The Greater Covenant (2)

Hebrews 7 We read about the order of Melkizadec and how Jesus was the better High Priest when Jesus took His place at the right hand of the Father, signaling that Jesus Christ's work here on earth was done and His seat is now in the heavenly sanctuary.

Remember, the priest in the first covenant had to sacrifice for the repentance of the people continually.

Jesus' sacrifice was once for all to pay the price that needed to be paid.

Remember last week as we talked about those who have ceased to grow spiritually and have tasted the good things of God but have fallen away, would be like crucifying Jesus over and over again, like the sacrifices offered in the Temple.

We also read about the failure to keep God’s law leading to a failure to experience the peace of God. Note: Jesus promises us that he not only rescues us in the moment of our initial conversion, but day by day, moment by moment, and breath by breath. We must constantly renew our trust in Him, knowing that He will never fail us. Earnest Becker “The Denial of Death”

“The most that any one of us can seem to do is to fashion something - an object or ourselves - and drop it into the confusion, make an offering of it, so to speak...” We want our lives to count for something, to make in our words, an acceptable offering. But we are plagued by the fear that our offering is finally unacceptable. Not only do we frequently make a mess of our lives, but even when we are at our best, even when we press ourselves to the limit to give and serve and do the right thing, it still seems insufficient. We can never do enough, achieve enough, love enough, give enough, have enough, be noticed enough.

Someone is always standing in judgement over us - i.e. parents, employers, strangers, our inner selves - putting us on trial, deeming our efforts to be unacceptable. So day after day we are condemned to trudge to life’s altar with a new offering, but it is never satisfactory.

Hebrews The Priestly Order of Melchizedek (7:1–8:13) The good news of Jesus’ high priestly ministry is that he placed on the heavenly altar, once and for all, not only his life but—astonishingly—ours, too.

Romans 12:1 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

NOTE: So, when we place ourselves on the sacrificial alter of God daily, He is now making us new, day by day, through the renewing of our minds leading to Holiness.

LLUSTRATION

The Secret to Effective Tightrope Walking There's a special word for those tightrope walkers who display amazing feats of balance on a high wire—they're called funambulists.

When new students step onto the rope or cable … they almost always begin with the same flawed game plan. They stare downward at the wire to ensure that they have the proper footing. And so they fall … So what is the solution to this dilemma? If you have ever closely watched professional tightrope walkers, you may recall that they never look down at their feet or the wire or to either side at their hands (or the balance pole). Rather, they keep their head up and look forward toward the goal—the faraway platform—in front of them.

The reason people want to look down is the fear of looking up might cause them to lose their footing and fall off of the rope. Many of us are like the tight rope walker; we are so focused on the fear of falling that we take our eyes off of the object of our faith and stop trusting the effectiveness of His plan.

Big Idea: Follow the objective of the Effective

Why do we choose the old ineffective way of doing things instead of the new completely Effective way of doing things?

INEFFECTIVE: something that is ineffective does not work correctly or does not do what you want it to do

EFFECTIVE: someone or something that is effective works well and produces the result that was intended

Jesus gathered up our hunger for approval, and he lived a life truly pleasing to God.

He took our restlessness and brought us to the place of His sabbath rest.

He carried our human condition and placed it as an offering to God, not the broken humanity that we have made a mess of, but humanity that is healed by his own faithfulness, humanity as God intended for it to be from creation, free and joyful, at one with itself, others, and God.

Hebrews 8:1–6 ESV

1 Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, 2 a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man. 3 For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices; thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer. 4 Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law. 5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” 6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.

WHAT THE NEW COVENANT BRINGS TO CREATION?

New nature (the old man has gone, and the new has come)

New knowledge (A new knowledge of who God is and who we are.)

