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""There is one thing throughout human history that has saved people without fail and that is the Word of God. Those who had it, believed it, and acted on it are all in a better place now. And if one doesn't have the Word of God, then he doesn't have Jesus Christ either -- period.""

How were people saved before the Bible?

Love is what saves Dear brother/sister!Unconditional Love and denying oneself to the will of God.

Here is an old post from my dear friend Jo kus that explains things beautifully.

"I believe that all the good deeds that I do are not my own, but are inspired by God working within me to do His will. Nothing that I have is my own, thus, I cannot be accused of works salvation. All that I have from Christ is a gift. My faith AND my good deeds. I love others and Christ not because I am trying to get God to owe me a wage, but because my will is coming into line with God's will. I do not believe that man is saved by HIS OWN goodness, but by God moving within us the desire to be pleasing to God. Our inner motivations are ultimately what is important on whether an action is meritorious or not. If I obey the Decalogue because I expect a payment, or obligate God to grant salvation, or other egotistical manners, I am working and it is worthless in making me righteous in God's eyes. However, if I am humble, and obey the SAME commandments with the inner motivation of love (placed there by God), this same exact deed IS PLEASING TO GOD! I am becoming more like Christ. I am being transformed by the Holy Spirit gradually. Thus, the same action can be worthless OR can be of the highest worth.
Christ died on the Cross to enable me to even have the opportunity to enter heaven. By His action, I have been redeemed (but not saved). I have been bought back at an expensive price. The Paschal Mystery is central to our faith. Without it, we CANNOT see God. But now that sin has been defeated, man has been given a chance to be transformed into the image and likeness that God originally created in Adam - even better. Now, because of Christ, I can love for another's sake, rather than for my own selfish gain. Now, I can have hope that I will come into perfect union with Him. Now, I can have faith which enables me to accept ALL of the teachings revealed by the Son of God.
Christ's death on the cross is not the end of His work. He continues to work through the Church. When a man is baptized, CHRIST comes to that man with His Spirit - WORKING to transform that man, giving Him the graces of faith, hope and love, the life of the Blessed Trinity in a first installment. THIS ALONE proves that Christ's work is not completed. For otherwise, there is no need for Baptism. If Christ's work is done with the Cross, then ALL men are saved, no matter what they do or if they love. This, my brother, is not the Gospel taught in our Scriptures"

Joe, I hope you don,t mind me using this?

Uncle Chip wrote: "There is one thing throughout human history that has saved people without fail and that is the Word of God. Those who had it, believed it, and acted on it are all in a better place now. And if one doesn't have the Word of God, then he doesn't have Jesus Christ either -- period."

A false dichotomy that undercuts God's saving plan, a relationship with man, down to a book. The Word of God that saves is NOT the Bible, it is the Word of God as defined by John 1:1. Thus, the Bible, strictly speaking, doesn't save anyone. The Bible doesn't, by itself, have any power to move man to obey God. It is God's abiding presence within a responsive man that saves:

"He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." 1 John 5:12

Very simple. If one Loves, the Word of God dwells within that person. A man is "saved" not because he can read the Bible, but because of God's presence within the man... The Word of God is not about letters, but God Himself.

stfassisi wrote: Joe, I hope you don't mind me using this?

Not at all! Thanks for the ping.

Regards