Romans 3:21, “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.”
What a beautiful Bible verse! I read over our text passage of Scripture
today and it burned my heart as soon as I pondered it's great meaning.
There has always been only one way of salvation, which is through
faith alone in the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
I love and admire Dr. Peter Ruckman (1921-2016), who was a brilliant preacher and faithful man of God. Yet, respectfully, Dr. Ruckman was very wrong in some of his teachings, particularly the idea that Old Testament saints were saved through works plus faith. That is simply not true. Dr. Ruckman is not teaching sound doctrine. Robert Breaker is another heretic, on YouTube, who insists that Old Testament saints were saved by works. Kindly, Dr. William P. Grady has also adopted this unbiblical view of redemption by works, during what they call the “dispensation of law” in the Old Testament. This is another reason why I completely reject Dispensationalism in all its forms. There is nothing taught in the Holy Bible about Dispensationalism. The word itself sounds frightening! I do not condemn the faithful pastors who choose to teach it, but I stay away it! We all have our opinions. Ultimately it is YOU dear reader, who must make the personal decision of what you'll receive or reject as truth! Our final and only authority is the inspired Word of God!
Please consider the following living and powerful passage of Scripture...
Romans 3:19-26, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 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. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
Oh, did you read that dear friend? ... “BUT NOW THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD WITHOUT THE LAW IS MANIFEST, BEING WITNESSED BY THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS”!!! What was witnessed by the LAW and the PROPHETS? Why, it was the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD WITHOUT THE LAW!!! Carefully notice that the prophets did not witness the righteousness of God WITH THE LAW! Dr. Ruckman says people were saved in the Old Testament through their works, but that is totally contrary to the plain teaching of God's Word. As we just read in Romans 3:21, “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.” Even the very law of God itself, proclaimed eternal redemption only through the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD BY FAITH.
Acts 10:43, “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” Again, we see in Acts 10:43 that according to ALL THE PROPHETS, remission of sins came only through trusting in the Messiah. Isaiah 45:22, “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.” As we see, Isaiah 45:22 teaches that salvation comes through faith in the Lord. This was the lone Bible verse that compelled a young 15 year old lad named Charles Spurgeon to receive the only begotten Son of God as His Savior. True salvation comes from receiving Christ's sacrifice on the cross as payment for your sins, believing that He physically resurrected from the dead three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-6).
Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.” Romans 4:5-6, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.”
One of the most amazing true stories in the Holy Bible is Jonah and the whale. Jonah found himself drowning in the waves of the sea, with his head wrapped in weeds, thinking he was about to die. But then God delivered Jonah, by sending a great fish (a whale according to Matthew 12:40). Some theologians believe that Jonah died and went to Hell (the Paradise side of Hades). It is my personal belief that Jonah didn't die, because the Holy Bible records Jonah's thoughts while inside the great fish. Jonah 2:2, “And said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.” The uncomfortable and scary place Jonah was in certainly seemed like hell to him! As is often the case with most people, they only cry out to God when their life is falling apart. Jonah ran from God's will. The prophet was supposed to go to Nineveh, the capital city of Assyria, to preach the Gospel. God knows exactly how to get our attention if we don't obey Him. The Lord certainly got Jonah's attention!!!
Jonah gave thanksgiving unto the Lord “out of the belly of hell” as he called it.
Jonah 2:9, “But I
will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of
thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed.
Salvation is of the LORD. And the LORD spake
unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.” Jonah
wasn't thinking about how to escape his dire situation on his own. Jonah
realized that his life was completely in God's hands. I find it
interesting that the moment Jonah gave thanksgiving to God, that He
turned the captivity of Jonah. We see the same thing with Job, at the
bottom of life, after having lost nearly everything! Job 42:10, “And
the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed
for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he
had before.” Job wasn't merely set free, but blessed. Likewise,
Jonah wasn't merely set free, but vomited out on “DRY LAND” (Jonah
2:9). Our great God, Who is hopefully your heavenly Father as He is
mine (and He is if you are born-again), knows just how, when and where
to correct His children. God is not an absent parent!
The Gospel Was Proclaimed By Moses and All the Prophets
People in the Old Testament didn't know the name of Jesus. They had no clue that the Messiah would be crucified on a cross. They didn't know He would resurrect. I heard an Oklahoma rancher and preacher, name Les Feldick, attempt to use the following Scripture passage to teach that there are TWO Gospels, because when Jesus gave His disciples the Gospel facts, they didn't understand what He was saying (which is true). However, also notice that Jesus said He was going up to Jerusalem so that “all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished” ...
Luke 18:31-34,“Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.”
So clearly, we see that “ALL THINGS” were
written aforetime by the prophets, and the Lord fulfilled those
Messianic prophecies. Thus, we see that there is only ONE Gospel, not
two. They were saved by the same Good News (i.e., Gospel) of the
coming Messiah in the Old Testament. We see this truth bared out by the
words of the Samaritan woman to Jesus in John 4:25, “The woman saith
unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is
come, he will tell us all things.” How did she know that? It was
taught by Moses and all the prophets.
Salvation Has Always Been Through THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THE LAMB!
