If you have read or followed this blog for any length of time, you probably have noticed a strong emphasis on salvation by faith. Almost every post. “Salvation by faith. Salvation is by faith alone.” And that is the truth of Scripture. Law-keeping has no place in the life of the believer (by “law-keeping,” we mean observing external regulations in the hope of obtaining favor or right standing with God). In fact, some might wonder if I’m against law in general. It is possible to slide so far into the “by faith” category that we dishonor the Law.

So, what do we do with that whole body of biblical literature called the “Old Testament,” which contains the Law as given to Israel? Some people don’t even read it, some preachers avoid preaching from it, for fear of becoming “legalistic.” Yet, the Old Testament (and even the Law) has a valuable place in the life of the believer. It may seem obvious, but when the church in Acts 15 was debating whether Gentiles had to keep the Law, they only had the Old Testament to look at! The New Testament, of course, was not written. The same goes for Paul’s letter to the Galatians, often called the “Magna Carta of Christian Liberty” for its emphasis on salvation by faith alone. The quotes and examples Paul used in that (and his other letters) come from the Old Testament. How, then, do we view the Old Testament and the Law?

We learn about God and man.

The Old Testament has a lot to say about God. In fact, in terms of the Bible, the Old Testament is where we get most of our knowledge of Him. We learn about Him from His own pronouncements (example, Exodus 20:1-2; 34:6-8) and from the statements of others (for example, many of the Psalms). We learn of His character, love, holiness, and justice. In learning about Him, we also learn about ourselves through the lives of others. We see men and women fall, though they sought to obey Him. We see God forgive and cover sin. We see people rise up against God and His people only to be judged. In short, we learn that God is holy and righteous, and we learn that man is by nature sinful and unrighteous. Thus, the stage is set for the New Covenant and the ministry of Christ.

We are taught attitudes to avoid and to cultivate.

Throughout the Old Testament, we learn that God looks with favor on those who walk before in Him humility and seek wisdom. In contrast, He disdains the proud and arrogant. By studying the people and events of the Old Testament we gain an understanding of how God wants His people to walk with Him.

We are inspired to believe God.

David and Goliath. Elijah and the prophets of Baal. Samson, Abraham, Gideon, Deborah, Ruth. The list could go on and on of the men and women in the Old Testament who believed God and because of their faith saw their world change. God gave them a word, a promise, and they acted accordingly. Even though they were under the Law as Israelites, it was their faith that made them righteous, just as their father Abram, who “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). We can learn from them, that when God gives us a promise, He will be faithful to keep it, no matter how long it takes.

The next time you are tempted to think of the Old Testament as irrelevant, think again. Open it up, and read some of the Psalms or Proverbs, or read of the faith of men who believed God, or read of God’s faithfulness to His promises, and you’ll change your mind.