By Gary Ray Branscome
Because
there is no salvation apart from faith in Christ, the only way of salvation
both in the Old Testament and the New was and is through faith in Christ. The
words, “Nor is there salvation in any other: for there is
no other name under heaven given among men, by which we must be saved,” testify to that fact (Acts
The words of Job, “I know that my redeemer lives, and
that He will stand at a future time upon the earth,” testify to the fact
that Job was saved through faith in Christ (Job
Now as to the means of grace, the words, “If Abraham was
justified by works, he would have a reason to boast; but now he has none before
God. For what does the scripture say? Abraham believed God, and it was counted
to him for righteousness,” testify to the fact
that grace came to Abraham through faith in God’s promise of forgiveness in
Christ (Romans 4:2-3). The words, “The covenant concerning faith in Christ, that was confirmed by God at the time
of Abraham, cannot be nullified by the law, which came four hundred and thirty
years later, so as to make the promise of no effect,” tell us that the law
of Moses did not change the fact that salvation came through believing God’s
promise (Galatians 3:17). And, the words, “Scripture, having foreseen that
God would justify the heathen through faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham
in advance, saying, In you shall all nations be blessed,” tell us that the
promise Abraham believed is the same promise we believe, the gospel promise of
forgiveness in Christ (Galatians 3:8).
The words, “He [Abraham] received the sign of circumcision,
a seal of the righteousness of the faith that he already had while
uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all who believe, yet are not
circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed to them… For the
promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his
seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith,” tell us that circumcision was a “sign” and
“seal” of the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ (Romans
4:11-13). That raises the question: Why then did the Apostle Paul object so
strongly to circumcising the gentiles? And, the answer is found in the words, “I
again remind every man who is circumcised, that he is a debtor obligated to do
everything the law requires” (Galatians 5:3). Those words tell us that
circumcision was being promoted as part of a system of works righteousness that
was rooted in a total misunderstanding of the Old Testament. And, it was that
doctrine of works righteousness [the doctrine of the Pharisees] that Paul
recognized as a danger, saying, “Christ is of no benefit to those of you who
seek righteousness by the law; you are fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:4).
The words, “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven
of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth,”
tell us that Christ is the true Passover lamb, who was sacrificed for our
deliverance (1Corinthians 5:7-8). Therefore, the Passover sacrifice itself, was
a sign and testimony instituted by God to point forward to (and explain)
Christ’s sacrifice.
To institute the Passover sacrifice, “Moses called for
all the elders of
Notice that just as the
children of