God saves the same way with all of mankind.
Man cannot save himself apart from Grace.
If your teaching is Scripturally correct then all the Jews that died before Christ are lost.
They all died under the Mosaical law.
You teach no grace under the old covenant.
How can anyone go to heaven if Gods grace did not save them?
Moses is the beginning of the old covenant law.
Moses was saved by Gods grace.
Faith is what saved the Jews under the old law in the old covenant.
Since God required faith from the Jews it must be that Gods grace saved all of the old testament Jews who had faith in Him.
Whenever you read about faith there will always be Gods grace.
Faith by itself cannot save anyone!!! Only if Gods grace is given.
Paul teaches Jews under the old Mosaical law were saved by Grace through faith not by perfect law keeping. This does not cancel keeping the law if you lived under the old law. It means the law keeping itself could not merit salvation because the Jews were saved by Gods grace through faith.
Just as everyone is.
We today are under the new testament law of Christ, Galatians 6:2.
Are saved by grace through faith. But this does not mean the new law is not required.
In fact keeping the law is the only way to recieve Gods grace.
Jews had to obey Gods old testament law to be saved by grace but the law itself could not save.
The only way anyone could be saved by law keeping is one would have to live a perfect sinless life by keeping Gods law perfectly.
Jesus never violated the law of Moses. He kept the old law perfectly. That is why He was free from sin.
No man can accomplish this, therefore we need Gods mercy and grace to be saved.
No one in history has been given Gods grace that rebelled against obeying His law.
Again the law itself cannot save but since grace is conditional, the condition God has always given to receive His grace is keeping His commandments. Old law and New.
God knows we cannot keep His law perfectly. That is when Grace steps in and covers our sins.
Listen to Paul teach that all the old testament saints were saved by grace and faith,
Romans 4:16,
- Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed not to that only which is of the law but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham who is the father of us all
So, you are mistaken when you teach the old covenant was not grace based. That is unscriptual teaching.
Every covenant God made with man, man violated his covenant with God.
A covenant is a contract made between man and God.
The only way anyone could be saved is by Gods unmerited favor.(Grace)
Noah was saved by Grace. Every jew under the old law that died before Jesus was saved just as Noah by Gods grace through their obedient faith.
Genesis 6:8,
- but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord
You must know the context to know what works Paul is discussing.
Works here is the works of the law of Moses.
No one is justified during the new testament dispensation from the works of the old law.
Why, Because the old law has been replaced with Christs new testament law.
This is the letter Romans. Romans is written to CHRISTIANS.
Christianity began when the old testament, old covenant, old law ENDED.
This is why Paul says not by works we obtain the righteousness of Jesus.
James teaching the works of the new testament law of Christ teaches these works which are the works in the gospel of Jesus Christ do justify.
James 2:24,
- ye see then how by that by works(new covenant, gospel) a man is justified and not by faith alone(apart from keeping new testament law, Galatians 6:2,
- bear ye one another's burdens and so fullfil(obey) the law of Christ (new testament law, Jesus' gospel)
Yes, Jesus dying for undeserving wicked sinners is definitely grace towards us.
But Jesus Himself taught He gives eternal life to those who believe who He is but also we must believe His word, which is His gospel.
John 5:24,
- verily I say unto you he that heareth(obeys) My word and believeth on Him that sent Me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life
So Gods grace is in His sacrifice but also His instruction in His gospel.
Gods grace is conditional on what He tells us to do in His word(gospel) if we do it.
The gospel teaches we must do Gods will to be saved.
To teach man does nothing is unscriptual teaching.
Acts 2:37,
-Now when they heard this they were pricked in their heart and said to Peter, and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren what shall we do
Peter did not tell them what men teach today. He did not tell them there is nothing Jesus requires for them to do.
Acts 9:6,
- and Saul trembling and astonished said, Lord what wilt thou have me to do,
and the Lord said unto him, Arise and go into the city and it shall be told thee what thou must do
When God tells you, you MUST do something. Can you not do it and be saved?
Acts 10:6,
- he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner whose house is by the sea side he shall tell thee what thou oughest to do
Acts 16:30,
- and brought them out and said, Sirs what must I do to be saved
Did the Philippian Jailer have to do something?
Paul's response was not what men today teach.
He did not tell him, he was wrong, men do nothing Jesus requires nothing of man, Jesus does everything for you even the believing.
Acts 2:40,
- and with many other words did he testify and exhort saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation
No merit in salvation.
Works do not cancel out Gods grace.
