The New Covenant is different from the Old (Sinai) Covenant is one crucial aspect - where God's law is written. While the Old Covenant was written on slabs of stones, the New Covenant is to be inscribed in the fleshly tablets of the hearts of those who are converted by receiving the gift of God's Holy Spirit - Jeremiah 31: 31-34. This would require a change in the law regarding the office of the High Priest - Hebrews 7:12. The Lord Jesus as the High Priest could assist all true believers in obeying God from the heart as He is seated at the right hand of God the Father, ever making intercession for those who are called by God.
The Old Covenant could only remind the people of their guilt and the need for redemption, but could not blot out their sins through the blood of bulls and goats - Hebrews 10:4. In the New Covenant, the blood of Jesus Christ permanently washes away the sins of those who truly repent - John 1:29; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5. This paves the way for true repentance and reconciliation between God and man through Jesus Christ. Hence, the foundation is laid for God's laws to be written in the hearts of man that comes with obedience made possible with the help of God's Spirit indwelling in the mind of each believer - for all shall know me (Hebrews 8:11). That was not made available under the Old Covenant. With such change, all believers can come boldly before God the Father through Jesus Christ who is the High Priest to help us overcome sin and seek forgiveness before the throne of grace - Hebrews 4;15-16.
In A.D. 70, the Roman army captured Jerusalem and the Jewish temple was completely destroyed. With it, the Levitical priesthood system of worship including the animal ritual sacrificial, which were closely interlinked, came to an end. Jesus Christ foretold of this event and God had allowed it to happen - thereby ending the Sinai Covenant system of worship. The book of Hebrews explain explicitly that only the symbolic features - food and drink and various ceremonial washing - of the Old Covenant were done away with in the New Covenant. Nowhere in Hebrews did the writer states that the laws of God defining righteousness were changed or abolished. The only things that had changed were the symbolic features of the worship and the system of Levitical priesthood from one that is temporary to the High Priest who is permanent since He lives forever!
The issue of physical circumcision has been hotly debated among members of the early church during the time of the Apostle Paul. Some contended that unless the non Jewish believers are circumcised according to the law of Moses, they cannot be saved- Acts 15:1. The apostles held a conference in Jerusalem to address the issue so that justification through faith in Christ would not be distorted. Centuries earlier, Moses was commanded to pen thus - the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed - Deuteronomy 30:6. Paul also affirms that a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter - Romans 2:29.
In Galatians, Paul explained extensively that a new believer who is circumcised in the heart is a ' new creature or new creation' in Christ - 6:15. Justification is not through the law, for if that is so, then Christ died in vain - 2:21. But that does not mean that the righteous moral laws of God had been done away with - nailed to the cross - and they are free to live and do as they like. Many misinterpreted Paul's argument to their own destruction - 2 Peter 3:16!
Obedience to God's laws does not come by physical circumcision but through the Spirit of God. Circumcision of the heart is the heartfelt repentance that comes about from the inner change of heart and mind and not through observance of some ritualistic practices - 3:1-3.
A common misunderstanding over the debate of law and grace is regarding the interpretation of the phrase "nailing it to the cross" - Colossians 2:14. The Lord Jesus Christ did take out something at His death on the cross, but that something was the record of all our sins and transgressions - not the laws of God. At Christ's crucifixion, a signboard was nailed to the cross stating THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS - a charge of treason for which Jesus did not commit. Jesus was framed by the religious leaders fearing that He was up against the Roman authorities by proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and thereby threatening their hold on position and power - for whosoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar (John19:12).
Jesus was thereby charged as a transgressor. He did not defend Himself against the charge because by accepting the death penalty for the false charge, He became a substitute sin bearer for the legitimate charge that God has against us for our sins and transgressions. Hence, Jesus "wiped out" our sins and transgressions by taking the charge upon Himself, and in so doing make possible the forgiveness of sin for all who would put their faith and trust in Him!
The Old Covenant could only remind the people of their guilt and the need for redemption, but could not blot out their sins through the blood of bulls and goats - Hebrews 10:4. In the New Covenant, the blood of Jesus Christ permanently washes away the sins of those who truly repent - John 1:29; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5. This paves the way for true repentance and reconciliation between God and man through Jesus Christ. Hence, the foundation is laid for God's laws to be written in the hearts of man that comes with obedience made possible with the help of God's Spirit indwelling in the mind of each believer - for all shall know me (Hebrews 8:11). That was not made available under the Old Covenant. With such change, all believers can come boldly before God the Father through Jesus Christ who is the High Priest to help us overcome sin and seek forgiveness before the throne of grace - Hebrews 4;15-16.
In A.D. 70, the Roman army captured Jerusalem and the Jewish temple was completely destroyed. With it, the Levitical priesthood system of worship including the animal ritual sacrificial, which were closely interlinked, came to an end. Jesus Christ foretold of this event and God had allowed it to happen - thereby ending the Sinai Covenant system of worship. The book of Hebrews explain explicitly that only the symbolic features - food and drink and various ceremonial washing - of the Old Covenant were done away with in the New Covenant. Nowhere in Hebrews did the writer states that the laws of God defining righteousness were changed or abolished. The only things that had changed were the symbolic features of the worship and the system of Levitical priesthood from one that is temporary to the High Priest who is permanent since He lives forever!
The issue of physical circumcision has been hotly debated among members of the early church during the time of the Apostle Paul. Some contended that unless the non Jewish believers are circumcised according to the law of Moses, they cannot be saved- Acts 15:1. The apostles held a conference in Jerusalem to address the issue so that justification through faith in Christ would not be distorted. Centuries earlier, Moses was commanded to pen thus - the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed - Deuteronomy 30:6. Paul also affirms that a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter - Romans 2:29.
In Galatians, Paul explained extensively that a new believer who is circumcised in the heart is a ' new creature or new creation' in Christ - 6:15. Justification is not through the law, for if that is so, then Christ died in vain - 2:21. But that does not mean that the righteous moral laws of God had been done away with - nailed to the cross - and they are free to live and do as they like. Many misinterpreted Paul's argument to their own destruction - 2 Peter 3:16!
Obedience to God's laws does not come by physical circumcision but through the Spirit of God. Circumcision of the heart is the heartfelt repentance that comes about from the inner change of heart and mind and not through observance of some ritualistic practices - 3:1-3.
A common misunderstanding over the debate of law and grace is regarding the interpretation of the phrase "nailing it to the cross" - Colossians 2:14. The Lord Jesus Christ did take out something at His death on the cross, but that something was the record of all our sins and transgressions - not the laws of God. At Christ's crucifixion, a signboard was nailed to the cross stating THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS - a charge of treason for which Jesus did not commit. Jesus was framed by the religious leaders fearing that He was up against the Roman authorities by proclaiming the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and thereby threatening their hold on position and power - for whosoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar (John19:12).
Jesus was thereby charged as a transgressor. He did not defend Himself against the charge because by accepting the death penalty for the false charge, He became a substitute sin bearer for the legitimate charge that God has against us for our sins and transgressions. Hence, Jesus "wiped out" our sins and transgressions by taking the charge upon Himself, and in so doing make possible the forgiveness of sin for all who would put their faith and trust in Him!
