New Covenant Believers

 As born-again believers, when we receive Christ, we become indwelled by the Spirit of God and the kingdom of God resides within us. The truth of the gospel, which is the message of His unconditional love declares the love of God, which is shed abroad in our hearts. (ref Rom. 5:5) 

As Christians, we can lose sight of this love, which is implanted in our hearts if we, in our thinking, go back and place ourselves under the stipulations and regulations of the law which we have been delivered from. (ref. Rom. 7:6) We don't lose our salvation, but we become carnal in our thinking. Paul writes in the book of Romans, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth: to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God (our right-standing with God) revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. Romans 1:16-17 KJV,  The law is not of faith. (ref. Gal. 3:12-13) Also we read, "For in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. Gal. 5:6 KJV This is speaking of the love of God towards us. (ref. 1 John 4:16) Scripture also states, "We love Him, because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19 KJV  Also found in Scripture, "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8 NIV  You could not clean yourself up to be saved; it was His unconditional love that compelled Him to go to the cross. Now the Apostle Paul tells us not to go back under the law, which we have been delivered from. (ref. Gal. 5:1-4, Rom. 7:6) The law is anything we try to merit with our own human effort or performance to earn salvation or our acceptance with God. 

2 Cor. 5:18-19 KJV  "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

Hebrews 8:8b-13 KJV  8b "BEHOLD, THE DAYS COME, SAITH THE LORD, WHEN I WILL MAKE A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH: 9 NOT ACCORDING TO THE COVENANT THAT I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS IN THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT; BECAUSE THEY CONTINUED NOT IN MY COVENANT, AND I REGARDED THEM NOT, SAITH THE LORD. 10 FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAITH THE LORD; I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MIND, AND WRITE THEM IN THEIR HEARTS: AND I WILL BE TO THEM A GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE TO ME A PEOPLE: 11 AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERY MAN HIS NEIGHBOR, AND EVERY MAN HIS BROTHER, SAYING, KNOW THE LORD: FOR ALL SHALL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST. 12 FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR INIQUITIES WILL I REMEMBER NO MORE. 13 In that He saith, a new Covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. 

Hebrews 10:16-19 KJV  16 "THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAITH THE LORD, I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR HEARTS, AND IN THEIR MINDS WILL I WRITE THEM; 17 AND THEIR SINS AND INIQUITIES WILL I REMEMBER NO MORE. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. 19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. 

Rom. 3:25-26 KJV. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."

This is God's unconditional love and it's the gospel message we are to believe and share. (ref. Gal. 1:6-8)

The new convenant is a biblical promise of a renewed relationship between God and humanity, established through Jesus Christ. First prophesied in the Old Testament by Jeremiah, it replaces the external law of the Old Covenant with internal transformation, offering total forgiveness of sins and direct spiritual intimacy with God. 

The minute we became born-again, we became indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Scripture says, "But he that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit." 1 Cor. 6:17 KJV  Now as believers, we are led from within by the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit, not by an external code of laws. 

The key differences are that (1) The Messiah, Jesus, has come and shed the blood of the New Covenant (ref. Mat. 26:28, Heb. 10:29) so that henceforth He is the Mediator of a new Covenant, so that all saving, covenant-keeping faith is conscious faith in Him; (2) The Old Covenant has therefore become obsolete. (ref. Heb.) (Eph. 2:15)

Old Covenant vs. New Covenant

Foundation                        

The Old Covenant                                                                               The New Covenant

Established at Mt. Sinai with Moses                                              Established at Mt. Calvary with Jesus

Requirements

Strict adherence to the Mosaic Law & physical rituals.              Faith in Christ & acceptance of God's grace

Atonement for Sin

Required continuous, daily animal sacrifices                              Secured permanently through the blood of Jesus

Focus

External behavior modification & compliance                            Internal heart transformation & spiritual rebirth

Contracts vs. Covenants: Comparison  

Contracts and covenants are not the same things. Here are some fundamental differences:

• While a contract is legally binding, a covenant is a spiritual agreement.
• A contract is an agreement between parties, while a covenant is a pledge.
• A contract is an agreement you can break while a covenant is a perpetual promise.
• You seal a covenant while you sign a contract. 
• A contract is a mutually beneficial relationship, while a covenant is something you fulfill.
• A contract exchanges one good for another, while a covenant is giving oneself to the other.
• You can opt out of a contract, while a covenant is about having the strengths to hold up your part of the promise.
• One can stop paying in a contract when one party is not fulfilling their part in a deal; however, in a covenant, the party who is not getting their needs met supports the failing party so that they can meet their obligations. 

