18th November 


Pray (ACts)


Read - Romans 2:25-29 


Message - Alan Burke


We are all familiar with to some extent how God gave circumcision as the sign of the covenant with Abraham, It was a sign of God’s promises. It was to be placed every male among the people who was eight days old, when a gentile converted to Judaism, they were circumcised, for it was the the visible sign and seal of their entry into the people of God, as well as every male in that household no matter what age would have been circumcised as was the case for Abraham and is the case today if you convert to Judaism (Ge 17:12–13). But it is a sign of the reality of God’s promises, not of an inward reality. The backdrop to that which Paul writes is that of those who were insisting that circumcision was central salvation, that it was a requirement for salvation. Yet the sign bestowed upon the Jews was only a sign, a sign that was but a visible manifestation of the reality of the promises of God, but it meant nothing until the inward reality to what that visible sign testified came about. Circumcision pointed to the need for regeneration, for God to work in the hearts of people, the sign without the reality is meaningless. God looks at the heart and what was needed was a circumcision of the heart by the Spirit as Paul testifies to here. 


Jews who knew and understood the scriptures knew that the sign testified to the inward reality that God would do, how God would give a new heart and put a new spirit in his people, removing the heart of stone and giving a heart of flesh (Ez 11:19, 36:26), the sign does not save, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly and spiritually. The efficacy of circumcision was not in its observance, it was not because any virtue in it, or the one that administered it but by the work of God. They had confused the sign with the reality and the sign without the reality is meaningless. While Paul was speaking of in effect his kinsmen for he was a Jew by birth there is a challenge us. The sacrament of Baptism that is given to us, is a sign of what the Lord has done for His people, He is the one who must work, it does not mean that there is an inward reality, there is no such thing as water baptism that regenerates, that makes one a “christian”, it is not a christening as some people seem to think it is, it is a baptism, it is a sign of the promises of God, it is not a sign of faith rather it is a sign of the covenant of Promise, it is a sign of the gospel of Jesus Christ that is reliant on God to work in the hearts and lives of individuals.


We are not saved by being baptised or participating in the Lord’s supper but by the work of God in us, through Christ that is applied to us by the Holy Spirit. For the unbeliever they are nothing more than a superstitious ritual, they will not bring blessing, in fact for the unbeliever taking the signs of the covenant will bring stricter judgment (Luke 12:41-48). All of us, we all need a right understanding of the gospel hope that we have, and the signs that we have been given of baptism and the Lord’s supper will point us more to the grace of God that He includes us and our children in our promises but they are but signs and seals of an inward reality, salvation is by faith alone in Christ alone!


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Q1 What is the chief end of man?
Man’ s chief end is to glorify God, (1 Cor. 10:31, Rom. 11:36) and to enjoy him for ever. (Ps. 73:25–28)
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17th November 2022


Pray (ACts)


Read (Hebrews 11v1-4)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


What is faith? Our catechism answers "Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel." Another definition is found in Hebrews 11. The Apostle states that faith "is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (v1) So faith is a gift of God whereby the sinner receives and rests in Christ. Faith looks to the promises of God and assuredly believes them to be true and faith keeps on trusting even though we do not yet see the heavenly realities.
Faith is not just for people born after Christ's sacrifice at Calvary. The Apostle is clear that it was by faith that the men and women of the old testament received their commendation (v2). In other words at any point throughout human history, if anyone has ever been saved it is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
The saving faith that you and I share is the same faith enjoyed by a multitude of believers since the beginning of time. Faith unites the church through every age and that faith points each one of us fairly and squarely towards Jesus and by our faith we know that God made the universe by His mighty Word (v3). We believe in "ex nihilo" creation - God made all things out of nothing. The Lord didn't have a storehouse full of "stuff" that He used to make everything. In the beginning there was only God and He made all things out of nothing.
Therefore faith believes extraordinary things and it rests in an extraordinary God. I suspect we take our faith for granted but Hebrews 11 allows us an opportunity to marvel at the abundantly rich gift of saving faith. It is a gift that was evident even in the very early days of humanity.
Long ago two brothers called Cain and Abel came to worship the Lord. Cain's offering was not acceptable in God's sight but Abel's sacrifice was received gladly by God. What was the difference? Cain's worship was faithless whilst Abel worshipped by faith (v4). Cain was outraged by this state of affairs and despite God's warning he ended up taking his brother's life.
Sin ruled over Cain but his younger brother was counted as righteous in the sight of Almighty God. We can state categorically that Abel was saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Abel had the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen. He had not yet seen Christ and he had no clear picture of the cross which at that stage was still thousands of years into the future, but nevertheless Abel believed God and Abel was counted as righteous.
Abel's life was taken from him unjustly but in a wonderful way he still speaks (v4). His testimony continues to echo around the world from the pages of the Scriptures and even now Abel's voice is part of the church at rest in heavenly glory. He was not a perfect man and today our message is not "be like Abel" No. Instead we once again look towards Jesus who is the author and the object of our faith.
The one who puts their faith in Christ will find that it is not misplaced. Jesus is the Saviour and friend of sinners and although we do not see Him, we believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. My dear brother or sister, rejoice today at the precious faith that the Spirit has worked in your soul. By that faith you will receive your commendation.
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Q107 What doth the conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer teach us? The conclusion of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen,” teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to him; and in testimony of our desire and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen.
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16th November 


