THE NEW COVENANT

[herald]

The Old Covenant was the Ten Commandment Covenant. Deut 4;13; Ex 34:28. The New Covenant is the Old Covenant engraved in our hearts and minds. Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:10;10:16 - An Internal Covenant.

"Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tablets of the heart." 2 Cor 3:2,3.

#1 "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me."

#2 "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God AM a jealous God, visiting the iniquity (lawlessness) of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me: and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My commandments."

"Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry." 1 Cor 10:14; Ga 5;20; Col 3:5; 1 Thess 1:9; 1 John 5:21; Rev 9:20.

#3 "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain." (It, also means, to take His name lightly.)

"And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him glory." Rev 16:9; 1 Pe 4:14; Ro 2:24; Acts 4:12; Phil 2:9,10; Rev 13:6.

#4 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."

Jesus referred to Himself as "The Lord of the Sabbath." Mt 12:8; Mk 2:28; Lu 6:5. Jesus prophesied, that, the Sabbath would be kept during The Great Tribulation, and we are not there, yet. Mt 24:20. The children of Israel, Jesus, His disciples, and the New Testament Christians kept the Sabbath holy. Mt 12:1,2,5,8,10,11,12; 24:20; 28:1; Mk 1:21;2:23,24,27,28...Acts 1:12;13;14,27,42,44;15:21;16:13;17:2;18:4.

Isaiah prophesied, that, God's people will keep the Sabbath in His kingdom. Isa 66:22,23.

#5 "Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

"For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy." 2 Tim 3:2; Mt 10:21; Rom 1:30; Eph 6:1; Col 3:20...

#6 "Thou shalt not kill."

Jesus said, "...Thou shalt do no murder..." Mt 19:18; Mk 10:19; Lu18:20; Rom 13:9; Ja 2:11...

#7 "Thou shalt not commit adultery."

Jesus said, "...Thou shalt not commit adultery..." Mt 19:18; Mk 10:19; Lu 18:20; Rom 13:9; Ja 2:11...

#8 "Thou shalt not steal."

Jesus said, "Thou knowest the commandments...Do not steal..." Mt 19:18; Mk 10:19; Lu 18:20...

#9 "Thou shalt not bear false witness."

Jesus said, "...Thou shalt not bear false witness..." Mt 19:18; Mk 10:19; Lu 18:20...

#10 "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man servant, nor his maid servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."

"...Thou shalt not covet..." Ro 13:9; 7:7; 1 Cor 5:10,11; 6:10; Eph 5:5; 1 Tim 3:3; 2 Tim 3:2; 2 Pe 2:14...

"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions ("of the law" 1 John 3:4) from us...TO SUCH AS KEEP HIS COVENANT AND TO THOSE THAT REMEMBER HIS COMMANDMENTS TO DO THEM." Ps 103.

"Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have RIGHT to the tree of life, AND MAY ENTER IN through the gates into the city." Rev 22:14.

Covenants have conditions.

Even in heaven, the Lord makes quite a statement about His Covenant:

"And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple The Ark of His Testament: and there were LIGHTNINGS, and VOICES, and THUNDERINGS, and AN EARTHQUAKE, and GREAT HAIL." Rev 11:19.

There was, only, One Covenant in The Ark - THE TEN COMMANDMENT COVENANT.

 

[mondar]

Covenants have conditions.

Herald, in may ways I found your post interesting. Certainly there are parallels between the 10 commandments and the morality of the NT. But I have a feeling that was not the essence of your post. Correct me if I am misrepresenting you, but it seemed to me that you were trying to demonstrate that this parallelism is your proof that the New Covenant is a conditional covenant. Then I am guessing that you think that obedience is the condition of the New Covenant.

If I am misrepresenting you, or over reading what your wrote, feel free to correct my understanding of what you wrote.

If I am correct, first, let me say that I agree that there is some parallelism, but that I dont see how this establishes your point. The parallelism could have many reasons, and you seem to ask your reader to jump to the conclusion that yours is the only possibility. I would suggest that the parallelism of the 10 commandments and the New Testament literature is not there as a requirement of a conditional covenant, but as the work of that New Covenant.