Overall, a covenant is a better way to build relationships, both in business and in life. In a contract, if a person does not fulfill his obligation, then it gives the other party an option to back out as well. The same is not true in a covenant. You must hold up your promise even if others do not hold up their pledge. 

Covenants are a type of a contract, but they do not operate like a contract. They are a trust-based promise that relies on your integrity and discipline. While contracts are enforceable by the the courts, covenants depend on your values. 

It's interesting to think of a covenant as a union between two parties that need each other, perhaps like in ancient biblical times, farming clans who could not defend themselves would form a covenant with an army or warring clan. The union provided much needed food for the army, which travels on its stomach, and the farming clan received needed protection to survive as farmers. The weaknesses of both groups were overlooked to form a union of strength that benefitted both parties. 

1 Peter 4:8 NIV  "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins." 

Prov. 17:9 NIV "He who covers over an offence promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends."

Prov. 10:12 NIV  "Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs."

We may wonder at times, what do we have to offer God, in our covenant relationship where we are obviously the needy side of it. It's truly God's good nature, full of mercy and compassion and love, that compelled Him to go to the cross and it remains a total act of mercy providing the grace for us to walk in, as mankind was dead in the water. It's unconditional and we just have to believe. (ref. John 6:28-29) God desires us to understand and receive this unconditional love and be a yielded vessel for His love to flow through and reflect God's love to others. As believers, we are His representatives. As believers, our only job is to believe, as stated in John's gospel, John 6:28 NIV: "Then they asked him, 'What must we do to do the works God requires?' vs. 29 "Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.' 

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us." 1 John 4:16 KJV

"We love Him because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19 KJV

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us."  1 John 4:11-12 NKJV

"But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in Him. By this we know that we are in Him. 1 John 2:5 NKJV

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18 NIV

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather through the law we become conscious of sin." Romans 3:20 NIV

The law worketh wrath; faith worketh righteousness.

All that a law system can do is judge and condemn. 

"Because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law, there is no transgression." Romans 4:15 NKJV

"But to him who does not work, but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness." Romans 4:5 NKJV

"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." 1 John 4:8 NKJV

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. vs. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. vs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth vs. 7 It alway protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. vs. 8 Love never fails.  1 Cor. 13:4-8a NIV

This is a descriptive of God's love, as His nature is love perfected, and He is described as love. (ref. 1 John 4:8) This is how God sees us. If you understand His unconditional love for you and rest in it and realize He is not judging you for your short-comings, it's easy to overlook other people's short-comings. You cannot give out what you haven't received. Our sin debt has been paid for, as Jesus bore all the wrath towards fallen mankind on the cross and He is now extending His grace to all who would enter into a covenant relationship with Him. 

Jesus said, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." John 13:34 KJV (ref. John ch. 17)

Scripture tells us, now the end of the commandment is love. (ref. Tim. 1:5a) Also "and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Rom. 13:9b-10 KJV. 

It's hard to love yourself (with all your shortcomings) unless you realize you are enjoined or in union with God in a Covenant relationship where He is no longer holding our sin against us. 

"According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love;" Eph. 1:4 KJV

"In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight:" Col. 1:22 KJV

The 2nd Epistle of Peter tells us that we as believers can be partakers of the divine nature of God which culminates in love. (ref. 2 Peter 1:1-7) It then proceeds to say, "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." 2 Peter 1:8-9 KJV. But as a believer we have been purged of our sins and we are now washed, sanctified and justified. (ref. Heb. 1:3, 1 Cor. 6:11, Eph. 5:26)

 

Consider Jesus, "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised for our justification. Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. 4:25 - 5:1 KJV.