New answers (The old answer for sin is now rendered useless, and the new has brought complete healing)

1. The New nature brings transformation out of preservation.

NOTE: Most people live in a world of self - preservation, not God-centered transformation. Most people are just trying to get by to preserve themselves in this world.​

Ezekiel 36:25–27 ESV

25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

NOTE: Look at what he does for us, “I will sprinkle clean water on you,” “I will give you a new heart,” “I will put it within you,” “I will put my spirit within you.”

NOTE: We are all in a cosmic battle against not against the flesh per se but against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, as Paul points out in Ephesians 6:12

What makes us distinctly human?

Human nature is that which makes us distinctly human. Our nature is distinct from that of the animals and the rest of creation in that we can think and feel. One of the chief distinctions between human beings and the rest of creation is our ability to reason. No other creature has this ability, and there’s no question that this is a unique gift bestowed by God. Our reason enables us to reflect on our own nature and the nature of God and to derive knowledge of God’s will for His creation. No other part of God’s creation has a nature capable of reason.

Originally, human nature was perfect by virtue of being created by God. The Bible teaches that human beings were created above all other created things as “very good” by a loving God. But that goodness was marred by the sin of Adam and Eve in the garden.

We love, because we are made in the image of God who is love. 1 John 4:16

Consequently, now the whole human race has fallen victim to our sin nature. The good news is that at the moment a person put’s their trust and faith in Jesus Christ, he receives a new nature as we are told in 2 Corinthians 5:17

Sanctification is now the process by which God develops our new nature, enabling us to grow into more holiness through time. This is a process with many victories and many defeats along the way to the new nature which battles with the tent in which it resides. The Old man, the old nature, the flesh, and the new man, the new nature in the spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:4 ESV

4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

The ineffectiveness of the Old Covenant is now rendered useless, fit only for decay and despair.

Despair - is the complete loss and or absence of Hope.

The effectiveness of the New Covenant is now rendered useful, fit for transformation and Hopefulness.

Hopefulness: a person who is inclined toward hope.

We find a new hope each day, knowing that God has forgiven our sins.

Hebrews presents Christ as a new leader, a High Priest, who can give all wanderers this type of Hope.

Covenant: is a contractual arrangement between God and a person, or between human beings, which require binding action from one or both parties; one party often had higher status in the arrangement.

To cut: (Make a Covenant) to make or enter into a covenant, conceived of as the cutting of a sacrifice associated with making a covenant.

What the New Nature Brings

New Self: noun. A new self, especially the new beliefs, habits, emotions, and life of a person after becoming a Christian.

NOTE: Paul can contrast between what beliefs were “in Adam” and what believers are after receiving the gift of Salvation in Christ in terms of their “old” and “new nature.” So, you are either in Adam or in Christ; in Life or in Death.​

Romans 6:6 ESV

6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Paul argues that the old person was crucified with Christ. The reference to the crucifixion is a startling message indicating the vast distance separating Paul’s theology of dying and being raised with Christ from the mysticism or mystery religions of His day. Yet believers, by putting off the old person, still have to fulfill the moral level of death in God’s gracious act and in the symbol of baptism they have already experienced.

Old Man: A term Paul uses three times to signify the unrenewed man, the natural man in the corruption of sin, i.e., sinful human nature before conversion and regeneration. It is theologically synonymous with “flesh,” which stands, not for the bodily organism, but for the whole nature of man (body and soul) turned away from God and devoted to self and earthly things.

2. The new knowledge brings understanding out of Chaos

Understanding is a relationship between the knower and the object of the understanding.

To Know: to be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about.

Note: You are the object of Christ’s knowledge.

To Be Known:- to be or become ascertained with certainty.

Understanding Who He is

What Christ has done for us and is continuing to do.

Jesus is now the high, and exalted triumphant Lord seated on His throne.

THE SEATED CHRIST

Jesus is working for our Good and His Glory

The idea that Christ was seated comes from:

Psalm 110:1 ESV

1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Cultural Problem: When we try to reduce Christ to someone who matches our ideals instead of the one who sets them.

