagan deities. I mean, it was absolutely terrible, and the children of Israel, they're not coming out of Egypt as this mighty superpower that's just sort of displacing these weaker nations. They're actually the ones who have just been wandering, have just come out of slavery in Egypt, and now they're going in to drive out these pagan superpowers, if you will, these wicked nations by the grace of God. It isn't their military strength, it's the hand of the Lord. And another thing that some scholars have noted is that really where the children of Israel are attacking it, we're not thinking in particular about cities filled with women and children. These were military outposts that the children of Israel were attacking.

And so I think taking all of those things into account and realizing, one, this isn't the strong nation of Israel attacking weaker nations and driving them out. No, it's the children of the living God coming out of slavery, driving out these abusive pagan nations who are doing all sorts of terrible things. And it ultimately is a sign of God's final judgment. It's a picture of the final judgment. One day when Jesus returns, he's going to judge the whole world. And in one sense you have an intrusion of that judgment there in the land of Canaan. And so thank you for that question. I know that this is one that comes up oftentimes, and so I appreciate you asking. I call it the God is a meanie objection.

That comes up a lot, you know. They look at the Old Testament, that God is a meanie, why would I believe in him? And of course that's a misunderstanding of, as you said, God's justice, because he is a just God and he requires justice when there's injustice. Yeah, and certainly these were nations that were filled with injustice, with abuse of the weak and the vulnerable. And so really God is using his people here to come and to bring judgment.

And so there is nothing unjust about it. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, we'd love to hear from you. Our phone lines are open right now for the next 15 minutes or so, so hop on your phone and here's the number. That's 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. Here's a voicemail we received from one of our listeners named Patrick. My brother-in-law says he believes it's unfair that all the people who died before Jesus was born didn't have a chance for salvation.

I know there's lots of people in the Old Testament who are in heaven, but I don't know how to answer him or maybe explain how. That can be the case. Would love an answer. Thank you.

Yeah. That's a great question. I used to really struggle with this. As a newer believer, I remember thinking about the Old Testament and the New Testament and thinking, well, in the Old Testament, people were saved by obeying the law and by the sacrificial system and doing these things. It was sort of a works-based religion. And then in the New Testament, it was gray space. We're saved by faith in Jesus Christ. But that's really actually a confusion of what the Bible actually teaches because scripture makes it very clear that Old Testament believers were saved in the same way we're saved today. In fact, the apostle Paul talking about Abraham in Romans 4 makes it absolutely clear that Abraham, the patriarch, was saved by faith. Romans 4 verse 1, what shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather, according to the flesh. For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.

Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift, but as what is due. And to the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works. Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered.

Blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. And so Paul brings up these two examples of Abraham and David saying, look, they were saved by faith just like we're saved by faith today. They're justified by faith. Well, faith in what?

Faith in the promise of God. They actually had the gospel proclaimed to them, if you will, through the types and shadows of the Old Testament. You think of the sacrificial system, this picture of the need for the forgiveness of sins, the need for sacrificial blood, the temple, the priesthood, all of these things were signs pointing us forward to Jesus. And insofar as the children of Israel were looking forward to that gospel through these types and shadows, by faith, they were saved in the same way that we are. And so there's nothing unfair about it. Again, talking about God's fairness here.

No, they were justified by faith. And so I think you could point to this text in Romans chapter four. You could also point to a really neat text I think in Galatians chapter three.

Listen to what it says there. Galatians chapter three verse seven. Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham and the scripture for seeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham saying, and you shall all the nations be blessed. So then those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. Again, just the emphasis on faith and salvation justification by faith being something that even the Old Testament saints experienced.

And so they weren't left out from this. Thanks for that question. Great answer there, Adriel.

Thanks for that. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life, we would love to hear from you. It's 833-THE-CORE.

That's 1-833-843-2673. By the way, you can also email us your question at questions at corechristianity.com. Well, there's many fish stories in the Bible, and perhaps the biggest fish story is about a man named Jonah. We actually have a brand new Bible study that Adriel wrote himself on the book of Jonah. Yeah, it's a 10-week study through the book of Jonah, and we want to get into your hands for a donation of $20 or more. It really is just a wonderful book to study. It's not a very long book. I mean, you can sit down and read the entire book of Jonah in just a few minutes, but it packs such a powerful punch as we think about the grace of God towards people who don't deserve it, towards the Ninevites, towards us.

And so get ahold of this resource again. It's yours for a donation of $20 or more, a 10-week study through the book of Jonah. You can find it by going to corechristianity.com forward slash offers. That's corechristianity.com forward slash offers.

Look for the Bible study on the book of Jonah. Well, let's go to Don calling in from Kansas. Don, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Yeah, can you hear me?

