How Were People Saved in the Old Testament?

Posted on September 2, 2024 by Wayne Davies

hammer-719066_1280I love a good question, and this one certainly fits the bill: How were people saved in the Old Testament?

I believe the Bible is clear about this issue, with Romans 4 being the definitive passage.

I urge you to study this chapter carefully – it’s a treasure chest of truth and will bring you much joy!

Here’s a summary of my take on this question:

From Genesis to Revelation, I believe the Bible teaches that there has been only one way to receive salvation – by grace through faith.

In Romans 4, Paul answers this question by directing us to two Old Testament examples: Abraham and David.

Abraham
“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about — but not before God. What does Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness” (Romans 4:1-5).

Note that Paul quotes Genesis 15:6, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Was Abraham justified (declared righteous in God’s sight and forgiven of his sin) before the law was given, or after the law was given? Before. About 600 years before the Law of Moses was given (and even before Abraham was circumcised), Abraham was declared righteous by God.

And what how was Abraham justified? By his works, or by his faith? By his faith.

David
Let’s continue with Paul’s second example:
“David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
‘Blessed are they
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man
whose sin the Lord will never count against him.’”
(Romans 4:6-7)

Here Paul quotes Psalm 32:1-2, which was written by David. The apostle says that David describes a person to whom God has credited righteousness apart from works. Such a person has received forgiveness and the covering of their sins. Truly they are blessed because God will never count their sin against them! And He bestows this blessing without taking their works into consideration.

I urge you to read Psalm 32 and ask these questions: Does David sound like a man who is trying to earn God’s forgiveness by keeping the Law? Or does he write this psalm as a man who understands that God’s forgiveness is received by faith expressed through humble repentance and confession of sin?

Like Abraham, David experienced God’s forgiveness of sin “apart from works.” Was David forgiven before or after the Law was given? After. About 400 years after the Law was given, David was forgiven “apart from works” (Romans 4:6).

So, before the Law was given, Abraham was justified by faith, apart from works. And after the Law was given, David also was justified by faith, apart from works.

What I’m saying is not a new teaching. There are many evangelicals who hold to this view. Here are some resources that expound the position that salvation has always been “by grace through faith,” and that the Bible never teaches salvation by works of the Law.

How Were Old Testament Saints Saved?
By Hank Hanegraaff, “The Bible Answer Man”
http://www.christianity.com/theology/how-were-old-testament-saints-saved-11555477.html

“Many people falsely assume that only New Testament believers are saved by grace whereas Old Testament believers were saved by their obedience to the law of Moses and not by grace. The truth is that both the Old and New Testaments clearly teach that everyone who is saved, throughout all history, is saved the same way: by grace, through faith, on account of Christ alone.”

How Were People Saved Before Jesus Came in the Flesh?
https://answersingenesis.org/gospel/salvation/how-were-people-saved-before-jesus-came-in-the-flesh/

“Were there multiple ways of salvation prior to the coming of Jesus in space and time to die as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind? The answer must be a resounding “No.” Paul explained in Romans 4 that salvation has always been and will always be by God’s grace and received through faith alone.”

How Did People Get Saved in the Old Testament?
https://carm.org/how-did-people-get-saved-old-testamentsalvation-old-testament

“People in the Old Testament were saved by faith just like people today. Three passages to examine in the Old Testament regarding justification by faith are Ezekiel 18:26-28, Isaiah 1:18, and Isaiah 55:7.

The Old Testament system of sacrifices was never intended to be salvific (cf. Hebrews 10:4 and context). What it was intended to show was the seriousness of sin.
An important point that Paul makes regarding Abraham is in Romans 4:10:
“How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.”

Paul is showing that Abraham was justified by his faith after which God sealed it with a covenant sign (circumcision) which is equivalent to a Christian’s baptism (cf. Col. 2:12-13). Therefore, people in the Old Testament were saved by faith just like people today.”

