Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.
Dispensationalists see that God has worked with different people in different times in different manners. Usually, seven dispensations are identified: Innocence, Conscience, Government, Promise, La...
Login or Sign Up to view the rest of this answer.
Dispensation of Law is called so because man was tested to see if he would obey his own conscience regarding right and wrong (Gen. 6:1- 7; Rom. 2:12- 16). There were no written laws. The Ten Commandments weren't given to Adam in the previous dispensation (Gen. 26:5). His only law was not to eat the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; after being driven out of the garden he didn't even have that law (Rom. 5:12- 14). This dispensation could be called the Age of Freedom, for man was free to do as he pleased until it became necessary for God to interfere. Length: 1,656 years, from Adam's fall to the 600th year of Noah's flood (Gen. 5:1- 29; 7:6, 11). A new beginning altogether, with inhabitants having a knowledge of God and a new covenant with Him (Gen. 3:14-- Gen. 4:26). Test: Obedience to the dictates of conscience as to right and wrong (Gen. 3:22; 4:7, 15; 6:1- 7). The purpose of God. His purpose now, since man knew good and evil, was to guide him in the proper exercise of his conscience to do the right and refuse the wrong; Failure-- sixfold (Gen. 4:1-- Gen. 8:7): 1. Failure of Adam (Gen. 6: 3) Adam and Eve were created in God's grace or favor (Gen. 1:26- 31). They fell from grace by sin and lost the eternal life they would have kept if they had not sinned (Gen. 2:17 3:1- 19 Rom. 5:12- 21 2Cor. 11:3). Nothing is ever said of their salvation from sin. They are not listed with the faith- worthies of the Old Testament (Heb. 11). 2. Failure of Cain (Gen. 4: 1- 16) 3. Failure of Cain's descendants (Gen. 4: 17- 24) 4. Failure of Seth's descendants (Gen. 4: 25-- Gen. 5: 32) 5. Failure of the daughters of men who sinned with fallen angels seeking to do away with pure Adamite stock through whom the seed of the woman was to come (Gen. 6: 1- 7, 11- 13) 6. Failure of all people in general (Gen. 4; 6: 1- 7; 7: 1; Mt. 24: 37- 39; Lk. 17: 26- 27; 1Pet. 3: 20; 2Pet. 2: 4- 5). See the 12 conditions below. Twelve Conditions of Noah's and Lot's Days: 1. Tendency to reject God (Gen. 4: 1- 7 Rom. 1: 17- 32) 2. Undue prominence of sex in unlawful relation with angels (Gen. 6: 1- 4 2Pet. 2: 4; Jude 1: 6- 7) 3. Homosexuality prominent (Gen. 19; Lk. 17: 28; Rom. 1: 17- 32) 4. Marriages and divorces (Gen. 6: 1- 4 Mt. 24: 38; Lk. 17: 27) 5. Inventions (Gen. 4: 17- 24 Rom. 1: 30; Dan. 12: 4; Lk. 17: 28) 6.Apostasy (2Pet. 2: 4- 8 Mt. 24: 38; Lk. 17: 27- 28 2Th. 2: 3) 7. Rejection of preaching (2Pet. 2: 5; 2Tim. 4: 1- 4 Mt. 24: 38) 8. Violence and bloodshed (Gen. 6: 1- 13 Rom. 1: 17- 32 2Tim 3) 9. Anarchy-- lawlessness (Gen. 4: 17- 24 6: 1- 13 Mt. 24: 38; Lk. 17: 26- 28 Rom. 1: 17- 32 2Tim. 3) 10. Surfeiting and drunkenness (Mt. 24: 38; Lk. 17: 26- 37 21: 34- 36 Rom. 1: 17- 32 2Tim. 3) 11. Buying and selling (Lk. 17: 28; Rom. 1: 17- 32 2Tim. 3) 12. Planting and building (Lk. 17: 28; Rom. 1: 17- 32 Dan. 12: 4) God's Judgment: The flood of Noah (Gen. 6: 8-- Gen. 8: 14; Mt. 24: 37- 39; 1Pet. 3: 18- 21). God's provision of redemption: His grace and mercy in giving man another chance to continue in God's eternal plan (Gen. 6: 8- 22; 7: 1; 1Pet. 3: 18- 21), and preserving clean animals for sacrifice so as to have faith in the coming Redeemer (Gen. 7: 2; 8: 20- 22). People in those days were saved by grace through faith in the coming Redeemer, as we are now saved by grace through faith in the Redeemer who has already come (Gen. 6:8; Heb. 11; Eph. 2:8- 9).
All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED.
Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines.
A good answer provides new insight and perspective. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone.