Why I am a member of the church of Christ

Lesson # 6

The New Covenant # 2

Introduction

            In our last lesson we discussed the covenant God made with Israel, showing that the 10 commandments & the Law of Moses all refer to that covenant. We discussed how the 10 commandments were the foundation of that covenant & that this covenant was never intended to be permanent. God prophesied through Jeremiah that a new covenant would be made with the house of Israel & through this new covenant sins would be removed. In this lesson we will continue that discussion & seek to identify who would be included in those covenant people.

 

Jer.31:31-34

 

1. Identifying God’s covenant people

            a. People who know God

                        1) These people different from those at Mt. Sinai – vs.34

                        2) Gen.17:1-14

                                    a) God made a covenant with Abraham & his seed – vs.7

                                    b) Circumcision was the sign of being in that covenant relationship

                                    c) All males were circumcised – 8 days old; slaves etc.

                                    d) If male not circumcised he broke that covenant with God

                                    e) People were covenant children & did not know God

                        3) Under this new covenant people would know God from the least of

them to the greatest of them.

a) They would be educated concerning the terms of the covenant &

obey it from the heart.

                                    b) God expected obedience to be from the heart, not just outward

compliance to a few regulations

                                    c) They would respond to God because they wanted to, not made

                        4) These people would 1st be educated in the specifications of this

covenant

a) Their hearts would be involved – really committed to it

b) They will know God – understand what getting into before they

commit themselves to it

                                    c) Those educated would respond because they wanted to obey

                                                (1) Their minds & hearts would have been given to God

                                                (2) Would be personally committed

                                    d) Only way to come to God is to be drawn by Him – Jn.6:44,45

                                                1) How draw = be taught

                                                2) Would have heard & learned

            b. Heb.8:7-13 – quotes Jer.31:31-34

                        1) The old covenant could reveal sin but not remove it, and being

defective it could not save or justify guilty sinners. It failed to meet

the deepest needs of sinful man....sin had made it ineffective.

 

2

                 2) If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need

                             for a new covenant. But man did not keep the old covenant. Two

                             things happened: (1) Man failed to keep the covenant or law. (2)

                             The law was not able to infuse the power to keep the 10

                             commandments.

                 3) Therefore, God had to do something or else man would be lost

                             eternally.

                 4) This is the glorious gospel—the wonderful news of the new covenant.

                             God did something. Note the words: “I will make a new covenant”

                             (Hebrews 8:8).

                 5) The new covenant brings man

                             a) The power of a new mind & a new heart. God puts His laws in

                                    their mind & writes them upon their heart.

                   b) The old covenant or law condemned the heart and stirred the

                        mind to think of failure and of condemnation and judgment.

                        The new covenant frees the heart and stirs assurance and

                        confidence in the mind of the true believer—absolute

                        security.

                   c) Now they have the desire and power to follow and obey God

                        Phil.2:12,13

                   d) A new heart and mind stirs us to love God because He has

                        renewed us, and our love stirs us to seek His face

                        continually.

                        (1) Even when we fail and come short—which we all do

                            ever too often—our hearts are stirred to seek

                            forgiveness and to repent and to begin anew to

                            follow and obey Him.

                        (2) This is the difference between the old and new

                            covenant. The old covenant or law condemned us

                            and had no power to stir and energize us. But the

                            new covenant, Christ within us, does have the

                            power to forgive and stir us to arise and follow God

                            anew and afresh.

              6) They shall all know Me

                             a) There is no longer any need for human priests or mediators—no

                                   need for others to stand between God and man to say,

                                   “Know the Lord.”

                             b) Why? Because every man can now stand before God himself.

                                   Every person can now know God as though face-to-face.

                                   Every person can now approach God.

                             c) How? By the new covenant—through the Mediator of the new

                                  covenant, through the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 8:6).

                   d) This also means that the privilege to know God is now open to

                        all races and nations of people. “All shall know me, from

                        the least to the greatest” (Hebrews 8:11).

3

                  7) The new covenant makes the first covenant old. God has given a new

                              covenant; therefore, this means that the first covenant is old; that

                              is, it is obsolete and no longer of use.

                              a) Very simply, the old covenant of the law has been set aside; now

                                    we are to follow after the new covenant.

                              b) But we must always remember this: the new covenant is bound

                                    up in Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ never destroyed the

                                    law; He fulfilled the law. That is, Jesus Christ embodies the

                                    law. He embodies the love and grace of God, yes, but He

                                    embodies the law of God as well.

                              c) We no longer look to the law nor follow the law. We look to

                                    Jesus Christ and follow Him. But in following Him, we

                                    follow the righteousness and holiness of God as well as the

                                    love and grace of God. We follow the law of God’s nature

                                    as well as the love of God’s nature.

 

2. Jesus came to make a new covenant with us

            a. Mt.26:28 – shed His blood to establish it

                        1) Man cannot be saved from sin until sin is forgiven by God

                        2) The blood of bulls & goats cannot take away sin

                        3) Only the blood of Jesus is sufficient to bring salvation – 2 Cor.5:21

            b. The blood of Jesus & the new covenant are inter-related

                        1) Jesus died to mediate the new covenant – Heb.9:15

                        2) The blood of Jesus & the new covenant bring salvation from sin

                        3) Blood dedicated both the old & new covenant

                                    a) Heb.9:16-22 – old covenant - animals

                                    b) Heb.9:23-28 – new covenant – Jesus’

 

3. We must obey the terms of the new covenant

            a. The new covenant must be written on our hearts & minds

                        1) Means that we must learn & accept this covenant

                        2) Means that we must voluntarily comply with its terms

            b. What are the conditions of this new covenant?

                        1) One must hear & accept the gospel concerning Jesus

                        2) One must trust Jesus to save them by doing as He asks

                                    a) Repent – turn & no longer walk in rebellion to God – Lk.13:3

                                    b) Confess – accept Jesus as their Lord as well as savior

                                    c) Be baptized for the forgiveness of sin – Acts 2:38,39; 22:16

            c. Man is not saved until he meets the requirements of the new covenant

                        1) Acts 2:37 – not saved when asked what need do (were cut to heart)

                        2) Acts 22:14-16 – Paul not saved until baptized (was praying & fasting)