How Were Old Testament Saints Saved?

Published: 14 June 2026

Introduction

One of the questions that frequently arises in Bible study is this: How were people saved in the Old Testament? Today, Christians understand that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. We are saved by grace through faith in His death, burial, and resurrection. But what about Abraham, Moses, David, and the other Old Testament saints who lived before Christ came into the world?

Were they saved differently from believers today? Were they saved by keeping the Law? Or were they also saved through Christ?

This article seeks to answer these questions from Scripture.

Salvation Has Always Been by Grace Through Faith

The Bible consistently teaches that salvation has never been earned by human works.

Abraham, often called the father of faith, was declared righteous because he believed God:

The Apostle Paul later cites this verse to demonstrate that justification has always been by faith:

Neither Abraham nor any other Old Testament saint was saved by keeping the Law, offering sacrifices, or performing good works. Salvation has always been an act of God's grace received through faith.

The Faith of Old Testament Believers

Although salvation was by faith, the content of that faith differed from what believers know today.

Old Testament believers did not possess the complete revelation that Christians now enjoy.

For example:

• Abel trusted God's appointed sacrifice.
• Noah believed God's warning concerning the coming judgment.
• Abraham believed God's promises.
• Moses trusted God's covenant and leadership.
• David relied upon God's mercy and forgiveness.

Each believer responded in faith to the revelation God had given at that particular time in history.

God never required people to believe truths that He had not yet revealed.

Did Old Testament Saints Believe in Jesus Christ?

Some teach that Old Testament believers possessed the same understanding of Christ's death and resurrection that Christians possess today. Scripture does not support this view.

Even the disciples of Jesus struggled to understand His coming death before it occurred.

The Bible says:

If those who walked with Jesus did not fully comprehend His death and resurrection before Calvary, it is difficult to argue that Abraham, Moses, or David possessed the same knowledge centuries earlier.

Certainly, Old Testament saints looked forward to God's promised redemption, but they did not possess the complete Gospel revelation found in the New Testament.

The Sacrificial System Pointed to Christ

Although Old Testament believers may not have fully understood God's redemptive plan, the sacrifices they offered pointed forward to the coming Messiah.

The animal sacrifices prescribed under the Law never removed sin.

Hebrews teaches:

These sacrifices served as shadows and types of the ultimate sacrifice that would be offered by Jesus Christ.

Every lamb offered upon the altar pointed forward to the Lamb of God who would one day take away the sin of the world.

The Basis of Salvation Has Always Been Christ

While Old Testament believers were saved through faith in the revelation they possessed, the basis upon which God could forgive their sins was always the future work of Christ.

Paul explains:

This verse teaches that God forgave sins committed before the Cross because Christ would ultimately pay for those sins. God could justly forgive Abraham, Moses, David, and every Old Testament believer because Christ's sacrifice was certain in the eternal plan of God.

The Cross stands at the center of God's redemptive work for all mankind.

Looking Forward and Looking Back

A helpful way to understand the relationship between Old Testament and New Testament believers is this:

• Old Testament believers looked forward in faith toward God's promised redemption.
• New Testament believers look back in faith upon Christ's completed redemption.

The direction of faith differs, but the foundation of salvation remains the same.

The Old Testament saint trusted God's promise.

The New Testament believer trusts God's fulfillment of that promise in Jesus Christ.

One Savior for All Ages

Scripture never presents multiple ways of salvation.

There has always been only one Savior.

Jesus Himself declared:

The Old Testament saints were not saved by the Law. They were not saved by sacrifices. They were not saved by works.

They were saved by God's grace through faith.

Yet the ground upon which God could justify them was the same ground upon which He justifies believers today—the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

The Bible presents a balanced understanding of salvation across both Testaments.

Old Testament saints were saved by grace through faith in the revelation God had given them. They did not possess the full knowledge of Christ's death, burial, and resurrection that believers have today. Nevertheless, the basis of their salvation was the future sacrifice of Jesus Christ, just as the basis of our salvation today is His finished work on the Cross.

Therefore, while the content of faith has progressively expanded as God revealed more of His redemptive plan, the means of salvation has never changed. Salvation has always been by grace through faith, and its foundation has always been the Lord Jesus Christ.