Going to Heaven...Old Testament Style

The full and final payment of sin was the Messiah.

He summarized the finalized. He confirmed he completed the system of substitutionary atonement you can understand this way when I say it this way Old Testament saints to heaven by faith in the forgiveness that was yet to come. New Testament saints go to heaven by faith and forgiveness that has come in that light, ladies and gentlemen, the plan of salvation has never changed. God did not change the rule death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the little in all human history so what about faithful people who lived prior to that.

How were people in the Old Testament saved many people have the false belief that salvation in the Old Testament was different from salvation in the New Testament salvation has always been working to explore all of this and answer it from God's word today.

This is wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi. Stephen continues through his series called soul of the day with this message that he is entitled going to heaven.

Old Testament style. How is an Old Testament person saved.

How was an Old Testament person granted forgiveness. Upon what basis did an Old Testament saints go to paradise paradise.

Of course, was the holding place until after the crucifixion were Christ emptied it in created heaven and took them there hadn't Old Testament believer go to paradise Abraham never asked Jesus into his heart. Nor did Moses sort Jacob or Joshua one of the prophets ever got down on their knees and said father I come to you know the name of our Lord and I know I'm a sinner and I place my faith in your son the Lord Jesus to save me, forgive me and cleanse me to print anything like that is jetted to go to heaven will benefit and pray that had to go to heaven. How does an Old Testament person lived before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ before the burial and resurrection of our Lord finds forgiveness did they need forgiveness in the same way. We need forgiveness after the cross, did God change the rules for certain Old Testament saints did he play favorites with them and treat them differently than he treats us.

Those are the questions they go home and find the answers come back next week. Have you ever wondered though how Abraham could be called the friend of God as a lying coward did call the friend of God. A man who who risk the virtue and safety and protection of his wife by telling her to make sure that when they arrived in the city in Egypt. Initially, that she was his sister and that would of course keep them alive. If anybody wanted her to the beautiful want to share a Pharaoh sponsor and add third was Harriman. Abraham stays silence. She was his half-sister, which he evidently was told to tell people she was unmarried. It took place from God to cause Pharaoh to know that something was amiss.

Can you imagine now. Sarah acted toward Abraham and what it Abraham to Angus and save up sorry we did it again a chapters later this time of the pagan King Abimelech. He told her lucked out everybody are unmarried because your beautiful Deer Lodge about 11 so she did.

Abimelech added heard it was Harriman until God came to this pagan king and a vision is that you are a dead man literally understand that I would come to Abraham and said you are a dead man for doing this note probably was Sarah's prayer. What kind of husband would do that. How can he be the friend of God. What I Jacob how do you take a deceiving, manipulating, self-centered man and give them a name change.

That means the Prince of God. What kind of standard is therefore Prince, evidently a prince of God.

Furthermore, how does a man independently of his wonderful name.

How does he get into to heaven and Moses, the great leader of Israel. How do you take a man like him and allowed to be the dispenser of the law, how you place into his bloodstained hands. The tablets of the law to declare thou shalt not, what kill. How do you allow them I got to deliver the message of the law, consider David did God change the rules for this man mean how can you commit some of the most repulsive sin is recorded in the Old Testament he committed adultery that every fan of the woman was pregnant. He had her husband abandoned on the battlefield, so he would die and after the death of her husband.

He brings her into the palace and goes through the charade of alighting in announces the people. Later there's a baby on the way you do that in and be called a man after God's own heart.

What kind of heart. Does God have you call murderers and adulterers and deceivers and manipulators and liars friends and servants, and kindred spirits of God, Donald Gray Barnhouse asked that same question in his volume and Romans. If God is holy. These Old Testament men should be separated from God forever, would not a holy God dirty himself and holding such sinful men to his bosom, and love back to my original question. How does a. How does an Old Testament man or woman living and dying prior to the cross of Jesus Christ fine cleansing and forgiveness maybe would say well through animal sacrifices listen to the what the writer of Hebrews writes in chapter 10. For the law. That is the system of animal sacrifices that which God taught them do it approach him by the sacrifices, since it is only a shadow of the good things to, not the very form of things, can never by the same sacrifices, which they offer continually year after year, make perfect those who draw near.