Pray (ACts)


Read - Romans 2:24


Message - Alan Burke


Back in my school days there were many many times I remember the entire school getting a rollocking from the Head Master or the Deputy Head because of how the school was getting a bad name because of our actions. Now it wasn’t all of us but everyone knew fine well who it was and it was never me and I know it wasn’t me because I took my blazer and tie of and put a hoodie on. If every one else had the same sense we’d have avoided those school assemblies. What had happened that caused the rollocking, well the reasons were many and varied but the schools name was mud because of some individuals.


The result of the attitude among the Jews in v17-23 was that it had caused God’s name to be blasphemed among the Gentiles, God’s name was mud, it was mocked but it was much worse than my schools name. This is not a new indictment that was being labeled against the Jews, this had been said of God’s people before in salvation history. In Isaiah and in Ezekiel the Lord’ through the prophets had condemned His people for how God’s name was blasphemed among the Gentiles (Isa 52:5, Ez 36:22). Because of the sin of God’s people it caused the name of the Lord to be blasphemed. The issue here in Romans was one of hypocrisy, claiming to have a higher standard as God’s people than is met with reality. This last inditement on one level is not shocking but it is heart wrenching, that the sin of God’s people was such that it led to the name of God being blasphemed among the Gentiles. 


Sadly today there are many who cause God’s name to likewise be blasphemed. “If that is what a Christian is, I want nothing to do with it”. Ever heard that? I have heard it and understood why it was said and the result is much worse than the school I went to getting a bad name rather it is our God getting a bad name because of His people. In part for the Jews that Paul singles out it was because of a deficient understanding of God and His law that they were hypocritical, claiming to have a higher standard as God’s people than is met with reality and for us it can be any number of reasons. There is one that it shouldn’t be for though, and that is claiming to have a higher standard as God’s people than is met with reality. 


While Scripture is clear that we will always fall short of the Glory of God in this life but that should not be an excuse, when we sin we should confess it, we should bear one another burdens, if we are harbouring hate against another it needs to be dealt with. If we have a broken relationship try to mend it, are we paying our bills on time, are we good at knowing everyone else business, are we always coveting, do we think our sin doesn’t matter because they don’t hurt anyone, are we full of judgment against others, only happy coming to worship when it suits our seclude, there are so many ways that we can regularly cause the name of God to be blasphemed because of our example and witness. On this side of glory we will never be sinless, we should show that for us, while we are sinners that the accusation of hypocrisy is not valid because we are not pretending to be sinless, to be something that we are not. When we are confronted with our sin we should be those who are willing to do something about it otherwise the name of the Lord will be blasphemed because of us.


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Q106 What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
In the sixth petition, (which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, (Matt. 6:13)) we pray, That god would either keep us from being tempted to sin, (Matt. 26:41) or support and deliver us when we are tempted. (2 Cor. 12:7–8)
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15th November 2022


Pray (ACts)


Read (Hebrews 10v19-39)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


The Apostle has given us rich theology about the priesthood of Christ and as chapter ten comes to a close he applies that theology to everyday living. Jesus has given us absolute confidence to enter the holy places. We have been washed clean by the blood of the Lamb (v19) and as our great high priest, Christ has gone on before us and opened up the way to heaven (v20-21). Therefore Paul urges us to act in response to the glory of the Gospel.


