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NASB | Romans 1:16 ¶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 1:16 ¶ I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation [from His wrath and punishment] to everyone who believes [in Christ as Savior], to the Jew first and also to the Greek. |
Subject: Clarification from John Reformed...? |
Bible Note: Clarification -- Part 2) a) You say, "I would say that those believers in the OT placed their faith In the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." I am in full agreement with this. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the true (triune) God -- so far as He revealed Himself to Abraham. Old Testament believers worshipped the true God. b) You went on to say, "It was faith in what God provided at that time that secured their atonement." I think I would disagree. I believe it was faith in God -- which was naturally reflected through obedience and confident practice of the rituals He prescribed. However, '[I]t is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.' (Hebrews 10:4) Even at that time, the sacrifices were never a means of forgiveness; they were never more than an illustration of that which was coming. 'A broken and contrite heart' were what God truly required (Psalm 51:17) -- both during the time of the regular sacrifices and during the time when Daniel, his 3 friends, and other believers were saved by faith when there was neither temple nor tabernacle. The law and sacrificial system were a consistent reminder to the Jews to be humble before God in agreeing as to their sinfulness before a holy God, their inability to restore themselves, and their need for payment to come from elsewhere -- but with a veiled and vague image that was incomplete. The true nature of how God could forgive and the means that He would use were incomprehensible to them. Yet they believed God could and would forgive because He had told them so -- and His character and attributes had been revealed and demonstrated sufficiently elsewhere to attest to His faithfulness and ability; they trusted that God would provide the means, however inconceivable that means may have been to them. I believe this is also the condition of every believer in (the true) God who has not yet encountered the revelation of Christ. All those from Hebrews 11 can attest to both the saving power of active personal faith in God and to the faithfulness of the God who saves. When such a believer encounters Christ, he or she will continue in belief (which has saved them) and add knowledge based on that additional revelation. Thus they will, like Abraham, 'rejoice to see' the day of Christ (Jn 8:56 -- also Jn 7:16-17), and He will give them His Holy Spirit as a pledge. Still others, who were previously unbelievers, will come into contact with the eyewitness history of Christ and believe in Him. The sinfulness of their hearts will be revealed to them, they will be broken before Christ, and they will believe in Him. The mathematical logic appears complete on this; it seems to me to be simply a matter of timing. Jesus the Christ is the complete human revelation of God, and either way the faith is in God. He who rejects Jesus rejects God and needs to repent. The opposite is also true; he who believes in Jesus believes in God and is saved through faith in God and through the blood of Christ. We can reverse these, and they are still true. He who rejects God also rejects Jesus and needs to repent (John 8:42-47), and He who believes in God also believes in Jesus (John 7:16-17) and is thus saved through faith in God and through the blood of Christ. This is great news, and we need to be telling everyone -- both unbelievers and any possible believers still in the dark about Jesus -- HOW God has saved them and us. He has done this by grace -- by pouring out the blood of God the Son, Jesus the promised Messiah. His broken body and shed blood are the only means available; no one comes to the Father except through the Son. I think we understand each other. I don't believe these differences of opinion affect the image of the nature of God, the means of salvation of the vast majority of people whom most western Christians will meet (people who have the opportunity to hear about Christ), or the central truths of who Christ is and what He has accomplished. They need not bring division. However, I believe they may well affect our images of unreached people groups and the methods that we employ, encourage, and tolerate among them by others. For example, I believe any portion of Scripture that reveals God is evangelistic by nature and useful with unbelievers, whereas others may suggest that only the New Testament and certain portions of certain prophets are appropriate and essential to evangelism. Thank you again for your patience. God bless you, brother, Brent |