Otherwise they would not have ceased to be offered because the worshipers having once been cleansed, would no longer have the consciousness of sin.

But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year, for it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. The Greek verb off Ira O could be translated, it is impossible to permanently remove they were certainly covered, they experience a form of temporary forgiveness, as it weren't for these animal sacrifices, but not permanently removed not permanently forgiven. It's impossible for animal sacrifices to completely remove sin. If that's true then that would mean that it's impossible for any Old Testament believer to go to heaven because none of their sins were completely removed and is in any way that all he God can be in the presence of those sustained in any way shape or form with said John was given a tour of heaven in the book of Revelation. He recorded what he saw. He described the throne of God and he described the winged creatures that cover even to this day around the throne of God continually chanting, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come. Revelation right nobody fellowships around that throne was dirtied with lingering sin. No one with sin to their account could ever hope to be in the presence of that holy God. Furthermore, John does on to describe the citizens of heaven, as those who have been washed clean and pure even states in chapter 21 that no unclean person can inhabit the holy city, and how does an Old Testament believer go to paradise of God kept the rules. The same lesson change the rules. There's no way that any sinful person, no matter if it happens to be Abraham or David door Jacob could ever hope to live forever with a holy God. When they never have had their sins permanently removed. So back to my question. How does an Old Testament believer go to heaven, will the answer is found. Believe it or not. Aromas chapter 3 probably say Stephen you think the answer to everything is and will be shipped throughout lately it has been Romans chapter 3 let's go to verse 23 and start clearing and will get to the phrase that want to do with this morning for all of sin and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in his blood through faith that word propitiation satisfaction in his blood through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, that is, the cross was to demonstrate God's righteousness here is because in the forbearance of God he passed over the sin previously committed for the demonstration. I say of his righteousness at the present time. That is the cross that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. In other words, the cross of Christ was a demonstration of God's righteous to prove that God did not change the rule to prove that sin had to be punished. The demonstration was needed because God could have been viewed as unrighteous as partial as inconsistent, sometimes his wrath was felt by a nation or a family or a person. At other times people to did worse things were allowed to live. In fact, they were called the friend of God or they were called the man after God's own heart was going on hotels is here that the cross was the demonstration that he in fact had a holy standard, but it does tell us that he passed over was in meaning passed over in the forbearance of God he passed over the sins previously committed.

That word passed over Pare's.

This refers to the temporary passing over the temporary withholding of full judgment against sin for a certain period of time. God do that.

Paul said he did it seem to make sense with what you read out of the Old Testament makes perfect sense.

Adam and Eve sinned. Did God demonstrate his full wrath against unrighteousness and wipe them off the face of the earth.

No, he killed some animals, dignity, and he covered he made atonement for he temporarily brought at least within their lifetime, and those sacrifices would continue throughout their lives. That sense of forgiveness. So we dealt with in that way. In fact, at that very moment he pointed to a coming substitutionary atonement of someone who would shed his blood that would permanently cleanse sin in the book of Leviticus, where God formalize the approach to his holiness in the form of the tabernacle and that holy place and then the holy of holies.

And of course in the holy of holies. Remember, was the ark of the covenant, the ark was simply a wooden box about a foot long or yard long skews me. It was covered over with golden inside were a number of things in the most significant as a relates to atonement was the tablets of stone, upon which God had written the wall with his finger. They were placed in that arc. The first set.

Remember, had been broken in the hundred pieces by Moses in his anger God again withheld the full expression of his wrath graciously inscribed on fresh tablets, his law and those tablets were placed into this art and a person who wanted to approach God would approach through the priesthood, and that high priest once a year. You remember what kill a ball in the goat and take their blood in the mold and come in and sprinkle it on that mercy seat which is simply the lid of the box mercy seat is a wonderful picture of our Lord Jesus Christ and so God instituted that his justice is at war would be enacted against this animal and the animal would serve as the substitute for the sinful man. The interesting thing is to consider the fact that the animal could be used temporarily because the animal never committed sin animal with sin less interesting when you consider the fact that animals are not immortal beings.

They do not have immortal souls.

They do not share the nature of man. They do not worship God the way we worship him. Of course, once that animals live his life is limited.