Firstly, he urges us to draw near to God in full assurance of faith (v22). We have much that shames us and we fall into sin daily but nevertheless we are to approach the Lord with confidence knowing that we have been cleansed by the work of Christ and are welcome in the holy place.


Secondly, we are to hold fast to our confession of hope (v23). Our confession is what we believe to be true and so our confession of hope is what we believe about the Gospel. We hope for sins forgiven, we hope for heaven, we hope for the resurrection of our bodies. Hold fast says the Apostle!


Thirdly, we are to stir one another up and meet together frequently (v24-25). Christians are to meet together and they are to encourage one another when they do so. I know it is much easier to breeze in and out on a Sunday but Christ compels us to stop and talk and to encourage one another to good works. The final day is drawing near and in light of Christ's finished work and priestly activity, we are to be active in building the church of Christ.


This threefold response is both right and proper. What is not acceptable is to respond to the Gospel of grace by turning away from Jesus. Amazingly some of the Hebrews were considering exactly that. This is what we call apostasy - to once profess faith in Christ and then to turn away from Him. To warn his hearers about apostasy Paul reminded the Hebrews of a sinner during the days of the old covenant. A sinner who wilfully continued in sin despite a knowledge of the truth had no means of sacrifice (v26) only a fearful expectation of judgement (v27). To set aside the law of Moses would result in punishment and death by the evidence of two or three witnesses (v28).


If such a punishment was expected during the days of Moses then the punishment for anyone who forsakes Christ is much much worse (v29). The Lord will bring vengeance to those who oppose Him and the Lord will judge His people (v30). The Apostle is clear - it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (v31).


With this startling warning ringing in their ears Paul takes the Hebrews back to the beginning. They once had hard struggles (v32), they publicly knew both reproach and affliction (v33), they were compassionate to those in prison and they even tolerated the loss of their own property because they knew that they had a much greater possession in Christ (v34).


Therefore he told them as he tells us - don't throw your confidence in Christ away (v35)! In Jesus we have an extraordinarily great reward and so we must with endurance keep on to the finishing line (v36). Our call is clear - the Lord Jesus is coming soon and we are to ensure that we do not shrink back but instead continue living by faith (v38).


To shrink back from Christ is to know the displeasure and wrath of God (v38). So brothers and sisters may we not be those who shrink back and meet with destruction but may we continue on in faith. Christ is our great high priest who has opened the path to heaven. All who believe in Him will never be put to shame. Keep your eyes on Him and in response draw near to God, hold fast to your confession and continue meeting together and stirring one another up. Brothers and sisters, press on!
  
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Q105 What do we pray for in the fifth petition? In the fifth petition, which is, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” we pray, that God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.
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14th November 


Pray (ACts)


Read - Romans 2:17-24


Message - Alan Burke


As Paul continues he now turns his attention to the Jews’, but this isn’t Mr average that he is speaking about, rather he is making the example of those who had a deficient understanding of what God had done in covenanting Himself to His people. The issue was that there was a generally held believe among the Jews in Paul’s day that your salvation was pretty much guaranteed because of who you were, because you were part of God’s covenant people. Like if you Da was a police man, assuming that that would be enough to make sure that you never got in trouble with the law, or that you were alright because your Da was such and such and such and he could pull a few strings and get you out of trouble. 


So you thought you were alright because of who you were, or rather who your Da was, or family, you were a Jew part of the people of God so you were fine. Then on top of that the the law and circumcision, you were given God’s word and the sign of his promise but there was a problem with that. In reality when one understands the law that was given to Moses rightly, then there comes a knowledge that the law and circumcision will do nothing for you, what you need is a saviour. The Jews were in a sense no different from the Gentiles for they needed a saviour just as much. Yes the Jews were God’s people, they had a special place in salvation history, they had been given the law but they relied on it, they bragged about their so called relationship with God, rather than allowing the law to confront them with the reality of their sinfulness and how they needed a Messiah, for they just as we all do fall short of the standard that the Lord expects, the being perfect righteousness. Paul makes the point that the Jews were good at telling other people how to live, but ultimately they failed to see the implications for their own lives. Now remember this isn’t every Jew that Paul speaks of here, but he is making a point, of those who preach against stealing and steal, who say people shouldn’t commit adultery and commit adultery, who abhor idiot and rob temples, who brag about the law and dishonour God by breaking it. Yet there is a sense in here, while every Jew was not guilty of acting out these these things and breaking the law of God by their actions, they all each one left them in shatters as we all also do. 


