Nuggets from An Urgent Call to a Serious Faith by Dave Hunt - "Galatian Salvation"

Nuggets from An Urgent Call to the Serious Faith by Dave Hunt – "Galatian Salvation"

Paul’s epistle to the Galatians was written to correct the error of salvation partly through Christ and partly through works. In all of his epistles, Paul comes back to the theme that salvation is all of grace and nothing of works. Herein is a major difference between Israel and the church; for the former, eternal life was promised to those who kept the law (which no one could do); for the latter, eternal life comes by grace through faith.

The old covenant offered life to the righteous who kept the law: “This do and thou shalt live” (Deuteronomy:8:1All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.
See All...; Luke:10:28And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
See All...). But no one could live up to that standard, for “all have sinned” (Romans:3:23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
See All...). Under the new covenant (Jeremiah:31:31-34 [31] Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: [32] Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: [33] But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. [34] And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
See All...), to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans:4:5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
See All...). Human pride insists upon becoming righteous on its own – an impossible task. Though the nation of Israel as a whole will not realize the benefits of the new covenant until the Second Coming, God’s grace in salvation has been available to all by faith from Adam onward.

Paul mourned the fact that his people Israel, though they had “a zeal after God” yet “they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans:10:3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
See All...) through the new covenant. So it is with all cults. It is the error of the Pharisee who proclaimed his righteousness to God and was not heard, whereas the publican, who acknowledged his unworthiness, was justified (Luke:18:10-14 [10] Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. [11] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. [12] I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. [13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
See All...).

One had to belong to Israel (with some exceptions) to be saved; but one must be saved (with no exceptions) in order to belong to the church. The church is not a vehicle of salvation. Making that claim is a major error of most cults. Each claims that salvation comes through their church. In fact, salvation is for those outside the true church, and only then can one be a part of it.

Salvation has always been and still is the same for both Jew and Gentile; but God’s plans for Israel are different from His plans for the church. Jews (like Gentiles) who believe in Christ prior to His Second Coming (when He makes Himself known to Israel in rescuing her in the midst of Armageddon and all Israel is saved) are in the church. Jews who only come to faith in Christ at Armageddon will continue into the millennial kingdom on earth and Christ will reign over them from the throne of David. Many Gentiles will be saved at that time also, but “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans:11:26And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
See All...).