Were All Gentiles
Spiritually Lost Under the OT?
By: Shannon Shaffer - arranged by M. Allen
FILING INFORMATION:
98004
1/11/98 - Rapid City, SD
I. Introduction.
A. God's word deals with God's people.
1. Little attention is paid to Gentile nations except in reference to contact with God's people.
2. The thematic course of the Bible is the reconciliation of man and his God.
B. Israel was God's special people chosen specifically for carrying out the plan of God's reconciliation of man to Himself.
1. Deut. 7:6-8
2. God's people today are described as a "spiritual Israel." - 1 Pet. 2:9-10
C. But what of the Gentiles during the dispensation of the Law of Moses?
1. Were they completely excluded from service to God?
2. Was there no way for them to be pleasing to God if they so desired?
D. Please consider the following.
II. Examples of Faithful Gentiles in the Old Testament.
A. Job - Job 1:1, 22
1. Scholars date Job as living in the days of the Patriarchs; a contemporary of Abraham.
2. We know that he was not in the lineage from Abraham to Christ.
3. Are the words spoken of Job by the Holy Spirit true?
4. Notice that Job is noted by God and help up as an example to Satan (1:8)
B. Rahab - Josh. 2:9-11
1. Rahab is set forth as a model of faith twice in the NT. Why?
2. Heb. 11:31; Js. 2:25
C. Ruth - Ruth 1:1-18 - esp. 8, 14-18
1. Ruth determined to know the God of Naomi.
2. Her noble service to her mother in law and to God afforded her a rare honor.
3. Ruth was the grandmother of David.
4. Who else but God could have afforded her that honor? Why did God?
D. Ninevites (Jonah)
1. If God cared nothing for any nation except Israel, they why send prophets to them?
2. Jonah 3;10-4:3, 11
3. Did God spare their lives so they could live them out even though already destined for hell?
4. Is that the God you serve?
III. Examples of Faithful Gentiles in the New Testament.
A. A Centurion - Matthew 8:5-13
1. Again a great man of faith held up by the Lord himself.
2. Notice there are two kingdoms mentioned.
a. kingdom of Israel
b. kingdom of heaven.
B. Corelius - Acts 10:1-6; 31
1. Devout man, feared God, taught his household, generous to those in need, prayed always.
2. Why had God taken note of this man?
3. Granted there was more that he needed to do. He had to obey the gospel of Christ.
4. But, being a Gentile, where did he learn those things which were in service to God and was pleasing to Him?
IV. God is no respector of persons.
A. Lend an ear to the word of God.
1. Acts 10:34-35
2. Rom. 2:7-12
3. 1 Pet. 1:17
B. But those passages are referring to the New Covenant…so also 2 Chr. 19:7
C. God has not changed His position.
D. Man from the beginning has had a choice; serve God or separate oneself from him by sin.
1. in the garden of Eden man had a choice.
2. Under the NT, we have a choice to follow Christ or not.
3. Will we say that the Gentiles had not choice and were automatically condemned to hell because of their nationality?
E. What about Jacob & Esau? (Rom. 9:11-13, 18-20)
1. God chose Jacob for a specific purpose.
2. Did God approve of the deception and sins which allowed Jacob to get the birthright and blessing?
a. certainly not! This is the only answer a person can give.
b. God never approves of sin even when it works out to His desired end.
V. Abraham is the "Father" of All the Faithful.
A. Rom. 4:1-14
1. Romans has a basic two-fold goal.
a. it brings all men underthe condemnation of sin. (3:10, 23)
b. it gives all men assurance that they can be saved from such sin by obedinece to the gospel of Christ which is described in 1:10 as the power of God unto salvation to everyone that belives to the Jew first and also the Greek.
B. V. 12 - "Father" of all even in "uncircumcision."
C. Israel was God's chosen people for His plan. They were NOT chosen for salvation - Rom. 9:1-5
D. Sin separates all men from God; Jew or Gentile.
E. Nowhere does Bible say Gentiles were bound to Old Law.
F. V. 12 - shows that the Jew (i.e., in the law) will be judged by the law. But the gentile will not be judged by the law.
VI. So What was the State of the Gentiles During the Dispensation of the Law of Moses?
A. I think we can safely say the majority lived their lives in rebellion and were lost.
B. But, can we say they had no means of worshipping God and serving God in the best way they could?
1. How could they worship and serve God? Like the patriarchs. (How did Corneius learn to serve God?)
2. Sacrifice, prayer, caring for one's neighbor, etc. were principles of a faithful servant of God long before the OT and Israel.
3. We are simply not told the specifics because they don't relate to the overall theme of the Bible.
a. the bible focuses upon the reconciliation of man through the Messiah.
C. Consider some Gentiles who served God:
1. Adam
2. Abel
3. Enoch
4. Methuselah
5. Noah
6. Abram
D. Again, Isreal was chosen to carry out the plan of God NOT for salvation. That is a major point the Jews misunderstood and is a theme of the book of Romans.
E. Could the Gentiles serve God? Yes!
F. On the whole did they? No!
G. Were they excluded from any opportunity to go to heaven? No!
H. What about Eph. 2:11-13?
1. The state of sinful men (outside christ) both Jew & Gentile is just that bleak.
2. It does not say that ALL gentiles were condemned without reason (ie.e, because of their nationality)
3. It says all men were dead in trespasses and sins… v. 1-3
4. Thanks be to God that salvation is offered through His blood!
5. The contrast here is between salvation in Christ and separation from God by sin (which Jew & Gentile had done. - v. 3)
6. Paul goes on in v. 14-18 to show how the Old Law had separated people from one another NOT from God. Only sin separates from God.
I. God never casts off any person unless they first cast Him off.
J. The defining line of wehter one is faithful to God is sin. The point of Eph. 2 is to show the terribleness of one's condition outside of Christ NOT outside the Old Law.
VII. Conclusion.
A. Hope you have enjoyed the lesson. Although not a typical first principles lesson, we have seen the necessity to be reconciled to Christ in order to receive salvation.
B. Have you come to Christ?
C. I N V I T A T I O N