by A.W. Tozer
The Christian's spiritual progenitor is not Moses but Abraham.
The great doctrine of faith takes us back to Abraham and thus antedates the Law of Moses by 430 years. This is the argument of Paul in Galatians 3:15-18 and Romans 4:9-16.
There is a mistaken notion abroad that in the Old Testament salvation came by obedience to the Law, while in the New Testament it comes by faith. The truth is that since the beginning of the world no one was ever saved in any way other than by grace through faith.
"The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." But grace and truth came by Jesus Christ long before the incarnation. When God slew those beasts (presumably lambs) and gave the skins to Adam and Eve for clothing He was telling them in symbolic language that the redemption of the race would be by the merit of innocent life laid down. Not by law but by atonement would they and their descendants be ransomed from the Fall.
This idea was never wholly lost to mankind. When the Law was given it was accompanied by a system of sin offerings and atoning sacrifices leading straight to the Savior who was to come. When John pointed to Jesus and exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world," he was identifying Christ with all the sacrificial lambs that had been offered for sin from the time of Abel to the appearance of Emmanuel.
The idea creeps into much evangelical teaching that the Old Testament is a book of justice and judgment without a ray of mercy or grace or love to lighten the darkness, whereas the New Testament is filled with mercy and forgiveness. The truth is that mercy and justice, love and judgment are found in both the Old and the New Testament in about equal proportion. Not two Gods but one wrote the Bible and the unity of His perfect character reveals itself in all parts of the Scriptures.
It may come as a surprise to some to learn that there is as much about mercy in the Old Testament as in the New, but such is actually the case. Grace is found throughout the Old Testament, and love also is found there in abundance. Justification by faith is an Old Testament doctrine. It was first associated with Abraham, appeared later in the writings of David and Habakkuk and was shown by Paul to be one of the most vital doctrines of the New Testament. Thus the organic unity of the Bible is confirmed.
It is a heartening thought that no one ever had or can have any advantage over another in his search for God. No matter what the dispensation or the circumstances, everyone who came to God came by faith. Those of ancient times looked forward to the cross and those of later times looked and must look back to it. Everyone and anyone may find forgiveness and cleansing through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and any progress in the knowledge of God, any growth in spiritual stature must come the same way. Our spiritual ancestor is Abraham whose faith pleased God, brought an imputation of righteousness and made him the father of the faithful.
We Christians are the sons of faith and the heirs of liberty. Let us stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.
( Article taken from The Price of Neglect, Chapter 31 )
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