The Covenants

[Elf]

Is there a difference, or differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant?

What does everyone see as far as similarities and distinctions between them?

Has the manner in which God deals with His people changed from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant?

Lastly, was Christ the head of both the old covenant and the New covenant?

 

[Hawkins]

To me the old covenant is an extract of God's Law applicable to humans, it is a reflection of God's heavenly Law revealed to humans. The old covenant requires humans to abide by Law which will finally be used for the final judgment of humans. The old covenant is for humans to know Law before God shows them His grace. It is because humans need to know Law first before they can know what His grace is.

The New Covenant on the other hand, is about God's grace through Jesus Christ. It is obvious that both the Jews (as God's chosen people) and the Gentiles will fail to comply the Law, God shows His grace through the blood of Jesus Christ. God's self-sacrifice atoned for our sin such that we don't need to stand the trial of Law, as long as we are willing to abide by the New Covenant, which is to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ and to repent.

The similarity is that God's Law is still there as a measure of human sin, the distinction is that we as humans have a choice to not to subject ourselves to the judgment by Law. We can be thus be said to be saved by His Grace through the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. We should still try our best to abide by God's Law, of which the old covenant is an extract and the Law itself is written in our hearts. But sometimes we will inevitably sin against Law, yet we won't be sentenced to death for doing so. All we need to do is to try our best to abide by it and repent our sinful deeds whole-heartedly when we failed to keep it, and keep looking for God's forgiveness.

The manner of God remains the same, He will make sure that HIs salvation plan will work out as expected. He showed us HIs strict Law with His old covenants and granted us His grace with His New Covenant.

Covenant is more or less like a contract, it requires at least two parties, that is, God and men. And in the case of the New Covenant a mediator is require as a sign of a reconciliaiton between God and men. And Jesus Christ is this mediator, or the high priest in the Jew's ritual practise. The Jew's ritual practise was for the preparation of the first coming of the Messiah Jesus Christ.

 

[glorydaz]

The Old had the physical promises as opposed to the spiritual, and the law instead of grace, but I like to see them from the perspective of those who loved God. We are saved by grace through faith in the Christ in both Covenants.

When Christ came, grace was personified in Him, and everything became clearer..propitiation, reconciliation, justification, and most especially His giving the Holy Spirit to indwell in a greater and more personal way...bestowing gifts and enlightenment.

 

[veteran]

The Old Covenant was given to point the Way to Christ. It was mainly about a ritualistic system of atonement for the sins of the people, and to direct them into following God's Ways, while all pointing to Christ Who was to come. God's grace played a part in it also, but through ritualistic means of animal sacrifices and offerrings and a fleshy priesthood. Within it, God gave His law, which none could be perfect in keeping, again pointing to the need for a better Covenant through Christ Jesus.

Many of the laws God gave with the Old Covenant still stand today for civil and moral purposes, and health purposes. But Salvation of one's soul is only by The New Covenant through Christ's Blood shed on the cross. We no longer need ritual sacrifices, nor go through any flesh priest for atonement of sin, but through Christ Jesus only.

It's important to separate the Old Covenant ritual and religious worship from many of God's laws that still stand today for Christianity. Though God's law is not The New Covenant, it's still to be a factor among God's people to keep order, for as Apostle Paul said in 1 Tim.1-3, "...that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust."

 

[Adullam]

Old Covenant: What to do

New Covenant: How to do it.

 

[glorydaz]

Old Covenant: What to do

New Covenant: How to do it.

Hey, I like that one.