Does God grade on a curve?

[RDKirk]

Or so they thought.

Or so we think, if we think adherence to the Ten Commandments is what saves us.

 

[Hazelelponi]

Yes, I voted that we will be judged by the standard of perfect conformity to the Ten Commandments. Whether or not we are in Christ, that standard will not change.
What matters is where we are standing on that great and awful Day. Will we be on our own, trusting our attempts at keeping such a standard, or will we be standing in Jesus, the perfectly righteous Son of God? Thank God for scrutinizing us according to the perfect work of Jesus! Jeremiah 23:6

Actually that's a very useful way to see it. I've never seen it or said it quite that way; the way you've said it sounds far better..

I've never known how to explain it best. that's sounds nice.

 

[JAYPT]

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law,

Correct, unbelievers are under the law, believers are dead to the law.

Romans 6:14

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Correct, We are not righteous by keeping the law but by believing in His son. The law made us aware of our sin and need for Christ.

 

[LovebirdsFlying]

When we're covered by His blood, nothing else is visible. We're judged by whether or not we have that covering.

 

[royal priest]

When we're covered by His blood, nothing else is visible. We're judged by whether or not we have that covering.

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool."

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
--Augustus Toplady, 1776

 

[JacksBratt]

Romans 3:10-20
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

When you die... only one thing will matter.... did you believe in Christ's work. Did you accept Him as savior.... OR.... did you deny Him....

Simple... don't confuse the issue.

As for those who never heard the gospel or died before Christ... they will be judged by God's solid and Righteous judgement.

We, however, have no concern with that... We have Christ.

 

[Copperhead]

Well, we have to delineate things a little. Those that have joined themselves with Yeshua and are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb are exempt from the Great White Throne judgement which is regarding salvation. But however, there is a judgement (known as the Bema Seat judgment) that the redeemed will go thru which is a judgement of rewards for faithful service. And some will get more rewards at that judgement than others will. But that has nothing to do with justification before Yahweh.

All that Yahweh sees when He looks at the redeemed is His Son Yeshua.

 

[royal priest]

When you die... only one thing will matter.... did you believe in Christ's work. Did you accept Him as savior.... OR.... did you deny Him....

Simple... don't confuse the issue.

As for those who never heard the gospel or died before Christ... they will be judged by God's solid and Righteous judgement.

We, however, have no concern with that... We have Christ.

What if those who died before Christ believed in Him before He came?
Was their faith in Him different from ours?

 

[Copperhead]

What if those who died before Christ believed in Him before He came?
Was their faith in Him different from ours?

I think it is all the same. After all, shortly after the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua, the graves opened and the OT saints came out. The scripture doesn't say specifically, but many of the early church writers who were familiar with the Apostles or their disciples wrote that these saints were taken to the Father by Yeshua.

So, they had that same faith in the same Messiah and atonement as anyone else who trusts in Yeshua. Theirs was just looking to the future event of Yeshua first coming, whereas ours is looking backwards to the event.

 

[juvenissun]

Romans 3:10-20
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

To His people, low grade or high grade, all will pass.
But, no curve.

 

[royal priest]

To His people, low grade or high grade, all will pass.
But, no curve.

On what basis will God pass His people?

 

[Concord1968]

On what basis will God pass His people?

On the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.

 

[juvenissun]

On what basis will God pass His people?

The Salvation.

 

[royal priest]

The Salvation.

Who's merit?

 

[juvenissun]

Who's merit?

Are you giving me trivial quiz? You better have a better one than I give:
For those who have faith in Him.

 

[royal priest]

Are you giving me trivial quiz? You better have a better one than I give:
For those who have faith in Him.

I can offer no better answer then the one you just gave. No one can. Thank you.

 

[LovebirdsFlying]

Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool."

Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood,
from thy wounded side which flowed,
be of sin the double cure;
save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labors of my hands
can fulfill thy law's demands;
could my zeal no respite know,
could my tears forever flow,
all for sin could not atone;
thou must save, and thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring,
simply to the cross I cling;
naked, come to thee for dress;
helpless, look to thee for grace;
foul, I to the fountain fly;
wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyes shall close in death,
when I soar to worlds unknown,
see thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
--Augustus Toplady, 1776

The one that came to my mind was,

Look upon Jesus, sinless is He;
Father, impute His life unto me.
My life of scarlet, my sin and woe,
Cover with His life, whiter than snow.

Refrain: Cover with His life, whiter than snow;
Fullness of His life then shall I know;
My life of scarlet, my sin and woe,
Cover with His life, whiter than snow.

Deep are the wounds transgression has made;
Red are the stains; my soul is afraid.
O to be covered, Jesus, with Thee,
Safe from the law that now judgeth me!

Longing the joy of pardon to know;
Jesus holds out a robe white as snow;
Lord, I accept it! leaving my own,
Gladly I wear Thy pure life alone.

Reconciled by His death for my sin,
Justified by His life pure and clean,
Sanctified by obeying His Word,
Glorified when returneth my Lord.
---Franklin E. Belden, 1899

He was the nephew of Ellen G. White, founder of the Seventh-Day Adventist church. I am no longer a member of it, but I do agree with the hymn.

 

[JacksBratt]

What if those who died before Christ believed in Him before He came?
Was their faith in Him different from ours?

I don't know.. Good question..

I don't think that they can be saved as we are.. however.. Christ had completed His work on the cross... so how could they have faith in Him?

I guess they could have faith in the prophesies of the messiah....

Where they not under the law though?

 

[royal priest]

I don't think that they can be saved as we are.. however.. Christ had completed His work on the cross... so how could they have faith in Him?

I guess they could have faith in the prophesies of the messiah....

Paul says that the church shares the blessings of the gospel along with Abraham:

Galatians 3:8-9
The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The economy of being under law or grace was the same back then as it is today. Grace was available in the OT because the Gospel was foreshadowed by practically everything Judaistic from the temple to the sacrifice and everything in between. Jesus said He was the temple and in Hebrews, the Psalms are quoted as being the very words of the Christ. For example, see what the author does in Hebrews 10:5-10 with Psalms 40:6-7,

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said,

“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.’”

When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

The OT is dripping with the Gospel. We just need to learn where to find it.

 

[LovebirdsFlying]

As I understand it, those who lived before the death of Christ were saved by looking forward to His atonement, just as we look back to it.