Remember the words of Jesus on the sermon on the mount where He reveals the intention and the scope of the Law, how He challenges His hearers about what they had made the law correcting their misunderstandings, how the law was suppose to reveal their sin but they had made it a crutch on which to support their sin. There in the sermon on the mouth in Matthew 5 He addressed murder, anger, adultery, lust, all of it to make the point that the issue is the heart of the individual as much as the action. The reformer John Calvin in his commentary in this passage is insightful on these verses, because he draws a line from those whom Paul spoke of, ie the Jews to us, saying “we are here warned, not to flatter ourselves when we have performed only some portions of the law, … while we care not to drive away and to eradicate the sinfulness that lies hidden in our hearts” (paraphrased for readability). As God’s people today we need to avoid the trap of judging ourselves against what is socially acceptable to those around us than the word of God, instead we need to turn for our sin and when we judge ourselves against the perfect righteousness that God demands then we know just how good the good news of the gospel is for we have one who achieved that righteousness for us, Jesus Christ.


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Q104 What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
In the fourth petition, (which is, Give us this day our daily bread, (Matt. 6:11)) we pray, That of God’ s free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy his blessing with them. (Prov. 30:8–9, Gen. 28:20, 1 Tim. 4:4–5)
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11th November 


Pray (ACts)


Read - Romans 2:16


Message - Alan Burke 


What comes into your mind when I say beach? Or what about trees, or coffee? We could pick any word or anything and more often than not our minds start to imagine that thing, don’t think of an elephant what ever you do stop thinking of an elephant. I hope you don’t spend the rest of the day thinking of elephants. If we got a group of people together and asked them what came to mind when I said beach they might all have the same or similar mental image, whereas they might have completely different ones. When it comes to Jesus, if I asked what comes to mind with His name many of us would recall different things from His life and ministry, the really eager among you might even say Genesis 3:15 the serpent crusher, maybe psalm 110 David’s Lord. I’m sure if you asked you would get many varied response and more than likely just from the gospel account. 


What is it for you? Is it that of the manger with the angels singing declaring the coming of the saviour, is it of Jesus at his baptism coming out of the water with the Spirit of God descending on Him from the heavens in the form of a dove, is it healing the sick, welcoming the children, teaching surrounded by throngs of people, is it breaking the bread that night in the upper room, giving us the new covenant in His blood which we will celebrate later, is it of Him before Herod, or on the cross, maybe the resurrection in triumph, but what about as the Judge?


Throughout his ministry Jesus spoke of himself as the judge but it is one that we think of least, yet Jesus is the one who on that final judgment day will judge all, He is the one who has been appointed by the Father revealing all that is secret. The law of God can only make us righteous if we obey it perfectly. The problem is that we are fallen and we are sinful (Rom 7:7-25), our sin makes us unable to keep the law perfectly and that is why the law cannot justify us. There is no redemption in the moral law or in immediate revelation, but there is redemption in Jesus Christ who alone obeyed the law perfectly for us.


None of us by our nature deserve anything but to perish, because of sin that because of the fall have lost communion with God and are under his wrath and curse and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself and the pains of hell forever (WSC19). But God did not leave all making to perish in the estate of sin and misery, instead out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life… bringing them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer (WSC20), for through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ our sin has been dealt with. But what we need to do is to trust in Him, the redeemer of God’s elect. 


When we do we have His righteousness imputed to us, it is given to us, that although our secret thoughts will will be judged, we will not be condemned for He took the condemnation that we deserve. And something else happens in this life, for our relationship with the moral law changes, no longer do we try to keep the law in order to earn our salvation, but rather we strive to keep the law because of our election, how God has chosen us to be his people, because of our justification, how God has declared us just before Him, because of our adoption in how we are made a child of God, in our sanctification in how we are made holy and are being made holy and our glorification how we when we die immediately pass into glory. We are seeking to live in obedience to the Father because of the grace that He has shown us, the love that was displayed in how that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. 


