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A New Covenant
Mar 13, 2019 05:30 am



In today’s Bible reading from Hebrews 8, the writer refers back to a prophecy delivered by Jeremiah.

“Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”—the Lord’s declaration. “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 4No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin. Jeremiah 31:31–34 (CSB)

In this, the writer of Hebrews says the new covenant is better than the old covenant. The old covenant was an external law, written on stone while the new covenant is written in the hearts of God’s people. Motivation for obedience changes from being influenced from an outside source to being influenced from an inside source.

Under the old covenant, God’s people obeyed in order to get God’s favor (which was really unachievable). Under the new covenant, God’s people obey because they have already obtained God’s favor.

Application

How do you relate to God? Seriously, do you relate to God under an old covenant model — hoping to obtain God’s favor because of your behavior? Or do you relate to God under a new covenant model — behaving because you already have God’s favor?

Perhaps the best way to see if you understand this is to answer this question: Do you think you can make God any happier with you because of something you do (or don’t do)? If you think God will be happier with you if you ____ (fill in the blank with some behavioral change), then you probably relate to God under an old covenant model.

Prayerfully consider your answer.

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The post A New Covenant appeared first on Psalm 34:8.





From the Bible teaching ministry of Craig Beaman
Copyright © 2019 Psalm 34:8, All rights reserved.


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