How Were Jews Saved in the Old Testament?
https://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/otsaints.html

“In both eras (Old Testament and New Testament) God’s people were saved by grace alone. God is holy, and thus, fallen humanity was never saved by observing the Law. In both the Old and New Testament era God’s standard for us remains the same: perfect righteousness, so at all times we would have to keep the Law perfectly to earn our own redemption and win God’s acceptance. The Law is therefore, not meant to save but rather strip us of all hope of looking to self for salvation, a tutor to lead us to Christ (Gal 3:24) for it condemns each of us exposing the deep roots of our sinful nature and thus our desperate need for a Savior. But Christ alone fulfilled all righteousness (Matt 3:15), a sinless savior who died and counts His people free from the condemnation of the Law.

Old Testament saints were clearly saved the same way the New Testament saints were, by grace alone, through faith alone, in the person and work of Christ alone, as revealed in the Scriptures alone, to the glory of God alone.

All saints of all time have their hope in Him alone for their redemption. Christ is the center of history and in this light, we should read and interpret both Old and New Testaments.”

What Then is the Purpose of the Law of Moses?
There are Christians who believe that the Old Testament teaches salvation by works and the New Testament teaches salvation by faith. In other words, God has had two different ways for man to be reconciled to God.

According to this view, before Christ came the Jews had to keep the law to be saved. Now that Jesus has died, God’s methodology for granting forgiveness is different. We are no longer required to obey the law to be saved, because the New Testament says “a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law” (Romans 3:28).

As indicated above, I disagree with this interpretation. There are many New Testament verses that teach the truth of Roman 3:28. One of my favorites is Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.”

We are saved by grace, through faith, not by works – specifically, the works of the law.
The point we’ve been making here is that this “faith not works” approach to salvation has been the only way people have ever been saved.

Why, then, does Paul say repeatedly that salvation is “not by works”? Some would say, “Because this was the Old Testament way, and Paul is telling people that there’s a new and better way, the way of Christ, the way of grace.”

Hmmm. Again I must disagree.

Instead, could it be that many Jews, especially the Pharisees, had corrupted the message of the Old Testament. Yes, there are hundreds of rules in the Law of Moses. These rules had been taught for centuries as the way a Jew was required to live. And by time of Jesus, a system had been created that essentially said, “If you want to be accepted by God, you must adhere to this system. You must earn your salvation by doing good works.”

Paul is not saying, “God’s way to receive salvation has changed.” Rather, he’s saying, “My fellow Jews, you’ve got it all wrong. You’ve misinterpreted the Scriptures and turned forgiveness into something God never intended it to be. God’s way has always been ‘by grace, through faith, not by works.’ But you’ve twisted that into something else entirely. Let’s get back to the right way, the way of faith, the way of Abraham and David. They were saved by faith. And so are we. This is the way it’s always been, but you Jews have turned the meaning of God’s Word upside down and perverted the clear teaching of Scripture.”

I get so excited when I read passages like 2 Timothy 3:15, where Paul says, “you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” What “Scriptures” would Paul be referring to? Well, the New Testament was still being written at this time, so he could not have been referring to that. He was talking about the only Scriptures in existence – the 39 books of the Old Testament!

Yes, the Old Testament plainly teaches “salvation through faith in Christ.” Passages like Genesis 15:6 and Psalm 32:1-2 make it clear that works are not the means of salvation, faith alone is.

What, then, is the purpose of the Law of Moses, as spelled out in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy? An excellent answer to this question is found in How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart. Chapter 9 is devoted to this issue and it entitled “The Law(s): Covenant Stipulations for Israel” (pages 163-180). Please allow me to quote from this book to bring clarity to this topic, for I agree wholeheartedly with what these men say. I highly recommend that you get this book and study this chapter! I found it most enlightening.

Fee/Stuart hold to the view expressed above regarding what the Law was not intended to do. “Nowhere in the Old Testament is it suggested that anyone was saved by keeping the Law . . . The Law was not thought of in Israel as a ‘means of salvation.’ It was neither given for that reason nor could it possibly function in that way” (p. 169-170).

