THE NEW COVENANT

TURNING POINT MINISTRIES

CHRISTIANS AND THE NEW COVENANT

"Covenant" means promise or agreement. God's covenant is His promise and plan to save us. The Bible speaks of the old covenant, made at Sinai, and the new one, established and finished at the cross. Let us compare the two.

(1) From where does Jesus perform His new-covenant ministry for us? Heb. 8:1-2 [Ans. At the right hand of God in the heavenly sanctuary. [Rev. 1:13; 8:3, 4; 11:19.]

(2) Old covenant services were performed in the earthly sanctuary. [Ex. 25-27; Ex. 25:8, 9, 40] and illustrated the new covenant [Heb 9:24, Rom. 8:35]. The earthly High Priest represented Jesus [Heb 4:14-16, 1 Tim 2:5].

3) At Sinai, the people made a covenant to obey, but didn’t ask for God’s help [Rom 8:3] to overcome sin [Matt 1:21, John 8:34-36].

(4) The Law shows us sin, our sin and need of Christ. Gal. 3:24.

(5) Who did the literal children of Abraham, represent? Gal. 3:9, 29 [Rom. 2:28, 29; Matt. 3:9].

(6) Jerusalem pointed forward to Christ and the coming new Jerusalem [Gal. 4:24-26 Heb. 11:8-10].

(7) The old covenant themselves never took away sins but the offered Lamb pointed forward in faith to (and represented) the coming Messiah [Acts 4:12, John 1:29, 1 Cor 5:7].

(8) The 10 Commandments showed us sin and our need of a savior [Rom. 7:7-10]. Christ empowers all believers to fully keep His Law [Rom. 8:3, 4, 1 John 3:4-6].

(9) In the new covenant Christ writes His Law on our hearts and minds. [Heb. 10:16].

Friends, in love our Savior Jesus Christ gave us His 10 Commandments and the power to victoriously keep them. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” [Matt 22:37-40]. If one loves Christ with heart, soul, and mind, he will obey the first four commandments (our duty to God). He will not take God's name in vain, worship other gods, etc. If one loves his neighbor as himself, he will obey the last six commandments (our duty to fellow men). He will not be able to steal from his neighbor, lie about him, etc. “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” [John 15:9-11].