Avoiding the Popular “Look-Ahead Error”
Of Reformed Theology
Rock of Offence Special Commentary
Exposing Another Major Distortion
Of Christ's Salvation
The following is a special insert included on certain commentaries
dealing with a popular misconception concerning Christian salvation.
There are two major covenants found in Scripture; the old covenant of the law and the new covenant of Jesus Christ. The old covenant is found in the Old Testament - and the New covenant is found in the New Testament. Both of these covenants are “sequential”. When the New Covenant of Christ (referred to as “the second covenant” in Hebrews chapter 8) started to govern after the cross, the previous covenant of Law (referred to as “the first covenant” in Hebrews chapter 8) was declared obsolete. The first covenant ceased to be relevant because it was replaced by “A FULLY PAID FOR NEW AND BETTER COVENANT”. On the other hand, this also means that while the previous covenant of the Law (or first covenant) was in operation before the cross, THE YET FUTURE NEW COVENANT HAD NO AUTHORITY. Why? Jesus Christ had not paid the price (in His blood at the cross) to establish and initiate the New Covenant. As a result, seeking to obtain salvation through faith in Christ could not operate before Jesus shed His blood at the cross.
"But now He (Jesus Christ) has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also MEDIATOR OF A BETTER COVENANT, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED ON BETTER PROMISES. For if that FIRST COVENANT had been faultless, then no place would have been sought FOR A SECOND." (Hebrews 8:6-7 NKJV)
"IN THAT HE (JESUS CHRIST) SAYS, "A NEW COVENANT," HE HAS MADE THE FIRST OBSOLETE. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." (Hebrews 8:13 NKJV)
Let’s briefly look at why this is important.
There’s a popular theology operating within the institutional Christian church that attempts to mix the two covenant divisions in the Bible (Once again: Hebrews calls them “the first covenant and the second covenant”) into one covenant - or one system of faith. It generally teaches that God deals with people in the New Testament after the cross - in the same way as He dealt with people in the Old testament before the cross.
The apostle Paul condemned this method of Bible interpretation because it creates “a different gospel” and corrupts the principles of Christ’s salvation (Galatians 1:6-8, 2 Corinthians 11:3-4).
To accomplish the goals of this erroneous theology, God’s Word must be distorted and redefined in shocking, yet skillful ways. One such method involves “spiritualizing or allegorizing Scripture". It's a confusing way of interpreting the Bible that applies a "spiritual" or hidden meaning to Scripture, when a plainly stated (or literal) meaning already exists. It twists the meaning of Scripture in order to validate various religious doctrines and traditions, which are unbiblical when a literal interpretation is applied. One example of this practice is found in what we refer to as “The Look-ahead Error”. Its supporters claim that people in the Old Testament, “looked forward" (or looked ahead) to the cross in the future - and placed their faith in Christ, who was to come. As a result the Old Testament saints before the cross were saved through faith in Christ in a similar way as believers are today. The teaching claims that believers today “look back” to the cross of Christ and are saved, while those in the Old Testament “looked forward” to the cross of Christ and were saved. On the surface, the teaching sounds good and seems to answer some difficult questions. But, there’s one problem: This is one of many religious man-made doctrines THAT DOES NOT COME FROM GOD (Mark 7:6-7). It insists that Old Testament and New Testament salvation are both obtained the same way - through faith in Christ. It also achieves the goal of those who illegally seek to mix both Old and New Testament programs together. As a result, it is believed that the Old Testament program of the Law continues to operate – and that believers living after the cross must be submitted to its authority in order to obtain salvation (eternal life). Yet, this popular belief contradicts the New Testament, which says that, after the cross the Law is fulfilled (by Christ), abolished, nailed to the cross - and made obsolete (Matthew 5:17, Colossians 2:13-14, Ephesians 2:11-22, Romans 7:1-6, Hebrews 8:6-13).
Both Jesus and Paul Tells Us Why
New Testament Salvation Was Not
Understood During the Days of
the Old Testament
We include this teaching in different commentaries because it answers many difficult questions. In our main study, the Jewish people living in Old Testament times certainly knew that a savior was coming. The prophets, especially Isaiah and Jeremiah, provided this information. Yet, they didn’t know his specific name or who he was. They also didn’t have the revelation knowledge about how His salvation operated, which is necessary to obtain true salvation and eternal life.
