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Faith is the ONLY way into the New Covenant The New Covenant rests upon the death of the one who made it, Jesus. Covenants can be conditional or unconditional. The new covenant is different from the old in that it requires faith, and it is unconditional. The old covenant was conditional and had laws kept by works for one to receive a blessing. The New covenant has all the work done by Christ to please God and for us to receive salvation. How do we enter the New covenant? To repeat a prayer to receive salvation has become a religious tradition. Some have 4 steps to go through and say certain words …What about faith? God looks at the heart to see if one truly believes the words they heard concerning the gospel (faith comes from hearing the Word of God). We all need to believe he died for our sins, however we also have to believe Jesus rose from the dead. Even If we pray the right words; without genuine faith present it is only a religious exercise. God is looking for faith. Whole hearted trust in his Word. If you are saved by the gospel you rest, it is those who are still trying to gain God’s favor that are compelled to work for salvation. So they want to dot all the I’s and cross the T’s. So the gospel which is of grace (unmerited favor) needs to be explained to those who are in these religious systems that have them in bondage to do works. Over and over the Bible makes the point there is nothing in man or anything man can do to inherit salvation. Its origin is found in God who saved us through Christ's work by the crucifixion and the resurrection. Gal. 3:22: “ that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe .” Not to those who work, but have faith. Gal.5:4 “ You who would be justified by the law (obedience and works) you have fallen away from grace .” If you must keep this law of the 10, or 613 laws of Moses this is not gaining you salvation but preventing you from salvation. Phil. 3:9: “ And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law (by works), but that through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith .” Rom.4:4 “ Now to him that works the wages are not counted as grace, but as debt. But to him that works not, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness .” If you work for salvation God calls it a debt, grace came through Jesus Christ and what He did. He did all the work needed. Paul further states in Rom.11:6 “If it is by works then it is not by grace.” In other words if you add even the smallest commandment to the gospel (1 Cor.15:1-4) you have missed the point of grace, a free gift given on Christ’s behalf. “And if by grace then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. but if it is by works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work .” It is either works (on your obedience) or grace through faith (received), it can't be both. These are two different covenants, two completely different systems. The new covenant is not an improved old covenant, it stands alone. The Savior is a person; God in the flesh, it is His work that one must believe in, in order to be justified (legally declared righteous before God, which results in receiving the Spirit of life that is salvation). If your Jesus is not this then you have missed the message entirely. We are NOT justified before God from the works WE DO, not matter how good or impressive they may be. God requires faith, and that faith for salvation is in His Son and His work. We do works because we have salvation, not to get salvation. Once one understands this they are set free from lawful obedience to be under grace. |
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