Doctrine of the New Covenant, part 2.

Title: Doctrine of the New Covenant, part 2.  

 

 

Covenants made with Israel:

Abrahamic, Davidic, Palestinian - unconditional.

Mosaic - conditional.

New - supersedes Mosaic, unconditional.

 

In the one New Covenant view, the physical promises are limited to Jews only but the spiritual blessings were to be extended to the Gentiles, which the church is now enjoying.

 

Spiritual blessings of the NC: the indwelling Spirit; a new heart; law written on the heart; one way; the fear of God; the union and communion with God the Father; and, having sins forgiven to the point of no condemnation.

 

It is obvious that the NT saint is the recipient of these wonderful blessings. We may imagine that the effect of them on Israel in the future Millennium will be different than they are in the believer now, and if we assume that, then we trend towards a two New Covenant view. Either way, it is clear that the church receives that which was promised spiritually in the New Covenant, but she does not receive the physical and material blessings. Therefore, in the one NC view, the spiritual blessings of the NC are extended to the church, but she does not fulfill the covenant. The covenant will only be fulfilled in exactly the way that the Lord stated it would, at the return of Christ, in the Millennial reign of Christ.

 

The blood of Christ is the foundation of all of the blessings of the New Covenant.

 

ZEC 9:11 As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.

 

The church is also given the word to be upon their hearts, the complete remission of sins, one heart and way in unity, a new heart, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the power to walk in Christ's calling, and the foundation of it all is the blood of Christ.

 

This brings up a very important question. If the New Covenant mentioned by the Lord in connection with the cup, "the New Covenant in My blood," and in other passages in the NT, is in fact the same as mentioned in the OT to Israel, is the church fulfilling Israel's promise? The covenant theologian would say yes. The dispensationalist says no, and the dispensationalist is correct. But that does not have to mean that there are two New Covenants in the Bible, one to Israel and one to the church.

 

Another question would be, does it matter if there are two covenants or only one? One's answer does not affect his walk in the plan of God or his worship of God in any significant way, as far as I can see. However, the one covenant view seems to clarify certain difficult passages, as we shall see.

 

We know that God promised blessings to the Gentiles that would come through Abraham.

 

GEN 12:2 And I will make you a great nation,

And I will bless you,

And make your name great;

And so you shall be a blessing;

 

GEN 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you,

And the one who curses you I will curse.

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

 

"in you" - Abraham/Israel … "all the families of the earth" - Gentiles. Yet God does not specifically state what they will be blessed with.

 

We know it is the blessing of salvation, but in the church, where the Gentiles would be freely incorporated into fellowship with God without the process of conformity to the Mosaic Law, what is given to the believer in compliment to the gift of salvation?

 

GAL 3:8

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham [long before he was circumcised], saying, "All the nations shall be blessed in you."

 

So why does God command us to live and love sacrificially, to the losing of our lives?

 

Such a life is not necessary in heaven, where everyone has everything and more, so it is not our actual and literal end. We are called to consider one another more important than ourselves. We are told that the greatest of us will be our servant, yet we are not to desire to be the greatest by being the servant.

 

ROM 12:1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

 

ROM 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove [dokimazo] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable [well pleasing] and perfect [complete].

 

The will of God is completeness.

 

To live and love sacrificially is the ultimate proof that a person is complete in Him or fulfilled. Such a life will be admired. Beware of this. The fulfilled person disregards approbation.

 

The Lord tells us in the Sermon on the Mount to beware of two things: false prophets and this.

 

MAT 6:1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

 

MAT 6:2 "When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

 

MAT 6:3 "But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing

 

MAT 6:4 that your alms may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

 

MAT 6:5 "And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

 

MAT 6:6 "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

 

What would be the reward for praying properly would be answers.

 

MAT 6:7 "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.

 

MAT 6:8 "Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him.

 

MAT 6:9 "Pray, then, in this way:

'Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name.

 

MAT 6:10 'Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

 

MAT 6:11 'Give us this day our daily bread.

 

MAT 6:12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

 

MAT 6:13 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

 

We know that God is going to give us bread and forgiveness. We know that God is not going to lead us into temptation. What we are praying is that we are ONLY looking for such things from Him.

 

COL 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

 

MAR 8:33

But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter, and  said, "Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's."

 

COL 2:9 For in Him all the fulness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

 

COL 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

 

Since you are complete, you are fully satisfied or made full. Nothing is desired for self, not even recognition or gratitude. Your heart is freed so that it may consider others, and in considering them more important than yourself, you bear the mind of Christ. 

 

COL 2:11 and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ;

 

COL 2:12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.