The apostle Paul called Christ’s New Covenant “The Mystery of Christ” -- and God made Paul the exclusive administrator of its truths through what Bible scholars call, “The Pauline Revelation” (Read Ephesians 3;1-12, 2 Corinthians 12;1-4 and Galatians 1:11-12). Contrary to popular teaching, Paul was the only apostle to receive this revelation about the mystery of the New Covenant, which was also the source of the gospel that he preached. Christ’s mystery was not fully revealed for several years (some theologians think 7-10 years, but nobody actually knows how long) after Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Here’s a small part of what Jesus Christ said to His disciples about this truth:
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I HAVE YET MANY THINGS TO SAY UNTO YOU, BUT YE CANNOT BEAR THEM NOW. HOWBEIT WHEN HE, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, IS COME, HE WILL GUIDE INTO ALL TRUTH: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. HE SHALL GLORIFY ME: FOR HE SHALL RECEIVE OF MINE, AND SHALL SHEW IT UNTO YOU." (John 16:7-14)
Notice the timeframe in Christ’s words. The truth He wanted his disciples to know wasn’t going to be fully revealed, except for some vague “types and shadows”, until after His death, resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Why? The crucifixion (death) and resurrection of Christ, the spilling of His blood and the coming of the Holy Spirit had to happen first before the New Covenant could begin. UNTIL THE NEW COVENANT BEGAN; THE OLD COVENANT REMAINED IN AUTHORITY. The New Covenant that Jesus Christ came to initiate was “the many things” that He couldn’t tell His disciples while He was still alive during His earthly ministry on earth. The phrase “many things” also means “a lot of things”. Any way you look at it, Jesus alerts His audience to ANOTHER MAJOR STORY that’s hidden in a mystery THAT HE SAID COULDN’T BE REVEALED BEFORE THE CROSS.
Jesus Christ had a good reason to withhold the revelation about His New Covenant. Years later, the apostle Paul gives us the main reason for our Lord's action.
"However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. BUT WE SPEAK THE WISDOM OF GOD IN A MYSTERY, THE HIDDEN WISDOM WHICH GOD ORDAINED BEFORE THE AGES for our glory, WHICH NONE OF THE RULERS OF THIS AGE KNEW; FOR HAD THEY KNOWN, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE CRUCIFIED THE LORD OF GLORY." (1 Corinthians 2:6-8 - Emphasis Added)
The "rulers of this age" that Paul speaks of here are "high order" demonic spirits, which were responsible for planning and orchestrating Christ's crucifixion "behind the scene". If Jesus and His disciples (during His earthly ministry) went around preaching the details of the yet future New Covenant, Paul said that these demonic spirits would have never crucified Christ. Why? The New Covenant in Christ's blood (Read Matt. 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, 1 Cor. 11:25, 2 Cor. 3:6, Heb. 8:6-13, Heb. 9:15, Heb. 10:19-23, Heb. 12:24) was God's secret plan (Paul calls it "hidden wisdom" in 1 Corinthians 2:7-8) to utterly destroy Satan's dominion over the human race. Christ's crucifixion was the centerpiece of God's plan. The New Covenant couldn't become reality without the crucifixion of our Lord. As a result of Christ's "information blackout" Satan and his demonic world didn't learn about their mistake until it was too late.
The vast majority of Christian believers think that Jesus revealed everything about our salvation in the gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) that records His earthly ministry. Yet, both Jesus Christ our Lord and the apostle Paul (who recorded nearly half of the New Testament Scriptures) said that the full knowledge did not come until after the cross. This also means that people living in the days of the Old Testament didn’t have this knowledge.
