The New Covenant

Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of Scripture from the book of Romans.

Romans 7 ¹  Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? ² For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

³ So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

⁴ 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.

The Apostle uses the example of marriage in this passage, to illustrate that when we enter into the Christian Life, we are freed from the law of the Old Testament. When a wife gets married, she’s bound legally to her husband all of the days of his life. This is why they obtain a marriage license. The only way she can be freed from his law is upon his death. So in order to free the Jews from their bondage to the Old Testament, Jesus died on the cross. This event completely releases them from their marriage to the Old Testament, so they can freely serve Him under His new covenant. 

“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;” Colossians 2:14

I don’t think people should find it remarkable that God removes certain laws that were required in the past. After all, people in high places of government repeal and remove laws each day, cannot God do the same? All of these things were eventually going to be abolished when Jesus laid down His life for us all. 

“And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:”  2 Corinthians 3:13

Justification is to be made righteous in the sight of God, but no one could be justified through the Old Testament law because no one kept it in the first place. Scriptures are clear that all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

“And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.” Acts 13:39

The Old Testament was created to convict us of our sinfulness, 

Romans 3 ¹⁹ Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. ²⁰ Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

“For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.” Galatians 2:19

“Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”  2 Corinthians 3:6

The only way to find forgiveness and justification with God is through faith in Jesus Christ. Obviously, in order to obtain eternal life, we must become obedient to the teachings of the New Testament, and it all begins through the waters of baptism when He completely cleanses our conscience. 

“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”  1 Peter 3:21

“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”  1 Corinthians 6:11

It’s not possible that the blood of animals can take away our sins in regard to our conscience. It was a symbolic system until God would send His only begotten Son as a sacrificial lamb for the sins of the entire world, completing the Old Covenant on our behalf, and ushering in the New.

…….He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.” Hebrews 10:9

Even though we are not under the law, sins such as adultery, fornication or lasciviousness are condemned in the New Testament. God grants us a gift of His Grace so we can repent of these deeds before it’s too late, and those who truly love Him will depart from sin, and crucify the sins of the flesh. But just because we are not under the law doesn’t mean that people cannot do what is right without it. Think about all of the small towns who don’t have a policeman or even a sheriff, yet some of them are the safest communities that you will ever find. This is because they learn to get along with each other, and work out their difficulties peacefully. They are an example of those who don’t need law in order to walk in love towards each other. 

Romans 2 ¹⁴ For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: ¹⁵ Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

But there are many false forms of Christianity who command people to keep Mosaic law. They are involved in a heretical dual-covenant theology, trying to keep that which nobody kept in the first place. Rather than trusting in the deeds of Christ, they try to justify themselves, and in the process have fallen out of the grace of God.

Galatians 5 ¹ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. ² Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. ³ For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. ⁴ Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. ⁵ For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

⁶ For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love. ⁷ Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? ⁸ This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you. ⁹ A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. ¹⁰ I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

None of us kept the law perfectly, so what we failed at, Jesus did Himself by laying down His own life to deliver us from the penalty for our sins. Everything before the Cross of Christ has been completed so that we can begin a new relationship with Him through His grace. 

The one thing that the Old Testament teaches us is that we are all a bunch of sinners, and if you haven’t figured that one out yet, then you are still blinded by your own pride. It only took one mistake in the garden of Eden to keep us out of paradise, and it only takes one person to bring us back, our precious Lord Jesus. Thank God for His Mercy, in freeing us from the demands of the Old Testament and the punishments that came with it. 

By His grace, we have a huge opportunity to be transformed from sinners into Saints. 

By His grace we have a chance to become His obedient children. 

By His grace, we can be filled with hope as we turn from our sins to walk in His light. 

The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, and it is high time for each of us to depart from iniquity, obtain Mercy, and become brand new creatures through the teachings of….

…. The New Covenant

Let’s think about these things for right now.  We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious goups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤️

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