From Conscience to Law

During the Adamic covenant, mankind was living by conscience. Additionally, if we read the first thirty-two verses of Genesis 5, we know that their lifespan was very long, even living up to 900 years. However, as time went by, specifically around Genesis 11:11-25, we could see that mankind’s lifespan, in general, deteriorated more and more. So much so that once we got to Abraham and Moses, the life expectancy significantly dropped to 100 years of age.

Knowing this poses the question: why was there a sudden drop in life expectancy?

The answer: so we wouldn’t have to live with our sin problem for so long. Imagine having to fight off the desires of the flesh for 900 years?! We Christians get tired now and want Jesus to come and rapture us now when most of us don’t even live to be 100. Thus, because it was too easy for men to sin and fall into the depravity of their conscience, due to mankind’s sinful nature, God decided to drastically shorten man’s lifespan. This in turn would get rid of living by conscience as a means for salvation. Thus, God established laws and governmental systems to judge mankind instead of their conscience judging them.

Genesis 6:3,6: “And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

God sees what man’s conscience has led them to do, which is evil continually, and because of it, God’s spirit cannot keep putting up with it. This is why God puts a limit to the days mankind will have to put up with their own depravity (their flesh) since their conscience cannot be trusted. Now, let’s move on to the next covenant which is the Abrahamic covenant.

The Abrahamic Covenant

Let us begin with the terms of this particular covenant.

First term: Jews will have their land grant

Biblically, we know the land grant to be from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates.

Genesis 15:18: “In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:” 

Seeing this land’s boundaries we can see that it is a huge piece of land. So, it does not matter what people that are anti-Jew, Muslims, or liberals want to argue concerning this land, God gives them that specific land with those boundaries, not more, not less.

Second term: If we bless the Jews, we’ll be blessed in return

If we curse the Jews, we will be cursed in return. It’s clearly written in the Bible, the Jews are God’s chosen people. God will deal with them, it is not up to us or the world political systems to cast judgments unto them. God is more than capable to take care of His own children.

Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”

God is speaking to Abram and this is what God tells Abram about his seed.

Third term: The Covenant with the Jews can never be broken

This debunks any of the anti-dispensationalists with replacement theology that claim that the Jews are no longer God’s children, which is untrue. First of all, notice what God says to the Jews, not the Church, which, using common sense, didn’t even exist at this time.

Genesis 17:7: “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.”

This verse refers to Abraham’s literal physical seed, not some spiritual line of Christians but actual physical Jews. God also makes mention that this particular covenant, which He establishes between Him and Abraham’s seed, is forever. Thus, the Church couldn’t have replaced the Jews at any moment in time, because the covenant between God and Jews is everlasting. If we as Christians believe in the promise that God gives us life everlasting life through Jesus Christ then we know that that promise will not end. Similar to what God promises to the Jews, we have to believe that God still has a covenant in place with them and that Christians have not replaced God’s chosen people. This is why dispensationalism is important.

Now, compare this verse to what is said in the following verse.

Judges 2:1: “And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.”

“And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to” Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt,

Clearly speaking to Jews.

“and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers;”

‘Fathers’ is a term related to the Jews.

“and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.”

Again, God was not speaking to Christians, but to Jews.

Fourth term: Jews will become a numerous people

The fourth term is that Jews will become a numerous people

Genesis 17:2: “And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.”

Historically speaking, we see that part of this promise is fulfilled due to the survival of the Jews throughout time. However, when we compare their population to the overall world population we see that the Jews make up only a small percentage of the general population. Thus, we can say that this particular term of this covenant has not been fulfilled, for now.

Fifth term: Jews (men) must undergo circumcision

Genesis 17:10: This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

The Jews in the Old Testament were supposed to practice circumcision. However, the Jews of today do not have to follow that system anymore, because there was a change in covenant and accompanying terms.

Theme of this covenant is promise

We see a lot of God’s grace in His promises. From Adam up until now, we see that human government turned out to be a mess. Because God made a promise to not drown the whole earth again, He had to intervene by scattering mankind to diverse locations (tower of Babel). Thus, there was no one group of people God could count on. So God decides to start afresh with a new group of people, the Jews. What makes this group of people different from those before them are the promises God bounds them by.

