The better covenant

In today's world, yesterday's model be it a phone or some other gadget, is quickly overtaken by better technology. Consumer demand is stimulated by marketing the better and improved model. The book of Hebrews in like fashion tells of the better covenant.


The Bible says that "he (God) takes away the first (covenant) that He may establish the second" (Heb.10:9) The second covenant surpassed the first covenant because it went beyond our trying to meet all of the requirements of the first covenant. It became obsolete.


The first covenant was based upon the performance of people to obey the Ten Commandments and if successful to then enjoy ongoing relationship with God without any sense of condemnation. The law however was always designed to measure human performance. Of itself it could do nothing to change human performance for the better.


The second covenant, by contrast, was based upon the performance of His own Son. Jesus alone kept the entirety of the law in terms of both the letter and the spirit. Therefore he alone was fit to represent law breakers as the perfect sacrifice to take away the sin of the world. His supreme act at Calvary absorbed every judgement required by a holy God. His sacrificial act nullified any further legal requirement for the atonement of sins thereby clearing the way for the better covenant. The better covenant was not based upon our performance but was based on His performance.


One benefit of the upgraded covenant for the believer is that instead of the law having power to accuse you when you do wrong, you now have an advocate who represents you in heavenly places. Under the terms of the old covenant you represented yourself but under the terms of the better covenant you have an Advocate to represent you! His representations are not based on what you have done (good, bad or ugly) but rather are based upon what the client (the believer) believes about what the Advocate himself has done (His death, burial and resurrection).


Every person needs this sort of Advocate in the heavenly places. His pleadings are always backed up by His performance. All that we have to do to have this representation is to believe on His finished work. Experiencing and knowing this sort of advocacy serves to motivate us to want to live for Him. Why wouldn't you want to live for Him? After all he gave Himself for you and I. This is the better covenant!




Adapted from Ross Smith's book, "It Is Finished". To purchase "It Is Finished" go to www. thevine.org.au/resources.html
Ross Smith is Senior Pastor of The Vine Church, Logan City, Queensland, Australia.

The limitations of law keeping

The evidence of civilised behaviours is law abiding citizens. The problem with the goal of becoming law abiding is that no one keeps all of the laws all of the time. At best people don't get caught breaking laws and perhaps pride themselves because they have avoided detection. Extreme groups such as the Pharisees of Jesus' day tried to keep the laws in their totality but they too failed. The reason for failure is simple - "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom.3:23). It is embedded in the heart of humanity to break laws not to obey laws.


There was only ever one man who obeyed laws, that is the Ten Commandments. Jesus Christ was the perfect law keeper. He never deviated from truth because He was and is the embodiment of truth. The law however, always measures deviation from truth. Yet Jesus was able to measure even further than what the Ten Commandments measured. The Commandments measured outward behaviours but Jesus was able to measure deviations that were rooted in heart motivations. He lifted the high jump bar. For example, He said "...whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28)


Keeping the law on its own would never make a way for sinners to become righteous because the law is only ever able to measure shortfall. The law was never designed to change people. That's why believing that people somehow will 'change their spots' because of law making and law enforcement, is at very least vain hope and at very worst entirely damaging.


Laws don't empower change. Only grace empowers change for the better. Grace is designed to change people from the inside out. "The law was given to Moses but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ". (John 1:17) The law was entrusted to an imperfect man but grace and truth were entrusted to the perfect man, Jesus Christ.






Adapted from Ross Smith's book, "It Is Finished". To purchase "It Is Finished" go to www.thevine.org.au/resources.html  Ross Smith is Senior Pastor of The Vine Church, Logan City, Queensland, Australia.