God's New Covenant - Part Three

 

 

Part 3 God’s New Covenant

While Christians look at the first Pentecost as being described in Acts chapter 2, the holy day actually began at Mount Sinai when God gave His Law through Moses to Israel. The Jews call Pentecost “Shavuot.”

The Jews look at this holy day as the day God became their husband. When Moses presented God’s Law to the people, just as in a marriage between man and woman, the people said, “We will do.” (Exodus 19:8). From that point on, God considered Himself as Israel’s Husband. (Ezekiel 16:8, Jeremiah 3:20, Ezekiel 16:31-32, 36).

"For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called." - Isaiah 54:5 KJV

"Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:" - Jeremiah 3:14 KJV

The marriage covenant at Mount Sinai was a binding blood covenant to last as long as the parties lived.

"And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words." - Exodus 24:8 KJV

Jeremiah prophesied, "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah…”

How could Israel be released from their blood covenant of marriage to God and their covenant to keep the Law (613 commandments) received at Mount Sinai? 

Apostle Paul explains.

"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? 

“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. 

“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." - Romans 7:1-3 KJV

To be continued…

God’s New Covenant - Part Two

 

God’s New Covenant - Part Two

The New Covenant began with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Father manifest in flesh. [manifest: “made visible on earth as a man among men” - Thayer’s]

"For this is my blood of the new testament [new covenant], which is shed for many for the remission of sins." - Matthew 26:28 

While we see Jesus preaching the kingdom of God and baptizing, we see the fulfillment of the gospel on the Day of Pentecost when Jesus poured out His Spirit on all His disciples for the very first time. (John 3:5, 22, 26, 30, 4:1-2).

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:1, 4 

With the outpouring of God’s Spirit, we see fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy.

"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." - Jeremiah 31:33 

Peter preached the gospel to the Jews that were confounded: For they heard the believers speaking in their own languages. (Acts 2:6).

Upon hearing they had crucified their Messiah, they were cut to their heart and asked, “What shall we do?”

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." - Acts 2:38 

With water baptism in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins along with Holy Ghost baptism, we have the second fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy:

“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." - Jeremiah 31:34 

We “know the Lord” when He fills us with His Spirit. He forgives our iniquity and remembers our sin no more when we are baptized in the name of Jesus. (Acts 2:38).

To be continued…

God's New Covenant - Part One

 

God’s New Covenant - Part One

The prophet Jeremiah prophesied of the New Covenant God would bring to His people. 

"Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 

“Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 

The Old Covenant was the covenant of the Law, given through Moses at Mount Sinai after God brought Israel out of Egypt. At Mount Sinai, God became a husband to the Jewish people when they covenanted to keep all the Laws God gave to them. There were 613 commandments, summarized by the 10 commandments. 

"And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD." - Exodus 19:8 KJV Shortly thereafter, they broke their covenant when Moses delayed returning from the Mount and Aaron made a golden calf for the people to worship.

“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." - Jeremiah 31:31-34 KJV

We find that the New Covenant is the gospel. By the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the price was paid for our sin and iniquity. "For this is my blood of the new testament [new covenant], which is shed for many for the remission of sins." - Matthew 26:28 KJV We obey the gospel by repentance, baptism in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. With the gift of the Holy Ghost, we know Him.

To be continued…

Seek the Lord

 

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." - Psalm 46:1 KJV

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." - Isaiah 41:10 KJV

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV

I AM

 Jesus declared numerous times that He is I AM. 

"Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." - John 8:58 KJV

The Jews knew Jesus was saying He is God.

"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." - Exodus 3:14 KJV

This is why the Jews took up stones to cast at Jesus for blasphemy. 

People ask, How can Jesus be God when He is clearly a man?

God manifested Himself as a man so that He could pay the price of blood for our sins, reconciling us back to Himself. (1 Timothy 3:16, Colossians 1:15, John 14:7-11, Collosians 2:9).

"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself... " 2 Corinthians 5:19a KJV

This is why it is necessary not only to believe and obey the gospel, but also to believe that Jesus is God - our Heavenly Father revealed in flesh. 

For only God is without sin. If Jesus was not God, He would not be without sin and could not pay the price of our sins for us. 

"And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world." - John 8:23 KJV

"I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." - John 8:24 KJV

"Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning." - John 8:25 KJV

In the King James Version, the word "he" in "I am he" is italisized. This means the translators added this italisized word because they thought it would make the sentence clearer. Other translations make a notation connecting when Jesus said "I am" to the "I AM"  in Exodus 3:14.

Just say No

 

In the world not of the world

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank…" - Daniel 1:8 KJV

We are in the world, but we are not of the world. (John 15:19, John 17:14-16). 

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." - 1 John 2:16 KJV (Galatians 5:19-21).

We have turned our back on sin, have had our sins washed away by baptism in the name of Jesus, and are filled with His Spirit, the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38, Acts 10:43, Acts 2:4). 

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." - 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 KJV

We must daily purpose in our heart that we will not defile ourselves with the things of this world.

"And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." - 1 John 2:17 KJV

Temple of God

 

God is a Spirit. He inhabited the tabernacle in the wilderness, then the Temple in Jerusalem, then as Christ, inhabited a human body, each time dwelling among His people.

The Sanctuary in the wilderness –

"And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ... And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." - Exodus 25:1, 8 

The Temple in Jerusalem –

"Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house." - 2Chronicles 7:1 

The Temple of Christ -

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." - John 1:14 

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body." - John 2:19-21 

By Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, WE are able to become the temple of God when we repent, are baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, and receive the gift of His Holy Ghost. (The gospel).

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." - 1Corinthians 6:19-20 

"And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you," - 2Corinthians 6:16-18

Church!

Church!

"And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." - Jeremiah 3:15 

As a believer, we need the preaching of the Word to be saved.

"For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." - 1 Corinthians 1:21 

What kind of preacher can save us?

"For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?" - Romans 10:11-16 

As a believer, we needed to hear the gospel from a preacher sent by God – a preacher that preaches the true gospel that brings peace and reconciliation between us and God - so that we could obey the gospel and be saved! (Acts 2:38).

When Esaias (Isaiah) said, Who hath believed our report? He proceeded to prophecy of the gospel - the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. (Isaiah 53). Peter preached this gospel on the Day of Pentecost. When the people asked, What shall we do? Peter answered them,

"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ... And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation." - Acts 2:38, 40 

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." - Acts 2:41-42