P aul has just revealed the good news of how God’s righteousness is available to all who put their faith in Christ. This gospel is new in the sense that the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ inaugurates a new stage in salvation history. Yet, Paul also reminds us that it is not entirely new. As attested to by the Law and the Prophets, that is the Old Testament, the means of salvation that God has provided for His people has remained unchanged throughout history – by grace through faith in Christ. Those born before the Lord Jesus were saved by looking forward in faith to the coming of Christ, while those born after were saved by looking back in faith to His finished work. How does the Old Testament testify to God’s grace through the Lord Jesus Christ? From the very beginning, after Adam and Eve fell into sin, God spoke of the coming of a mighty One who would destroy Satan and his works forever [Genesis 3:15]. The sacrificial system of the Mosaic Law points to the perfect sacrifice that God will ultimately provide, His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ – the paschal lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The prophets gave numerous prophecies of Christ, especially His birth and His suffering and death for sinners. What is your attitude towards the Old Testament? Is it a history book about the bygone era of salvation by the Law, or is it a testament of God’s faithfulness to His covenant as He unfolds His plan of redeeming grace culminating in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ?
LESSON
But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.
The Bible is the one Word of the one God about the one way of salvation through the one Savior, Jesus Christ. – Graeme Goldsworthy
THOUGHT
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