Page 267 - Bible Writers Theology Original

Soteriology• Salvation ♦ 251 was accounted to him for righteousness (Galatians 3:6-29).
All the heroes of faith, as portrayed in the Book of Hebrews chapter eleven, walked with God and died in faith, not having received the saving promise. It was still in the future to come at the appointed time (Hebrews 11:13). It was written of them, "Of whom the world was not worthy: they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens, and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without usshouldnotbemadeperfect"(Hebrews11:38-40). Paulspokeofhavmg
"...the first fruits of the Spirit" (Romans 8:23). Concerning the hope for which he was accused of the Jews, Paul also declared, "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers; unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come" (Acts 26:6-7).
The apostle Peter, writing to the early Christians about the faith
they stood, reveals that it had its roots in the promises of God in the Old
Testament: "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched dili gently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what,orwhatmanneroftimetheSpiritofChristwhichwasin em i ^g nify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, ^at should follow" (I Peter 1:9-11; Jeremiah 31:31; Ezekiel 36.25-27, Corinthians 3:3-13; Micah 5:2-4; Amos 9:11; Acts 15:16; Isaiah 53; Isaiah 56:1; Ephesians 3:4,9).
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God's fulfillment of the promise to the fathere f our faith is the good news of the New Testament. The object of their faith, the Messiah, had come. Paul said to the Galatians, "But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer underaschoolmaster ForyeareallthechildrenofGodbyfaithinChrist Jesus. ForasmanyofyouashavebeenbaptizedintoChristhaveputon Christ" (Galatians 3:23-27; Acts 13:26-33).
After a long intertestamental period of silence, the angel Gabriel
announced the coming of the Messiah: "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." "Thou shalt call his name
JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" (Luke 2:11; Matthew 1:21). WhenSimon,towhomthecomingoftheMessiahwasrevealedbythe HolyGhost,saw thechildJesus, hesaid,"mineeyes haveseenthysalvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the