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Q102 What do we pray for in the second petition?
In the second petition, (which is, Thy kingdom come, (Matt. 6:10)) we pray, That Satan’ s kingdom may be destroyed; (Ps. 68:1,18) and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, (Rev. 12:10–11) ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in it; (2 Thess. 3:1, Rom. 10:1, John 17:9,20) and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened. (Rev. 22:20)
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10th November 2022


Pray (ACts)


Read (Hebrews 10v5-10)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


One of the many blessings of Hebrews is how we see the Old and New Testament speaking together to underline the consistency of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. In today's passage the Apostle takes the words of Psalm 40 and places them in the mouth of Christ. This is another Messianic Psalm which pointed forward to the arrival of the Messiah.


What does Jesus say in Psalm 40? “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” These sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings are offered according to the law (v8) but Jesus didn't come to take His place as just another temple priest.


Instead Jesus came to do the will of God the Father (v9a). Paul states that Christ does away with the first in order to establish the second (v9b). In this instance "the first" references the sacrificial system of the old covenant and "the second" points to Christ the obedient suffering servant. The first is gone, the second is established.


As Scripture speaks to Scripture the picture is clear. The sacrificial system was fleeting and temporary and Christ's arrival made it obsolete. We've spoken before about the Covenant of Redemption and once again we see little glimpses of it in this passage. What is the Covenant of Redemption? It is a covenant made in eternity past between the three persons of the Godhead. The Father chose a people for salvation, the Son promised to come and die for those people and the Spirit would be the one who would turn sinners to Christ.


Christ fulfils Psalm 40 and promises not to continue the sacrificial system but instead to do the will of the Father. What is the will of the Father? Jesus said "This is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6v39-40)


Christ's sacrifice was once and for all and by this sacrifice we have been sanctified (v10). Here is our Gospel hope. We are not required to offer repeated sacrifices which cannot save. The old has gone and the new has come. Christ the obedient suffering servant came to do the will of His Father and it was the will of His Father to crush Him for our sake (Isaiah 53v10). Thanks be to God for the Gospel for by Christ's stripes we have been healed!


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Q101 What do we pray for in the first petition? In the first petition, which is, Hallowed be thy name,” we pray, that God would enable us, and others, to glorify him in all that whereby he maketh himself known, and that he would dispose all things to his own glory.
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9th November 


Pray (ACts)


Read - Romans 2:14-15


Message - Alan Burke 


As we have worked through the book of Romans we have been confronted with how it is not that we do not know God but that we suppress the truth of him by our wickedness (1:19), for God since the creation of the world has made His invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature clearly seen, having been understood from what has been made so that we are without excuse (20). We know God by our nature, none of us, that means not one can claim a defence of ignorance, to try and some how to give excuse, for it is made clear that we are without excuse. 


And today we learn that it is more than simply creation declaring the glory of God so that we are without excuse, as God makes Himself known in General revelation but it is also that we within know the truth, it is known as immediate revelation. Now while you may scratch your head and wonder what that is, immediate revelation is the teaching of scripture that tells us within us all we have been given by God, the knowledge of Him and His law so that everyone knows what is right and that which is not right. 


While there are some would say today that there no such thing as moral absolutes, no objective grounds for preferring the moral values of one person or another or one culture and the next, viewing each are right and as valid as the other. Well if you want to take that view fair play to you, you cannot complain that I or anyone else treats you unfairly, they are doing what is morally right in their own eyes, and you can’t complain when someone nicks your wallet if there are no such thing as moral absolutes.


But we all know there are moral absolutes, we know it to be true. This is what we are reminded here, for God has given us His immediate revelation. For every human being who has ever lived, every man woman and child has a standard, some moral sense, some light of nature by which they are able to distinguish right and wrong. We see that in acts of civil virtue, as those who have never heard the law or gospel live morally, they take care for their children, they refrain from stealing, while they do not obey the whole law for they do not love the Lord God with all their hearts minds and strength, they are able to do these things because the law is already written in their hearts. 


