THE NEW COVENANT

The central message of Christ's Gospel of the kingdom of God is about changing the hearts and minds of human beings - the epitome of God's creation. This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them. (Hebrews 10:16). The purpose of life and death for all mankind is dependent upon whether man will allow God, through His Holy Spirit, to do just that. For those who submit to the will of God, they will inherit eternal life of immortality. But for those who would not, their life will be only physical and temporal. All human beings will be given the opportunity for God to work through them, either in this age or in the age to come.

Christ's first advent was to found the church to begin the process of transforming the hearts and minds of a  small group of those God has called, a renewal process through partaking of the body and blood of Christ known as the New Covenant (1 Cor 11:25-26). There will be forgiveness and great blessings for all recipients of this New Covenant. But only after His Return will all people experience the full impact of this promise.

The New Covenant that Christ came to deliver did not in any way abolish the Old Covenant (also known as the Sinai Covenant).The Law of God still stand except they are no longer engraved on stones but on the tablets of the  hearts and minds of the recipients of the promised New Covenant. Since God is impartial (Romans 2:11) and no respecter of persons, He has extended this promise to all peoples regardless of race and nationalities for those who would willingly obey Him.

The Old Sinai Covenant established the historical ancient kingdom of Israel. The New Covenant will establish the kingdom of God that will encompass people of all races and nationalities to rule the whole earth upon Christ's return. That is the meaning of Christ's commandment to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) . Notice that He did not command the church to make all nations of disciples - not in this church age!

In the Old Testament, God chose righteous individuals of character to be the bearer of His covenants. He first chose Noah who already was serving God from his heart when the peoples around him were evil to the core. After Noah, God chose Abraham and made personal covenants with him (Genesis 15:8; 17: 1-11), for Abraham was a man of faith and obedience. And then God made a covenant with David that through him, the Savior of the world will come. That is why the opening verse of Matthew 1:1 reads,  The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham'. It is through Abraham and David that God's plan of salvation for mankind will be fulfilled!

It is worthy to note that God makes an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 17:7).This everlasting covenant concerns Abraham's natural and spiritual descendants. His natural descendants would be numerous as the dust of the earth (Gen 13:16) and spiritual descendants (Galatians 3:29) as numerous as the stars of the heavens (Gen 15:5). While the natural descendants will hold on to the land of Palestine, the spiritual descendants will inherit the kingdom of God. Most of Abraham's spiritual descendants are Gentiles (those of the church age), even though they came to the knowledge of salvation much later than the Israelites, they shall be the first to inherit the kingdom of God  - for many who are first will be last, and the last first (Matt 19:30). The fact is that without a divinely transformed heart and mind, no one can be born again as an immortal son of God to inherit the kingdom of God!

God's promise to David is an everlasting Dynasty (2 Samuel 7: 12-16; 1 Chron 17:12). This is fulfilled in Jesus Christ who will be the everlasting King in the coming kingdom of God to be established on earth upon His return. The Sinai Covenant that God gave to Israel had its limitation. Without the gift of God's Spirit indwelling the people, it would be impossible to fully obey all of God's commandments. That is why the high priest of the Old Testament has to enter the Holy of Holies every year to perform the rituals of cleansing and forgiveness of sins.Only with an indwelling Spirit of God inside the minds of repented true believers can God's Law be fully obeyed. But this promise has yet to be fully consummated as the Spirit of God is given only to those who are the called and chosen in this church age. However, when Christ returns, the Spirit will be made available to all mankind for the word of God says that the Spirit of God will be poured out on ALL flesh (Joel 2:28) so that all people (living and resurrected) will learn of God's Law and His ways (Isaiah 2:2-4) and the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9).

The New Covenant does not do away with God's Law. What has changed is that the intent and purpose of the Law shall be observed and obeyed from the heart and mind with the help of God's Holy Spirit. The ceremonial duties of the high priest is no longer required as Jesus Christ became our High Priest that is perfect in all ways as He is also the Mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:6). The problem is not in the Law of God per se, the problem of the Sinai or Old Covenant was that the people lack the willing heart to obey because the Spirit of God was not given them. Only the patriarchs and matriarchs, the prophets and a select few were given the Spirit of God to help them. In a sense, a veil of blindness was over the natural descendants of Abraham even up till this day when they read the Old Testament . However, when they turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, the veil is lifted (2 Cor 3:11-18). Under the New Covenant, the shed blood of Jesus Christ permanently blots out the sins of all those who repented and turn to Him. If they abide till the end, the death penalty of sin (Romans 6:23) for them will be annulled forever!

The Law of God given to the peoples in the Old Testament era was a blessing to them only if they obey. The two chapters in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 clearly spell out the blessings and curses for obedience and disobedience respectively. Right behavior and right living bring peace, health, safety and prosperrity and the reverse will incur the judgments and curses of God. If the ancient nation of Israel had taken heed, they would have been a model for the surrounding nations to follow and abide in God's Law. We who live in the church age are so fortunate and ought to be grateful to God for Christ has become our High Priest to assist us in our journey of discipleship for those who would abide and obey His commandments. Christ sums it up succinctly,' You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind; and You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.' (Matthew 22:37-40).  The world is currently in great turmoil shows the extent of defiance of God's Law. Great blessings and grace will follow all those who live it out in their lives.