HOW WERE THE PEOPLE SAVED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT?

It is a fact that salvation is purely by grace alone through faith alone (Eph 2:8–9). This grace was revealed to us through Jesus (Jn 1:17), and salvation is made possible by having faith in Him (Rom 5:1). The question now is, what about those who lived during the time of the Old Testament? Did they have hope of being saved? How could they be saved if Jesus had not yet come to die for their sins? The answer is simple: They were saved by grace through faith—just like us.

BEFORE THE LAW

God’s principle for salvation has always remained the same, even before the law of Moses was given. In Paul’s discussion in Romans 4, he used Abraham as an example of being justified/saved by faith. “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Rom 4:3; Gen 15:6). Obviously, there was no law during Abraham’s time—Moses was not even born yet! This leads us to ask: How could Abraham be justified if what he believed in was God’s promise of a child, not directly the gospel or Jesus?

According to Dr. E. Ray Clendenen, “What matters in this exchange is not the quality or degree of faith but rather God's grace; faith is not a means to earn acceptance with God. The apostle Paul considered Abraham a model of transforming faith even though the content of Abraham's faith was different from Paul's. Abraham simply trusted God and His promise to give him a son and then other descendants…The content of Abraham's faith was not inconsistent with that of Paul, only less specific. Also, Abraham believed what God would do, and Paul believed what God had done.”

This shows that although the content of Abraham’s faith was different from ours, God in His grace considered his faith in the same way He considers ours, granting him salvation just like us. Paul even equated Abraham’s faith with that of New Testament believers when he said, “The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.” (Rom 4:23–24). Though the “good news” given to Abraham was less specific than what we now receive, Paul also argued in another passage that the gospel was first announced to him (Gal 3:8–9). This shows that believers before the law were also saved in the same way we are today.

DURING THE TIME OF THE LAW

When the law of Moses was given, God’s principle of salvation did not change. It was still by grace through faith, through Jesus. The law, with all its commandments, rituals, and practices, was not given as a way to be saved, because it never had the power to save. As Paul said: “Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. So we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (Gal 2:16). And in another passage: “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” (Rom 3:20).

If the law was never meant to be the way of salvation, why was it given at all? Its purpose was to point people to Christ, even before He came. “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” (Gal 3:24). The law taught Old Testament people how to respond in faith even without knowing the full gospel or who Christ was. Grace was not just a New Testament concept—it was already revealed in the Old Testament. Every sacrifice offered in faith pointed forward to Christ’s ultimate sacrifice (even if they did not know Jesus by name the way we do today). We now look back to what Christ has already done, while they looked forward in anticipation of what He would do.

Does this mean their sacrifices had no power by themselves? Yes! “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Heb 10:4; cf. 10:11). No matter how many sacrifices they offered, forgiveness only came through faith. What mattered to God was not the offering itself but the heart of the one offering it (1 Sam 15:22; Ps 51:16–17; Prov 21:3; Hos 6:6, etc.). These sacrifices were never the real solution—they were only accepted in the meantime because of Christ’s death, which was yet to come. When Jesus died, His sacrifice covered all people, including Old Testament believers. “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Heb 10:14).

The rituals and practices of the law were merely shadows of things to come, but the substance—the true reality—belongs to Christ (Col 2:17). This proves that people under the law were saved in the same way we are today, even if their faith was “less specific” since Jesus had not yet come in their time. As Dr. Clendenen put it: “But since the eternal and timeless God is sovereign over events, He could apply the work of Christ to Old Testament believers in response to their faith, even though they had no specific knowledge of Christ.”.

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The message of the gospel is not exclusive to the New Testament. We are blessed to live in a time when redemption has been fully revealed because our Savior has already died and risen again. In fact, we are more blessed than the people of the Old Testament, and that means we also bear greater accountability today. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.” (Lk 12:48). The truth that God has never changed His standard should move us toward deeper humility and greater gratitude. Indeed, salvation has always been and will always be by grace alone—so that no believer in all of history can ever boast. Stay Curious. 

Sources and Studies:

Clendenen, E. R. (2007). Does the Old Testament Teach Salvation by Works?. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. Holman Bible Publishers
Willmington H. L. (2011). Salvation and the Old Testament. 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯’𝘴 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 (30𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘌𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯). Tyndale House Publishers
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵'𝘴 𝘞𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. GotQuestions. Retrieved from https://www.gotquestions.org/Old-Testament-salvation.html