The
Scriptures plainly teach that there has always been only one way of
salvation, which is through faith in Jesus Christ! Abraham was saved by
believing the Lord (Genesis 15:6), and his faith was counted (imputed)
unto him for righteousness (Romans 4:5-6). People were saved in the Old
Testament by looking forward by faith to the blood of the Lamb. That is
what the yearly blood sacrifice was for.
Just as we are redeemed today BY THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST (1st Peter 1:18-19), so also were people redeemed in the Old Testament by trust in the SAME precious blood. All of the following ceremonial sprinkling of lamb's blood involved the tabernacle, and the blood was for the purpose of teaching the people about the blood of the coming Messiah...
Hebrews 9:18-26, “Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”
The preceding wonderful passage of Scripture conclusively PROVES that Jesus absolutely needed to take His literal, liquid, blood with Him from Calvary to sprinkle upon the Mercy Seat in Heaven. Reprobates like Merrill F. Unger, William E. Vine, John F. MacArthur and Robert B. Thieme Jr. all deny that Jesus' literal blood has been sprinkled upon the heavenly Mercy Seat. They are LIARS!!!
As you just read for yourself from God's inspired Word, it was NECESSARY that the Lamb's blood by sprinkled and applied to the Mercy Seat in Heaven, of which the Old Testament mercy seat was merely a shadow of things to come! Hebrews 10:1, “For the law [ceremonial laws] having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” Clearly, the work of the Old Testament high priest, and all the thousands of killed lambs, and all the sprinkled blood on the mercy seat each year, COULDN'T wash away men's sins! Hebrews 10:1, “For the law [ceremonial laws] having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.” Could the inspired Scriptures be any plainer my friend? I think not!
Everything that happened throughout the Old Testament concerning the tabernacle, the blood, high priests and mercy seat, were all leading up to “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29b). Jesus' precious literal blood didn't merely atone (cover) humanity's sins; but rather, the Lord's precious blood forever washed away our sins!!! Whew, that's good stuff!!!!!!! Read for yourself what the incredible book of Hebrews tells us...
Hebrews 10:10-14, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
Not one Old Testament sacrifice, NOT ONE, ever took away anyone's sins!!! It was the Lord's entrance into the Tabernacle in Heaven, where He once and for all took away our sins by sprinkling His precious, literal, liquid, blood to the Mercy Seat in the presence of God the Father, that made redemption for us!!!!!!!
It is shocking to me, absolutely mind-numbing, and utterly disturbing, that Dr. Ruckman, William Grady, Robert Breaker, or anyone else, could ever claim that people were saved through WORKS under the first covenant (i.e., the Old Testament). As you just read from the Word of God, people have ALWAYS been saved BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB OF GOD, JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!! The only righteousness that I have today is the imputed righteousness of God, which has been credited to me through faith in God's only begotten Son. The only difference between me and the vilest sinner upon the face of the earth, is the precious blood of Jesus that washed all my sins away!
If you understand the Bible truths I have just shared with you about the blood, then you ought to be able to see what is wrong with the whole concept of Lordship Salvation. Lordship Salvation is the heresy that says it is not enough to simply put your faith (i.e., trust) in the Good News (i.e., Gospel) of Jesus Christ crucified on the cross, buried and bodily risen the third day; but IN ADDITION, this heresy says you must turn away from sinful living, forsake the world, commit your life to follow Jesus, and make Him the absolute Lord of your life to be saved. If all these works are necessary for God's salvation of man, then it implies that Christ's blood sacrifice was NOT ALL-SUFFICIENT! Philippians 3:9, “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”
Repeatedly we are taught in the Scriptures that ungodly sinners are saved BY FAITH alone. God only saves THE UNGODLY (Romans 4:5-6). We are SAVED BY THE BLOOD!!! Hebrews 9:12, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Man's only part in God's salvation is to BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (Acts 16:30-31). It is God's salvation, not man's. Salvation is of the Lord. John 1:12-13, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” Salvation is solely through faith in Christ's sacrifice on the cross, who became our sin payment! Salvation is not doing your best, it is having Christ's best put to your account through receiving Him by faith. ...
“That payment that Christ made, He put it to your account... Do you realize the opportunity that God has given to us, to be able to 'GO INTO ALL THE WORLD.' And the thing that bothers people, is this thing about sin, because of the guilt that it brings, and all the wickedness that it brings; and you and I are the ONLY hope the people in this world—God has left us here and we are their only hope, if we don't explain the Gospel and make it clear!” —Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold; a quote from his sermon, “A Study of Romans Chapter 10.”
Dear friend, please make sure you have been born anew by the Holy Spirit of God (1st Peter 1:23). It is so easy, free and simple to be saved (Romans 5:15). Simply admit to God that you are a guilty sinner in His sight (Romans 3:19). You deserve eternal damnation in the fires of Hell for your sins (Romans 6:23), but God in His unconditional love sent His only begotten Son into the world to become the sacrifice for your sins (John 3:16), so that your sins could be completely forgiven and you could have everlasting life (John 11:25). If your only hope of forgiveness of sins and eternal life is Christ's sacrifice on the cross, believing that He has physically resurrected triumphant from the dead, you are eternally saved!!!