Hey, I can hear you, Don. So Moses started the Passover lamb, but then when Christ has the last pass, there is no mention of the lamb there at all. Is that referring to the fact that he is the Passover lamb and there was only bread and wine, meaning communion, or is it just not mentioned that the lamb was also served?

Hey, Don. Well, I think it's just not mentioned, but the reality is when we think about the Passover in the Old Testament instituted in Exodus chapter 12, that meal, this Memorial Day as it's called in Exodus chapter 12 verse 14, that is a day of remembrance to look back on God's deliverance from Egypt. The Passover lamb is, as you're just talking about the types and shadows of the Old Testament, the Passover lamb is a picture of the atoning work of Jesus Christ. You think of what Moses commanded in verse 22 of Exodus 12.

Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. It's this picture of the blood of the lamb, if you will, delivering the people of God from death. And when we look at the New Testament, right, well you have in the beginning of John's gospel, right, John the Baptist says, behold, when he sees Jesus, the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. You also have the word of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 5.

Listen to what he says there. He says in verse 7, cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump as you really are unleavened for Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. And so I think you're 100% on the right path in terms of identifying Jesus as the Passover lamb, as our Passover lamb. And that's actually one of the things that we celebrate as a church every time we take the Lord's Supper. This is our quote unquote Passover meal as we remember the deliverance that God has wrought for us through the blood of his son, Jesus Christ, his son who said, take, drink, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. And it really is beautiful how when we open up the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, it's all pointing to this great reality, the forgiveness of sins through Jesus, the eternal son of God, the lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. Thanks for your question, Don. Amen. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Let's go to James who's calling from Florida.

James, what's your question? Yes. I was wondering if someone could explain to me. First Corinthians 739, which says the wife is bound by the law, as long as her husband, but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will only in the Lord. And what is God's take on men or being married to divorced women? Hey, brother, thank you for this question.

We got a similar question earlier this week. So the first thing is, right, according to Jesus, and also I think Paul in 1 Corinthians 7 a little bit earlier, there are some legitimate grounds for divorce, one being adultery. The adulterous affair can dissolve a legitimate marriage covenant. It doesn't mean that people have to get divorced if there's a situation of adultery, but that is, according to Jesus, a grounds for divorce. Also, earlier in 1 Corinthians 7, it seems to me like abandonment, if one spouse abandons the other, neglects their duties, if you will, by just completely abusing, abandoning their spouse. I mean, think of what Paul told Timothy. If a man doesn't care for his household for his own, he's denied the faith.

He's worse than an unbeliever. And so there are things that do dissolve a marriage, but then there are also people who just want to get a divorce for any reason. You think of the sort of no-fault divorce idea, and that's not right according to the scriptures. These people are still actually married, and that's what the Apostle Paul is getting at there in verse 39.

He's saying, look, you're still bound. If you're still married, you're still bound together as long as your husband is alive, but once your husband is dead, well, the marriage bond has been broken. You're no longer married. You're free to be married then, only in the Lord. So it just depends on what was the situation in terms of an individual who's divorced and is wanting to get remarried.

It depends on the situation. What was the reason for their having been divorced? Were they abandoned by their husband? Were they cheated on that kind of a thing?

If that was the case, then I would say yes, they're free to be remarried. But if it was just a situation where two people are married before God legitimately, but then they're thinking, I don't know about this, well, no, they're called to stick together and to continue to be faithful to that marriage covenant, James. So in our society today, it's tragic, but there just is a really low view of marriage, even within the church. And I think one of the things we need to recover is the beauty, the sacredness, if you will, of this marriage covenant that God has given to us in Scripture.

We need to have a high view of marriage for the sake of our witness to the world around us. And so I appreciate your question. And I think that's what the apostle Paul is getting at there in 1 Corinthians 7, verse 39. James, thanks so much for your call and for listening to Core Christianity. We really do appreciate it. By the way, we are going to be taking calls for the next half hour or so. After we finish our live program today, we're going to be recording an extra episode of Core Christianity. So if you haven't been able to get through with your question, feel free to give us a call here in the next 30 minutes or so. And again, the number 833-THE-CORE, 1-833-843-2673. You can also send us an email question at questions at corechristianity.com.

Here's one from one of our listeners named Andrew. He says, Is the makeup of man a dualism of body and soul or are the body and soul one and the same? I ask this question because I'd like to know how to best help my dad who has various mental illnesses diagnosed by his doctor. He has PTSD, bipolar disorder and OCD. Should my dad just take his medication or does he need to repent or both? What's the relationship between his body or mind and his spiritual side? Maybe the reason for his mental illness is sin.