There is no future heaven there is no future worship around the throne.

There is no redemption, sorry. That's bad news to you, but that horse or that cow or that dog or cat or whaler giraffe lives there. One life following the instinct of God is created in them. We can do some amazing things by changing their instinct. We cannot give them cognizance of will and thereby sin rebellion against God. That's the good news because that sin was animal can serve as a substitute for sinful human so you remember in the system where that high priest would come in with the blood of that bowl in the blood of the goat and sprinkle it on the mercy seat in this holy of holies and then after that smoke and fire wood to send symbolizing the presence of God and come down, as it were, to again review his people. He would view the tablets of the law he would see that everybody had broken the law, but he saw the law through the mercy seat that is through the blood that had been sprinkled on the lid. God was temporarily satisfied that there is been a substitute for the sin of the people, something still had to be done permanently. This was temporary. Remember Hebrews 10 says it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to permanently remove sin.

So how did the Old Testament believer experience full and final forgiveness during his lifetime.

Following carefully.

How did Old Testament same experience full and final forgiveness during his lifetime answer is, he did not until the crucifixion of Jesus Christ where the sins of the Old Testament and the New Testament affect the sins of all of mankind from all time and for all time were placed on Christ as a worker became sin where they permanently atone for. That means that the Old Testament believer prior to the cross was in effect saved on credit. There's something Americans understand fact, one author wrote that if Christ did not die on the cross to pay the penalty for their sin.

They would've had to been brought out of paradise and as it were sent to the Hades or the penalizing side of Hades we as hell of the full and final payment of sin was the Messiah. He summarized he finalized. He confirmed he completed the system of substitutionary atonement you can understand this way when you say it this way Old Testament saints went to heaven by faith in the forgiveness that was yet to come. New Testament saints go to heaven by faith and forgiveness that has come in that light, ladies and gentlemen, the plan of salvation has never changed. God did not change the rules.

He simply change the sacrifice.

The Old Testament believer knew that the dying animal was his substitute so that he could avoid judgment and live. In fact, David's classic Psalm of confession in Psalm 51.

The song he wrote after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and after he had her husband killed. He wrote this to God. He said all cleanse me with his step and I will be clean. What is the meaning cleanse with his something sound like anything I'd like to.

We need to understand that hyssop was the plant that the priest used to dip into the bowl of blood and sprinkle it on the mercy seat.

In other words, David was pleading for forgiveness on the basis of being cleansed by the blood of God's appointed sacrifice sound familiar. The Old Testament believer knew the dying animal was his substitute so that he could avoid judgment be forgiven. The New Testament believer knows that the dying Lamb of God is the final substitute so that he can be permanently forgiven avoiding judgment to live forever.

Let me say it another way for the Old Testament believer, the sinless animal foretold redemption. Great picture for all believers, sinless Savior, fulfilled redemption now for this to be true for the Old Testament same to be looking forward he would have to have known that there was a coming Redeemer right did they know that there would be a person Redeemer would die for them. Listen with fresh ears to this prophecy by Isaiah, and then answer the question that they know that a person is going to be taken is there substitute. He was pierced through a zero for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities. The chastening for our well-being fell upon him by his scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us have turned to his own way, but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth like that.

All I am that is led to slaughter like a sheep that is silent before its shearers so he did not open his mouth. Verse 11, he says as a result of the anguish of his soul, he will see it and be satisfied by his knowledge the righteous one, my servant will justify the many and he will bear their iniquities. Interest.

You see, ladies and gentlemen, it was on the cross. The God the father placed on God the son.

The sins of David, the sins of Moses the sins of Abraham and every Old Testament believer that it placed their faith in God. Substitutionary atonement. He placed their sin on Christ and every New Testament believer said he knew a coming Redeemer was on his way to say it this way Old Testament saints were saved by faith in the future, death of Christ New Testament saints are saved by faith in the past death of Christ and hours. If you read everything I've said I got a good feeling. You will, but if you forget everything. Remember this everybody Old Testament believer at New Testament believer. All the same and that they all go to heaven because of Jesus, remember that God didn't change the rules.

He just withheld his judgment until Christ, upon whom he vented full wrath in this holy standard theme. Forget everything else.