As believers the love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts and we are accepted in the Beloved. (ref. Rom. 5:5, Eph. 1:6)

"But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Rom. 4:5 KJV. ........  This is the Covenant we as believers are in!

Surrendered will or (doing the will of God from the heart)

 

 I recently read a story of a woman who for years was married to a harsh husband. Each day he would leave her a list of chores to complete before he returned at the end of the day. " Clean the yard, stack the firewood, wash the windows..." 

If she didn't complete the tasks, she would be greeted with his explosive anger. But even if she did complete the list, he was never satisfied; he would always find inadequacies in her work. After several years, the husband passed away. Some time later she remarried, this time to a man who lavished her with tenderness and adoration.

One day while going through a box of old papers, the wife discovered one of her first husband's lists. As she read the sheet, a realization caused a tear of joy to splash on the paper.

"I'm still doing all these things, and no one has to tell me. I do it because I love him."

That is the unique characteristic of the new kingdom. Its subjects don't work in order to go to heaven; they work because they are going to heaven. Arrogance and fear are replaced with gratitude and joy.}

               (story taken from The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado)

The law is an external dictate and doesn't win the will of the heart; a dictator forces submission on you from without, but someone you love captures your heart and will from within. Paul writes, " For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Rom. 8:14-16 KJV "Wherefore thou art no more a servant (slave), but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." Gal. 4:7

We've gone from dictator to Father, from slave to son. Bondage to lusts and additive habits are the results of a deceptive lure and enticement to turn back to sin (Egypt, or the yoke of bondage which is the law-a cruel task master) but perhaps the most deceptive is religious bondage (legalism), a striving to earn your acceptance with God. Our rest is in knowing we are accepted and approved (righteous or in right-standing with God) all through the finished work of the cross, a complete work of grace. " For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His." Heb. 4:10 KJV It's His righteousness we adorn.

When we rehearse the righteous acts of God, we willingly submit. This truth is found in the song of Deborah. (Read Judges 5:1-31 for the entire account) "Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves." Judg. 5:2 KJV "The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until I Deborah arose, that I arose a mother in Israel. They chose new gods; then was war in the gates: was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the Lord. Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment, and walk by the way. they that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the Lord, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel: then shall the people of the Lord go down to the gates." Judg. 5:7-11 KJV

Lets examine two scripture verses that really bring the song of Deborah to life. The first is found in the 28th chapter of Isaiah, as follows, "In that day the Lord Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of His people. He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate." (Isaiah 28:5-6 NIV, emphasis mine) The second verse is found in the 12th chapter of Isaiah: "And in THAT day you will say: "OH LORD, I will praise You; Though you were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song, He also has become my salvation. Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." (Isa. 12:1-3 NKJV, emphasis mine) 

God's anger is turned away. Deborah states at the beginning of her song that when the people of Israel chose new gods, war was at the gates and the people of Israel were unwilling to fight, but when they rehearsed the righteous acts of the LORD the people willingly went and contended with the war at the gates. 

There is a parallel from the Old Testament to be seen which brings to light our surrendered heart to God's will and our worship as New Testament believers. It's interesting to note that perhaps the greatest threats to Israel in the times of the Kings came from within rather than without, for after all a divided kingdom cannot stand. (ref. Mark 3:24-26) What's often referred to in the Old Testament as the "sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat" plagued basically all of the Kings of the northern ten tribes which started shortly after Solomon's death and the succession of his son Rehoboam. The people soon rebelled under the heavy hand of the cruel young ruler (Rehoboam) and ten tribes choose to follow Jeroboam as their king while the remaining two tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to king Rehoboam, also being loyal to the house of David, thus the kingdom was divided. 