As positive evidence of what I am saying, I offer Deuteronomy 30:6.
6 And Jehovah thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
Notice in this text the method of life (the word "live"). It would be obedience. Not just a little obedience, but complete obedience.

Now certainly the Jewish people fell far short of complete obedience. Why? Why did they fall short. The problem was that God did not give the nation the repentance found in a regenerate heart.
Deuteronomy 29:4 tells us the problem. This verse tells us the impossibility of obedience and repentance. The problem is that humanity is so rebellious, that only by the work of God in our hearts can we obey.
4 but Jehovah hath not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

Please notice that the part about loving Jehovah thy God with all thy heart.... is quoted in the NT as the requirements of salvation.
In Luke 10 it says....
25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and made trial of him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26 And he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

Of course it leaves us with a problem. Who can obey? Obedience is evidence of the work of the New Covenant. If you make the covenant conditional, you reverse the work of the New Covenant. The rather then the New Covenant being the work of God that changes the heart and nature of a person to bring about obedience, you make the change of heart coming due to obedience.

Now, please allow me to warn that the common response is to misrepresent me and say that I am saying that obedience is not necessary. Nothing could be further from the truth. I am saying that obedience is the observable fruits of the New Covenant, and not the cause. Why do we love the Lord with all our hearts? Because God has circumcised our hearts.

 

[herald]

When Moses disobeyed the Lord and struck the rock, God charged him with unbelief. Num 20:12. When the children of Israel disobeyed the Lord, they were not able to enter The Promised Land, because of unbelief. Heb 3:19. Unbelief comes out of an evil heart. Heb 3:12.

Disobedience - Unbelief
Obedience = Faith

Rom 16:26 refers to "the obedience of faith."

"By faith Abraham...obeyed." Heb 11:8

God spoke to Abraham: "And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

BECAUSE that Abraham obeyed My Voice (His Word), and kept My charge, MY COMMANDMENTS, My statutes, and MY LAWS." Gen 26:4,5

In Ga 3: 7, it reads, "Know ye therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children of Abraham."

"And if ye be Christ's then are YE Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." Ga 3:29

"Even so faith, if it hath not works is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Was not Abraham our father JUSTIFIED BY WORKS when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? (In response to the command of God)

SEEST THOU HOW FAITH WROUGHT WITH HIS WORKS AND BY WORKS WAS FAITH MADE PERFECT?

And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD (faith) and it was imputed to him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

YE SEE THEN HOW THAT BY WORKS A MAN IS JUSTIFIED, AND NOT BY FAITH ONLY...for as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." James 2

 

[herald]

Jesus said, "Not every one that SAITH, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that DOETH the will of My Father, which is in heaven.

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?

And then will I profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. (lawlessness) Mt 7:21-23

"AND HEREBY WE DO KNOW THAT WE KNOW HIM, IF WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. He that saith, I KNOW HIM and keepeth not His commandments is a LIAR and the Truth is not in him: BUT WHOSO KEEPETH HIS WORD, IN HIM VERILY IS THE LOVE OF GOD PERFECTED: hereby we do know that we are in Him." 1 John 2:3-5. (Again, we see the commandments compared with His Word)

"But be ye DOERS of the Word, and not hearers, only, DECEIVING your own selves." Ja 1:22

 

[Bubba]

Ephesians 2:1-10 (Young's Literal Translation)
Ephesians 2
1Also you -- being dead in the trespasses and the sins,
2in which once ye did walk according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,
3among whom also we all did walk once in the desires of our flesh, doing the wishes of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath -- as also the others,
4and God, being rich in kindness, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5even being dead in the trespasses, did make us to live together with the Christ, (by grace ye are having been saved,) 6and did raise [us] up together, and did seat [us] together in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus,
7that He might show, in the ages that are coming, the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus,
8for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you -- of God the gift,
9not of works, that no one may boast;
10for of Him we are workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God did before prepare, that in them we may walk.

Herald,
Our ability to believe or have faith is a gift of God (see also Ezek.36:22-28) and proof of said faith is the works God does in and through us (Eph. 2:10).
Grace Bubba

 

[herald]

In Psalm 119, the word, "Word," is used interchangeably with, "law," "commandments," "judgments," "precepts," "statutes," "testimonies."

