The New Covenant In Jesus Christ
Jeremiah 31:31-36
There are two testaments or covenants. The first is called the Old Covenant designed chiefly for the Jews by Moses the lawgiver. Out of this came the Gospels, prophecies and promises. The second is called the New testament or New Covenant of which Jesus is the Lawgiver and is designed for the whole world. The fulfillment of God’s purposes of salvation are expressed in these covenants, The New Covenant is mediated by Jesus Christ and sealed in his blood. It is a covenant of grace, the benefits of which include forgiveness, a renewed relationship with God and, through the Holy Spirit, an inward transformation that enables obedience to its demands and so ensures that it will not again be broken.
Here the Lord made a covenant with mankind, promising that seed time and harvest will continue as long as the earth abides. He promised not destroy the world with flood anymore. This covenant is unconditional. there are no ifs, no conditions to fulfil. God would fulfil this covenant Himself. He would keep the earth fruitful as long as the earth shall last. God has faithfully kept this covenant (Psalm 65:9-13).
This was an unconditional covenant. Abraham would not have to do anything to fulfill this covenant. God Himself would fulfill the whole covenant. Abraham’s part was to receive the blessing. There are three things God promised in the Abrahamic covenant: (1) The promise of Land (Gen.12:1), (2) The Promise of Descendants (Gen.12:2) and (3) the promise of Blessing and Redemption (Gen.12:3)
This was God's covenant with the people of Israel in Sinai. This is a conditional covenant, dependent on Israel keeping their part of the covenant – obeying the commandments giving to them on Mount Sinai. God delivered Israel with a strong hand. God promised that Israel would a kingdom of priests, a peculiar treasure to Him. This covenant now known as the old covenant was broken because people had no power to fulfill its demands.
In this covenant, God confirms the promise of the land He made in the first two covenants. God also promises that David’s descendants will succeed him on the throne. His kingdom would last forever. This is also an unconditional covenant. No ifs or buts. God will fulfill this covenant to David and His descendants. This covenant was fulfilled in Christ.
(A) The New Covenant Fulfills The OT Covenants
(1) God’s covenant with Noah (The Noahic Covenant)
(Gen.8:20-22; Isaiah 54:9-10; Hosea 2:18Here the Lord made a covenant with mankind, promising that seed time and harvest will continue as long as the earth abides. He promised not destroy the world with flood anymore. This covenant is unconditional. there are no ifs, no conditions to fulfil. God would fulfil this covenant Himself. He would keep the earth fruitful as long as the earth shall last. God has faithfully kept this covenant (Psalm 65:9-13).
(2) God’s Covenant With Abraham (the Abrahamic Covenant)
(Gen.12:1-3; 15:18-21; Lk.1:72-73; Ac 3:25-26; Gal.3:14-16)This was an unconditional covenant. Abraham would not have to do anything to fulfill this covenant. God Himself would fulfill the whole covenant. Abraham’s part was to receive the blessing. There are three things God promised in the Abrahamic covenant: (1) The promise of Land (Gen.12:1), (2) The Promise of Descendants (Gen.12:2) and (3) the promise of Blessing and Redemption (Gen.12:3)
(3) God’s Covenant At Sinai (Sinitic or Mosaic Covenant)
(Exo.19:5; 2Cor.3:14; Heb.8:6, 13; Eze.16:60, 62; 20:37)This was God's covenant with the people of Israel in Sinai. This is a conditional covenant, dependent on Israel keeping their part of the covenant – obeying the commandments giving to them on Mount Sinai. God delivered Israel with a strong hand. God promised that Israel would a kingdom of priests, a peculiar treasure to Him. This covenant now known as the old covenant was broken because people had no power to fulfill its demands.
(4) God’s Covenant With David (The Davidic Covenant)
(2Sam.7:10-13; Eze 34:24-26; 37:25-27; Lk.1:69; 2Chronicles 7:12-14; Isaiah 55:3 In this covenant, God confirms the promise of the land He made in the first two covenants. God also promises that David’s descendants will succeed him on the throne. His kingdom would last forever. This is also an unconditional covenant. No ifs or buts. God will fulfill this covenant to David and His descendants. This covenant was fulfilled in Christ.
(B) The New Covenant Fulfilled In Jesus Christ, The Mediator
The new covenant fulfilled in the Messiah
Jeremiah 31:31-36; Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 42:6 ; Isa.49:8; Hebrews 12:18-24
Let us review some of the provisions of the new Covenant.