Scripture tells us, 

"And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of his people turn again unto their Lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one even unto Dan." 1 Kings 12: 26-30 KJV 

Jeroboam also inserted false priests not of God's order as he replaced the proper worship of God with the worship of idols and images, he also created and ordained his own feasts and times of feasts which were not of God.

The house of the Lord at Jerusalem was the designated place of God to worship, this was where God's temple was that king Solomon had built under King David's instructions. God had said through out Israel's journey after leaving Egypt that I am bringing you to a place which the Lord your God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there, a place where you will have rest from your enemies round about, a place where you shall rejoice before the Lord your God. King Solomon was known as a man of peace and the kingdom for the most part had rest from its enemies during his reign, the kingdom was not divided at this time. (ref. Deut. 12:7-12)

It was God who stated under their conditional Covenant that if certain stipulations were met, he would cause it so no man would desire their land, thus giving safety to their borders.  God commanded " Thrice in the year shall all your men children appear before the Lord God, the God of Israel. For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year. (ref. Ex. 34:20-24)

With time, they fell prey to many things that drew them away from their faithfulness to God and the agreement they had made. The dividing of the kingdom of Israel and Jeroboam's false worship created an open door for the enemy to eventually invade. 

Scripture records in John's gospel concerning Jesus' conversation with the woman at the well "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." John 4:21-24 KJV

Also we find " Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21 KJV

As born again believers when we receive Christ we become indwelled by the Spirit of God and the Kingdom of God resides within us. The truth of the gospel which is the message of His unconditional love declares the love of God which is shed abroad in our hearts. (ref. Rom. 5:5)

As Christians we can lose site of this love which is implanted in our hearts if we in our thinking go back and place ourselves under the stipulations and regulations of the law which we have been delivered from. (ref. Rom.7:6) We don't lose our salvation but we become carnal in our thinking. Paul writes in the book of Romans, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth: to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. for therein is the righteousness of God (our right standing with God) revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH. Rom. 1:16-17 KJV The law is not of faith. (ref. Gal. 3:12-13) Also we read, " For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. Gal. 5:6 KJV This is speaking of the love of God towards us. (ref. 1 John 4:16) Scripture also states, " We love Him, because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19 KJV Also found in scripture, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 NIV You could not clean yourself up to be saved, it was His unconditional love that compelled Him to go to the cross. Now the Apostle Paul tells us not to go back under the law which we have been delivered from. (ref. Gal. 5:1-4, Rom. 7:6) The law is anything we try to merit with our own human effort or performance to earn salvation or our acceptance with God.

So this brings us back to the story of the woman who lost her first husband who was cruel. Her first husband died and she remarried a second time to a kind and loving husband who won her heart. She surrendered her love to his love and willingly served him from the heart. Her first, cruel husband and the lists he demanded she do represented the law which can only force submission from without. Paul writes, "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." Romans 7:4 

Many of the Israelites during the time of Deborah as their Judge rehearsed the righteousness acts of God and were able to take their places of authority and man or go down to the gates and victoriously defend themselves against the invading enemy. 

During the time of the kings written in 1st and 2nd Kings the "sin of Jeroboam son of Nebat" caused a great disunity for the nation of Israel because of the failure of the nation as a whole to worship the True God of Israel as the northern ten tribes worshiped false gods. Again, theirs was a conditional covenant as they were under the Old Testament and we are now under the New Testament.

There is "the subjective will of God," which is perhaps praying about things such as cars, jobs, even missionary ventures, etc. and there is "the objective will of God," which is things that are clearly defined in the Word of God. Such things as to know we are loved and accepted by God and at peace with Him because of Christs' finished work put forth in the gospel. You could have a true calling of God to serve a certain people group and be in the subjective will of God, but not understand God's unconditional love towards you and not be at peace. Many missionaries get frustrated and leave their calling for this reason. 

A surrendered heart, a person who is willingly serving from the heart is one who is doing it out of gratitude for the love our Savior has shown to us.

I end this writing with these verses found in the book of Romans. "I beseech you therefore brethern, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Rom. 12:1 KJV And because of Jesus that's how God sees us as born again Christians. "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Rom. 12:2 KJV