Salvation by Faith Through All Ages

1. God’s Way of Salvation Has Never Changed

📖 Malachi 3:6 (KJV) For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

📌 God’s character and His redemptive plan remain consistent.

📖 Hebrews 13:8 (KJV) Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

2. 🕊️ Old Testament Saints Were Saved by Faith

🧍🏽‍♂️Abraham

📖 Genesis 15:6 (KJV) And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

📖 Romans 4:3-5 (KJV) For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

So even in Old Testament it’s clear that Abraham believed by faith now the issue some might bring up is “well Abraham was before the law of Moses so he wasn’t under law?” Like God will change salvation to something dumber than what Abraham already had “FAITH” really? Well, in the next verses we have King David who was under the Law believeing like Abraham.

👑 King David

Romans 4:6-13 (KJV) Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

So even King David believed, but this gets even better as the next verses show that Abraham is the father of faith to all the world, uncircumcised and circumcised.

📖 Romans 4:9-13 (KJV) Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

🌏 Faith to the world

Hebrews 11:1-3 (KJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

📌 So here before the writer talks about all the Old Testament saints believing by faith it tells that in all ages we should understand faith as God framed the worlds by the word of God, then he continues on to give a long list of every Old Testament believer throughout all ages starting with Abel.

Abel (v. 4) – Offered a better sacrifice by faith → God accepted him.

Enoch (v. 5) – Walked with God and was taken to heaven by faith.

Noah (v. 7) – Built an ark before seeing rain, saved his family by faith.

Abraham (v. 8–10) – Left his home, trusted God's promise for a land and a nation.

Sarah (v. 11) – Believed God would give her a child in old age.

Isaac, Jacob, Joseph (v. 20–22) – Spoke future blessings by faith in God's promises.

Moses (v. 23–29) – Rejected Egypt, chose God's people, kept the Passover by faith.

Israelites (v. 30) – The walls of Jericho fell by faith, not by force.

Rahab (v. 31) – A Gentile saved by faith when she welcomed the spies.

🔥 Then it continues to mention the great things done by faith in God….

📖 Hebrews 11:32-39 (KJV) And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: 33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 34 Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: 36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; 38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

📖 Habakkuk 2:4 (KJV) Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

• This Old Testament truth is quoted in the New Testament (Romans, Galatians, Hebrews), showing its timelessness.

📌 And so through all ages, Salvation was by faith alone in Christ.

• Now the issue some would bring up is “how can they believe on Jesus when they never knew him and he wasn’t revealed?

📖 John 8:56 (KJV) Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

📌 Abraham had faith in God’s promised Messiah that was the object of his trust.

📖 Galatians 3:8-9 (KJV) And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

📌 Many can’t wrap their minds around this, that God gave the gospel to Abraham? The Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of the messiah, do you think they didn’t know that?

📖 Acts 2:29-32 (KJV) Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

📌 We see here David knew about the death, burial and resurrection of the Christ, and all the prophets did, thats why they did sacrifices, it was symbolic of Christ, Just think about it for a second, those in the Old Testament were looking forward to the Messiah, and we in the New Testament are looking back to the Christ, same thing, Christ and Messiah are the same word in different languages, Hebrew is Messiah and Greek is Christ.

🕎 The Law Was Never Meant to Save

📖 Galatians 2:16 (KJV) Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

• The law cannot saved anybody, some might ask, why then did they have the law?

📖 Galatians 3:24-25 (KJV) Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

• The Law was to point the Old Testament believers to Christ, it was never used for salvation.

📖 Romans 3:20 (KJV) Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

🕊️ New Testament Confirms One Way of Salvation

📖 Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

📌 Its a dangerous thing to even say there was another gospel as the Bible tells us there is a curse on those that dare.

📖 Galatians 1:6-9 (KJV) I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

💭Conclusion

• Christ was always there in the Old Testament

📖 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 (KJV) Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

• If that isn’t clear enough this passage sums all that I have been teaching…

📖 Acts 10:43 (KJV) To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Salvation has always been by faith in God’s promise, whether that promise pointed forward to Christ (Old Testament), or looks back to His finished work (New Testament). God has one plan, one Savior, and one way, faith.