Galatians 3:17: “And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law,”

This was before Moses’ law was established, which was not as harsh and encompassed more of God’s grace.

which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

Paul calls this particular law promise, which refers to the time of the Abrahamic covenant. This is further supported by verse 18.

“For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”

We see through these two verses that Abraham’s time period is not bound by the law of Moses but by promise (and consequently grace). This is why Abraham and his children got away with a lot of things that displeased God (i.e. Reuben committing incest with his father’s wife). The only reason being that the law had not yet been formed.

Now, keep in mind that the Abrahamic covenant lasted from the time of Abraham to the twelve descendants of Jacob.

Genesis 12:1-2: “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:”

Here we see that the promises started with Abraham. The following verses also show God’s promises given throughout the Abrahamic covenant:

  • Genesis 18:13-14 (Sarah)
  • Genesis 26:2-4 (Isaac)
  • Genesis 28:3-5 (Jacob)
  • Genesis 50:24 (Jacob’s decendants)

Abraham and Salvation

At this time, Abraham and his people’s salvation was based on faith and works combined. Now, because there was so much promise between God and Abraham, it seemed like Abraham and his children got away with a lot of sins which, as we know, the law demanded death as payment for. But because the law was not even born during the Abrahamic time period, critics will assume that Abraham’s salvation was only by faith and not by works. However, this is not the case. Even though the law had yet to be formed, those that were saved by faith were still required to do works. Although this specific era might have leaned more toward promise and faith it did not change the fact that works were also involved, and if we’re being honest, we will see mentions of both faith and works for salvation.

James 2:21-23: “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”

“Was not Abraham our father justified by works

Works are mentioned here for justification, plain and simple.

“when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

Even though the majority of it was faith, works were still needed to perfect Abraham’s faith.

“And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.”

Fundamentalists and other anti-dispensationalists will use verse 23 to prove that Abraham was saved by faith alone. This is because they only look at this verse and not the surrounding verses for context’s sake. If you read the two verses before and the one after, you will see that works were also required for Abraham’s salvation.

James 2:24: “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

Looking at these verses combined, it is clear that from Abraham to his son Isaac and to Jacob, their salvation was not justified only by faith, but was also perfected by works.

Hebrews 11:17-22:By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.”

Notice that before the law, Jacob and his descendants were saved by faith. However, if you look closely at these verses you notice that works come out from each individual’s faith, meaning that it’s not only just faith but a combination of faith and works.

Spiritual Dealings in the Abrahamic Covenant

From the moment that Adam and Eve sinned against God, men’s spirits became dead, and because of this God had to deal with them physically. That being said, it also makes sense that even though Abraham was chosen by God for his promise and that he had faith, Abraham still needed to do physical work.

Why?

Because God is still primarily dealing with them physically.

In contrast, Christians deal with God spiritually because we have a spiritual nature that has been made alive by Jesus Christ. Because Jews didn’t have that, this is why they were dealt with primarily through physical means, which is why works (something physical) were needed.

In spite of this, we see a constant throughout the whole timeline from Genesis to Revelation; God’s grace. This is why there are some mentions of spiritual dealings with the Jews back then in the Old Testament, but mostly, God’s dealing with those in the Old Testament are physical (because of their dead spiritual nature).

Was Abraham Saved by Faith or Faith and Works?

Now, something important to note is that Paul used the Old Testament to prove New Testament’s spiritual doctrine to the Jews that only knew Old Testament. ‘How did Paul do this?’ you might ask. By finding any mention of God’s spiritual dealings with the Jews in the Old Testament. As such, the following verses show some of the spiritual dealings from God through His grace:

Genesis 15:5-6: “And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

In this verse, God counts Abraham’s belief (no works involved) as righteousness, meaning that his salvation was by faith without works. This is what Paul was trying to explain to the people of his time in the following verse.

