Introduction

Recently, an unbelieving skeptic posted a topic in which he was trying to point out and support an alleged "contradiction" in the Bible. The premise of his thesis was that in Ezekial 18 the allusion is made that one can be saved by merely "right living" and that message directly contradicts the message of the New Testament thereby nullifying the need for the sacrifice made by Christ.

There is an issue with this. The alleged "contradiction" does not exist but is rather an example of how the ability to grasp a specific doctrine laid out in Scripture is unattainable and incomprehensible to the unregenerate man and the unspiritual Christian. Simply put, the doctrines put forth by the Word of God are to a large degree sealed to them. This in turn causes them to make false assumptions and judgments regarding these same doctrines.

So what does the Bible about salvation in the Old and New Testaments. Can one achieve status in the Kingdom of God by merely "right living"?

I say no and so do the Scriptures. The major problem with this person's exegesis is the failure to comprehend all of what Scripture says about the matter. There are two tracks spoken of in Scripture regarding the topic, BUT in reality, although they seem vastly different, they are one in the same to a degree. Ultimately, the end state for an Old Testament believer will be the same as the end state for a New Testament believer, however, the road traveled differs. Let us continue...

Definitions

First let us provide some definitions or technical terminology for this topic:

Atonement
ATO'NEMENT, n.

1. Agreement; concord; reconciliation, after enmity or controversy. Rom 5.
2. Expiation; satisfaction or reparation made by giving an equivalent for an injury, or by doing or suffering that which is received in satisfaction for an offense or injury; with for.***And Moses said to Aaron, go to the altar, and offer thy sin-offering, and thy burnt-offering, and make an atonement for thyself and for the people. Lev 9.***
3. In theology, the expiation of sin made by the obedience and personal sufferings of Christ.


Salvation
SALVA'TION, n. [L. salvo, to save.]

1. The act of saving; preservation from destruction, danger or great calamity.
2. Appropriately in theology, the redemption of man from the bondage of sin and liability to eternal death, and the conferring on him everlasting happiness. This is the great salvation.
Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation. 2 Cor 7.
3. Deliverance from enemies; victory. Exo 14.
4. Remission of sins, or saving graces. Luke 19.
5. The author of man's salvation. Psa 27.
6. A term of praise or benediction. Rev 19.

On the surface and with a cursory look it would seem not much differs between the technical terms atonement and salvation, but the use in context along with the subtle nuances make a world of difference.

For further clarification the qualifying term "expiation" means "the act of making satisfaction for an offense,by which the guilt is done away,". Among pagans and Jews, expiation was made chiefly by sacrifices, or washings and purification. Among christians, expiation for the sins of men is usually considered as made only be the obedience and sufferings of Christ.

As for the qualifying term "remission" we find the definition to be "Forgiveness; pardon; that is, the giving up of the punishment due to a crime; as the remission of sins. Mat 26. Heb 9."

Putting It All Together

To begin I must categorically state that there is one common requirement for both atonement and for salvation. That requirement is the "spilling of blood":

Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Both the Old Testament sacrificial system and the New Testament system of believing in Christ's sacrifice have that same element. The first mention of this concept in Scripture can be found in Genesis:

Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Some will say "Huh? There's no blood mentioned". But if one stop and consider ALL of the facts the truth here becomes apparent. Adam and Eve sinned and fell from God's grace. With the consumption of the fruit they now knew good and evil and they came to the conclusion that their nakedness was shameful (i.e. sinful). God in turn took the skins of animals and clothed them (it required the spilling of blood to cover their sin). Their sins were thereby atoned for, temporarily covered. It did not end their sinful state, just "covered" it.

This system of "covering" one's sins (i.e. atonement) continues throughout the Old Testament during the initial dispensations of man. Ultimately in the Old Testament God delivers the Law to Moses. The Law is much more comprehensive than the Ten Commandments. Part of the Law was the requirement of the sacrifice for the expiation of the sins of man. There were many requirements, systems, and types but they, in the end, acheived the same goal...atonement of sin.

To be "right living" or righteous and although only partly addressed in Ezek 18, it required following ALL of the law which is following both the morale aspect of the Law and the sacrificial aspect of the Law.

Our skeptic asked "What about the part that says where if a person is poor and can't offer up a lamb they can offer grain". My answer, it's still a sacrifice for that person. The requirements about types and amounts of sacrifices varied by class and station. Each would give what was within their means...the bottom line for all of it was to show faithfulness to God.

Further, the priests also had other required offerings to cover the ENTIRE congregation that were made on a yearly basis. Have you ever heard the term "scape goat"? The phrase was coined due to the Jewish sacrifical system were all the sins were "transferred" to the goat along with other sacrifices to cover their sins. So blood was still spilt to cover the sins of all Jews.

All of these requirements can be found in Leviticus in the Old Testament.

Again, by the standards of the Old Testament, sacrifice was only part of the program. Old Testament believers were required to follow the rest of the Law. The sacrifices were part of the law, but so was "right living" which Ezekial was addressing in the aforementioned chapter.

To be found righteous in the Old Testament times it took complete faithfulness to God through following His law. The results of being found righteous during the Old Testament times can be found in Luke 16 with the story of Lazarus.

Under the Law an Old Testament believer, if righteous, would enter Abraham's Bosom (see my study "The Doctrine of Hell" for more details) to await the final resurrection. The bottom line here is although the Old Testament believer was righteous, he was still not worthy or fit to enter the Kingdom of God.

"How can that be?" you ask. They followed the Law, they were found righteous. Ah, but the New Testament also says this:

Rom 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Heb 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshipers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
Heb 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

Though "righteous", just by keeping the Law they are still not justified in the sight of the Lord. Why? Think again about the sacrificial system laid out in Leviticus...it was a reocurring event. The implication of this was the sacrifice provided a temporal atonement or covering for the sins of Israel and the Old Testament believer.

It isn't until the New Testament that we get the full picture.

Heb 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Heb 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Heb 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
Heb 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Heb 10:11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God;
Heb 10:13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.

In the New Testament we see that Christ was the final sacrifice to expitiate all sins for all eternity...a perfect sacrifice of a spotless lamb...an eternal sacrifice. Once you've accepted that sacrifice no more need be done. Christ fulfills the requirement of the Law for all believers thereby ending the need to "follow the Law". By accepting Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit the believer will be free from sin in the sight of the Lord and made clean for eternity. That believer, though still human and far from perfect, will continue to try to live in a manner pleasing to God which in turn means following the moral aspects of the Law which Christ laid out in Matthew:

Mat 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Conclusion

The concept that by "right living" one can be saved only provides half the picture. In the Old Testament times "right living' required following the Law which included moral laws, legal laws and sacrifices. All of those only provided a temporal covering for sin.

Christ, through His work on the cross, provided an eternal covering and actual erasure of sin for the believer and by accepting that and "putting on" Christ, the believer becomes just in the eyes of God and capable of entrance into the Kingdom.

The Old Testament and it's system of sacrifice and the law is but a shadow of the fulfillment of all sacrifices which Christ performed on the cross...upon His sacrifice no other sacrifice need be made to cover sins as in Him one is made pure.

So in answer to the original question, no, one cannot be saved on one's own merits by "right living".