1016. The New Covenant Is Contained Within a Person - Not the Pages

After more than twenty years of doing the Growing in Grace podcast, you might have guessed we like talking about the gospel, God's undying love, and overflowing grace. Nearly each week, our conversations use the Bible as a springboard ... and we're so thankful to be able to have these writings to look back upon.

However, like with any religion who uses their own written material or "book" to guide them through a belief system, it is easy for the followers to place their faith in the written manual—not unlike a form of worship. Within the wide variety of Christian denominations and doctrines, it becomes somewhat like a competition on who has the more accurate interpretation ... which may be very different from another persuasion with a large following.

Our conversation this week is an encouragement for all of us not to get so tangled within the tittles found on the pages ... and to keep our focus on Jesus—looking to Him as the author and finisher of faith. He is the truth, the life, and the only way to God. God gave Him as a covenant to both Jews and Gentiles. He provided us with a guide for this life ... not letters written with ink—but His living Spirit—as we look to that which is not seen.



   
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1015. Will Your Dedication Be Enough? The Limitations of Legalism

Did Jesus really take away sins for all time? Was the blood He shed enough to complete what was necessary for eternal redemption or do you need to work at adding something to what He has done? How can you be sure your efforts of "doing" will bring justification without judgement?

Many church goers have struggled with thinking the gospel revolves around right doing while going through life being needlessly worried about whether they are truly forgiven and in right standing with God. It's tricky because even the most aggressive of legalists can bait the top of the eye-pleasing dessert with some grace-like sugar sprinkled over a religious hook underneath.

When it comes to us and our good or bad actions within the eternal life package, how much "doing" will be enough? How does that mesh with the blood of Jesus from the perspective of a new and better covenant? The good news is ... God's grace has no limitations.



   
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1014. Contrasting Atonement With What Jesus Did

The word "atonement" gets tossed around quite a bit in church circles, but it really isn't a word that should be associated within the context of the New Covenant. It was something more prevalent within the previous and now obsolete covenant the Jewish people were in before the cross.

Atonement represented a covering that included a priesthood involving many repeated sacrifices that ultimately could not take away sins. It was a covering, and it was temporary. The blood of Jesus was shed once and took sins away forever ... to be remembered no more by God. When people today debate whether we have an unlimited atonement (or not) is simply displaying a lack of knowledge regarding the eternal redemption which came through Jesus Christ.

Most of the corporate Christian church world has been stuck somewhere in-between these two very different covenants, making it harder for than it needs to be and putting unnecessary fear and pressure on themselves and others.



   
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1013. Forgiveness - According to the Riches of His Grace

Many people who have already come to believe in Christ – who Himself in reality has set them free from the bondage of sin and death – are yet unfortunately living in a type of bondage. It’s a needless, unwarranted bondage that is based upon not knowing the fullness of the reality of all that was accomplished for them through God’s grace. Their daily lives consist of a struggle of wondering if they’re truly forgiven by God for all their sins, and wondering where they stand with God, when He has already done everything to provide full redemption through Jesus’ blood – the forgiveness of sins – according to the riches of His grace.

Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus, and in Him we have access, by faith, into this grace in which we stand. The grace of God truly is something we can stand in, and Paul encourages us to do so – to stand firmly in the grace and freedom of Christ. God has set us free to live free lives, so let’s not submit ourselves to the bondage of trying to relate to God through our works.



   
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1012. Knowing That You're OK Before God

One of the biggest things people struggle with is wondering where they stand with God. This certainly includes professing Christians who may attend a church building every week. In fact, that may be part of the problem if they are consistently hearing the wrong message. Am I truly forgiven? Am I doing enough? How can I be sure? What more is needed from me?

There is a peace that passes understanding. It starts with knowing that God did everything necessary to bring us near to Him. Knowing in our hearts that we are justified by faith and not through religious efforts, having gained access by faith into this incredible grace He has extended to us. This is where we stand—whether we are aware of it or not. But it is beneficial to know and to embrace it by believing and receiving what the Holy Spirit bears witness to us ... that you are a child of God and He will never depart from you.



   
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1009. Accepted Freely as Righteous Children vs Working Righteousness (Growing in Grace)

Paul offered some gems in the opening segment in his letter to the Ephesians, explaining that as adopted children, God made us accepted in the beloved and brought redemption through the blood of Jesus, according to the riches of His grace.