Then what is the purpose of the Law? “Rather, it functioned as a way of establishing loyalty between God and his people. The Law simply represented the terms of agreement of loyalty that Israel had with God. The Law in this sense thus stands as a paradigm (model). It is hardly a complete list of all the things one could or should do to please God in ancient Israel. The Law presents, rather, examples or samples of what it means to be loyal to God” (p. 170).

God expected loyalty from Israel because He had entered into a covenant with their father Abraham, promising them the land of Canaan, countless descendants, and the blessing of being the nation through whom God would bless the whole world. Then God brought His people out of the Egypt, the land of slavery. Before taking them back to the Promised Land, He brought them to Mt. Sinai and said, in effect, “I have done so much for you. I love you and want the best for you, and if you follow my law, you’ll continue to be blessed. Here are the guidelines for how to live as my people.”

In other words, the Law was a “discipleship manual” for Israel. It explained the specific ways they could demonstrate their love and devotion to God.

I would add two other purposes of the Law:

1. The Law makes us aware of our sin and our need of a Savior.
This is taught throughout the New Testament, especially in Romans:
“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin” (Romans 3:20).

“Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what it was to covet if the law had not said, ‘Do not covet.’” (Romans 7:7; see also Romans 7:8-13 and 1 Timothy 1:8-11)

2. The Law points us to Jesus.
The ritual components of the law were object lessons that prepared the world for the coming of Jesus Christ. The sacrifices, the priesthood, the tabernacle and temple, the feasts – God used all these things to meet the spiritual needs of the sincere Old Testament believer. Yet they were temporary, for when Christ came, everything represented in these rituals was fulfilled in Him. The book of Hebrews makes this abundantly clear.

For example, God has always required a blood sacrifice to atone for sins. “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). The Law contained many specifics on how these sacrifices were to be offered. The truly repentant Jew would place his hands on the head of the animal, signifying that his sin was being transferred to the innocent animal, who would die as a substitute for the sinner. This is a vivid illustration of the one supreme sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross of Calvary, for Jesus is the “Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

My favorite passage in this regard is Galatians 3:24 – “So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.”

Thanks be to God for His gracious gift of the Law! God provided a perfect standard which no one can live up to. We repeatedly break the Law and the Holy Spirit convicts us of our guilt, making us painfully aware of our imperfections. When confronted with our inability to keep the law, we cry out with David, “I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight . . . Surely I have been a sinner from birth” (Psalm 51:3-5).

The realization that we have fallen far short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23) produces the godly sorrow that leads to repentance. Repentance, in turn, leads to the salvation found in Jesus alone (2 Corinthians 7:10), for He is the one and only Savior of sinners. He came to seek and to save the lost; He came to call sinners to repentance.

When we come to the end of ourselves and in despair run to Jesus for forgiveness, our sins are washed away and we are reconciled to God. When we admit that we cannot save ourselves because “all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” in the sight of God (Isaiah 64:6), only then will God clothe us with the righteousness of Christ.

We trust Christ to do what the Law could never do – rescue us from the wrath of God that hung over our heads like a black cloud of eternal destruction. God’s love is poured out on us through the death of Christ, and the moment we believe, we are “rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13).

The works of the Law never saved anyone. But God uses the Law to make us aware of our sin, so we can embrace Jesus as Savior and King. When used properly, the Law takes us to the foot of the cross, right where we need to be – for there we can “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

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The Glory of God in Our Backyard

Posted on August 24, 2024 by Wayne Davies

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
Isaiah 6:3

Sometimes you don’t have to go far to see the glory of God displayed in his creation.

My wife, Julie, happens to be a gardener.

I can walk out the door and see all these manifestations of God’s glory.

Enjoy the glory of God today! Let the beauty of his world take your breath away.

Posted in Attributes of God, Thoughts About God | Leave a comment

How to Re-ignite Your Bible Reading

Posted on August 23, 2024 by Wayne Davies

Need help getting into the Word?

Here’s a great article by David Murray:

Re-ignite Bible Reading That’s Become Boring

Any one of these 12 practical tips may be just what you need if Word-time has become less than it should be lately.