I just want to know how to best help him. Yeah, great question. I definitely want to get your thoughts on this as well, Bill. First, you know, usually when we use that word dualism, we're thinking of two things that are opposed to each other, sort of dualistic view of the world and of the body. And there were people in the ancient world and even today who had this sort of view that the body is bad, physical is bad, spirit is good. You can even see this in the church to some extent. But that's not true at all. The body and the soul are not opposed to each other and they are, we would say, distinct.

We're not talking about the exact same thing. When we die, our bodies go down into the ground and our spirits, if you will, are in the presence of the Lord. We refer to that as the intermediate state, but the body is good. That's why Christ assumed humanity to redeem our bodies because God loves creation, what he made, the body even. And so even to raise our bodies from the dead. But it does highlight the fact that when we're thinking about sin and even things like mental illness, this is really complex. Sin has affected every part of us, not just our bodies, but also our minds. And so when we're thinking about things like mental illness, we need to take that very seriously. And I would say medication is very much, can be just a common grace thing that is good, that is helpful. Now there are, I think, also abuses where people will maybe just sort of say, well, there's nothing sinful about what I do, the decisions that I make.

I'm just forced to do this, that kind of thing. Maybe blame shifting in terms of pointing to some sort of mental struggle that an individual has. But I think that we have to have a balance here. We can't minimize the reality of mental health and the need for taking care of ourselves as far as that's concerned, the reality of mental illness. But we also have to take ownership of our sins.

Wouldn't you say, Bill? I think you're right on target there. I mean, the fall has affected us both ways. It's spiritually, you know, we're bankrupt, but at the same time, it's affected our bodies and our brains and certain individuals are going to be struggling with, whether it's, you know, diabetes or cancer or mental illness. And yet, as you said, God does hold us responsible for our behavior, at least what we're capable of understanding.

I know in some situations with mental illness, you have a person who, let's say, is schizophrenic and they don't seem to really even be aware of what they're doing. But I think, and you've talked about this before, Adriel, how God holds us responsible based on what we are capable of understanding. And I think that's a really key point.

Yeah. And so, Andrew, I think just again, piggybacking is it's sort of a both end, right? Like to pursue the best of what's out there in terms of medicine and doctors and wisdom from people who know a lot about mental illness and mental health issues, but also make sure that you're filled with the word of Christ, that you're drawing near to the Lord, that you're plugged into Christian community. We need all of that.

And so that's what I would recommend for your father in particular. May the Lord bless the two of you. Thanks, Andrew, for your email. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Let's go to Marvella, who is calling in from Rhode Island. Marvella, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Yes. Good afternoon.

I'm so thrilled to be with you both. So Pastor Adriel, my question is, we know that as believers, when it's time for us to see the Lord, we are separated, our soul is separated from the body and we go to be present with the Lord. How can we explain about the soul of an unbeliever when it's time for them to go?

Yeah. I think about that story that Jesus told in Luke chapter 16. You have this story of Lazarus and he's died.

And where is he? He is in this place of torment. Now, I would say scripture, we sometimes bring up the idea of the intermediate state. We know the believers are in the presence of the Lord.

So I'm glad you asked this question because it's sort of the opposite side of this, right? Well, what about non-believers? And I think based on what we read in Luke 16, there is this place of judgment, this place of perdition, which actually still isn't the final judgment. All people are going to be raised, some to eternal life, some to eternal destruction, but there is this place of torment, of darkness, if you will, this intermediate state, even for those who reject the gospel of grace. And so I think you could look at a place like Luke 16 and gather that. And there are other places in the New Testament as well, but I appreciate that question. Sometimes death in the New Testament is referred to as sleep. Paul uses that language.

Jesus himself uses that language. And so people will say, well, maybe it's just a sort of unconscious existence as if you were sleeping, but I don't think that that's the case at all. It seems like there's an awareness for the believer and for the non-believer. And there's also this anticipation of the final judgment and the final resurrection to life or to death. Thank you for your question.

This is Core Christianity. One more quick email question for you, Adriel. This is from Jason. He says, what do you think of UFOs? I think that if they're real, they could be some sort of demonic activity.

What's your opinion? Yeah, well, having been abducted a couple of times, there's a lot of talk these days, it seems, about UFOs. And look, I think we have to be careful that we don't get so sucked into this in speculation. What we can say very definitively and clearly is that everything that exists in the universe was created by God. The Bible makes that absolutely clear in Genesis 1, in John 1, all things that came into being came into being through the Lord, through Jesus. And so we know that God is the ultimate creator. We also know that there's an unseen realm out there, the angelic realm. So could this be demonic? Maybe.

I'm not sure. But I think let's focus on the scriptures and what we know to be true according to God's word that He's the sovereign creator of all things. And so let's put our eyes on Him. Thanks for listening to Core Christianity. To request your copy of today's special offer, visit us at corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833-THE-CORE. When you contact us, please let us know how you've been encouraged by this program. And be sure to join us next time as we explore the truth of God's word together.