And let's not forget this reminder in Titus chapter 3: "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

However, if we don't skim past it, we'll notice a bit of a clash with a recorded statement as quoted from the Apostle Peter in Acts chapter 10. The point is ... the Jewish apostles were human—as we are—and nobody knows everything, not even close. They were also growing in their understanding of the grace of the gospel, and we should take it into account as we read the writings in the New Testament.



   
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1003. Heirs Identified by Faith, Not Doers Seeking Recompense

Hollow religion tends to focus more on our actions—good or bad—instead of the work of Jesus and the blood He shed. Even the most passionate of grace people may end up sliding down a slippery slope of diet legalism if they take their eyes off of the prize ... while contradicting themselves about the gospel and the New Covenant, established and guaranteed by God. It often occurs through a misinterpretation of a few Bible verses ... combined with not understanding their identity as a child gifted with an inheritance. You are not defined by whatever label someone else wants to put on you, especially as it relates to good or bad actions.

Under the Old Covenant, Jews pursued a specific ministry of works through a holy and righteous law, thinking it would help them to lay hold of an elusive righteousness they could never attain. It was a very specific bundle, spelled out in writing through a package of 613 commands. All they needed was to do it. But all fell short and it left them in a place of sin consciousness—wondering what else they needed to do to inherit the kingdom.

In our religious culture today, the church corporation may neglect specifics when it comes to works and deeds which they think are the deciding factor as it relates to faith being dead or alive. That is where the law-minded person will come from. Neglecting to supply a precise list of do's and don'ts is a big piece to leave out of the puzzle. Fortunately, the gospel is far better than this.



   
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985. Fully Accomplished: The Law, The Prophets and The Psalms Fulfilled

Jesus told His disciples that He did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill. And what was meant when He said that not one jot or tittle will pass from the law? Does this contradict what Paul said about the law having been abolished by Jesus in His flesh?

For those who might suggest the words of Jesus in Matthew 5 imply that the Mosaic law continues to function in some way, shape or form ... they may want to pause and carefully examine what that would look like—every jot and every tittle. In addition, Jesus said the law would not pass ... (wait for it) ... "until all is fulfilled" (or accomplished).

This is a follow-up to our last couple of programs relating to the New Covenant and what it means for Jesus to be declared as High Priest. Jesus completed the job that He was sent to do by fulfilling the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms.



   
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984. The End of the Mosaic Law Brought a New and Permanent High Priest

Nullified. Cancelled. Abolished. Annulled. Set aside. Ended. Obsolete. After the cross and resurrection, these are some words used to describe the Mosaic law of stone tablet commandments contained in ordinances within a covenant between God and the Jewish people. It had a purpose for a certain period of time but was destined to reach an expiration date ... which was until the time of Christ and His fulfilling of the law and the prophets.

Some misunderstood or misinterpreted writings within the New Testament pages have led to even some who consider themselves people of grace to suggest the ministry of the law still functions today. But we're in danger of contradicting ourselves with such talk ... because if any of that old law is still to be considered as an active ministry, then Jesus cannot be considered a legitimate High Priest as described in Hebrews 7. If any leftover jots or tittles from the law package have not been thoroughly and permanently abolished and replaced with something new and better, then all of it should continue to apply for those (Jews) who were under it—leaving Gentiles who never had the law in a place of hopelessness.

Let's compare within the proper context what the writer of Hebrews, the Apostle Paul, and also Jesus had to say as they communicated to the people of their day.



   
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983. The Law Nullified Brought a New and Permanent Priesthood

The world is filled with people wanting to know they are forgiven and in right standing with God. Even professing believers in Jesus may struggle in fear and uncertainty. The foundation of the Christian religion is sometimes a confusing mishmash of works and faith which often puts the focus on behavior and a modernized version of law keeping.

Just exactly what is it that changed when Jesus shed blood and was declared to be the one and only eternal High Priest? Something significant changed and it had to do with the old Mosaic law of commandments being set aside, nullified, cancelled, abolished and declared obsolete. It resulted in a change of law which could not bring perfection—not an amendment to the existing law—but a removal of something that was to be completely replaced, resulting in Jesus becoming the guarantee of a better covenant.



   
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