Romans 4:2-3: “For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

“For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.”

Paul argues that if Abraham is justified through his works, it is not going to be before the eyes of God, This means that Abraham’s works don’t justify him but something else, which is alluded to be spiritual if not physical.

“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Paul says here that Abraham’s salvation is by faith without works, which imputed him (counted him) righteousness. Now, before you say this is a contradiction to the faith + works for salvation plan during the Abrahamic covenant, remember dispensationalism.

What Paul did not mention here is that Abraham never did works for his salvation (which we know that Abraham did). Instead, Paul only focused on the faith part because that is the only part (spiritual) that would apply to the people of his time period, the Christians. Through this, Paul proved that faith without works was biblical. However, we have to understand that although Abraham’s faith was without works at that specific moment in time (Genesis 15:5-6), he still had to be justified in man’s righteousness (through works) and not God’s righteousness (through faith, which he already was).

Recall that God was still dealing with these people physically, and in some form, spiritually as well. This means that although Abraham had faith, which was imputed by God, he still had to perfect his works when he offered up Isaac later on.

It is important to understand that when man was justified by God in the Old Testament, it was according to man’s own righteousness (works), which is completely different from New Testament Christians which are justified by God’s righteousness (faith).

James 2:18,21: “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?”

The context of verse 21 lets us know that this particular event happens in a different timeline, long after Abraham counts the stars and believes in God’s promise, and is counted righteous. Faith alone was exclusive to that one particular time. The timeline presented in this verse, however, reveals that Abraham had to do works (offered Isaac) in order to perfect his faith. Thus, James state that Abraham’s works (along with his faith) are what got him saved. Verse 22 gives us more insight as to why Abraham had to do works as well as have faith.

“Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?”

In order to perfect one’s faith at that time, works were required. So then, are Paul and James contradicting each other when one says faith only and the latter says works are needed for salvation? No, because they are dividing verses that focus on different timelines and situations. This is why dispensationalism is so important because, without it, you can easily be swayed by wrong doctrine.

1 Kings 8:32: “Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous. to give him according to his righteousness.”

Again, this verse serves to prove that there is no contradiction in what both Paul and James said. Recall that Paul said that if a man does works he is justified, but not before God in His standard of righteousness; without sin. James points out that Abrahams’s own righteousness (his works) causes him to be justified. However, he never mentions that Abrahams is justified before God’s holy standard, therefore there is no contradiction here.

Contrasting Abraham’s salvation with Christian’s salvation

Now, let’s compare Abraham’s salvation to our own (Christians). In the beginning, Abraham was counted righteous by faith when he believed in God’s promise. It wasn’t until later on, when he had a son, that he could prove or perfect his faith by doing works; offering up his son as a sacrifice. Christian salvation contradicts this because we have imputed righteousness and justification from the moment we believe in Christ for salvation. We don’t have to do any work to perfect our faith as it has already been perfected by Jesus himself. We see this in the following verse.

Romans 4:24: “But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.”

“But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed,”

Like Abraham, we have righteousness.

if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

As we clearly see in this verse, our righteousness and justification occur at the same time when we (Christians) believe in Jesus for salvation.

One very important thing that Paul would do is to prove Christian doctrine by giving examples from God’s spiritual dealings with the Jews in the Old Testament. Because there are some spiritual dealings that can be found in the Old Testament, we Christians can learn and apply some of them to our lives today.

This is why it is important to know your Bible and know how to divide verses, otherwise, you will over divide verses and believe that Christians can learn nothing from the Old Testament, let alone anything that is not Paul’s writing.

In the Old Testament, did God give man His righteousness?

Now, some people may argue that God gave man His righteousness in the Old Testament, not their own. However, this is not true. As you will come to realize, with the next verse, even when God gives man His righteousness, it is still based on man’s own righteousness.

Psalm 103:17-18: “But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children; To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

Even though God gives man His righteousness, it does not change the fact that man has to do his own sort of righteousness in order to receive God’s righteousness.

