Your Bible question was:
>>How do people who lived Christ died on the cross (Old Testament people)
>>recieve salvation. How was it that they could go to heaven? How does
>>that whole thing work? Because, I know The Israelites were God's chosen
>>people. How was it that they could be forgiven of thier sins before Christ
came.

All men, whether they lived before or after the death of Christ on the
cross, are saved by His sacrifice.  Put another way, all sinners are saved
"by grace, through faith", regardless of which specific law they lived
under.

Romans 3:21-26 teaches us this.  There we learn that law by itself
identifies sin, but a system of law cannot save the one violates it (the
sinner) - Rom. 3:20.  Since "all have sinned", all need grace in order to be
saved (3:24).  This is accomplished "apart from the works of law" (3:21) and
"through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on al who believe" (3:22).  By
the blood of Christ the wrath of God against man's sin is appeased -- Christ
is our "propitiation" _through faith_.

Romans 3:25-26 says this is how "in His forbearance God had passed over the
sins that were previously committed" (that is, the sins which were committed
before the death of Christ).  God had previously "winked" at sin - He had
suspended the just penalty against sin, or had borne with sinners instead of
imposing immediate and final punishment (Acts 17:30).

When an Israelite lived by faith under the law of Moses, he would eventually
be saved by the blood of Christ (not the blood of animals, Heb. 10:1-4).

When a Gentile lived by faith he too would be saved by the blood of Christ.
Consider Noah, who was an "heir of the righteousness which is according to
faith" (Heb. 11:7).  He was saved "by grace through faith".  It was the
blood of Christ which redeemed him from his sin, just as it is the blood of
Christ that redeems sinners today.

You continue by saying,
>> Also. Was there a way for people like the Philistines and other nations
>> in the old testament other than the Israelites to know God? It doesnt
seem
>> to show that there was. Because I know God loves all men the same. God
>> loved the Philistines. Was there a way for them to know God's love?
>> The Israelites werent missionaries I dont think were they?

Yes.  If they would see in Israel that there is a true God, and turn to Him
in faith and obedience to the truth He had revealed to them, they would be
saved.  Consider Nineveh in Jonah 3.  Their sin had gone up before God and
He was about to destroy them.  But, upon hearing God's word they repented of
their sins against God, and God spared them.  If they continued to fear God
and shun sin then I have no doubt they were saved, eventually, by the
redemptive power of the blood of Christ.

When the apostles encountered pagans in the Gentile world, they preached
that God had not left Himself without witness to the nations (Acts 14:14-18;
17:22-31).  Sadly, most of the Gentiles had progressed farther and farther
away from God in their sin and ungodliness (Rom. 1:18-32).  Nevertheless,
when a Gentile lived with a fear of God and shunned evil, he would be saved
just as surely as would a faithful Jew under the law of Moses (Rom.
2:14-16).  But whether Jew or Gentile, that salvation would be effective
only by the blood of Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:23-26).

I hope this is of help to you as you study God's word on this matter.

Again, thank you for your good Bible questions.

Sincerely,
Joe Price

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Joe R Price
joe@bibleanswer.com

Bible Answers
http://www.bibleanswer.com

Mt. Baker church of Christ
http://www.bibleanswer.com/mtbaker
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