“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” (Gen. 2:7)
The religion of the Living God, as I will refer to it here, began with the knowledge of Himself that He imparted to Adam before and after the casting out of him and his wife from the Garden of Eden. The latter we are told very little about, but man, as he is wont to do, modified it so much that in the centuries until Noah appeared on the scene and was called by the Lord to build the ark, that the “Religion of the Living God” was so corrupted the Almighty killed all life on the planet that breathed air save for those in the ark.
“Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matt. 4:10)
Noah served the Lord in all that He called him to do, but his offspring, those that sprang from his loins once again found the Almighty too difficult to follow, too much of a burden, and found their own way easier. “Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:” (Gen. 12:1)
Seventy souls trusting in the will of the Most High walked down to Egypt, to the house of bondage, a million or more followed Moses, who was following God Himself, walked out centuries later. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)
1,500 Years of the Law of the Lord our God, showing man that adherence to it could not bring salvation, that all who would enter into His eternal Kingdom would do so by only one way, grace through faith.
“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,” (Gal. 4:4)
The way of the Living God has never changed, the religion of the Living God has never been altered, trust and obey, in faith.
Abel offered his sacrifice in faith, Noah built the ark in faith, “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” (James 2:23) “And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.” (Exo. 33:11)
Love does not save us my friends, love was the action performed by the Lord Jesus Christ for the Father from the moment He was born until He sat down at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest, all those who believe in what the Scriptures say of Him are the recipients of what all who came before us have received, an eternal home in the presence of the Living God. “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” (Heb. 1:3)
Following the Law did not save Adam, Noah or Abraham, there was no Law given to them, it had not been written yet, the Lord had not spoken from Sinai to them. “So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.” (Deut. 9:15)
Grace through faith in the Living God did. “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” (John 8:56) To those of you who desire to adhere to the Ten Commandments, who desire to attempt to keep any part of the Law, I ask you this, will you put the sufficiency of the sacrifice of the One who fulfilled the Law, and thereby the wrath of God, to an open shame by returning back to any part of it. What say you to those who came before it who were saved by grace through faith without the Law?
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2nd Cor. 12:9)
It always has been, it is all that has ever been. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:” (Eph. 2:8)