Let us review some of the provisions of the new Covenant.
(i) God will write the law in the minds and on the hearts of those in the new covenant.
(ii) God will be the God of those in the new covenant and they will be his people.
(iii) Those in the new covenant will know God.
(iv) God will forgive the iniquities and the sins of those in the new covenant
The new covenant effected through Jesus Christ’s death.
In the New Covenant, God is represented By Jesus Christ. Man is represented by Jesus Christ. We were in Jesus Christ when He fulfilled the new covenant (1Cor.1:30; Eph.1:3; 2:6; Heb.9:15-17).
"It implies our own fallen and helpless state. Christ would not become our wisdom if we were wise enough of ourselves. He never would become our righteousness if we could be righteous before God without him. Nor would he be our sanctification if we were not so wholly polluted as to need divine cleansing; so hopelessly unclean that no efforts of our own either would be made, or could if made avail to transform us from utter pollution to intrinsic purity of heart. He would not have given himself for our redemption if we had not been fearfully enslaved, past the power of self-effected emancipation. Thus all just views of Christ's work serve to abase man, for they show that Christ becomes all in all to us because we are nothing and meaner than nothing in ourselves." C.G.Finny
The new covenant sealed in Jesus Christ’s blood
The Bible describes the blood of Jesus as speaking better things from the blood of Abel. The Blood of bulls and goats could not wash away sin. God had permitted their use as a temporary measure looking forward to the perfect offering of the blood of Jesus (mat.26:28; Mark 14:14; Luke 22:20).
(C) The New Covenant Filled With Superior Blessings
(i) New Grace and Mercy
The blood of Abel speaking from the ground meant a curse unto Cain. But the blood of Jesus which was also spilt and received in the ground does not result in a curse but a blessing. Through that blood we receive God’s grace and mercy.
(ii) New And Complete Forgiveness
In the new Covenant God completely forgives the sins of His people. He promised not remember their iniquity anymore. This a great blessing for any one who would repent and be saved. Regardless of what they had done in the past, what life they had lived; no matter how bad or how unholy or unrighteous, God will wipe away their sin.
(iii) New Release From The Law’s Condemnation
Christ hung on the tree, thereby carrying our curse upon himself. This meant the all believers are freed from the curse of the curse of the Law; they are not condemned but redeemed. They are living under a new Law, The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. They are freed from the Law of sin and death. All you have to do is be in Christ Jesus!
(iv) A New Inward Enabling To Obey God’s Laws
The old covenant was broken because its demands were not met. Under the new covenant the requirements of obedience are not abolished, but in writing his laws on human hearts, God gives the ability to meet the covenant demands. In the New Covenant participants will be enabled to keep God's commandments
(v) A New Knowledge Of God
In the New Covenant we do not look for prophets and seers to guide us to God! We shall know Him, says the Lord, from the smallest to the greatest. God's spirit indwells every believer. All believers have the great privilege of communicating with God regularly on a personal basis with through the agency of the Holy Spirit.
(vi) A renewed Relationship With God
"Peace" refers to spiritual and material well-being; real peace is possible only for those in a right relationship with God. The formula "I will be their God, and they will be my people" is associated also with the Abrahamic and especially the Sinitic covenants.
Heb.8:6; 7:22; 9:24-25; 1Peter 2:9
A New Superior Priesthood
Jesus is the high priest of if the New covenant, a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedek. He makes intercession for us in the presence of God, as well as does the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27, 34). All believers form a kingdom of priests unto God in the New covenant.
Heb.9:24, 20-23, 26-28; 10:4, 8-14
A New and Superior Sacrifice
Heb.9:24, 20-23, 26-28; 10:4, 8-14
This one single sacrifice of Christ was the ultimate sacrifice. It covers every sin of every person who has been or ever will be born in this present world. What is the implication of this? If all the < 6billion people in the world today will believe in Jesus, is He able to save them all? Yes!
A New and Lasting Covenant
The New Covenant is an everlasting covenant. It will not be broken or repealed. Its provisions are perfect and eternal because the mediator is perfect and eternal. To be part of this New covenant you need to be in Christ (Rom.8:1...)...You need there to come to Jesus today to enjoy the benefits of this covenant.
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