When reading and studying the Bible, I am easily distracted, so I especially like strategy #3:

“Ban the cellphone. If you check your phone before you check your Bible, the Bible is going to lose. The Internet and Social Media is crack cocaine for the brain. The Bible requires careful cutting, chewing, and digesting. The former is quick thrills; the latter is a slow roast. Check your Bible first and it won’t feel such a let down to your brain. And put your phone away as you read; even if it’s not pinging and buzzing, the brain sees it and is expecting it, causing further distraction.”

I love this kind of advice: he cuts right to the chase and gives it to you straight.

For 11 more ways to re-ignite your Bible reading, click below to access the entire article:

http://headhearthand.org/blog/2015/09/23/re-ignite-bible-reading-thats-become-boring/

Let me know what you think of David’s insights by leaving a comment below.

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What the Bible Says about Athletes and Their Awards

Posted on August 16, 2024 by Wayne Davies

I enjoyed watching the Paris Olympics. How about you?

My favorite events are the running races. From the shorter sprints to the longer distances, I like seeing people run around the track at speeds I can only dream about.

Add a few obstacles, like hurdles or pools of water to jump over, and that just makes the race even more exciting.

What does God have to say about these athletes? Plenty. And it’s all for our instruction.

Here are a few verses about runners, their running, their races, and their rewards:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.  But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
1 Corinthians 9:24-27

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:1-2

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”
2 Timothy 4:6-8

As you read the verses above, what are your takeaways?

How is the Christian life like a running race?

How is a believer like an athlete?

I’d love to hear what you think, so please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

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Am I Really A Christian? (Part 3)

Posted on August 6, 2024 by Wayne Davies

I’ve been reading a little booklet entitled, Am I Really A Christian?

The author, Thomas Boston, explains eight common reasons that believers may doubt the genuineness of their conversion.

Here’s DOUBT #6: “Comparison to others”

“My life falls so far short of the standards of the great saints of the Bible and of the excellent Christians that I know personally. When I look at them, I can hardly stand to look at myself in comparison. How can I claim even to be in the same family with such saints?”

Have you ever felt that way?

“Answer: We can see a measure of grace and holiness in this life that we should have, but cannot ever reach. This should humble us. It should also make us press all the more vigorously toward the mark. The devil wants weak Christians to be tortured by comparing themselves to strong Christians (2 Corinthians 10:12). To give in to this temptation would be like a child doubting his relationship to his father because he is not the same height as his older brother. It is irrational! There are saints of various sizes in Christ’s family. Some are fathers; some are young men; and some are little children. (1 John 2:13-14).”

The two passages mentioned in Boston’s comments shed much light on this topic.
Paul wrote about the foolishness of comparing ourselves to others:

“Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.”
2 Corinthians 10:12

And John provides a helpful picture of the various levels of spiritual maturity among believers:

“I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
because you know the Father.”
1 John 2:13

A word
to the wise
from the Word
is sufficient.

I thank God for his straightforward advice on the foolishness of comparing myself to others.

To get a free copy of  Am I Really A Christian: Eight Doubts Answered, visit:
https://www.chapellibrary.org/book/aira/am-i-really-a-christian-bostonthomas

NOTE: This booklet contains selected sections from Human Nature in Its Fourfold State, by Thomas Boston, modernized for easier understanding by today’s reader. Jeffrey T. Riddle, pastor of Christ Reformed Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, provided the abstraction and modernization. Copyright 2015 Chapel Library. www.ChapelLibrary.org

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Be Not Deceived: Knowing about God and Knowing God Are Worlds Apart

Posted on July 31, 2024 by Wayne Davies

KnowingGodPacker

I’ve been reading Knowing God, by J.I. Packer – for the third time. It’s that good.

There is so much truth in the first few chapters, it’s hard to know where to begin.

These statements stand out from chapter two:

“One can know a great deal about God without much knowledge of Him.”

 

“Knowledge about God, and the capacity to think clearly and talk well on Christian themes, is not at all the same thing as knowing Him.”

“We may know as much about God as Calvin knew . . . and yet all the time (unlike Calvin, may I say) we may hardly know God at all.”

This simple distinction between knowing about God and knowing God is huge. I can accumulate much knowledge about God and yet never really know God.