HIS WORD = HIS LAW.

"So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the WORD OF GOD." Rom 10:17

"A NEW HEART also will I give you, and A NEW SPIRIT will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh,

AND I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU, and CAUSE YOU to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments and do them." Ezek 36:26,27

When His Spirit is within us, we are empowered by His Spirit to obey His Word/His law. The Holy Spirit is called, "The Spirit of Grace," in Heb 10:29. When His Spirit is within us, we will walk in His Spirit. The Holy Spirit will never lead us into sin, or, "the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: FOR SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW.

And ye know that He was manifested to TAKE AWAY OUR SINS; and in Him is no sin.

Whosoever abideth in Him (walks in His Spirit) sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him , NEITHER KNOWN HIM ( Mt 7:21-23; 1 John 2:3-5)

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous.

He that committeth sin is of the Devil; for the Devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, to destroy the works of the Devil.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. The new creation does not sin. It is when we fall back on the old man of sin, that we sin.

In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the Devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." 1 John 3

When Jesus gave us the "Two Greatest Commandments," He was quoting the law. Deut 6:5; Lev 19:18.

When we keep the first four commandments, we demonstrate love for God, when we keep the last six, we demonstrate love for others.

 

[herald]

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me..." Ga 2:20

"What shall we say then? SHALL WE CONTINUE IN SIN that grace may abound? God forbid. HOW SHALL WE THAT ARE DEAD TO SIN LIVE ANY LONGER THEREIN?" Rom 6:1.

 

[francisdesales]

Our ability to believe or have faith is a gift of God (see also Ezek.36:22-28) and proof of said faith is the works God does in and through us (Eph. 2:10).

Our 'works' are also a gift of God...

"I am the vine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing...." John 15:5

Faith does not produce works separate from God. Faith and works BOTH come from God, and BOTH require our response, or their are no fruits of salvation, for

"...though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." 1 Cor 13:2

Faith alone is nothing...

Faith without works is dead.
Works without faith is dead.

Regards

 

[duval]

"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God", Rom.10:17

 

[Bubba]

Faith does not produce works separate from God. Faith and works BOTH come from God, and BOTH require our response, or their are no fruits of salvation,

Francisdesales,
The Holy Spirit is efficacious and the change heart will respond.
Peace, Bubba

 

[herald]

"By faith Abel...By faith Enoch...By faith Noah...By faith Abraham...By faith Isaac...By faith Jacob...By faith Joseph...By faith Moses...Through faith Sara...By faith Rahab...By faith they passed through the Red Sea...By faith the walls of Jericho fell down...Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions...quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and others had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy) they wandered in deserts, in mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And these all having obtained a good report through faith..." Heb 11

My grandparents went to China to preach the gospel My grandfather was arrested by Mao Tse Tung and put on trial. They held a gun to his head and ordered him to renounce his faith. Instead, he preached the gospel to thousands of Communist Chinese. They threw him in a dungeon. After sometime, he cried out to the Lord, to take him home, or, set him free. That day, "someone" came and opened his door. He thought he was going to be executed. Instead, he led him to the Hong Kong Harbor. He found his family and went to Singapore.

My father, who was a cerebral Pathologist said, the Communists went to every house in the village, and killed all foreigners, except theirs. They fled into the wilderness, where bandits would ride up, slit their clothes, looking for jewels and then kill them. He said, out of nowhere, there was a sound of bugles. It scared them off. (Otherwise I would not be alive).

Millions of Christians in India, Congo, China and many other places are suffering for their faith. Would we suffer for Him?

 

[mondar]

"By faith Abel...By faith Enoch...By faith Noah...By faith Abraham...By faith Isaac...By faith Jacob...By faith Joseph...By faith Moses...Through faith Sara...By faith Rahab...By faith they passed through the Red Sea...By faith the walls of Jericho fell down...Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions...quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and others had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy) they wandered in deserts, in mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And these all having obtained a good report through faith..." Heb 11

My grandparents went to China to preach the gospel My grandfather was arrested by Mao Tse Tung and put on trial. They held a gun to his head and ordered him to renounce his faith. Instead, he preached the gospel to thousands of Communist Chinese. They threw him in a dungeon. After sometime, he cried out to the Lord, to take him home, or, set him free. That day, "someone" came and opened his door. He thought he was going to be executed. Instead, he led him to the Hong Kong Harbor. He found his family and went to Singapore.