Note: We try to define the relationship on our terms, Illustration of our marriage. Who defines the covenant between you and your wife?

The principle of Ephesians 5:25 changes everything in marriage.

Early in my relationship with Diana I was trying to define the contract or covenant between me and my wife. When I finally understood that God defines what my relationships should look like with my wife. When I grasped the Ephesians 5:25 principle I stopped trying to negotiate the terms of the contract.

The new knowledge we have in Christ is that He is defining the parameters of your relationship. When this takes place we then see Christ at the head seat of our lives.

Sitting at the right hand of the throne of God denotes that Christ has finished his job here on earth, and He is working and through us to perfect us for the day of His return.

Note: The priest of Aaron’s line always stood in God’s presence without sitting. Their act of standing suggested an incomplete task. Jesus had accomplished the word whose completion the priests could only anticipate.

MAJESTY: Denotes the reverent honor that is due to God the Father. It also shows that Christ has assumed a position of dignity, power, and excellence due to his faithful work on earth and the completed work through His death and resurrection.

Note: True knowledge of God Comes through Faith

Jeremiah 9:24 ESV

24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”

In the second century A.D. Teachers of Gnosticism taught that Christianity was a somewhat confusing first step along the road to “knowledge,” and argued them to take more steps along that road.

But these teachers viewed the material order as worthless and the body as a prison for the soul, and they treated illumination as the complete answer to human spiritual need. T

hey denied that sin was any part of the problem, and the “knowledge” they offered had to do only with spells, celestial passwords, and disciplines of mysticism and detachment. They reclassified Jesus as a supernatural teacher who had looked human, through he was not; the Incarnation of the atonement they denied, and replaced Jesus call to life of holy love with either prescriptions for asceticism or permission for licentiousness.

By Contrast the scripture speaks of “knowing” God as the spiritual person’s ideal: namely a faith-relationship that brings salvation and eternal life and generates love, hope, obedience, and joy. The dimensions of this knowledge are

1) Intellectual: knowing the truth about God.

2) Volitional: (the faculty or power of using ones will) trusting, obeying, and worshiping god in terms of truth.

3)Moral: practicing justice and love.

Understanding what He does

He is a minister in the true Sanctuary.

He ministers in the true tent not created by human hands.

THE TRUE TENT THAT THE LORD SET UP, NOT MAN:

True as opposed to False, or the temporary as opposed to the permanent. We know that Jesus sent the Spirit to indwell us as a promise of the eternal dwelling place that is yet to come.

NOTE: Some have argued over the years that this is about the body of Christ and His earthly ministry. Thus asserting that this is referring to us as His holy temple.

The best reading of this is that he refers to His eternal heavenly realm, where he is seated at the right hand of the father—the word minister referrers to the active work of the High Priest on our behalf.

The true tent gives illusions to the Most Holy place; the writer is definitely drawing our attention from the temporal sanctuary to God's permanent and complete Holiness.

His act as our priest is a constant act of the Lord for us in the Holy Place. He is interceding for us in the heavenly place.​

Hebrews 8:5 ESV

5 They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”

To Discern: It may simply mean to “observe” or discriminating knowledge. In the NT, the discernment expresses a close and distinct acquaintance with or a critical knowledge of things.

Understanding How He serves

The Act of His Sacrifice:

Our priestly procured our forgiveness for all time. The world has been searching since sin entered the garden for some measure of cleansing. Pilate plunged his guilty hands into a basin of water. Lady Macbeth grieved that all the perfumes in Arabia could not eradicate her great sin.

The cry of Hebrews is that Christ can banish such guilt for all time through Christ and his sacrifice, man’s iniquity can be taken away in one completely righteous act putting sin to death on the cross. He brought about an entirely new age when the Son appeared in the heavenly places and took his rightful place at the Father's right hand.