Packer paints this incriminating picture:

“We find in ourselves a deep interest in theology. We read books of theological exposition and apologetics. We dip into Christian history, and study the Christian creed. We learn to find our way around in the Scriptures. Others appreciate our interest in these things, and we find ourselves asked to give our opinion in public on this or that Christian question, to lead study groups, to give papers, to write articles, and generally to accept responsibility, informal if not formal, for acting as teachers and arbiters of orthodoxy in our own Christian circles. Our friends tell us how much they value our contribution, and this spurs us to further exploration of God’s truth, so that we may be equal to the demands made upon us.”

I apply this to Bible study, for that is the most common way that I acquire knowledge about God. We can pour ourselves into reading the Word and doing any number of other things to gain a thorough understanding of Scripture. Resources abound: commentaries, Bible study guides, websites, sermons. Are we not blessed to have so much Bible information at our disposal? Has any generation had more knowledge about the Bible at its fingertips?

I can study the Bible on my own. Or I can attend any number of institutions of higher education and earn degrees in theology. I can go online and listen to godly men expound every verse from Genesis to Revelation. And I can do this for years and never know God.

This is scary. And it should be. Packer has cut to the chase right out of the gate by focusing on our motive for Bible study.

Why do I read and study the Bible?

That is the question I am asking myself. What is the purpose of opening The Book and striving to understand it? To know about God, or to know God? This is the difference between life and death, heaven and hell.

My response to this teaching is repentance. I realize that I have often studied the Bible for self-glorifying purposes – namely, to be recognized by peers as one who “knows the Word.”

“Oh God, please forgive me for this prideful motive, and please give me the pure motive of studying the Word in order to know you.”

NOTE: This is the first in a serious of posts on Knowing God by J.I. Packer. To read the other posts in this series, click here.

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Does the Bible Command a Daily Quiet Time?

Posted on July 27, 2024 by Wayne Davies

Here’s a question to ponder:

Do the Scriptures command a daily devotional time of prayer and Bible reading? 

I like how Kevin DeYoung answers this question:

“Not exactly, but they presume something like it.

“On the one hand, we must be honest with what we do and do not see in the Bible. Family worship is not one of the Ten Commandments. Jesus did not outline M’Cheyne’s Bible reading plan in the Sermon on the Mount. The vice lists in the New Testament do not mention “delinquent in devotions,” and “crushes his quiet time every morning” is not listed among the fruit of the Spirit. We must be careful not to make the minutes (or hours) we spend in daily devotions the sine qua non of Christian discipleship. Too many of us have learned to measure our discipleship according to this one criterion, and because we can always spend more time in prayer, we never seem to be measuring up.

“And yet if that’s all we said about ‘having a quiet time’— it’s nowhere commanded in Scripture—we would not be telling the whole story.

“We are often commanded to pray (Matt. 7:7–11; Rom. 12:12; 1 Thess. 5:17). Jesus assumes that God’s people will often be in private prayer (Matt. 6:6) and that the habit of prayer will be daily (Matt. 6:11). We know that Jesus withdrew to desolate places to pray (Mark 1:35) and that godly men like Daniel prayed three times a day (Dan. 6:10).

“Likewise, the Psalms commend to us the habit of meditating on God’s word day and night (Pss. 1; 119). We see in Timothy the example of public and private reading in Scripture (1 Tim. 4:13, 15; 2 Tim. 3:15).

“And, finally, on a number of occasions the Bible exhorts parents, and especially fathers, to instruct their children in the way of the Lord (Gen. 18:19; Deut. 6:5–6; Ps. 78:4; Eph. 6:4). There is no way to be faithful to these scriptural commands and examples if our lives are devoid of prayer, Bible reading, and time with our families in the word.”

He’s got more to say about the topic, so do yourself a favor and check out the rest of his article:

On the Crushing Guilt of Failing at Quiet Time

https://www.crossway.org/articles/on-the-crushing-guilt-of-failing-at-quiet-times

It will take you 10 minutes to read or listen to it. Then let me know your thoughts on this topic by leaving a comment below.

