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The Media & Forum Page
This page will feature conversations and questions on a variety of Bible-related topics, whether it be in text format, audio format or video format.
Here is the first one. It was an email I received on the topic of the New Covenant. I've redacted her name. She writes:
Hi from [Anonymous]
The NC [New Covenant] is defined in Jeremiah 31:31.
It is not defined anywhere in the New Testament. Yeshua was sent to turn our hearts to the Father (and His Torah/law) and to fulfil and finish the blood sacrifice for sin. The Holy Spirit is not the New Covenant.
Yeshua was sent to write the Torah upon our hearts (Jer 31:31) and to fulfil the prophets’ writings about the Messiah.
Everyone who believes in Yeshua/Jesus is "under the law" except for the ceremonial blood sacrifices.
James in Jerusalem gave the Gentiles 4 "laws" to follow so they could come into the synagogues. Then after that they were to learn more because Moses was being taught in every synagogue.
Everyone is at a different place in their walk but that is the truth as I understand it.
Hope you have a blessed feast of Unleavened Bread.
[Anonymous]
My reply:
Dear [Anonymous],
Thank you for writing. You made good points.
I don’t believe I said that the New Covenant is the holy spirit. I believe the point that Scripture makes is that when you enter the New Covenant, then you will receive the holy spirit gift.
And, yes, I would agree with you that we, in the New Covenant, have laws and standards to follow. For anyone to say that there is no law for saints living in the grace administration is like saying that we cannot sin even if we tried. And that would be ridiculous.
The difference is that Messiah poured his blood out for us the one time – once and for all, so that even should we sin, and the dog returns to his vomit, we can still repent again, and by God’s mercy in this New Covenant, we will not ultimately be damned forever, but still be eligible to enter into God’s rest – without having to do animal sacrifices and things spelled out in the laws of Moses.
As to which laws apply to us and which don’t, you have to understand the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law.
Such confidence we have through Christ toward God, not that we are sufficient of ourselves to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the spirit. For the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:4-6
But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law.
Galatians 5:18
This is the true spirit of the law:
One of the scribes came and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?” Jesus answered, “The greatest is: ‘Hear, Israel, Yahweh our God, Yahweh is one. You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. The second is like this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he; and to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from God’s Kingdom.” No one dared ask him any question after that.
Mark 12:28-34
According to the Apostle Paul, laws we follow may differ from one saint to another based on their faith and their own conscience.
One man esteems one day as more important. Another esteems every day alike. Let each man be fully assured in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks. He who doesn’t eat, to the Lord he doesn’t eat, and gives God thanks.
Romans 14:5-6
Don’t overthrow God’s work for food’s sake. All things indeed are clean, however it is evil for that man who creates a stumbling block by eating. It is good to not eat meat, drink wine, nor do anything by which your brother stumbles, is offended, or is made weak. Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who doesn’t judge himself in that which he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it isn’t of faith; and whatever is not of faith is sin.
Romans 14:20-23
Getting back to your quote from Jeremiah, here it is in its entirety:
“Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which covenant of mine they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says Yahweh. “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says Yahweh: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and I will write it in their heart. I will be their God, and they shall be my people. They will no longer each teach his neighbor, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know Yahweh;’ for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says Yahweh, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Jeremiah 31:31-34
You might have also included this text from the Old Testament, from Isaiah:
“As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says Yahweh. “My Spirit who is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your offspring, nor out of the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says Yahweh, “from now on and forever.”
Isaiah 59:21
Just to clarify, the New Testament does teach about the New Covenant explicitly:
He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Luke 22:19-20
. . . the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread. When he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.” In the same way, he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.”
1 Corinthians 11:23b-25
But now he has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as he is also the mediator of a better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. For finding fault with them, he said, “Behold, the days are coming”, says the Lord, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they didn’t continue in my covenant, and I disregarded them,” says the Lord. “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 mind; I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people. They will not teach every man his fellow citizen and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all will know me, from their least to their greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.” In that he says, “A new covenant”, he has made the first obsolete. But that which is becoming obsolete and grows aged is near to vanishing away.
Hebrews 8:6-13
And Hebrews chapter 9 continues the explanation of the New Covenant. Like in Hebrews 9:15.
For this reason, he is the mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
Hebrews 9:15
In fact, most of the epistles to the Hebrews draws distinction between being under the law and being under grace, that is, the Old and the New Covenant.
In closing, it is the spirit of the law that I follow, but I do not discourage anyone who thinks holy days, kosher foods, and certain rituals are good to follow. As Paul says, they “do it unto the Lord”, as do those who don’t follow such rudiments. We don’t want to make people stumble.
As for me, the spirit of the law is to love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. And to love your neighbor as yourself.
I do tend to observe Saturday as my Sabbath day of rest, because the Sabbath is for man, not man for the Sabbath, as Messiah said. I am also mindful of other holy days such as Passover and Resurrection Day, as reminders – to remember important events in history. I also love Thanksgiving because being thankful is so important in our love and worship of our heavenly Father. It’s good to have a special day set aside to keep reaffirming our gratitude.
Thank you very much for contacting me on this issue. Feel free to reply again if you want.
Cheers!
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