They and Us, Together

“And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:39-40 ESV)

All those OT believers mentioned either by name, character, or conquest were approved by God through their personal faith in His promise. (In this Abraham was not alone, for justification has always been by faith alone.) The promise had not primarily to do with temporal blessings or material favors like land or worldly riches, but with eternal, spiritual, and redemptive realities.

Although they all received their commendation from God through faith in Him, thoroughly evidenced through their abiding hope in His promise—fact is, none of them received the fulfillment of what was promised. The promise could only be fulfilled by Jesus, the Mediator of the new and better covenant. And in the fullness of time, God sent His Son as promised (cf. Gal 4:4-5).

The new covenant and its unsurpassable blessings of salvation are the fulfillment of what was promised. In Christ, Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph all have the promise fulfilled. Now, together with us who are in Christ by faith, those who believed in Him through the promises have received the fulfillment they waited for. Now we, all of us—OT believers and NT believers in Christ Jesus together possess what God planned. Now, together with us, they also have the perfection of conscience that was often typified and promised since the Fall in Eden—now fulfilled in the finished, once-for-all-redemption accomplished by our Savior and theirs.

Here is yet another Scripture declaring the unity and continuity of the elect of God of all ages. We are, together, one people of God, one holy nation, one true ecclesia taken from all nations, from Israel and from all the rest. Together, we partake of one salvation. We Gentiles who have believed the fulfillment have sat down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (and also with Peter, James and John, and Luke, and all the rest) in the kingdom of heaven (cf. Matt 8:11). Together we are one people of God, the true Israel, having natural and wild branches in one peaceful olive tree that is the one true church of Jesus Christ (see Eph 2:14 & Rom 11:17-24).

Those who cherished the promise before it was fulfilled in the Person and work of Christ (OT believers) have been made perfect together with us who have believed in the promise fulfilled. Together with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob we have come to understand the mystery of redemption revealed, which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (cf. John 8:56 & Col 1:26-27).

Now there is an ‘already’ and a ‘not yet.’ Have we already been made perfect, we who have believed in Christ? Yes; already (cf. Heb 7:18-19 & Heb 10:1 & 14). Our consciences are now perfectly at peace as we rest in the absolute righteousness of our Lord Jesus, imputed to us by faith alone. We are accepted in God’s Beloved Son (Eph 1:6). However, there is also the ‘not yet’ grace awaiting us, to be unveiled at the Last Day, at Christ’s coming again (1 Peter 1:13), at the resurrection (John 5:29 & 11:24), at our glorification (Rom 8:30). Along with all of our brethren of OT and NT times we await that eternal day and the new heavens and new earth where only righteousness will dwell (2 Peter 3:13), where the Lamb once slain is the light of that never-ending world (Rev 21:23). –TSA