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What the Bible Says about What God Does

Posted on July 19, 2024 by Wayne Davies


I’ve been learning a lot about the faithfulness of God lately. It’s a recurring theme in Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation.

The psalmists liked to write about it:

1 I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever;
    with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever;
    in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”
Psalm 89:1-2

God’s faithfulness is his perfect reliability. He always does what he says he will do. He never breaks a promise and therefore is forever worthy of our trust. 

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23

I love that theology, the study of God, is so relevant and practical!

For example, the faithfulness of God is indispensable in our fight against temptation. 

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
1 Corinthians 10:13

Here we find a verse filled with promises:

You will never experience a unique temptation because many others have also encountered it. Many.

God will not allow you to be tempted beyond your ability. Never.

God will provide a way of escape from the temptation. Always. 

God will empower you to resist the temptation by enabling you to handle it. Every time. 

What does Paul say about the character of God, right in the middle of the verse? “God is faithful.” He can be counted on to do what he has promised to do for us when faced with temptation.

Have you experienced the faithfulness of God when tempted? Have you seen him fulfill the promises of 1 Corinthians 10:13? 

If so, why not take time today to thank him for his faithfulness. From your heart and with your mouth, make known his dependability to keep his promises. He’s worthy of our praise!

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“Mommy, How Old Is God?”

Posted on July 9, 2024 by Wayne Davies

One of the best questions a child can ask is, “Who made God?”

Or how about this one:
“Where did God come from?”

Or “How old is God?”

 

These are great questions that a person of any age can ask, don’t you think?

Fortunately, the Bible provides an answer that theologians call the self-existence of God.

The wonder of God’s greatness is beyond the limits of our finite minds. Yet God wants us to know Him to the extent we are able. He desires that we “Be still, and know that I am God “(Psalm 46:10). This is why the Bible is filled with profound statements that tell us who God is and what He is like. So let’s take a closer look at one of my favorite truths about God: His eternal self-existence.

The Reality of God’s Self-Existence
God has always existed. He is eternal, and His eternality extends into the past as well as the future. I think we have an easier time thinking about the never-ending future existence of God, mainly because “God has given us eternal life” (1 John 5:11). We will live with God forever because God lives forever. Of course, even this future aspect of eternal life is mind-boggling and way beyond our mental ability to comprehend. But even more difficult to grasp is the truth that God has always existed in the past.

Please join me in this brain-bending exercise: meditate on the fact that God has no beginning. He is uncreated. No one or no thing made God because God always was. We don’t have a category for this. Everything and everyone in the world has a beginning, a point in time when it came into existence. But not God. He has always been.

A.W. Tozer comments on the mystery of God’s eternality and the challenge we face in our attempt to understand it: “To think steadily of that to which the idea of origin cannot apply is not easy, if indeed it is possible at all . . . The human mind, being created, has an understandable uneasiness about the Uncreated. We do not find it comfortable to allow for the presence of One who is wholly outside of the circle of our familiar knowledge. We tend to be disquieted by the thought of One who does not account to us for His being, who is responsible to no one, who is self-existent, self-dependent and self-sufficient” (The Knowledge of the Holy).

We know God has no origin because this is what Scripture teaches. Moses begins Psalm 90 with these words:

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

It’s that last part of verse 2 that makes our heads spin. “From everlasting” God has been God. The Common English Bible translates this as “from forever in the past to forever in the future, you are God.” Psalm 93:2 is equally clear: “Your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.” Or as the NIV puts it, “you are from all eternity.”

The Reason for God’s Self-Existence
God has always existed because God is life. This amazing truth is also revealed in the Bible. When God spoke to Moses in the burning bush He told him, “I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:9-10).

Moses’ response to God’s command was less than enthusiastic, so he said, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” (Exodus 3:13).

God then said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ God also said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob – has sent me to you. This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation” (Exodus 3:14-15).

