If we are all saved by grace through faith in Christ, how were Old Testament believers saved? Despite living before the time of Christ, Old Testament believers trusted so strongly in the coming of Christ. In this message, Pastor David Platt explains both the key differences and the continuity between the salvation of New and Old Testament believers.
- Old Testament Believers Trusted In The Coming Christ
- New Testament Believers
Watch Full Message Of “Secret Church 9: The Body of Christ“
The church includes both New Testament believers and Old Testament believers. Now, some would debate this, and I think part of it would be semantics. But when you take the definition that we’re using for church, the church as the body of people called by God’s grace through faith in Christ, to glorify him by serving him in this world, that would include both New Testament and Old Testament. We see evidence of Old Testament gatherings even referred to in the New Testament, and we see examples of Old Testament faith.
Old Testament Believers Trusted In The Coming Christ
You say, well, what about called by God’s grace through faith in Christ, did Old Testament believers believe in Christ? Well look at Hebrews 11, verse 26, talking about Moses. Moses considered the reproach of Christ or suffering for Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt. That was Moses linked here to Christ.
The rest of Hebrews 11, and then Hebrews 12 talks about how Old Testament believers were looking forward. I’ve got it here. Key differences, Old Testament believers trusted in the coming Christ. Sure they didn’t know all the details and they didn’t know all that we know now, but they were looking forward to the fulfillment of the promise that had been given all the way back in Genesis chapter three, verse 15. So they trusted in the coming Christ, New Testament believers trust in the crucified Christ. Looking back to the cross, they were looking forward to the cross, we look back to the cross.
Old Testament believers are ethnically distinct. In other words, for the most part, with a few exceptions, Old Testament people were the Jewish people, the people of Israel. New Testament believers are ethnically diverse, and so we see that’s one of the huge things that we see all over the New Testament letters and in the Book of Acts, the bringing together of Jews and Gentiles together into the church.
New Testament Believers
Old Testament believers are required to circumcise their male offspring. Oh, sorry, I skipped one. Jumped right to the circumcision. So anyway, just wanted to get through that, but I need to wait. Old Testament believers… We don’t need to spend any more time there. Lived under their own government with God-given laws. New Testament believers live among the rulers of the nations. So the reality is we’re not a theocracy anymore like we see a theocracy, a rule under God-given laws, Old Testament people of God, even God as their king than God designated kings.
Different in the New Testament, we live among the rulers of the nations. Old Testament believers are required to circumcise their male offspring, New Testament believers are required to baptize all believers. So there are some key differences there and key distinctions, but there is some continuity there between Old Testament and New Testament believers.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
