The Book of Hebrews is unique among the New Testament epistles. Not only Life, but the Fullness of Life, because Christ is our Life whom we receive in this Covenant. In Deuteronomy 5:29, God exclaims, Oh, that they [Israel] had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always! In Deuteronomy 29:4, Moses tells the people, Yet to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear. But in the new covenant promises of Ezekiel 36:26-27, God declares, Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. The new covenant promise of forgiveness of sins is fulfilled in Jesus himself, and thus he pours out his Spirit on his people so that they are enabled to do Gods will ( Ezek. 36:2627 ). All those who belong to Jesus are his offspring: they are the children of Abraham and members of the Israel of God. You can know Gods person or you can know God Himself. In the New Covenant, God promises to forgive sin, and there will be a universal knowledge of the Lord. Under the Old Covenant, only the priests could enter And since it is God's purpose that there be local churches as expressions of that universal body of Christ, we may say just as surely that the new covenant creates those churches and controls them. WebBut in the New Covenant, Jesus Christ is our High Priest, and He will be alive for the rest of eternity. In 2008 Sam became Lead Pastor for Preaching and Vision at Bridgeway Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This is not to say that the new covenant is completely fulfilled. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. But the new covenant obtained eternal redemption for us, so that it is called the eternal covenant (13:20). Not only Pardon of Sin, but Fullness of Pardon; or, the Fullest Pardon, complete Pardon. About 14.5 million low-income earners will be eligible for benefits under the new round of the state welfare card scheme, the Finance Ministry said on Monday. Father, let it be son now for those who have heard me, that they will come into this experience of the new covenant which Jesus has sealed with His blood. Feb. 28, 2023, 5:00 p.m. when He came down on the day of Pentecost. This is a full-time 12-month employee and includes working during and after school hours (board meetings, school events, etc.) Not only Life, but the Fullness of Life, because Christ is our Life whom we receive (Hebrews quotes the LXX; the Hebrew reads, although I was a husband to them. The difference may be due to a typographical error of one letter. 5:17). Fifth, according toHebrews 8:6the New Covenant is better (present tense) and has been enacted (perfect tense) on better promises. God says of me: Sam is mine! God says of you: Amy is mine! The opportunity is for you now to do so. If you want to be justified by the Law, all you have to do is to keep it perfectly, from birth until death, not just outwardly, but in your heart! Conclusion The death of Jesus physical body made it possible for us to have our sins forgiven. I went to visit him and found out that he was a bartender at one of the most notoriously wicked bars in town. The average Jew would have had almost no contact with the Scriptures, save that which he or she was taught by the priests. Component # 1: Gods Laws in Our Hearts In the eighth chapter of Hebrews the writer gives us three main components of the New Covenant For every Israelite to approach Him directly in Exodus 19, they declined and asked for an intermediary. It promises a coming day when God would make a new covenant unlike the one which Israel had broken. And then the reason why this one is called a new one and that is because the old one has become obsolete. But most of them were unbelievers who did not know God. This is why members of the nation Israel had to be exhorted to know the Lord. New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The forgiveness of sin is the release from bondage or imprisonment, permitting the forgiven (the released sinner) to live according to the standard of God. The Law kept sinners at a distance. Third, the blessings of the prophesied New Covenant, those described here in Hebrews 8 and throughout the rest of the NT, are identical with the blessings that Christians in the Church receive and enjoy: forgiveness of sins, the empowering ministry of the Holy Spirit, and the knowledge of God inscribed on our hearts. Above is a brief music video featuring video clips and pics from our recent mission in Nigeria in Oct/Nov, 2019. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins (Heb. In Romans, Paul writes: For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find (Romans 7: 14, 18). Some have assumed it was written by Paul, but if so, it certainly bears an entirely different form than Pauls other epistles. His concise and beautiful portrayal of the New Covenant is found in the eighth chapter. Nobody had access to it except the high priest. 2:15). The book was written primarily for Jews, but the Holy Spirit clearly intended that these truths be made clear to all who profess the Savior. People during the time of the old covenant could obviously memorize the law of God, and many did. He never intended that this covenant be a means of establishing a holy people for Himself. 21:3). Come on down! There is a tremendous harvest going on in the world these days, and we are privileged to be a part of it. These early empire-builders wanted to make a name for themselves (Gen. 11 :4) by supplanting the government of Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2004, All Rights Reserved. No, it means no such thing! Notice the contrasting emphases in Hebrews 8:8-12 between Israels disobedience under the old covenant, versus Gods initiative under the new covenant. As I explained last week, this verse does not imply that there is no need for teachers to explain the Word of God (Eph. But because Jesus has paid this penalty by dying for our sins God forgives everyone who accepts Jesus Christ, accepts the sacrifice that Jesus has made. Overlooking The Negatives To Promote The Positives, Praying The Blood Of Jesus Over Your Life. Seal and ratify the testament. You cant blend Judaism with Christianity. They know the promises of God to them but they are yet to taste these blessings. Before, the Bible was a burden or we were indifferent towards it. b)Enter with boldness into the holiest by the blood. The ways and laws of God are no longer something we read about; they are imprinted on our hearts, living and pulsing within us day and night. The Law spelled out the blessings for obedience and the terrible consequences for disobedience (Deut. So we must walk by the Spirit, putting to death the deeds of the flesh (Gal. To die in such a condition would mean that you would face Gods righteous judgment and condemnation. We receive both the knowledge of Gods ways and the motivation to keep those ways. Beside the direct communion with God, under the new covenant, there is the privilege of knowing God deeply within. God even instituted in that covenant the office of high priest so that the people would have someone to offer sacrifices on their behalf and represent them in the presence of God. Only those who come to saving faith are members of the new covenant community. WebThe new and everlasting covenant is a contractual arrangement in which God and man agree to abide by certain terms and conditions in return for certain benefits. While the benefits are not all automatic and finalized, the foretaste of them should motivate you to strive against sin and to follow the Lord with a glad heart. The later is an intimate knowledge of God that produces transformation and power. What a tragedy! 8:11). I have always believed that healing is one of our benefits under the New Covenant. Where there is a testament, there must be the death of a testator. The only thing that matters is the faith in your heart: if you trust in Jesus, whether you are male or female, slave or free, Jew or Gentile, you are the seed of Abraham, the true Israel of God, and thus members of the New Covenant. (9) This promise that every member of the new covenant will experience personal and first-hand intimate saving knowledge of God is one of the main reasons I believe thatonly believers should be baptized. We mustnt forget that according toGalatians 3:16and3:28-29(and numerous other texts) anyone who believes in Jesus Christ is now the seed of Abraham and thus an heir according to the promise. In one such warning he declares: Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called Today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. In saying that we partake of Christ if we hold fast our confidence to the end, he strongly implies that if we do not hold that confidence to the end, we are not partakers of Jesus. Spirit of Grace Third, the Old or Mosaic Covenant was temporary. WebRates of Uniform/Clothing Allowance 2023. Not everyone who was circumcised in his flesh was circumcised in his heart. These three components make up the essence of what Jesus came to this earth to accomplish in the lives of men and women. But if you will turn from your sins and trust in Christs death as payment for your sins, you will begin to enjoy the blessings and benefits of the new covenant. Are you part of the new covenant with God? Want more fulfilling life? The basic difference between the old covenant offered by God through the Mosaic law and the new covenant offered by God through Christ is not that one had Your donations are needed and greatly appreciated! Notice what our author says: they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest (8:11). That is clearly a fulfillment of Jeremiah 31:34, For all will know Me, from the least to the greatest.. During the time of the Old Testament or Old Covenant, the people of God were a mixed community. 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