Jesus’ Finished Work at the Cross Has Always Been Effective

A reader of my blog asked a question:
“I see that Old Testament saints were also saved by grace. Did they go directly to heaven before Christ died? Were they made perfect as we are said to be in Ephesians. Since God is the same yesterday, today and forever, how was it different?”

Here is my answer:

Yes they are saved the same way—by faith in Yahweh (the pre-incarnate Christ). When you see the words often translated as “the Lord” in the Old Testament, it’s actually the Tetragrammaton yud hei vav hei (YHVH) In Hebrew. No one is sure how it is pronounced, but many believe it is Yahweh.

“subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.” (Ephesians‬ ‭5:21‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

The Old Testament teaches us the benefits of “the fear of Yahweh”.
In the verse above, Paul clearly defines Yahweh as Christ. Yahweh is Jesus.
This fear is not a slavish fear as in a dread of punishment for sins, but rather a reverential, worshipful awe towards Jesus who is so powerful and yet chose to humble Himself to suffer and die for us at the cross.

The cross is an eternal work able to reach throughout time (past, present and future) and cleanse even Adam’s sins.
It’s eternal because Jesus is God who exists outside of time and His blood has that same quality—able to transcend time.

This means that His blood has always been effective to cleanse people of their sins when they place their faith in Him.

The main difference between Old Testament saints and us is that they didn’t have the Holy Spirit indwelling them.
However they were justified by faith and cleansed by Jesus’ blood just as we are.

That’s why Enoch and Elijah could be taken into Heaven before Jesus died at the cross.
If the work of the cross was not eternal, they as sinful men (all have fallen short of the glory of God) could not enter Heaven.

Another account whereby we see the eternal effect of the cross is when Samson used a jawbone of a dead donkey to defeat the Philistines.

“When he came to Lehi, the Philistines shouted as they met him. Then Yahweh’s Spirit came mightily on him, and the ropes that were on his arms became as flax that was burned with fire, and his bands dropped from off his hands. He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, put out his hand, took it, and struck a thousand men with it. Samson said, “With the jawbone of a donkey, heaps on heaps; with the jawbone of a donkey I have struck a thousand men.”” ‭‭(Judges‬ ‭15:14-16‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

Samson swore a Nazirite vow which means he wasn’t allowed to touch a dead body.

““‘All the days that he separates himself to Yahweh he shall not go near a dead body.” ‭‭(Numbers‬ ‭6:6‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

If it was purely based on the Law, he would have sinned and the Holy Spirit that was upon him would have left him when he touched the jaw of the donkey—however the Spirit didn’t leave him, and even continued to empower him to destroy all his enemies.

In the Old Testament, we see Yahweh being merciful to Israel. Their punishments were lenient compared to their sins.
There is no record that Israel suffered the full brunt of the long description of the curse of the Law in Deuteronomy 28.

Yahweh was able to be merciful and lenient to them because of the righteous foundation of the cross.
When Moses was on Mount Sinai, he interceded on behalf of the children of Israel and Yahweh did not destroy them.

Why did Yahweh tell Moses that He was angry and wanted to destroy the children of Israel?
It’s because He wanted Moses to intercede on their behalf—He didn’t need Moses’ permission to righteously strike all of them dead.

“Yahweh said to Moses, “I have seen these people, and behold, they are a stiff-necked people. Now therefore leave me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of you a great nation.” Moses begged Yahweh his God, and said, “Yahweh, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, that you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, ‘He brought them out for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth?’ Turn from your fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of the sky, and all this land that I have spoken of I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” Yahweh repented of the evil which he said he would do to his people.” ‭‭(Exodus‬ ‭32:9-14‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

God is always looking for intercessors who would stand in the gap to pray for others so that God can righteously bless mankind without infringing man’s free will.

The apostle Paul describes the work of the cross as a mysterious secret that was hidden in Old Testament times but has since been revealed.
It was Yahweh’s trump card that no one ever expected—that God would go so far as to die for those He loved so that they could live with Him forever.

“Now to him who is able to establish you according to my Good News and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret through long ages, but now is revealed, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known for obedience of faith to all the nations;” ‭‭(Romans‬ ‭14:24-25‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

The work of the cross has always been effective to cleanse people who believe in Jesus (Yahweh).
Just as Abraham’s faith was counted as righteousness, everyone is justified the same way—by faith.

Learn more powerful truths about the finished work of the cross, Paradise, Heaven and Eternity ===>
https://www.miltongoh.net/store/p15/a-tour-of-heaven-and-eternity-milton-goh.html

#jesus #gospel

Does fearing the Lord mean having a slavish fear towards our Maker?
Pastor Prince taught us how Jesus defined the "fear of the Lord"!

#fearofthelord #fear