Out with the Old, in with the New!
The Old Covenant system was:
A long set of rules that no one could keep (except Jesus) including — no trips to the Mall on Saturday, no bacon, no trimming your sideburns, stoning to death children who backtalk their parents, etc.
A long list of blessings as a reward for keeping the unkeepable rules.
A longer list of curses anytime you break any of the rules.
Breaking one rule makes you guilty of breaking all rules. Gal. 5:3; James 2:10
Animal sacrifices to keep the curses away for a year. Heb. 10
Constant focus on sins. Heb. 10
The New Covenant is:
God declaring us innocent, perfect forever, and giving us bold access to speak freely to Him. Rom. 4:1-10; Heb 10:14,19-22
An indwelling Spirit to guide us. Heb. 8:10; Heb. 10:15-18
God making us perfect, holy and new in our inner man (spirit). 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:20; Heb. 10:14.
Every blessing, all things, His riches in glory, wisdom and more…all because we believe in who Jesus is and what He did. Eph. 1:3; Rom. 8:32; Phil. 4:19, 1 Cor. 1:30; Gal. 3:14
No curses, period. Gal. 3:13, 14
No condemnation. Rom. 8:1
Eternal life. John 3:16; John 5:24
A one-time for all-time sacrifice for sins. Heb. 10:10,14
God imputing the righteousness of Jesus to us. Rom. 4:5,6; 5:17-19
God’s promises to be merciful and not remember or impute our failures to us. Rom. 4:8; 2 Cor. 5:19; Heb. 8:12
God’s promises to be our God and never leave us or forsake us. Heb. 8:10; 13:5
Constant focus on Christ and our place in Christ.
Paul said the Old Covenant:
Shut every mouth and made everyone guilty. Rom. 3:19
Brought condemnation and death. 2 Cor. 3
Brought wrath. Rom. 4:15
Unable to justify or make anyone righteous or make anyone perfect. Rom. 8:3; Heb. 7:19.
Was weak, worthless and useless. Rom. 8:3; Heb. 7:18; Gal. 4:9
Was obsolete and vanishing away. Heb. 8:13
Has ended. Rom. 10:4
Increases sin. Rom. 5:20
Empowers sin. 1 Cor. 15:56
Gives opportunity for sin. Rom. 7:8,11
Veils hearts and minds. 2 Cor. 3:7-9
Had fading glory. 2 Cor. 3:11
Was nailed to the cross. Eph. 2:14-16; Col. 2:14
Paul said we had to die to the old covenant to experience the new. Rom. 7:1-6
Paul said the old covenant (Hagar) can’t live in the house with the new (Sarah). Gal. 4:21-31
Paul said we could not mix the old covenant in with the new — the old was like leaven that would infect the whole lump of dough, cause us to be cursed, fall from grace and be severed from Christ. Gal. 3:10-14; Gal. 5:1-9
Paul said you can’t pick parts of the old covenant (10 commandments, tithing, animal sacrifices, circumcision) and enforce them on new covenant people — using any part of the old obligates you to keep the whole old covenant. Gal. 5:3
I pick the new covenant.
Heb. 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says, “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; 9 NOT LIKE THE COVENANT WHICH I MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS ON THE DAY WHEN I TOOK THEM BY THE HAND TO LEAD THEM OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT ; FOR THEY DID NOT CONTINUE IN MY COVENANT, AND I DID NOT CARE FOR THEM, SAYS THE LORD. 10 “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 11 “AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. 12 “FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.” 13 When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.