|
|
|
Choosing which covenant to live by The Covenant of Moses “written and engraved with stones,” became void when Christ died and the veil of the temple was rent. The New Covenant replaced the Old. Only the New Covenant is eternal. Those who go back to be under the Old Covenant, practicing the law are rejecting all that the new covenant has to offer. They forfeit grace which only comes by the new because as Paul said you cannot be under law and under grace at the same time, one annuls the other. The “Inbetweener’s” who want to accept Jesus and live by the Old Testament laws blind themselves to the glory of the spirit being greater (2 Cor.2) The principle of the law is now in our heart we obey by living in the Spirit, which has a far greater ministry than 613 commandments. Paul writes in Rom. 6:14 “for you are not under law but under grace.” these were two different covenants In Heb. 8:6-13 “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.” Better because it is operated by grace. V12"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.” Obsolete means it is no longer used or practiced, it is not a required exercise. If there had been a law which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law" (Gal. 3:21). Righteousness can not be received by keeping laws, but can only be received by faith (v.22), that faith is in the gospel which is the NEW covenant only. It’s not Law of Moses” the ceremonial law done away with by Christ’s death, while the “Law of God” (Ten Commandments) is for all time.The law was always considered a whole unit, not dissected as some do today to justify its usage Paul again writes in Rom. 7:6 “But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” The oldness of the letter we find to be written on stone (2 Cor.3:6). When we focus on Christ, the law is no longer an issue, we walk in the spirit he gave believers and we have grace. 2 Cor. 3:7-8 The ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, …which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? The new covenant believer understands their standing “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1-3). |
|
