Faith has always been the most important aspect of salvation. God’s amazing grace, love, and mercy were on full display when He sought out Adam and Eve to redeem them after their disobedience and, in their place, sacrificed an animal to cover their nakedness. So it was Adam and Eve’s faith in what God did on their behalf that saved them. Just like it is our faith that saves us today.

Adam and Eve Were Not Saved by Believing the Gospel of Grace

They were saved on the merits of the cross

Adam and Eve were not saved because they believed Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross, died, was buried, and rose three days later! Noah and his family were not saved by the gospel of grace. Not one person in the Old Testament was saved by believing the gospel of the grace of God. Nor were the apostles, or any other person for that matter, saved during the Lord’s earthly ministry by believing that Christ died for their sins, was buried, and rose from the dead three days later.

Again, salvation, whether in the Old or New Testament, is based on the merits of the cross. The shed blood, death on the cross, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus three days later is the culmination of all that God does. But what God instructed mankind to do for salvation and doctrine has changed considerably since Adam and Eve. In other words, it is ludicrous to say that Adam and Eve were saved because they believed that Christ died for their sins and was buried only to rise from the dead three days later.

The shed blood, death on the cross, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus three days later are the culmination of all that God does

For example, in the garden, what were God’s instructions for Adam and Eve? You have dominion over everything; just don’t eat from that one tree. Is that our gospel today? What happened when they disobeyed God? Did they repent? Did they walk down the aisle and believe wholeheartedly that they were sinners? Did they believe that Jesus Christ shed His blood, was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead three days later? Of course not! But what the Lord did by killing an animal to make clothing for Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness was a foreshadowing of what He Himself would accomplish at the cross, reconciling the whole world back to Himself thousands of years into the future.

So what did Adam and Eve believe? What saved them? By faith, they believe what the Lord did by killing an animal, shedding its blood, and making clothing to cover their nakedness brought them back into fellowship with the Lord.

The revelation of the gospel of grace

God did not reveal the gospel of grace that saves mankind today until around 40 AD. To say otherwise is unscriptural and the antithesis of a sound hermeneutic approach to God’s word. It is crucial to grasp the concept that the Bible is a progressive revelation. God’s plan of redemption has never changed, but how God dealt with mankind and what He revealed did.

Salvation Today is By the Gospel of the Grace of God

‘Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, ‘

I Corinthians 15:1-4

The good news of the gospel of grace is that all mankind can be saved by believing in the finished work of the cross (the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ 1 Corinthians 15:1-4) alone, by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8,9), apart from the Mosaic law or temple worship (Romans 3:21). This good news is the culmination of all that God does and is the basis for salvation for all mankind since Adam. But what God instructed mankind to do for salvation has changed significantly from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Moses and the Old Testament saints to the Lord’s earthly ministry. Today we have the gospel of grace, which has been the means of salvation for all mankind for the past 1900+ years.

Takeaway

God’s plan of redemption has never changed, but how God dealt with mankind and what He revealed for salvation did. The Bible is a progressive revelation, and the good news of the gospel of grace is the culmination of all that God does, past, present, and future. The gospel of grace has been the means of salvation for all mankind for the past 1900+ years, and it is by Paul’s gospel, the gospel of grace, that all mankind will be saved and judged. It is crucial that we as believers understand, and are able to share with the lost world, “the good news” that salvation is by faith alone in the gospel of grace alone.

Get out your Bible and read, pray, meditate and study these verses. Don’t just glibly read over them. The power is in God’s words.

‘But without faith it is impossible to please him : for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. ‘

Hebrews 11:6

‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. ‘

Romans 1:16

‘even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; ‘

Romans 3:22

‘to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.’

Romans 3:26

‘But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, ‘

Romans 4:5

“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”

– Romans 2:16

“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began…”

– Romans 16:25

“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:”

– 2 Timothy 2:8

“If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward…to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:”

– Ephesians 3:2-9

“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.”

– 1 Corinthians 3:10