New Covenant Living

Introduction

God, heaven, hell, are real.

Since they are real, what and Who they are are real as well.

However, we don’t live like it because we have not experienced any of them.

But, the moment that you do, there is no going back.

It is better to be prepared for them and preserve your treasure in heaven.

Satan will lie to you and tell you that the only true reality that exists is what we experience in this world.

2 Corinthians 4:3–4 NASB95

3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

This is called “humanism” and it is a form of unbelief in God, Christ, etc...

Humanism has made inroads into the church over the centuries in many forms.

In our day, humanism has been brought in from various angles:

Pop-Psychology

Pragmatism

Victimology

Critical Race Theory

Self-righteousness in general

Further, the reaction against humanism, that man is all there is, also is a trap because it is still our attempt to create the fix.

Self-reformation

Faith in faith

Self-confidence/the power of positive thinking

However, God does not recognize any attempt of man to fix man’s problems in his relationship with God.

Luke 11:24–26 NASB95

24 “When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ 25 “And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. 26 “Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.”

Body

v.16

Galatians 5:16 NASB95

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update 2 Corinthians 3:3–11

3 being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, 1acared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of bthe living God, not on ctablets of stone but on dtablets of 2ehuman hearts.

4 Such aconfidence we have through Christ toward God.

5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but aour adequacy is from God,

6 who also made us adequate as aservants of a bnew covenant, not of cthe letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but dthe Spirit gives life.

7 But if the aministry of death, bin letters engraved on stones, came 1with glory, cso that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,

8 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?

9 For if athe ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the bministry of righteousness abound in glory.

10 For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.

11 For if that which fades away was 1with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Luke 22:20

20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is apoured out for you is the bnew covenant in My blood.

Galatians 5:16 (UBS5)

16

Λέγω 1s paind I say

δέ, conj but

πνεύματι msdat by spirit

περιπατεῖτε 2pl paimpv walk around

καὶ conj and

ἐπιθυμίαν nsacc lust/passion

σαρκὸς msnom flesh

οὐ negative not

μὴ negative not

τελέσητε. 2pl pasub you complete/accomplish

τελέω fut. τελέσω; 1aor. ἐτέλεσα; pf. τετέλεκα; pf. pass. τετέλεσμαι; 1aor. pass. ἐτελέσθην; 1fut. pass. τελεσθήσομαι; (1) as completing something bring to an end, conclude, complete (MT 7:28); (2) as obeying a rule or ritual carry out, fulfill, perform (LU 2:39); (3) of obligatory taxes, tolls, dues pay (MT 17:24); (4) passive, of duration of time be over, end, be finished (RV 20:3)1

1 Timothy Friberg, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, Baker’s Greek New Testament Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 377.

Paul is exhorting the saints, and confronting the false teachers, to leave the Law of Moses behind and to remain in Jesus Christ.

To do that, they need to not try to assimilate features of the Old Covenant, like circumcision, into the New Covenant.

Instead, they need to completely live in light of the New Covenant.

New Covenant

2 Corinthians 3:3–11 (NASB95)

3being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 

4Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. 

5Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 

6who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 

7But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, 

8how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? 

9For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory. 

10For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it. 

11For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.

v.17

Galatians 5:17 NASB95

17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.

Flesh and Spirit desire different things:

Galatians 5:17 (UBS5)

17

ἡ σὰρξ fsnom the flesh

γὰρ conj for

ἐπιθυμεῖ 3s paind it lusts

κατὰ prep against

τοῦ πνεύματος, msgen of the spirit

τὸ πνεῦμα nsnom the spirit

δὲ conj but

κατὰ prep against

τῆς σαρκός, fsnom of the flesh

ταῦτα mplnom these ones

γὰρ conj for

ἀλλήλοις mpldat to the ones

ἀντίκειται, 3s it opposes

ἀντίκειμαι be opposed, be hostile to, be in opposition to (GA 5:17); participle as a substantive ὁ ἀντικείμενος the enemy, opponent (LU 13:17); of the Antichrist the adversary (2TH 2:4)1

1 Timothy Friberg, Barbara Friberg, and Neva F. Miller, Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, Baker’s Greek New Testament Library (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 58.

ἵνα conj in order that

μὴ negation

ἃ nplacc these things

ἐὰν conditional subjunctive if ever

θέλητε 2pl pasub you might will

ταῦτα nplacc these things

ποιῆτε.2pl pasub you might do

Lusteth against (ἐπιθυμει κατα [epithumei kata]). Like a tug of war. This use of σαρξ [sarx] as opposed to the Spirit (Holy Spirit) personifies σαρξ [sarx]. Lightfoot argues that ἐπιθυμει [epithumei] cannot be used with the Spirit and so some other verb must be supplied for it. But that is wholly needless, for the verb, like ἐπιθυμια [epithumia], does not mean evil desire, but simply to long for. Christ and Satan long for the possession of the city of Man Soul as Bunyan shows. Are contrary the one to the other (ἀλληλοις ἀντικειται [allēlois antikeitai]). Are lined up in conflict, face to face (ἀντι- [anti-]), a spiritual duel (cf. Christ’s temptations), with dative case of personal interest (ἀλληλοις [allēlois]). That ye may not do (ἱνα μη ποιητε [hina mē poiēte]). “That ye may not keep on doing” (present active subjunctive of ποιεω [poieō]). That ye would (ἁ ἐαν θελητε [ha ean thelēte]). “Whatever ye wish” (indefinite relative with ἐαν [ean] and present subjunctive).1

1 A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1933), Ga 5:17.

Galatians 5:19–23 NASB95

19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.