When Did God Start Saving by Grace?

I was reading a blog comment section where the discussion centered on this: Do we have liberty to live freely in grace, or are we bound to be obedient to "certain" obligations of the law because the same Lord Jesus of the New Testament is the same Lord God of the Old Testament? Why would we not have a clear understanding of this? I know we all struggle within ourselves about things we do, I do and imagine that others do too. What is permissible? The Ten Commandments came up by one commenter who seemed to have all the answers. It seemed to me that he sees the New Testament as replacing the old, I agree with him in this, the law was completely abolished (fulfilled)...Colossians 2:14-15, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." My question here is when was anybody saved that wasn't saved by grace alone, by God alone?

Did the law condemn all who lived under it's reign? Did their offering of sacrifices effect or make atonement for their sins? Did their obedience in the system of offering sacrifices bring atonement or was it something else? The book of Genesis tells us of the grace of God in providing for Adam and Eve the coats of skins, God did not leave them naked long, God immediately sought them out. Noah we are told found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Abraham believed God. Genesis 15:6 says, "And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness." The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews tells of the faith of the Old Testament saints, Hebrews 11:1 starts with this; "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Then the chapter lists many names, some before the law, some during, and the chapter ends with this, Hebrews 11:39-40 "And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect." So then, they died trusting that God would do as He said He would, provide the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

In 1 Peter 1:19-21 we read this; "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." We need to look at this from how God sees it. By what we read in 1 Peter from the way it is recorded, the sacrifice of Jesus was done and complete in the days of Adam, as it IS done and complete now. The Old Testament saints were saved by faith in God that He would do as the Scripture, or His word said. Do we on the other hand, misunderstand our liberty in grace because we see the work of Christ as historical fact, the formation of the Church, the age of grace? God's righteous standard has never been attained by man, men were justified by believing the word of God and in His provision on their behalf, all by His grace. Galatians 2:16 says, "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." No one was or is justified by the law, Paul explains to us that the law taught us our inability to meet the righteous requirements of the law of God, which is and was always in effect. God did not lower His righteous standards with the finished work of Christ. We though, have the perfect and complete words and work of His Son concealed in the Old testament, revealed and explained more clearly in the New Testament. The law was so overwhelming, so strict, and unbending, it was that way so no man would be foolish enough to think he could attain to it. It was meant to make us face our inability and cry out for mercy. Man as always, thinks highly of himself and deceives himself in unrighteousness, and with the deceiver's blinding deceptions, goes before God on his own merit. Man thinks he can approach God on his terms, not God's.

Hebrews 1:1-3 explains the finality and authority of His only begotten Son, "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" This explains to us that Jesus is the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob as well as our Savior Jesus Christ. We this side of Calvary are not condemned by breaking the law of God which has not changed, but we must believe the testimony God has given of His Son who by dieing on the cross, paid the requirement of death that the law required for all the sins of the world. In other words, we who have the complete revelation of God, last of which was spoken by His Son, are condemned for the sin of unbelief if we do not trust in the person of Christ for salvation. The law was fulfilled in the defeat of death in the resurrection and Ascension of Jesus!

Now we in these last days, according to New Testiment Scriptures, are saved or condemned on our believing the gospel, or rejecting it. John 16:7-11 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."

We are then taught of the spirit, through His word working upon our heart to change us from within to be changed into the likeness of His Son, by His power, not ours.

1 John 2:1-4 "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."