The Hebrew word for “LORD” (in all capital letters) is Yahweh, and it means “I am.” This is the most common word for God in the Bible, used over 6,800 times in the Old Testament! We must not miss the significance of this – God has a name (just like you have a name), and His name is based on the truth of His eternal self-existence. Every time we read the word “LORD” in the Old Testament, we should be reminded that our God is the source and fountain of life because He is life itself. He is the only self-sufficient, self-sustaining being in the universe, dependent on no one else and therefore the only truly independent Person.

The Gospel of John makes this truth about God’s self-existence abundantly clear:
In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind (1:4);
For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself (5:26);
I am the resurrection and the life (11:25);
I am the way, the truth and the life (14:6).

The Overflow of God’s Self-Existence
The implications of God’s self-existence should humble us. The only reason we exist is because God exists. He is life itself and has chosen to give life to us. Every breath we take and every move we make is because of His sustaining power. We would not be here if God had not brought us into being. And we would not continue to live another second were it not for the grace of God.

He made us, and He upholds us. God is the only reason we are alive today. And only because of His mercy will you wake up again tomorrow. Let the goodness of God, as manifested in the provision of our daily existence, take your breath away. “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28).

Our Response to God’s Self-Existence
In light of this amazing truth, how do we then live? What effect should the self-existence of God have on us? It should bring us to our knees in worship of the living God. This is the only appropriate response!

John had a vision of God on His throne in heaven. Angels are worshipping Him, and this is what they are proclaiming day and night: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8). God was. He “was” in the sense that He always was. There has never been a time when God was not God. This should evoke endless praise and adoration of the great I AM.

While these angelic beings “give glory, honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne and who lives forever and ever,” the 24 elders, representative of God’s people, join the celebration and “fall down before Him . . . and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say, ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being’” (Revelation 4:9-11).

Looking for a reason to glorify God today? Look no further than the beating heart in your chest. If you are alive and can read these words, you have every reason to worship King Jesus, “the author of life” (Acts 3:15) and the lover of your soul.

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What the Bible Says about God’s Goodness

Posted on July 5, 2024 by Wayne Davies

Here’s one of my favorite verses about the goodness of God:

“How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.”
Psalm 31:19

David says that God’s goodness is “great” (NIV 1978) or “abundant” (ESV). God’s goodness is of such magnitude that he stores it up for us. I like the King James rendering: God’s goodness has been “laid up” for us. Or, as The Message paraphrases it, “What a stack of blessings you have piled up for those who worship you.”

Think about this today and let it take your breath away! God has so much goodness to shower upon you, he chooses to stockpile it in his divine warehouse. Every day he takes some of that goodness and delivers it to you as only he can.

A few years ago I made a list of some of God’s good gifts. First, in the material realm:

— food, clothing, shelter
— people to love and be loved by
— parents and children
— husbands and wives
— brothers and sisters
— music and art and poetry and prose

So many gifts, so much goodness!

And then when we move to the spiritual realm, the goodness of God becomes even more amazing:

— the Holy Scriptures
— the Holy Spirit
— the Holy One of Israel – the Christ
— the provision of forgiveness through the death and resurrection of King Jesus
— the granting of godly sorrow, genuine repentance, and saving faith
— entrance into his kingdom both in this life and the next
— the awesome majesty and sweet intimacy of his presence

All these spiritual blessings, so we can be reconciled to the One we betrayed with a kiss!

All these manifestations of the goodness of God come to us daily. Oh, may we never take them for granted! May we rise up with grateful hearts to give thanks to the King of glory, for surely He pursues us with goodness all the days of our lives.

Take time today to meditate on the two lists above and reflect on how God has been good to you over the years. What else can you add to these lists? How do you respond to God’s goodness? Do you ever get overwhelmed by it? Why not express your gratitude to him by writing out a prayer of praise and thanksgiving for his goodness.

And feel free to share your thoughts below on God’s goodness. I’d love to rejoice with you.

NOTE: The above comments are an excerpt from my book, How to Pray Like David (Volume 1): A Bible Study on Psalms 1-41. Click here to get your free copy:
https://payhip.com/b/3iQfu

Posted in Thoughts About God, Thoughts on the Psalms, What the Bible Says | Tagged | Leave a comment