The New Covenant - "new life and purpose"

Hebrews 8:7–13 NKJV

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when 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 when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

Jeremiah 31:31–34 NKJV

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when 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 lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Jer. 31

Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible The better covenant 8:6–13

God gave the promise of a new covenant because the people of Israel had failed Him. He also did so because the Old Mosaic Covenant did not have the power to enable them to remain faithful to God. The New Covenant has the power whereby God’s people may remain faithful, namely, the presence of God living within the believer. This is one way in which it differs from the Old Covenant (v. 9).248

Some people think that after the six days of creation, God has just left the world to itself to work out its own destiny!

That God no longer participates in the affairs of men is absurd!

That He has left us to ourselves and does not intercede in the lives of humans is contrary to the Biblical evidence!

God, the creator and ongoing master builder has created a spiritual house which He alone furnishes through His own Spirit, continuously adding brick and mortar (those being saved) to this magnificent structure He calls the body of Christ, and has made His Son not only the perfect sacrifice for man’s sin but, the Great High Priest who continuously in similar fashion ever lives to keep us clean and free in Himself!

And so, today the writer brings these things full circle, and shows us the magnificent plan of God in the New Covenant, and why the old covenant which every man seems to pursue is no longer viable!

What this means for us!

I want to tell you a story:

There was a young boy whose name was Billy. Billy was just your average fun loving 12 year old boy all full of life, who saw the world as his playground!

He had some good friends and enjoyed doing many things with them. Billy especially likes to spend time at their homes, because there they would play video games together, and because Billy didn’t have video game access. One thing really stood out about Billy, he was extremely polite (yes mam, no mam). It was quite remarkable and noticeable to the point that Billy’s friend’s parents would ask their own sons why they weren’t more like Billy when their bad attitudes were called into question.

But what no-one could see, is what went on at home and why Billy was such a people pleaser. You see, Billy’s dad was a tyrant. From the moment he got home from work until Billy could finally get to bed, his dad would find fault with everything Billy did. He would tell Billy that he was worthless, that he couldn’t do anything right. If Billy got B’s in school his father would tell him he’s capable of A’s. If he got A’s “it’s probably just dumb luck.”

Most kids would just withdraw and stop trying, but not Billy! The more he was struck down the harder he tried to please. Billy mastered this technique until it became part of him. Eventually this became Billy’s mantra. He knew he wasn’t good enough for people to like him and approve of him, unless he could be something they would love. And so he became what others expected him to be.

He would be the best student, the best friend, the best husband, the best father. Billy would be the consummate people pleaser of all time. The problem, Billy was miserable, because he knew he would never be good enough and no-one would ever love him if he did not work to secure it!

Do you know that many, many, people are in an abusive relationship just like Billy?

But, the abusive relationship they are in is called Religion!!!

They work so hard to please their deity! They may call him god or even Jesus, but they have no idea who He is!

They are constantly doing good to satisfy their god, and yet, they’ll tell you that their god is never satisfied, unless they keep trying and working; because when they fall, he is not happy with them. And, if they want his favor they need to do better, and this is how they live out their so called faith!

Our text today says that God has made a new covenant and made the first obsolete.

Why, are you living to please the first when the second is so freeing and wonderful?

1. We need not and cannot live morally in order to appease the wrath of a righteous God.

a. Righteousness comes through abiding in Christ. (John 15)

b. Morality is not a requirement for salvation. (Eph. 2:8-9)

2. We cannot continue to think that God excuses sin and thereby use Christ as a charm. (Romans 6:1,15)

a. If there’s no change of mind (repentance) there’s no change of condition.

b. True morality is conforming to the image of Christ, in a reciprocating love relationship.

You see, if we do not find our peace and joy in Christ alone, we will never find it.

This is the new covenant!