Jesus Tells Us How Eternal life (Salvation)
Is Received Under Old Testament Law
The words Jesus spoke to the rich young ruler in Matthew chapter 19 give us some valuable insight into the truth that governs our salvation and the subject of this commentary. A vast majority of Christian believers use Christ’s words in this Scripture as the way salvation or eternal life is obtained today. (Note: Read all comments in this section before jumping to any conclusions.) This common, yet disastrous misinterpretation is caused, once again, by a failure to “rightly (or correctly) divide God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15). The term “rightly dividing” is Saint Paul’s way of saying that God’s spiritual rules that existed BEFORE THE CROSS radically changed AFTER THE CROSS -- AND WE MUST RESPECT THIS CHANGE. If what Paul said is true (and it is), you can’t lump everything together and ignore the differences. Most Christians refuse to acknowledge that the way Jesus said to obtain eternal life BEFORE THE CROSS (by keeping the commandments of the Law) -- is vastly different than the way the New Covenant provides eternal life AFTER THE CROSS (as the unmerited and undeserved gift of God). To insist that the present-day requirement to obtain and keep eternal life comes by “keeping the Law’s commandments” represents a failure to interpret Christ’s words in their proper context. It’s the same kind of theology that the believing Pharisees practiced in Acts chapter 15 and was firmly rejected by the Jerusalem apostolic council. As we learned earlier, it was a method of interpretation that ignored and rejected the idea that the cross of Christ changed all the rules and established a NEW AND BETTER COVENANT THAT MADE THE PREVIOUS ONE OBSOLETE (HEBREWS 8:6-13).
JESUS WAS CORRECT IN WHAT HE SAID
TO THE RICH YOUNG RULER WHEN YOU
UNDERSTAND THAT HE WAS SPEAKING UNDER
THE AUTHORITY OF THE LAW - BEFORE
THE CROSS. YET, ALL OF THIS WAS
ABOUT TO CHANGE.
Not everyone is happy with Christ’s New Covenant Changes.
Under various flavors of “Christian Fundamentalism” many
modern-day church leaders and their followers tirelessly labor
to keep the previous Old Testament religious system intact by
merging it with the New Covenant of Christ. Paul warned that
this mixing or merging creates a “different gospel of Christ”.
Observing Scriptural rules of context is crucial to gaining a proper understanding of how salvation is obtained AFTER THE CROSS (or for us today). As the book of Hebrews points out, “Eternal Redemption (or eternal life) DID NOT BEGIN UNTIL AFTER THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST (Read Hebrews 9:12-17). This program of eternal redemption (the Bible calls it “The New Covenant”), could not start until the sacrifice of God’s Son was complete. Jesus gave this young man in Matthew chapter 19 instructions about receiving eternal life, WHILE THE PROGRAM OF THE LAW WAS STILL IN OPERATION. JESUS SPOKE THESE WORDS BEFORE HIS CRUCIFIXION AND BEFORE THE NEW COVENANT HAD STARTED. Legally speaking, the Law continued all the way up to the events involving the crucifixion of Christ. It was Christ’s sacrifice and shed blood that initiated the New Covenant. It was His sacrifice that changed all the previous rules that governed the very nature of salvation and how it is acquired.
"Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” So He (Jesus) said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”" (Matthew 19:16-17 NKJV)
(This is important: When the young man asked Jesus which commandments to keep in order to obtain eternal life, JESUS QUOTED FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF THE LAW in verses 18 through 22.)
A vast majority of church leaders and individual believers are confused about Christ’s words in this Scripture. Why? His words seem to disagree with the way the apostle Paul said to receive eternal life in his New Testament epistles to the Church. Yet, there is no real disagreement when you understand its context. Jesus is telling us THE WAY ETERNAL LIFE WAS RECEIVED BEFORE HE WENT TO THE CROSS (OR UNDER OLD TESTAMENT LAW). However, because of the confusion, many claim that “The Commandments” Jesus was speaking of in Matthew chapter 19 is the “new love commandment” he gave to His disciples at the Last Supper and the two great love commandments He mentioned to some confrontational Pharisees. Jesus said:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
(John 13:34-35 NKJV)
The Pharisees asked Jesus a trick question in order to trip Him up. Here’s how He answered:
“But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:34-40 NKJV)
Believers living today should certainly keep these “commandments of love” given by Christ. Yet, as great as they are, we should also understand that keeping them IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE REQUIRMENTS TO OBTAIN (AND KEEP) ETERNAL LIFE AFTER THE CROSS. ALL BELIEVERS SHOULD APPLY CHRIST'S COMMANDMENT OF LOVE TO THIER LIFE, BUT NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING OR KEEPING ETERNAL LIFE.
CHRIST’S COMMANDMENTS OF LOVE, BOTH THE ONE GIVEN TO HIS DISCIPLES AT THE LAST SUPPER AND THE TWO GIVEN TO THE PHARISEES -- ARE NOT THE ONES JESUS TOLD THE RICH YOUNG RULER TO KEEP.
