Subject: where is Christ battling Satan in HELL |
Bible Note: EdB, I agree with you that what you described is a horrible heresy, and I'm glad I've seen no sign of it in my church. However, I do believe that Christ was truely held up to Old Testament believers, though only in types and shadows. Now that Christ has come, the types and shadows pointing to him are done away with. This would be a lengthy bible study indeed, but I point you to Colossians. Col 2:16 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. It says that these things were a shadow of what was to come, and what was to come was Christ. So I believe we err should we say that the Old Testament was not truely pointing towards Christ. However, we also stray into error if we suggest they continue their work of displaying Christ after he has come. So I do believe that believers pre-newtestament had a faith in the Messiah, and I believe it was on this basis they were justified before God. How could we argue that they were not justified prior to the incarnation when God clearly names Abraham righteous because he believed in Genesis 15? And in Romans 4, Paul clearly portrays this declaration of righteousness as his justification, even the forgiveness of his sins. Now again, I deny wholely that his justification before God was apart from Christ and his work on the cross. For Jesus himself said that Abraham saw his day. Joh 8:56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad." I do not mean to suggest that Abraham knew everything we do, things such as Christ's occupation as a carpenter, or even that he would be named Jesus, but clearly Abraham in Faith looked forward to see that God was bringing a redeemer to him, and how much more he knew would be a lengthy discussion. And I say that all forgiveness of sins that God has ever extended in any age was on the basis of the cross of Christ. I point to Romans for this. Rom 3:24-26 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. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. All past forgiveness was called due at the cross. So I boldly proclaim, while the OT saints did not have the clear revelation of Christ which we have today, they received forgiveness of sins through faith, and the forgiveness of their sins was purchased by the cross of Jesus Christ, and this not from some vague faith as in blindly trusting the good will of God, but faith in Jesus Christ the messiah as they trusted in promises from God for which Christ was the fulfillment and which was presented to them in past oracles of God through manifold means. And I deny entirely that this is the same as what the Jews do now in looking forward to some vague messiah that they imagine. For the pictures of Christ were only true in as much as they actually and truely pointed to Christ. Since Christ has now arrived there is nothing left in those old instituations, for regardless of whether their belief is sincere, the objects no longer truely point to any messiah to come because there is no messiah yet to come. For we are not judged or accepted on the sincerety of our faith, but the reliability of the object of our faith, Christ Jesus. In Christ, Beja |