Expert: Elder Greg Madden - 11/27/2006

Question
if all the people born after Jesus were forgiven for all the sins they commited , what about those born before Jesus ?

Answer
Adel,

Thank you for your question. Let me see if I can answer it for you.

First let me be very clear that all people born after Jesus are not forgiven unless they look to Him in faith, repent from their sins, and confess Him as Savior and Lord.

Romans 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
5:12
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:  

The Bible teaches us that because of man's total inability to save himself, salvation is by God's grace alone, and the believer in justified through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is received through sincere, godly repentance, and whole-hearted acceptance and confession of Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord. Through being born again, we become new creatures in Jesus Christ.

Therefore, those who were born before Christ died on the cross, were forgiven by looking forward by faith to the cross, just as were are forgiven by looking back to the cross. The only difference would be that they were required to keep the Old Testament law. Through the law and it's requirements the OT saints were given a glimpse of what Jesus would do through His death on the cross. The law taught them that as hard as they tried, keeping it would never bring salvation.

Gal. 2:16
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Gal. 3:11
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.

Gal. 3:24
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  

Please let me know if this helps, or if you have any further questions.
Elder Greg Madden