The Message of the Sanctuary

Jesus Christ obtained our pardon here on the earth, but its continuing effects belong to the secure realm of heaven. The eternal sanctuary was designed not by man but by the Lord. The key thought here is that our salvation is beyond the reach of that cynical and destructive opponent who taunts us about this aspect of our belief. What Christ has done to secure our freedom cannot be undone.

We may be crushed, broken, dismayed, dejected, bewildered, or add any other adjective you like.

Our Salvation does not have and never will depend on our vacillating moods or our changing circumstances. Christ has not entered the heavenly sanctuary; once and for all, he offered his blood for us.

NOTE: Now He is praying for us, we are ever remembered at that throne, and our names are enrolled in heaven.

One day Jesus will give roll call from that same throne of grace as he reads our names one by one from the Lambs book of Life. This is our confidence. Our faith is grounded not in what we are or what we have done, but always in what he is, God’s perfect Son, and what he has done through his perfect, eternal sacrifice.

3.The new answer brings perfection out of the defective.

Have you ever purchased something that was defective before? Well, what did you do when realized the ineffectiveness of an defective item.

You took it back right away, or mailed it back to Amazon. Why? Because it was ineffective, it could not fully be used for the purpose that it was intended for. What happened at creation? Man decided to choose the defective lie over the perfected plan.

The defective lie is that you can go it alone, you don’t need God to be fulfilled, God is just trying to keep you back from enjoying your life and freedom.

What is the reality? The reality is that you have now become a slave to living your life in a defective, imperfect, lesser state of being. What Christ did on the cross was to be the perfecter of the island of mis-fit toys.

Note: The words Copy and shadow

Hebrews 1:3 ESV

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

The understanding is always the lesser to the greater; the words “Copy” and “Shadow” have a much deeper meaning. A Copy of a great work of art is not the original but it is meant to give a good representation of what the original is like. The resemblance is incomplete, and not until the original is seen in all of its glory can it be fully understood, or recognized. Similar to that the shadow cannot exist until the object is present to cast the shadow. Why do legal documents have to be the original? Because even as good as a copy looks it cannot replace the original and weeks out those who pretend to be the original. People today are masters of forgery, they can forge your signature, they can gain access to your digital footprint and pretend to be you and attempt to take you for everything you are worth. He Perfects the relationship between God and us. The Old relationship that came through the law was built on fear and shame; the new one is built on confidence and freedom.

Hebrews 4:16 ESV

16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 8:6–8 ESV

6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. 8 For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,

He Perfects the Promise between God and His Creation.

Hebrews 8:7 ESV

7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.

PROMISES OF GOD IN THE OLD COVENANT

God promised to bless Abraham through his descendants. (The Abrahamic Covenant)

God promised Israel to be their God and make them His people.

God promised that if we search for Him, we will find Him.

God promised protection for His children.

God promised that His love would never fail. He is faithful to His promises in every way.

God promises the nation of Israel that they can be forgiven of their sins, their prosperity restored, and their nation healed. Repentance opened the road to fellowship and blessing.

Under the terms of the Mosaic Covenant, God promised prosperity to Israel for obedience and destruction for disobedience. Unfortunately, Israel eventually chose to disobey, and Assyria and Babylon destroyed the nation.

PROMISES OF GOD IN THE NEW COVENANT

God promises salvation to all who believe in His Son.

God promises that all things will work out for good for His children. (God does not promise comfort in our trials?)

God promises new life in Christ. (Salvation is the beginning of a whole new existence)

God promises every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Where in the Old Testament, Israel had the promise of Physical blessing, the church today has been promised spiritual blessings “in the heavenly realms.” Our inheritance is reserved for us (1 Peter 1:4) “to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.”

God promised to finish the work He started in us (Philippians 1:6). God does nothing halfway; He always finishes what he starts.

God promised peace when we pray (Philippians 4:6-7). His peace is protection, “it will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

God promises to supply our needs according to His riches and glory. Matthew 6:33 “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory. Philippians 4:19

Hebrews 8:12 ESV

12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

CLOSING

In the Bible, God’s mercy means His pity, compassion, and kindness towards people.

