To: Stvvv1611
God bless brother,
I have certainly enjoyed all 3 of your posts. Although the Gospel of the Grace of God is "simple" (by design) and getting "saved" is not hard (requiring only belief on our part) - The actual "operation" that takes place in the believer is far more complex than most of us can discern or understand.
Adam was different than all of his descendants (Sinless before the fall).
The natural man (all of mankind) is the "default" result of Adam's fall (we are all born with a Sinful Nature)
The Old Testament saint was saved (soul) - but not one of his attributes was changed. [Attributes = Body-Soul-Spirit (Our Substance) & Heart-Mind-Conscience (Our Faculties)]
The New Testament saint is saved (soul) - his spirit has been quickened; he has the Holy Spirit living in him; he has the mind of Christ; BUT he still has the flesh; a weak conscience; a wicked heart (still "deceitful above all things"); and a mind that is susceptible to corruption. (2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The Glorified saint will have every one of his attributes changed with the exception of his soul (his very essence). He'll have a new body; a new spirit (which we have now); a new heart (which we don't have now - contrary to the popular teaching); and Christ's Mind (which we have now - but often fail to "arm" ourselves with or "let" it become effective in our lives).
The common "thread" that runs through all of God's people (saints - before the flood & after the flood; before the Law & during the Law) is FAITH. FAITH in God's words; FAITH in God's promises; FAITH in God's being able to perform His covenants; FAITH IN GOD! Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
To "think" that any Old Testament saint understood and believed the Gospel of the Grace of God is ludicrous. They "believed" God and: Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Galatians 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
What did Abraham believe God for? The Gospel of the Grace of God? Or did he believe God for His promises concerning the land; or God's promise concerning Sarah having a son; or in God's promise to give the land to Abraham's heirs; or in God being able to raise Abraham's son from the dead?
Abraham believed God for a lot of things - and had God presented the "Gospel" to him, I believe that he would have believed God for It, but He didn't. And so, even though in God's mind, He may have been looking forward to the Cross and Jesus' Sacrifice - Abraham believed God for what He said and revealed to him, which certainly wasn't the Gospel of the Grace of God.
Keep em' coming brother, it's a real pleasure to see someone who knows how to wield the "Sword"
George
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