B.C.F., 30.10.2005

Introduction

a. topic = newness cf. old perishing world etc.

b. new Christians – spontaneous etc, loss of spiritual freshness –letter/law cf. Spirit

c. new commandment = “love one another as I have loved you”

d. distinctive feature = relates to Jesus’ death as taking away condemnation/guilt

e. application = as we love one by applying forgiveness to one another the fear of God amongst us is driven out

New Covenant

Question: what does the word “covenant” mean?

Basic confusion between covenant and contract. Contract – legal (in widest sense) obligation, mutual conditions/bargain. Limited responsibility.

“A promise binding two parties to love one another unconditionally”.

Question: what are the examples of covenant in modern life?

Only one covenant remains – marriage vows “for better…for worse…” Section 5 (1) of the Marriage Act 1961 defines marriage as “…the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.”

Marriages can function contractually – all divorces occur because one or both parties in the relationship treat the marriage as a contract.

Question: When people in a marriage think they are in a contract how do they behave?

They watch to see if the contract is being kept by the other person (“Am I loved?”). If the person seems to be breaking the contract they are then accused/blamed in a way that the one accusing feels justifies them because of the evidence. This practice of bringing the partner before a court of law in your own home leads to a downward spiral of destruction.

Question: Where people think God is a contractor how do they behave?

(And God is watching us, God is watching us, God is watching us from a distance. Oh, God is watching us, God is watching, God is watching us from a distance. (FROM A DISTANCE Written by Julie Gold, performed by Bette Midler)) They think God is watching them waiting for them to see if they make a mistake so that when they do he can punish them.

2 examples: Andrew B rang up by x – is it really true that if you don’t tithe t the church you are under a curse?

Darren South – said to him his house wasn’t selling because he was miserly and under God’s curse

Question: are these illustrations of contractual or covenantal thinking?

Both of these cases are “if x (you do)…then y (God will do)” i.e. contractual

Doesn’t the Bible talk about God cursing people? O.T. technical language of cursing?“Cursed be anyone who does not uphold the words of this law by observing them.” (Deut 27:26)

Question: How does this apply to Christians?

¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— ¹⁴ in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Gal 3:13 -14)

Cf. Eph 1:3 “³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places”

Main problem in the O.T. and confused Christian thinking seems to be people thinking God has evil intent towards them. (When people curse us (e.g. Pauline Freo example) this is what they have in their hearts.) Friend of mine and his wife went to see a marriage counsellor, the counsellor started to say that the man was an “angry person” i.e. felt this was directed against him as a person cf. his behaviour. It is doubtful if he will go back.

If we think of God “contractually” we feel guilty/blamed for failing to keep our side of the bargain and become resentful towards God. (Always feels as if God thinks there is something wrong with us as a person.)

This is why Israel rebel, break, forsake, abandon, reject, violate the covenant: Josh 7:11; 2 Ki 17:15; Ps 78:10; Jer 11:10; 22:9; Ezek 16:59 ; Hos 6:7 etc.

Almost impossible to convince people locked into this sort of thinking that God is for them and not against them. No matter what God did for Israel – delivered them from Egypt, led them into the promised land, saved them from their enemies, spoke through the prophets etc. they still would not accept his profession of love e.g. Deut 7:6 ff. etc.

Question: What do Ps 50:21;18:25-26 teach?

“²¹ These things you have done and I have been silent; you thought that I was one just like yourself. But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you. ” (Ps 50:21)

“²⁵ With the loyal you show yourself loyal; with the blameless you show yourself blameless;²⁶ with the pure you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you show yourself perverse.” (Ps 18:25 -26)

God’s law does not change the human heart and the human heart constructs an image of God in its own likeness. Particular in the likeness of the marriages it has witnessed. Cf. “a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband,says the Lord” (Jer 31:32) JY: tell me about your father’s relationship with your mother and I’ll tell you how you see THE CONDITIONS of God’s relationship with you.

God is not a contractor. Purpose of the new covenant is to reveal this = to reveal Christ.

The New Covenant in the Old Testament

One prophecy of a “new covenant” in the Old Testament.

Look up Jeremiah 31:31- 34, ³¹ The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ³² It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband,^g says the Lord. ³³ But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ³⁴ No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. (Jer 31:31- 34)

Question: What is the essentially new thing in the new covenant?

1. internalisation of the covenant – I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts

2. Full and final forgiveness – I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more

Look up Hebrews 10:1- 2, “Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who approach. ² Otherwise, would they not have ceased being offered, since the worshippers, cleansed once for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sin?”

Every time a worshipper offered a sacrifice to receive forgiveness they had a sense that they were condemned to go through this again and again – ever felt like that?

3. God will sovereignly make sure this covenant will not fail – 6 times “I will”

Jesus and the New Covenant

Look up Isa 42: 1 and 6: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.…. I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations”(Isa 42:1, 6)

From the New Testament, we know that Jesus is the Servant (Mark 10:45etc.) and according to the Servant Songs of Isaiah, the Servant is the covenant (Isa 42:6; 49:8).

Question: where are the references to covenant concentrated in the Gospels? …..

Look up: Luke 22:20“This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. ” Cf. Matt 26:28; Mark 14:24. These are Jesus’ only uses of covenant.

This emphasis is repeated in 1 Cor 11:25“In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood””

[New covenant is another way of talking about the gospel “God, ⁶ who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life”(2 Cor 3:6 in connection with 2 Cor 4:3, “our gospel”)]

Question: why the focus on blood, what does blood do?

The blood impacts God because the death/punishment he demanded for sin has happened. God is at peace. The only way guilt can be wiped out of the human conscience is if someone pays the penalty for our sin so that we know we are fully forgiven. Covenant is as solemn as serious and as unbreakable as the pouring out of the blood of Jesus. (“My bloody oath”.)

Therefore God is not watching from a distance to see what we do wrong distance is due to separation of guilt) but nearby with a heart that is warm towards us.

Look up Hebrews 10:19-22

No need to fear the penalty of sin = death, therefore our conscience is at rest. (Conscience is the watchman of the heart.)

Cf. “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For he is our peace..” (Eph2:13- 14)

“through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross ” (Col1:20)]

“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spiritoffered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!” (Heb 9:14)

Conclusion

Interim college secretary freaked out at me one day when I asked her if she had completed a task shouting and crying “you’re always watching, watching” i.e. for her to make a mistake.

I think that the behaviour of most Christians – the distance we put between ourselves and God, proves that we feel this way. Solution – “come under the blood”. Remember that God does not remember. E.g. prophet and pastor’s wife “I don’t remember.”

“(you have come) to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel” (Heb 12:24)

Question: what are the “better things” that the blood of Jesus speaks?

A new relationship with God via full and final forgiveness. Therefore we need to regularly remind ourselves of the “blood of the new covenant.”