Righteousness by Faith in the Old Testament: Works as Evidence, Not the Means
Orientation
It is a fatal error to imagine that Old Testament saints were justified by works, while we today are justified by faith.
- This misconception distorts the gospel and undermines assurance.
- It makes God a respecter of persons with two different ways of salvation.
- It collapses the logic of justification by faith, making Christ's death in vain.
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (Romans 4:3)
— Romans 4:3
Clarification
Works, sacrifices, and obedience in the Old Testament were not the basis of justification but testimonies of righteousness already possessed through faith.
- The law never produced righteousness; it exposed need.
- Abel's sacrifice was accepted because of the faith that preceded it, not the act itself.
- Abraham was justified by faith before any act of obedience or circumcision.
By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. (Hebrews 11:4)
— Hebrews 11:4
Structure
Righteousness has always been imputed by faith, with works serving as the natural outflow and sign of a heart already made righteous.
- Faith is the root; works are the fruit. To confuse the two is to lose both.
- The saints of old lived by a vision in faith (Hebrews 11:1), and their works were the evidence.
- This establishes theological continuity: justification is always apart from works.
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. (James 2:23)
— James 2:23
Weight-Bearing Prose
The core theological assertion is unchanging: righteousness has always been by faith apart from works. God imputes righteousness to those who have faith, as seen with Abraham (Romans 4:3). This is the Pauline category of justification. Works, including Old Testament sacrifices and obedience, function only as tools—outward signs or testimonies confirming the inward righteousness already granted through faith. They demonstrate the life-course change that faith produces. The cause-effect chain is always faith -> imputed righteousness -> works as testimony. Any view that makes works the cause of justification, in any dispensation, denies the continuity of God’s saving way and makes the inheritance a matter of debt, not promise (Romans 4:4-5). This error fundamentally undermines the gospel.
Integration
Your standing before God has never been, and could never be, based on your works. From Abel to today, the only ground is faith in God’s provision. The Old Testament saints looked forward in faith; we look back to Christ’s finished work, but the principle is identical: righteousness is imputed, not earned. Their sacrifices pointed to Christ; our faith rests in Him. This truth is your anchor. It removes all pressure to perform for acceptance. Christ is your righteousness. Your assurance rests on God’s unchanging way of justifying sinners—by faith alone. Any good works that follow are simply the testimony of a heart already at peace with God.