From the flood on through the Old Testament, God began setting in motion the plan to save mankind; the plan he had from the foundation of the world. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:3-6) The plan began to evolve with Noah. In Genesis 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. The Hebrew word for righteous in the verse means just or lawful. In other words, Noah wanted to follow the law (just and lawful) and God saw that he and his family behaved in that manner. Noah pleased God by being the type of man who God could declare righteous. In addition, verse 1 is the first use of the word righteous in the Bible and Noah and his family constitutes the first record of mankind being saved by following God’s command.

Then in Genesis 15:6 is found the work of God in regard to Abraham. And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness. Notice that Abraham wasn’t righteous in his person as a fact. God regarded Abraham as righteous based upon his belief in God and what god told him. Further, God’s promise was to his seed, verse 5. The word seed is singular, but used as collective plural for the children of Israel and in that use, Christ is also included. Galatians 3:16 would appear to conflict with Genesis 15:6, Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Given that Christ is included in Genesis 15:6, there isn’t any conflict between Genesis and Paul. In Genesis 12:1-2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. The word families covers all the peoples of the earth, the soon to be Israelites, Jews and the Gentiles. Christ will be and still is the savior of all of them.

Paul made it very clear that the one man, Jesus Christ was the only path to salvation and that salvation is by virtue of the righteousness of Christ. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans5:19) The contrast in the verse is the disobedience of Adam versus the obedience of Jesus Christ. Looking back to Abraham, even though sin was in the world at that time, Abraham chose to follow God and obey him and out of that obedience Jesus Christ came into the world through obedience of faith of Abraham, Noah and all others who participated in the operation of God.

Jesus obeyed his Father as is written in Hebrews 5:8-9 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Those persons who do not obey the gospel will not be saved. Peter said on the Day of Pentecost And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. (Acts 2:40) That is done by obeying the gospel as taught in the message of the Bible.

© 11-30-2011 DEC

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