Old And New

Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word – It is the most powerful thing on earth.   It is life changing.  It tells you truth for the ages.  One of the greatest acts of God is the replacing of the Old Covenant with the New and better one.  There’s a difference between trying to follow God’s law, and living by it.  When He said the New Covenant is the law now written on your heart, the standards of Godliness don’t go away, they are just written on your heart instead of on stone tablets.  God’s laws never change, He’s the same yesterday today and forever.  His holiness hasn’t diminished.  What is done away with is not the Ten Commandments, it’s the obligations of the blood sacrifice of animals required under the Old Covenant to cover sins, not the characteristics of His nature – that’s unchanging!  The Old Testament remains, what is done away with is the requirement of Old Covenant sacrifices for sins…  You are now under grace - because a once and for all sacrifice has been made – Jesus was the sacrifice!  God himself! The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  Now - living by God’s laws, and Jesus’ commands… You aren’t trying to get accepted, you are already accepted!  You don’t obey to get loved, you are loved so you willingly and joyfully obey.   You are justified by faith. But faith without the works that demonstrate it, that reflect it, God said – is dead.  And you now have grace to live the law written on your heart, not because you are earning love, but because you have it!  And His grace - the power of God - helps you love him by obeying.  The old covenant was not just rules, it was blood.  The law only wasn’t the covenant it was only half of it, the other half was the remedy.  The new covenant has more rules, rules of love, it’s just different blood.  The old covenant was never met until Jesus.  It couldn’t be, because the law just revealed what sin was. And man’s inability to live by God’s laws – because of our sinful nature.  The old covenant… allowed blood to cover our sins.  The new covenant, Jesus’ blood removed our old nature, and covered sins forever.  No other blood needed.   God is holy, we’re fallen by Adam’s sin and our own.  The law given to Moses revealed sin and our need for a Savior.  The book of Romans tells us this.  God’s laws and rules weren’t done away with, Jesus completed them, so we could live them by the Spirit that can, not by the flesh which can’t.  That’s why God said, walk in the Spirit and you won’t fulfill the desires of the flesh.  Habits don’t lead to godliness, (only Christ can make you Godly), but they certainly reflect it.  Sometimes God gives us new habits, so we reflect the Godliness we are now justified to live in.  The Ten Commandments weren’t done away with, they were completed.  Do you not have to follow the Ten Commandments anymore?  They still remain, you just now have power to live by them.  But they are still there because God doesn’t change.  There are even more rules now.  Jesus commands set the bar at higher level!  Jesus’ commands aren’t suggestions, they’re new rules, the characteristics of Kingdom life.  Jesus said, “You have heard it said thou shalt not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment, but I tell you if you’re angry with your brother you will be subject to judgment, (Matt 5:21)  if you hate your brother you’ve committed murder (in your heart).  I John 3:15. Yikes.  Jesus now gave a new command love one another, He said turn the other cheek. He even said - love your enemies.  The Old Testament Law never commanded this.  This was beyond law, this was love!  So God’s law remains, or He wouldn’t have written it on your heart… we just now have the Holy Spirit who leads us in all truth, in power, and in love.  Your new habits in Christ – your obedience habits to His commands, aren’t to earn God’s acceptance by your own power.  They are to live by God’s power because you have been accepted, justified (just as if it didn’t happen), and qualified, by the blood of Jesus.  Old and New Covenant weren’t just about law, God is the same yesterday today and forever.  He doesn’t change – His holiness doesn’t change.  The Covenants were about blood!  The blood of sheep and goats just covered sin, Jesus’ blood removes it.  So you can now live out God’s commands by the Spirit who helps you, not try to obey his laws by the flesh, which can’t.  And if you ever fall a bit short, His forgiveness is there, already paid for, no further blood sacrifice is needed to cover your sins, they have been removed by blood of the Lamb.  New Covenant means Jesus’ blood cleanses it all. We just repent, (Metanoia – to think differently, “No sin is not ok! It leads to death, it separates you from God whether you’re a Christian or not).  Then confess before God and the one you offended, and turn from it.  And God forgives you, Jesus’ blood once shed, holds us in Him.  Praying that you will know the joy of the blood of Jesus which cleanses all sin, and also know - the power of the Holy Spirit which enables you to walk in newness of life! The divine power of Grace to say no to sin.  His law written on your heart, the kingdom life that lives His character and nature by a new power – the power available by the blood of Jesus, and the power of the Holy Spirit – to lead you in all truth, and remind you of everything Jesus commanded you.  Praying that you will walk in His Way, His truth.  There will be new habits, grace habits.  His power working in you!   He does the work, we just live in Christ – by the Holy Spirit – the power to know and do – what God is and tells us to do.  That’s freedom! 
 
Love you all,
dad