His mercy shows up in a believer's life at the point of Salvation, and then God continues to show mercy in His forgiveness.

MERCY ALWAYS TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT BUT REFUSING GODS MERCY IS DISASTROUS.

Mercy is God’s patience in Action.

Mercy is not something that God owes us by definition but is something God extends in kindness and grace to those who do not deserve it.

Mercy is beyond our understanding.

Not only do we have a patient God, but His mercy is outrageous. Mercy is beyond our understanding. Because God’s mercy and wrath met at the cross, we can now be transformed and made fit for eternity.

THE MERCIFUL KING A PARABLE

Once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a great king. He was simultaneously the most powerful man in the Kingdom as well as the kindest and gentlest man in the whole realm. The kingdom was known for its peace, harmony and goodwill. Neighbors cherished one another and years would pass without a single crime being committed.

One day, however, the chief servant of the Merciful King came into the throne room with ill tidings. “There is a thief in the realm of your kingdom, Sire,” said the servant. The king was astonished! “Find that thief! And when you do, bring him to me. He will be punished with 10 lashes!” Those in the room were astonished as well. It had been so long since a crime had been committed, they could hardly imagine who would have done such a thing.

A week went by and the servant again made his way into the throne room. “I have bad news for you, Sire,” quietly reported the servant. “The thief has not been found and he continues to rob from your people.” In anger, the king raised his voice and said, “Find the thief and when you do he will receive 25 lashes!” The people began to murmur among themselves, “Who could withstand such a punishment? Who could possibly be committing such a crime?”

As time went on, the servant once again came back into the throne room with yet another bad report. “Your Majesty, the thief has not been found. We have searched in vain for him. Your people are still being robbed.” The king was enraged. “Find that wretched thief! And when you do his punishment will be fifty lashes!” Now the people were filled with dread. They were not even sure the king himself could withstand such a punishment! And if he could not, then certainly no one else could. Who could be doing such a thing?

Soon afterward the servant again approached the king in his throne room. His face was pale and his voice timid and hollow.

“Your Highness,” spoke the servant, “the thief has been found.”

“Bring him to me this instant,” cried the king. The crowd that had poured into the throne room slowly parted, revealing the thief who now stood trembling in the middle of the room. To the utter shock and dismay of all, it was the king’s aged mother. There she stood, trembling and crying. Her small and frail body was shaking with fear and shame. She was, perhaps, the very last soul that any one would have suspected of such a crime. And there stood the king, in shock and deeply wounded.

The crowd began to wonder and murmur among themselves: “What will the Merciful King do? Will he set aside the law and display his love and mercy by forgiving his mother for her crimes? Or will he display His sovereignty and justice by giving her exactly what she deserved. Will he choose mercy or will he choose justice?”

The king raised his hand to quiet the crowd. “Bring the whipping post,” he said.

The crowd was dumbfounded. Would the king truly have his mother receive such a punishment? Even the king could scarcely survive such a flogging! This frail woman would not last even a few strokes!

The old woman was tied to the post. Her garment was rent, exposing her back to the whip-master. Her ribs could be counted for her frailty. “Administer the lashes,” said the king. And not a sound could be heard as the whip was raised.

But just as the whip-master was about to unleash his first stroke, the king cried, “Halt!”

The crowd sighed in utter relief, but the feeling did not last for long. The king stood from his throne. He slowly removed the crown from his head, laying it upon the regal seat. As he began to walk down the stairs toward his mother, he laid aside his royal robe and finely woven tunic. Coming to his mother, he wrapped his enormous body around her, completely enveloping her under his frame.

The king spoke: “Now, administer the lashes."

Thus in one act did the king display pure mercy and perfect justice.

“…so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26).

Romans 3:26 ESV

26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.