The new covenant

[Gary K]

All Sunday keeping Christians I have ever talked to use the new covenant as a way out of keeping the seventh day Sabbath.

I'd like to look at the new covenant from a different perspective.

Jeremiah 31: 31 ¶ 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:
32 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:
33 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.
34 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.

So what is the result of having God's law written in our hearts? That everyone who participates in the NC knows God. How is it that they know Him? By having His law written in their hearts,

This is an exact parallel to what Jesus said.

John 17: 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Thus have a personal relation ship with God means Jesus won't be telling us in the judgment I never knew you depart from me you who work iniquity.

Matthew 7: 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

So salvation is based simply knowing God and having an abiding relationship with Him. Nothing more and nothing less.

 

[Whatever]

There's a little more than that. Anybody can say "I have an abiding relationship with Him"

Heb 5:9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,
to hear under (as a subordinate), that is, to listen attentively; by implication to heed or conform to a command or authority (Strong). In this connexion continuous active obedience is the sign of real faith (Westcott).

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven

Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

There are more of these. I am not arguing for or against Sabbath keeping, but more than just a vague "abiding relationship with Him."

 

[Gary K]

There's a little more than that. Anybody can say "I have an abiding relationship with Him"

Heb 5:9 And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,
to hear under (as a subordinate), that is, to listen attentively; by implication to heed or conform to a command or authority (Strong). In this connexion continuous active obedience is the sign of real faith (Westcott).

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven

Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

There are more of these. I am not arguing for or against Sabbath keeping, but more than just a vague "abiding relationship with Him."

Vague? What is vague about Jesus' prayer and the results of the new covenant?

 

[Whatever]

Vague? What is vague about Jesus' prayer and the results of the new covenant?

There is nothing vague about Jesus' prayer and the results of the new covenant. I was talking about a person simply saying "I have a abiding relationship with Jesus." Anybody can say that.

Jas 2:17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

I will paraphrase James "Thus an abiding relationship with Jesus if it does not have works is dead."

 

[Gary K]

There is nothing vague about Jesus' prayer and the results of the new covenant. I was talking about a person simply saying "I have a abiding relationship with Jesus." Anybody can say that.

Jas 2:17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

I will paraphrase James "Thus an abiding relationship with Jesus if it does not have works is dead."

I don't understand your point. The Bible uses marriage as a symbol of the type of relationship God wants with His people.

Matthew 22: 2 The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11 ¶ And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

 

[Whatever]

I don't understand your point. The Bible uses marriage as a symbol of the type of relationship God wants with His people.

Yes, but he wants a true wife, one that will love and trust and obey Him.

All I am trying to say is that it is easy to say "I believe in Jesus" and I can train a Parakeet to say that.

I am just trying to combat "easy believism." I'm not accusing you or anybody of this, but it is probably rampant in the Church.

I just ran into this quote from Luther in his commentary on Romans:
Faith, however, is something that God effects in us. It changes us and we are reborn from God. Faith puts the old Adam to death and makes us quite different men in heart, in mind and in all our powers. And it is accompanied by the Holy Spirit. Oh, when it comes to faith, what a living creative active powerful thing it is. It cannot do other than good at all times. It never waits to ask whether there is some good work to do, rather before the question is raised, it has done the deed and keeps on doing it. A man not active in this way is a man without faith. He is groping about for faith and searching for good works but knows neither what faith is nor what good works are. Nevertheless he keeps on talking nonsense about faith and good works. It is impossible indeed to separate works from faith just as it is impossible to separate heat and light from fire.

 

[Gary K]

Yes, but he wants a true wife, one that will love and trust and obey Him.

All I am trying to say is that it is easy to say "I believe in Jesus" and I can train a Parakeet to say that.

I am just trying to combat "easy believism." I'm not accusing you or anybody of this, but it is probably rampant in the Church.

I just ran into this quote from Luther in his commentary on Romans:
Faith, however, is something that God effects in us. It changes us and we are reborn from God. Faith puts the old Adam to death and makes us quite different men in heart, in mind and in all our powers. And it is accompanied by the Holy Spirit. Oh, when it comes to faith, what a living creative active powerful thing it is. It cannot do other than good at all times. It never waits to ask whether there is some good work to do, rather before the question is raised, it has done the deed and keeps on doing it. A man not active in this way is a man without faith. He is groping about for faith and searching for good works but knows neither what faith is nor what good works are. Nevertheless he keeps on talking nonsense about faith and good works. It is impossible indeed to separate works from faith just as it is impossible to separate heat and light from fire.

I agree with that. There a hypocrites in every denomination, Those are the people whom He tells, I never knew you.

I like Luther's writings and have studied the Reformation extensively. I have a lot of them I've downloaded from Project Gutenberg.