But remember the Old Testament same gets in to heaven is sins permanently atone for because of Jesus Christ's say I could've said that earlier we could quit early and went to lunch. Well, not so fast.

Done. I want you to notice the point Paul makes in verse 26 he says of the cross.

This is the demonstration I save his righteousness at the present time so that God would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus and other words for God to be just and at the same time justify the center something dramatic has to happen and so God did remain just the penalty for sin is pain, Christ, he didn't change the paneling eternal separation from God, because Jesus was God the son, but just a good man or a good teacher but because he was deity incarnate. He was an infinite being. He was capable of paying for an infinite amount of sins over an infinite amount of time. At one moment God then was able to retain his justice is full wrapping vented against his son and yet at the same time he is able to justify horrible sinners like us. It isn't that he does well I just will look at that one.

All I can't believe you develop forget it is and that is that why just like Abraham I David's music. We need them appear no full wrath would be against the sun and he says here gets into heaven. Verse 26 the last part, the one who has faith in him. Jesus for the Old Testament St. all of those animal sacrifices pointed toward the final substitute who was God incarnate the Messiah manual, Prince of peace, Redeemer. We by virtue of having the completed record of Scripture know his Greek name the aces Jesus if you've placed your faith in his substitutionary death, for your sin, you will be saved as well.

Here's how it works. The Old Testament believer. Look forward to Christ through the eyes of prophecy. The New Testament believer looks back at the cross of Christ through the eyes of history, but the vision for both is the same. The object of our faith is the same. It is the vision of a dying substitute who took our penalty and paid the price for our sins. I came across an interesting story that the Cliff Barrows used to tell founded one of the books I was reading Cliff Barrows was the longtime song leader for Billy Graham Crusades.

He tells a story about how his children learn to appreciate the price Jesus paid for their sins when they were fairly young, they were getting into trouble as you can well imagine if you have young children they done something that they were supposed to do. He set them down to give a good talking to Lisa look when I come home with mommy said you done the same thing again.

You're getting a spanking and that he went to work came home found out that his children had done the very same thing that he had told not to do. He wrote that the thought of spanking them for some reason at this particular point just seemed overwhelming. He said I called Bobby and Betty Ruth into my room I took off my belt. They knew what was coming and were already beginning to whimper within. I took off my shirt and with a bareback. I knelt down at the bed. I handed them the belt and then told him that I was gonna take your punishment for them.

I made them give me 10 licks with the bill. You should've heard the crying. It was from them. They didn't want to do it but I told them the penalty had to be paid so through their sobs and tears. They administrated the penalty after was over.

We talked about the lessons learned, hugged and kissed and then knelt together and prayed sick.

He was able to be just and justify the center. He was able to enact the penalty for that sin. He just chose to enact it upon himself and then turned to the center so you want to pay the penalty go free and amazing you like Abraham a liar and a coward like Moses murder. An angry man like David adulterous moral but Jacob manipulative or deceptive, self-centered John MacArthur wrote in his commentary on this text. This interesting sentence he said because of God's justice, no sin will ever go unpunished yet because of God's grace, no sin is beyond forgiveness like that.

The incredible story of the cross is not only that it is a demonstration of justice, but it is a demonstration of love and grace for our holy, righteous, God chose not to punish the sinner chose instead to punish his son suffered a horrible consequences of our sin only way we can never escape by placing her hope and faith alone.

That's when we do, were short of complete and permanent and final and full forgiveness. We will one day meet those Old Testament saints, for whom Christ also died to sin.

Christ also paid celebrate around the throne took our penalty died our death. Nothing.

Prince forever: the day by faith alone in the Old Testament people were saved by faith in the future, death of Jesus Christ were now saved by faith in the accomplished death and resurrection of Christ, but salvation is always by faith in the Messiah. It's always on the basis of what Christ accomplished.

I hope this time in God's word has made that clear to you today. Your listening to wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi. Today's message is called going to heaven. Old Testament style here at wisdom international. We have some resources that can help you study the lives of some of the Old Testament saints.

For example, Stephen has a Bible study guide called God meant it for good studies on the life of Joseph and is perfect for personal study or to use with the group class.

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