Salvation In The Bible - The New Covenant

Introduction

Jeremiah 31:31–34 KJV 1900

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.

Hebrews 8:6–13 KJV 1900

6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9 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 continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Pray - Be Seated

Body

So here we are, in a new dispensation. Under a new covenant.

Romans 9:4–5 KJV 1900

4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; 5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

Israel was the chosen people of God with whom God entered into covenant relationship.

Everything that transpired from the time of Abraham until Jesus Christ, every dealing God had with humanity, happened through His chosen people. Originally Abraham and the patriarchs, then later the nation of Israel.

God sent prophets to the nations to command them to repentance (Nineveh, Israel)

God revealed Himself to Pharoah through Joseph. He revealed Himself to Nebuchadnezzar through Daniel.

God sent His people to execute judgment on peoples and nations.

They were called to reflect God’s character by living according to God’s law to the surrounding nations.

Both with humanity in general, and with the nation of Israel specifically, ours was a cycle of Covenant, Probation, Failure and Judgment.

Every covenant ends in failure and judgment.

God demonstrates in every possible situation that we will fail God. That we cannot live up to God’s standard of righteousness and holiness.

Romans 10:1–4 KJV 1900

1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Today there is simply no hope for Israel, or for anyone else, outside of Jesus Christ.

The old institutions and methods of attaining salvation are no longer valid. They have been fulfilled or abolished in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 5:17 KJV 1900

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Covenantal Fulfillment

The Adamic Covenant

Genesis 3:15 KJV 1900

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Jesus was born of a woman

Jesus (the seed of the woman) crushed, conquered, and subjugated Satan and all the realm of his authority.

Under this covenant animals were sacrificed and their skins used to cover their nakedness.

Jesus took our filthy rags of self-righteousness and gave us in return His robes of pure righteousness.

Jesus’ own blood was spilled to cover our sins.

The Noahic Covenant

The church (in Noah’s day, the Ark) comes to fruition in the New Covenant

Today we pass through the waters of Baptism as Noah and his family passed through the flood waters.

1 Peter 3:20–21 KJV 1900

20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

Shem was to be a blessing to Japheth - fulfilled through Shem’s descendant, Jesus Christ.

The Abrahamic Covenant

God promised Abraham that He would make of him a great nation - Israel, and later, in the New Covenant, the spiritual descendants of Abraham, the spiritual Jews, or the Church.

God would bless all the families of the earth through Abraham - again, through Abraham’s descendant, Jesus Christ, salvation is available to all.

The sign of the covenant - circumcision.

Today we are circumcised in the heart, not in the flesh.

Romans 2:29 KJV 1900

29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Identified with Christ in baptism.

Romans 6:4 KJV 1900

4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

The family name is pronounced over us in baptism (as it was during circumcision).

Possess the gate of his enemies - today we have complete victory over all our enemies through Jesus Christ.

The Mosaic Covenant

The Ceremonial Law fulfilled

The priesthood were the mediators between Israel and God. Today Jesus is our mediator and High Priest.

1 Timothy 2:5 KJV 1900

5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Sacrificial system done away with because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross.

Hebrews 7:27 KJV 1900

27 Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

The Moral Law still in effect, but now made complete, the New Covenant giving the power to live righteously.

Promises of healing, provision, protection, blessing, etc., all fulfilled and realized in Jesus Christ.

The Davidic Covenant

Jesus Christ, the descendant of David after the flesh, now sits eternally upon David’s throne.

Victory over our enemies - Again, through Jesus Christ we have victory over all our enemies.

King-Priest - David typified the king-priest after the order of Melchisedek.

Jesus realizes and fulfills the office of king-priest.

We will rule with Him forever as kings and priests.

Salvation in the New Covenant

Faith and Obedience

Hebrews 11:6 KJV 1900

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

James 2:14–26 KJV 1900

14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 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. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? 23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. 24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. 25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? 26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Repentance

Luke 13:1–5 KJV 1900

1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Acts 17:30 KJV 1900

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Water Baptism

Mark 1:9–10 KJV 1900

9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

Acts 19:1–6 KJV 1900

1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

Necessity of Receiving the Holy Ghost

Mark 1:8 KJV 1900

8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

Acts 11:15–18 KJV 1900

15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. 17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? 18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.

Acts 10:44–48 KJV 1900

44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Conclusion

Acts 2:38–39 KJV 1900

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.