If Abraham was preached the entire revealed gospel of Jesus Christ, then the means of remission would be baptism and Christ's sacrifice, not animal sacrifice. What does that have to do with what I think about sacrifices or their necessity today?
I didn't say God revealed the "entire gospel" to him. Just enough of if for him to believe the
actual gospel. Of course, the gospel is pretty simple. The only thing that Abraham lacked were specific details.
Jesus said,
[Jhn 8:39-44, 56-58 NASB] 39 They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you are Abraham's children, do the deeds of Abraham.
((what did Abraham do? He believed the gospel!))
40 "But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God; this Abraham did not do. 41 "You are doing the deeds of your father." They said to Him, "We were not born of fornication; we have one Father: God." 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and have come from God, for I have not even come on My own initiative, but He sent Me. 43 "Why do you not understand what I am saying? [It is] because you cannot hear My word. 44 "You are of [your] father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own [nature,] for he is a liar and the father of lies. ... 56 "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw [it] and was glad." 57 So the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?" 58 Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."
This shows Jesus is counting the children of Abraham as spiritual descendants not physical descendants -- he says "you cannot hear my word." Remember, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. So he's saying they do not believe the gospel, so they are not qualified as descendants of Abraham. Then he says Abraham did have faith in Him -- he "rejoiced to see My day."
[Rom 4:9-13, 16-17 NASB] 9 Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, "FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." 10 How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; 11 and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. 13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. ... 16 For this reason [it is] by faith, in order that [it may be] in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (as it is written, "A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU") in the presence of Him whom he believed, [even] God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.
Wouldn't Abraham, had he truly known "the gospel" - because you allege that God preached to him the same gospel we're preached today - have questioned God regarding the sacrifice of Isaac? "Wait, God, you said you were going to sacrifice your own son so that I wouldn't have to sacrifice my livestock anymore. Why are you demanding I provide my own son?"
Abraham demonstrates that BELIEF (in the gospel) is more important than UNDERSTANDING. Furthermore, that scripture says that Abraham believed so deeply in God's promise that he figured God could raise Isaac from the dead. Abraham didn't have all the details, but he knew enough for what he believed to be classified by God as "the gospel" cementing his place as the father of all who believed, and initiating the inheritance of the saints and the adoption as sons for those who believe the same gospel as Abraham (albeit us with more understanding than he had).
But what happened? Counter to the gospel that Abraham was allegedly preached, God provided a ram for him to sacrifice.
Right... trials test our faith, not our ability to obey.
[Jas 1:2-3 NASB] 2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
[Heb 10:36, 38-39 NASB] 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. ... 38 BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. 39 But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.
He wasn't preached the entire new testament gospel as we know it. He was preached the good news of the coming Messiah and he was expected to live up to the covenant he had currently entered into with God.
I agree. And we, if we want to participate in Abraham's covenant, should do the same.
[Gal 3:15-18 NASB] 15 Brethren, I speak in terms of human relations: even though it is [only] a man's covenant, yet when it has been ratified, no one sets it aside or adds conditions to it. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as [referring] to many, but [rather] to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. 17 What I am saying is this: the Law, which came four hundred and thirty years later, does not invalidate a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to nullify the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is based on law, it is no longer based on a promise; but God has granted it to Abraham by means of a promise.
[Gal 4:22-31 NASB] 22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by the free woman. 23 But the son by the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and the son by the free woman through the promise. 24 This is allegorically speaking, for these [women] are two covenants: one [proceeding] from Mount Sinai bearing children who are to be slaves; she is Hagar. 25 Now this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. 27 For it is written, "REJOICE, BARREN WOMAN WHO DOES NOT BEAR; BREAK FORTH AND SHOUT, YOU WHO ARE NOT IN LABOR; FOR MORE NUMEROUS ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE DESOLATE THAN OF THE ONE WHO HAS A HUSBAND." 28 And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29 But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him [who was born] according to the Spirit, so it is now also. 30 But what does the Scripture say? "CAST OUT THE BONDWOMAN AND HER SON, FOR THE SON OF THE BONDWOMAN SHALL NOT BE AN HEIR WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN." 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of a bondwoman, but of the free woman.
[Heb 8:7-13 NASB] 7 For if that first [covenant] had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says, "BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; 9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. 10 "FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 11 "AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, 'KNOW THE LORD,' FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. 12 "FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE." 13 When He said, "A new [covenant,]" He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.
Paul speaks of two covenants in Galatians; the Works of The Law, and Faith in the Gospel. The covenant God made with Abraham was the covenant of faith (faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ). I don't know about you, but I would much rather be counted as a descendant of that covenant and obtain righteousness through faith rather than try to earn it by works.
Since the covenant of faith was given to Abraham, we can say with certainty that the covenant of faith - which came 430 years before The Law of Moses - is truly apart from The Law. The covenant of faith was ratified in the latter half of Genesis 15 where God has Abraham split animals in half and God passes between as a flame of fire (how covenants were ratified in those days). At that point, no more conditions could be added to that covenant, so The Law doesn't modify or add conditions to the covenant of faith... so salvation is truly apart from works of the law.