Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.(Genesis 15:6, CSB).

In studying the Old Testament Christians may question how people were saved in Old Testament times. Early in my seminary studies this was a question I had as well and researched for a paper for one of my classes.

There is sometimes a misconception among Christians that people were “saved” in the Old Testament by keeping the Law (of Moses) while people are saved in the New Testament by grace through faith.

Genesis 15:6 gives us an unequivocal answer to the question: righteousness is imputed by God by faith, not law-keeping. And, that is both an Old Testament and New Testament proposition. In fact, in Romans 1-8 the Apostle Paul makes this proposition and this verse central to his whole argument.

The Hebrews writer provides even more clarity. In Hebrews Chapter 11’s Faith Hall of Fame, the Hebrews writer in referring to the patriarchs from Abel to Abraham proclaimed, “These all died in faith, although they had not received the things that were promised. But they saw them from a distance, greeted them, and confessed that they were foreigners and temporary residents on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13, CSB).

You see, faith is bi-directional–it works in opposite directions. It works historically both forward and backward.

So, people in the Old Testament and New Testament are saved the same way!

Because the saving power of the blood of Christ is timeless!

Should it be so hard for us who believe the blood of Christ flows forward thousands of years through time to save us New Testament believers also flows thousands of years back in history to save Old Testament believers?

Thus, while New Testament believers by faith look back (in history) to the cross of Christ for salvation, the Hebrews writer explains that Old Testament believers by faith looked forward (in time) to the cross of Christ for salvation.

But, that’s not the conclusion of the matter according to the Hebrews writer. The backward-believing faith of New Testament believers is not independent of the forward-believing faith of the Old Testament believers. “All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us” (Hebrews 11:39-40, CSB).

The bi-directional faiths of Old Testament and New Testament believers work together to perfect the salvation of us all. Our backward-believing New Testament faith confirms their forward-believing Old Testament faith!

In other words, we (New Testament believers) are the recipients of the promise they (Old Testament believers) believed in!

God has only one plan and purpose at work in both the Old and New Testaments–the salvation of human beings fulfilled through the death and resurrection of Christ.

But the righteous one will live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4, CSB)