“Did the Old Law [the Old Testament] save souls?” A simple “yes” or “no” will not adequately answer this inquiry. No, the Old Testament (which included Patriarchy and Judaism) did not directly save souls from their sins. How do we know this? “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4 NKJV). The preceding three verses explain.
For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.
The animal sacrifices offered under Patriarchy and especially under Judaism were unable to remove the guilt of one’s sins, but those sacrifices prefigured a future, perfect sacrifice that would remove their sins. Of course, that perfect sacrifice was the Son of the Living God, the Messiah, the Savior, our Redeemer – Jesus Christ. Only through His sacrifice were and are sins removed, thus saving souls. “In whom [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14). “…Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood” (Revelation 1:5). The Calvary cross shed blood of Jesus Christ saved backwards through Judaism and Patriarchy to obedient souls (Romans 3:25) as well as flows forward to save contemporary souls from their sins, too.
Not the blood of bulls and goats, but only Christ’s blood saved and continues to save souls from their sins. Today, to be saved by the blood of Christ, one must believe that He is the Son of God (John 8:24) and be immersed in water for the forgiveness of his sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). The blood of Jesus Christ also continues to keep the saved in the state of saved as Christians repent and pray regarding their known sins (Acts 8:22) and continue to “walk in the light” with our Lord (1 John 1:7).