My father, who was a cerebral Pathologist said, the Communists went to every house in the village, and killed all foreigners, except theirs. They fled into the wilderness, where bandits would ride up, slit their clothes, looking for jewels and then kill them. He said, out of nowhere, there was a sound of bugles. It scared them off. (Otherwise I would not be alive).

Millions of Christians in India, Congo, China and many other places are suffering for their faith. Would we suffer for Him?

I dont see anyone disputing that the fruits of faith are works. The point being question concerns works being added to faith either to gain justification, or to keep our justification.

 

[herald]

The Scripture says, "Faith without works is dead."

Rom 16:26 refers to "the obedience of faith." Our faith is evidenced by our works.

 

[Drew]

Paul is pretty definitive in Romans 2. Our justification, that is our being declared "righteous" will be determined by what we do:

13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.

 

[Bubba]

Drew,
When I read Romans chapter 1 and 2, I understand Paul's premise to be that man is totally without excuse and needs a Saviour, be he be a Jew or a Pagan. Then he gives the answer in Romans chapter 3:21ff; "21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
27Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law." Grace, Bubba

 

[mondar]

Paul is pretty definitive in Romans 2. Our justification, that is our being declared "righteous" will be determined by what we do:

13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.

If I remember right, you accused me of misrepresenting you when I accused you of teaching a works based justification.

 

[Drew]

Paul is pretty definitive in Romans 2. Our justification, that is our being declared "righteous" will be determined by what we do:

13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.

If I remember right, you accused me of misrepresenting you when I accused you of teaching a works based justification.

And that was indeed a misrepresentation on your part. You have misrepresented me as holding the position of "self-effort" based justification.

Although I did not say so in this post, the works "that we do" are not the product of "self-effort", they are the works of the Spirit. I am not, in any sense, suggesting that we "earn" our justification by works. You know very well what my position is, even if perhaps new readers might indeed have been misled by this post of mine (above).

 

[mondar]

And that was indeed a misrepresentation on your part. You have misrepresented me as holding the position of "self-effort" based justification.

Well Drew, I am still not getting it. I still dont see how you are not suggesting works justification.

Although I did not say so in this post, the works "that we do" are not the product of "self-effort", they are the works of the Spirit. I am not, in any sense, suggesting that we "earn" our justification by works. You know very well what my position is, even if perhaps new readers might indeed have been misled by this post of mine (above).

I look at this as explaining away your statements on works... "oh, but the HS did them." If you were suggesting that the HS changes our nature in regeneration, and then as evidence of our regeneration we bear fruits, that would be fine. However, I do not think that is what you are saying. You seem to me to be saying that somehow you and the Holy Spirit get together and do a few good works. Then on the basis of these free will joint works between you and the HS God will justify you. However, I still also question your definition of justification. I am firmly convinced that the book of Romans uses the term in a forensic way speaking of the divine judge who bangs his gavel to pronounce us innocent as individuals (declares righteous). You seem to be speaking more of the other version of justification where we are made righteous.

It might be HS assisted works, but they are works I understand you to be talking about.

 

[Drew]

However, I do not think that is what you are saying. You seem to me to be saying that somehow you and the Holy Spirit get together and do a few good works. Then on the basis of these free will joint works between you and the HS God will justify you.

You should know that I do not believe this - I have been crystal clear about this many, many, many times. To the others out there: I do not hold the position that mondar has ascribed to me.

 

[mondar]

However, I do not think that is what you are saying. You seem to me to be saying that somehow you and the Holy Spirit get together and do a few good works. Then on the basis of these free will joint works between you and the HS God will justify you.

You should know that I do not believe this - I have been crystal clear about this many, many, many times. To the others out there: I do not hold the position that mondar has ascribed to me.

Then explain your comments on Romans 2:13. Simply saying "I did it by the power of the HS" is not explicit in the least.