Now, something important to note as we look through these spiritual dealings in the Old Testament is that although you see some spiritual dealings pre-Christian era, God was not able to completely base all of His dealing with His people on a spiritual level. Why? This goes back to the beginning when man’s spirit died and has remained dead ever since Adam’s time. This is why nothing is completely spiritual but rather, there is a mingling of physical and spiritual dealings in some cases. However, physical dealings are still primarily used on the people of that time, because of their lack of a spiritual nature.

Another example of a spiritual dealing in the Old Testament is that Abraham is not just the physical father of the Jews (one nation) but the spiritual father of many different people (nations).

Genesis 17:4 “As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. “

Sometimes what we fail to realize is that God knows what happens in the past, present, and future. This is why He included this particular tidbit of Abraham fathering many nations on a spiritual level: He knew that His own people would reject Him through Jesus and was giving a bit of foreshadowing concerning His future spiritual nation.

As the story goes, God puts His physical nation aside for a time and focuses on a spiritual nation of Jews which is made up of many different nations, the Gentiles.

This is why heresies like replacement theology are false and are very limited in mindset. People forget that Scripture is literally taking a look at God’s mind through His perspective. This is why dispensationalism is difficult for many people to understand, they are literally studying God’s complex and infinitely intelligent mind. If we fail to study and understand Scripture the way God wants us to (through His perspective) then we find many contradictions instead of different options that God has planned out from the beginning.

Romans 4:16: “Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”

“Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise

Abraham’s covenant was based on a promise.

“might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law,

This is for Jews and Christians simultaneously, which debunks replacement theology.

“but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,?

Abraham is also a father to Christians.

“As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.”

What you have to realize is that when God deals with man, He can do it both physically and spiritually. Failure to properly divide God’s word is what leads to many of the wrong doctrines we see today. This is why it is important to know how to use dispensationalism.

Physical vs Spiritual Circumcision

Now, something you should keep in mind when reading the following verse is that Abraham’s circumcision was a physical sign of God’s promises to the Jews, and not doing so would result in his soul being cut off.

Genesis 17:9: “And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

“And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised” 

That being said, if the Jews of today insist on following a physical Jewish system, then they have to perform circumcision, otherwise, their salvation is lost. This is apparent in the following verses.

“And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised,that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.”

So, they have to do physical circumcision or their souls will be lost. Now, compare this to the following passage in Colossians. Paul argued that this was not just an outward physical circumcision but a spiritual one as well. Keeping this in mind, Abraham’s circumcision takes on a different meaning in a spiritual context, as it was a spiritual sign of God’s promises to the Christians, and not doing so would result in his soul being cut off as well.

Romans 4:11-12: “And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.”

“And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:” And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only,”

Paul recognizes both physical and spiritual aspects

“but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

Paul was arguing that Abraham had to practice circumcision or else his soul would be cut off. However, he focused on a spiritual aspect of it; Abraham had been imputed righteousness prior to his circumcision. This is shown in Genesis 15 where Abraham believed God and that was counted as righteousness. Now, Paul used this same verse to prove that Christians receive God’s righteousness through faith automatically, with no need to perfect our own salvation as it was given to us all together at the same time. All this to show that our salvation was already completed and that nothing additional was needed to perfect it, completely different to Abraham’s salvation as the offering of his son, works, and physical circumcision was needed to perfect it. When we believe on Christ for salvation, we receive our spiritual circumcision automatically, which is our imputed righteousness and justification before God.

Colossians 2:11: “In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”

“In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands,”

We Christians have circumcision as well, just not physical.

in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:”

Our circumcision completely separates us from our bodies. This means that whenever our body sins, it doesn’t affect us (our soul). This is all done through faith.

Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”

Once we got saved we no longer needed to do anything physical since we are completely severed from our bodies; thus, anything our body does (works) does nothing to perfect our already perfect salvation. This, in itself, should prove that salvation is not the same from beginning to end. Just because physical dealings were sometimes used in the Old Testament does not mean that faith only was the basis for salvation in all eras. This is why it is important to divide the physical from the spiritual and apply them to the correct people.