Once again; when the young man in Matthew chapter 19 asked which commandments to keep to receive eternal life, JESUS QUOTED FROM THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF THE LAW. Understanding this important truth is the key to ending much of the confusion, which is actually caused by ignoring Biblical context.
JESUS SAID THAT KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS
OF THE LAW IS THE WAY TO RECEIVE
ETERNAL LIFE - BEFORE THE CROSS.
The Sacrifice of Christ Changes Everything
The New Covenant program of Grace that became God's "New and living way" for the believer AFTER THE CROSS has an entirely different goal and purpose. Instead of always “pointing a condemning finger” at the sin in the lives of others (as the Law did), Christ’s “new and living way” announces THE GLAD TIDINGS OF GOD'S NEW SPIRITUAL PROGRAM THAT PERMANENTLY ENDS SIN’S DOMINION OVER THE HUMAN RACE. Saint Paul draws attention to this important change by saying:
"THERE IS THEREFORE NOW NO CONDEMNATION TO THOSE IN CHRIST JESUS, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. FOR THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS (THE NEW COVENANT) HAS MADE ME FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH (THE OLD COVENANT)." (Romans 8:1-2 NKJV – Emphasis Mine)
The apostle John said that this permanent and eternal solution that ends the dominion and condemnation of sin is only found in one person: “The Lamb of God (Jesus Christ) that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The word "condemnation" describes the Law's power to send those who disobeys its rules and principles (those who sin) to eternal damnation. Yet, Jesus destroyed sin's power to condemn us by fulfilling the law and forever ending its authority over the human race - at the cross.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I (JESUS CHRIST) DID NOT COME TO DESTROY BUT TO FULFILL." (Matthew 5:17 - Emphasis Added)
"For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law." (Romans 5:13)
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." (Romans 10:4)
"The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:56-57)
More insight comes from the book of Hebrews....
"Not with the blood of goats and calves, BUT WITH HIS OWN BLOOD he (speaking of Christ) entered the most holy place ONCE FOR ALL, HAVING OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, HOW MUCH MORE SHALL THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason HE (JESUS CHRIST) IS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT, BY MEANS OF DEATH for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. (Hebrews 9:12-17 - Emphasis Added)
A vast number of believers are fooled into thinking that the teachings in this commentary aren't true because "God never changes" - meaning that He operates the same today as He did in the Old Testament. Unfortunately, this is a very common misconception propagated by various experessions of Christian fundamentalism, Reformed theology and Calvinism. It results from ignoring or distorting the context of the Bible. If you are in the group that believes this way, refer to the information at the following link.
What Does It Mean When God Says
'He Doesn't Change'
How Eternal Life is Received
After the Cross
Nothing more needs to be said, except for quoting these New Testament Scriptures, which were written into the New Testament canon after Christ paid the full price for our redemption.
"...not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
(Titus 3:5-7)
"For the wages of sin is death, but THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD." (Romans 6:23)
"For by grace (the unmerited favor of God) you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
"FOR GOD'S GIFTS AND HIS CALL ARE IRREVOCABLE. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.]" (Romans 11:29 Amplified Bible)
“Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. BUT TO HIM WHO DOES NOT WORK BUT BELIEVES ON HIM WHO JUSTIFIES THE UNGODLY, HIS FAITH IS ACCOUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man TO WHOM GOD IMPUTES RIGHTEOUSNESS APART FROM WORKS: "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; BLESSED IS THE MAN TO WHOM THE LORD SHALL NOT IMPUTE SIN." (Romans 4:4-8 -- Emphasis Mine)
"Therefore BY THE DEEDS OF THE LAW NO FLESH WILL BE JUSTIFIED IN HIS SIGHT". (Romans 3:20 -- Emphasis Mine)
"FOR AS MANY AS ARE OF THE WORKS OF THE LAW ARE UNDER THE CURSE; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” BUT THAT NO ONE IS JUSTIFIED BY THE LAW IN THE SIGHT OF GOD IS EVIDENT, for “the just shall live by faith.” YET THE LAW IS NOT OF FAITH..." (Galatians 3:10-12 -- Emphasis Mine)
"You have become estranged (separated/cutoff/alienated) from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law (or by keeping the commandments of the Law); YOU HAVE FALLEN FROM GRACE." (Galatians 5:4 -- Emphasis Mine)
We hope this Bible study has been helpful
as you continue your walk with
our Lord Jesus Christ.
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