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“Could Devout Gentiles Be Saved Before the Death of Christ ?”. No Salvation Outside of Christ (True of God Also). (John 8:24) "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (NKJV). Israel had a special purpose.
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“Could Devout Gentiles Be Saved Before the Death of Christ?”
No Salvation Outside of Christ(True of God Also) • (John 8:24) • "Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins." (NKJV)
Israel had a special purpose. • (Deuteronomy 7:6-8) • "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. "The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; "but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. (NKJV)
The Patriarchal Law: Could a man know God outside the Law of Moses? • (Romans 1:13) Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. (NKJV) • (Romans 1:17) For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." (NKJV)
Seekers of God Will Find Him • (Matthew 7:7) • "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (NKJV)
Man Without Excuse • (Romans 1:19-23) because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. (NKJV)
No Law For Gentiles, No Sin • (Romans 4:15) • because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. (NKJV)
Again, Man Without Excuse • (Hebrews 11:1-3) • Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible. (NKJV)
Abrahamic Covenant: For Jews, Not Gentiles • (Genesis 17:7-14) "And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. "Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." And God said to Abraham: "As for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. "This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child…
Abrahamic Covenant: For Jews, Not Gentiles • among you shall be circumcised; "and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. "He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. "He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." (NKJV)
Evidence of God Working w/Gentiles “Behind the Scenes” • Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18-20) • Ninevites (Jonah) • Baalam(Num. 22:5-24:25) • Rahab (Josh. 2; Mat. 1:5; Heb. 11:31; Jas. 2:25) • Ruth (Ruth 1-4) • Uriah the Hittite (2 Sam. 11) • Nicolas, a man “of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom”, a proselyte (Ac. 6:3, 5) • Jews in all parts of the world (Ac. 2:5ff) “devout men” would have had influence and taught those they lived near.
God commands us to obey what we can, not what we cannot. • (Acts 17:30) • "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, (NKJV)
“What if scenarios.” • (Psalms 7:11) • God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day. (NKJV)