In every human heart, God’s law is there, no matter how primitive the culture and it bears witness to the fact that man is born with some sense of moral awareness. We all have some built in understanding of what is right and wrong. God gives us this, he has written it on the hearts of all. The requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness as Paul says, their thoughts accusing and even defending them (v15). Conscience that means those who have not got the law written, those who were in Paul’s day gentiles by birth, outside the covenant community, who didn’t learn the Ten Commandments by wrote, well they still have a clear understanding of when killing is murder and when it is not.


Today we disregard the immediate revelation of God, now we see in our schools and universities, hospitals, the civil service, business, employers, politicians, increasingly turn their backs on how God has written his law on our hearts and not content to live in their sin, they approve of those who practice such things and celebrate them! Not only that they are repeatedly though whatever means possible trying to change that which we know inwardly to be true, the pervasive narrative that we must not only submit to but approve and affirm ourselves. If the schools have failed, the first day for the university student is a barrage where they attempt to drum it into you, the daily emails in work with pronouns and messages from the equalities officer. Not every culture has been privileged to posses a clear knowledge of God’s inspired and revealed will but they are still without excuse for the moral law is written on their hearts. As the preacher in Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that God has put eternity into mans heart, for all people throughout the ages and all will stand before Him the one who ill judge in truth (Rom 2:2)


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Q100 What doth the preface of the Lord’ s prayer teach us?
The preface of the Lord’ s prayer, (which is, Our Father which art in heaven, (Matt. 6:9)) teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; (Rom. 8:15, Luke 11:13) and that we should pray with and for others. (Acts 12:5, 1 Tim. 2:1–2)
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8th November 2022


Pray (ACts)


Read (Hebrews 10v1-4)


Message (Scott Woodburn)


I've heard more times than I care to recall that Old Testament believers were saved by their works. Apparently they received the law at Mount Sinai and therefore they were counted as righteous by their ongoing observance of the law. But this is simply not true and is at odds with Biblical testimony and the book of Hebrews.
In this chapter the Apostle is clear that the law was but a shadow of the good things to come (v1). Let's be clear that the law is not evil - perish the thought! The law is good, the law is from God and the law is of much use to the Christian. A Christian who says they have no love for the law is no Christian at all. The law shows us our sin and the holiness of God. The law shows us what pleases God and the law acts as a restraint for sin. We call this the threefold use of the law.
With that stated please notice that we do not believe that the law can save us or make us perfect (v1). The Old Covenant sacrifices were offered every single year and at no stage made perfect the individual who was drawing near to God. If these sacrifices were able to save and deal with sin then they would have been offered once and only once (v2).
Instead they were offered year on year on year and acted as a constant reminder of sin to the worshipper (v3). You see the blood of bulls and goats and the Old Testament sacrifices could not take away sin - that was simply impossible (v4).
So how then was a faithful worshipper during the days of the Old Testament actually saved? Their law observance would never be perfect enough and the blood of their sacrifices could not take away sin - so how was anyone made righteous in the sight of God?
The Old Testament believer was saved in exactly the same way as you and I - by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. In the time of the Old Covenant the sacrificial system was put in place as an act of grace. The discerning worshipper would offer sacrifices consistently in full understanding that they needed something greater than bull's blood. They needed a sacrifice that was final.
Just as you and I look back to Calvary, the faithful in the Old Testament looked forward. We have a much greater revelation than they did. We remind ourselves that our brothers and sisters before Christ could only see Him in the types and the shadows but God was still gracious and moved powerfully by the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit would take the law and break the hard hearts of sinners with their inability and sin. Then He would take them by the hand and lead them in repentance and faith to Christ Jesus.
They may not have known His name and in the years before Calvary they had little to no knowledge of our Lord's future humiliation but regardless, individuals during the Old Covenant era came under convition of sin by Word & Spirit and they ran to God in repentance and faith. They were justified, sanctified and glorified. They were saved not by their own works but by the future works of Christ.
The Gospel isn't just for Gentiles born after the time of Jesus, instead it is the grand story of redemption from the days immediately after the fall. Paul would put it this way "For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility." (Ephesians 2v14-16)
In Christ, Jew and Gentile have been made one, they have been washed clean by the precious blood of Jesus. Regardless if you were born prior to Christ's coming or after Him, you must fall before Him. The blood of bulls and goats cannot save nor can our works - thanks be to God for Jesus.
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Sing
WSC
Q99 What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer? The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer, but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called, The Lord’s Prayer.
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