A few weeks ago I wrote about the covenant promise God made with Abraham. That was really just a history lesson for us because we are under a new covenant with God, a better one…
31 "The time is coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them. "
declares the LORD.
33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD.
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,"
declares the LORD.
"For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."
Jeremiah 31:31-34
Why is it called new? The New Testament uses two different Greek words for "new": Neos means new in contrast to old. Kainos means "new" in the sense of "unique".
… to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
Hebrews 12:24
This scripture identifies Jesus Christ as the mediator of the new covenant, is the only scripture where kainos is used in reference to the new covenant. Every other passage uses neos. So the "new covenant" is unique.
But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.
Hebrews 8:6
This passage tells us the new covenant is better than the old because it has better promises. These promises weren’t part of the previous; they were unique to the new covenant. Chapter 8 in Hebrews Mentions three promises.
Change of Nature
Israel didn't have the heart or nature to obey God
Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!
Deuteronomy 5:29
The old covenant contained no condition for internal motivation to obey God. In the new covenant God promises to put His laws into the mind and write them on the heart of His people (Hebrews 8). Obeying God's law is not a normal human response, Romans 8:7 say’s “the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so”. The new covenant promises the power to obey God, through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, a unique feature of the new covenant.
Sanctification is the process of the Holy Spirit convicting us of our sin and changing the way we perceive sin. This process is not a onetime thing it’s a daily commitment to lining up your mind with God’s word. The nature has change into one of a personal and intimate relationship with God.
Forgiveness of Sins
…"For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."
Jeremiah 31:34
Forgiveness of sins, also necessary for a relationship with God is another new promise and unique benefit of the new covenant. The Levitical system of sacrifices cannot take away sins it just covered them up. Therefore, forgiveness of sins was unique to the new covenant. The Passover wine represents the new covenant in Christ's blood, which was shed for the remission of sins.
Eternal Inheritance
Eternal inheritance is another unique and better promise offered in the new covenant. Eternal life is a never ending relationship with God.
Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
John 17:3
We are heirs of God through Christ, and what meaning would eternal life have apart from God?
If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Galatians 3:29
And the promise is the New Covenant with God, with Christ a Mediator, the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, forgiveness of sin and eternal life. And as an heir you have a right to boldly pursue what God says is yours.
I’m not sure why but a lot of people think they have to walk on eggshells and delicately wonder over these things. The Bible clearly says you are an heir and you have a right to your stuff.
11Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:11-13
The term covenant adds weight to this binding blood bought promise. Man might break his promise but God won’t. God is perfect and Holy and He has to do what He says He is going to – every time, no questions asked.
The covenant promise that we are entitled to is between God and us, and once entered into cannot be broken. Not even death releases God from this covenant because the covenant transcends it. Let’s look back at verse 12, the word “foreigner” is translated from the Greek word Xenos which means “without the knowledge of OR new and unheard of”. So prior to being born again you just didn’t know anything about this.
So now that we are saved and have an inheritance that we are entitled to, what’s next?
The Bible is the covenant we have with God. You have to read it to understand God’s promise.
What happens if you don’t read the Bible and understand the covenant God has made with you?
Ephesians 2:12 says you will have no hope. And you will have no hope because you wont have the benefit of God’s word in your life because you can’t benefit from the Word of God if you don’t know it. In theory you could go to heaven without ever reading the Bible…
That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9
But if you go through life without knowing and understanding the Word of God, you will be living without God’s provision.
The Bible is God’s perfect an inerrant word. You have to
Hold on to His Word
Stand on His Word
Believe in His Word
Take it and never let it go
You don’t connect to the provision and power of God with tears and pleas; you connect to the power of God through faith. Faith comes from knowing God’s Word and having it written on your heart, and having confidence and understanding the promises He has made to you.
Faith and the will of God can’t operate where it isn’t known. (Ephesians 2:12 strangers/foreigners)
I’m not saying that God won’t work in and improve your life if you don’t read your Bible and increase your knowledge. But anything He chooses to do is only going to happen by grace and the efforts of others in prayer for you.
Without a study and understanding of Gods word your life can’t unite with the will of God and the amazing specific plan he has your life. You have and inheritance from your Father and He left you His last will and testament, the Bible. Read it, understand it and boldly demand what you’ve been promised.
Hope is a right of your inheritance. Could you use some hope in your life? Take it, God promised it to you so you can walk boldly through any problem knowing you’re covered. Look at
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
Romans 4:18
Before Abraham became fully persuaded, he hoped against hope. He decided to not listen to what the world had to say. The world said he was too old to have a kid, the world said Sarah was too old and barren, it would be impossible to have a child. But what did Abraham do? He hoped against hope and trusted God to do what He said He was going to do. And that paid off pretty good for him I’d say. And just like Abraham when the world is beating you down and things look hopeless, you can get some hope in the Word of God.
How could anyone go through life without hope? There is an entire world full of people that we are surrounded with everyday that don’t know about the hope that God has for them. And it’s up to us to make sure they know where to come and get it.
We have been given the winners manual for life in the Bible. The Bible is hope and that hope will overcome any situation. I know this because God promises it and spells it out very clearly in the Bible. And I get my hope from this book everyday. And when people tell me I can’t do something I set my mind to or that I’m crazy for the things I believe in I just tell them it’s too bad they can’t see what I see. And when it doesn’t look like I’m going to succeed I say just wait. Because you can’t see what I see and you don’t know what I know but keep on watching because it is going to blow you away when it happens.
That’s faith
That pleases God
That faith will see you through anything
Because I get my faith through hope and the source of my hope is God.
People can’t be your source. Man will always disappoint you. The Bible has to be your source. You have to read it to have the advantage of knowing God’s promise. God’s promise has no “but” in it. Read it, read it every day, that’s it.
God gives us the reason to know and understand his Word and wraps it up very nicely in a beautiful piece of scripture found in 1 Peter.
…"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
1 Peter 5:5b-10
I feel that that is one of the most beautiful passages of scripture in the Bible. I’m encouraged to know that through grace alone, God’s mighty hand will touch me. I’m reassured that I can rest because He will take on any burden I allow Him to take.
I know that the God will show me the way to remain in control and the means to resist any temptation I encounter. And I take comfort in knowing that I’m not alone in my suffering and that when I have suffered, and only for a little while, God will restore me and build me up greater than before.
All that and a whole lot more is promised to us… You’re just going to have to read the rest of it yourself.
Grace then peace,
Jeff
