LIVING UNDER THE NEW COVENANT

In the last few weeks I have managed to alienate most of the people around me. I thought I would write this and finish the job of alienating every one. A week ago I preached a sermon called, The Law of Moses and Salvation. Afterwards a couple of leaders from the congregation came to me disagreeing with what I said. They contended that the Law is still in force--it has not been done away. I again cited to them the words of Paul in Galatians 5:4 "....you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." Anyone who trusts in his own good works for salvation has fallen from grace. We might live very good lives, but as James said, "For who ever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all" (James 2:10). That is why every one of us needs a savior! We all stand guilty before God! In Revelation 21:8 there are some frightening words, "But for the cowardly, the faithless, the polluted, as for murderers, fornicators, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their lot shall be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." With out Jesus, that is what we all are--we are guilty! Hell is our destination! Law keeping cannot save us! "For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did; sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as an offering for sin. He condemned sin in the flesh so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:3-4).

Jesus did not come into the world to slap a new patch on an old system or to pour new wine into old containers--it just would not work! (Matthew 9:16-17). The problem with the Law was that it could not change hearts! As God said through Jeremiah about His people, "Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked each one in the stubbornness of his evil heart. . ." (11:8). God says about humanity in general, "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick. Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). So, a heart change is necessary! That could only happen with a new covenant--all new.

God is after our hearts and the way that He gets them is through the great expression of His love. He created us because He loves us. He redeemed us through the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ because He loves us. If His love does not draw us, nothing will. If His love does not motivate us to serve Him, nothing will, even the threat of hell. As Paul said, "For the love of Christ controls us...he died for all so that they who live might no longer liver for themselves but for Him who died on their behalf" (II Corinthians 5:14-15).

Christians serve God from their hearts. If they serve under threat of Divine punishment then their service is of law rather than grace and is of no credit to them. God wants willing service from our hearts. Jesus said to the woman at the well in John 4:23, "But an hour is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshippers." Worshipping God in spirit has to do with our spirit--it is from our heart. True worship comes from the heart! Paul says something similar about giving our offerings, "Each must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver" (IICorinthians 9:7). We are not under the law to be held accountable for tithing--God wants us to give generously from the heart!

Living under the new covenant is wonderful--we have freedom and infinite pardon. We enter it because of God's love for us and we respond in faith to it. We enter it something like marriage, because we respond to God's love in Jesus and we love Him. We trust in Him. We make a commitment to Him in that our flesh no longer has the first claim on our lives, but God does. And both God and us sign the covenant agreement in the blood of Jesus in Christian baptism (I Peter 3:21).

Grace&Peace;
Tom