> General Discussions

Law vs the Gospel

<< < (2/2)

Oatmeal:
I do have a lot of problem trying to understand what it is to live under the New Covenant.  It seems that living under the Old Covenant was very difficult but even under the Old Covenant there is a reference: the just shall live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4).

How difficult is it to live under the New Covenant?  But perhaps there is a mistake in the asking of that question.  When does one actually enter the New Covenant?  The New Covenant is a new heart (Hebrews 8:10-12).  (Jeremiah 31:31, 33-34, Ezekiel 36:26-27 (from where I got the expression "new heart"), Ezekiel 11:16-20, Ezekiel 18:31-32).

When does one receive a new heart?  What is the difference between the called and the chosen?  Are these two questions the same question, that is, is it only those who have passed on to the point of being chosen (looking from the relative viewpoint) who have a new heart?

Here are the verses that I mentioned (except for Habakkuk).

Hebrews 8:10-12
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:  11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Jeremiah 31:31, 33-34
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:  33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Ezekiel 36:26-27
A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Ezekiel 11:16-20
Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come. 17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18 And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. 19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Ezekiel 18:31-32
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

Joel:
Some verses in 1st Timothy 1:8-10 come to mind.
8-But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;
9-Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
10-For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

Joel

Kat:

Hi Oatmeal,


--- Quote ---I do have a lot of problem trying to understand what it is to live under the New Covenant.  It seems that living under the Old Covenant was very difficult but even under the Old Covenant there is a reference: the just shall live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4).

How difficult is it to live under the New Covenant?  But perhaps there is a mistake in the asking of that question.  When does one actually enter the New Covenant?  The New Covenant is a new heart (Hebrews 8:10-12).  (Jeremiah 31:31, 33-34, Ezekiel 36:26-27 (from where I got the expression "new heart"), Ezekiel 11:16-20, Ezekiel 18:31-32).

When does one receive a new heart?  What is the difference between the called and the chosen?  Are these two questions the same question, that is, is it only those who have passed on to the point of being chosen (looking from the relative viewpoint) who have a new heart?
--- End quote ---

I can only say what I understand of this and maybe it will give you a bit more to consider. The old covenant was given as a standard for righteous to live by, but people could not possibly obey, because we know that the heart is far to weak. Here is how Ray puts it.

http://bible-truths.com/lake15.html ------------
The seat of emotions and desires is the HEART. And God made the heart "exceeding WEAK." Man did not sin because he "freely willed" to sin, but because his heart was so exceedingly WEAK. That is why it takes next to nothing to persuade the heart of man to DESIRE SIN.
-----------------------------------------------------

So all of mankind fails miserably in obeying the law, "all have sinned" (Rom 3:23). So it comes to the point where we ask the same thing that Paul did.

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

And there is only one answer.

Rom 7:25  Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

So it is only "through Jesus Christ," and it takes more than just knowing about Him, the church know of Him and they are the called. You are chosen out from the called when the Father draws you to Jesus (Joh 6:44) and the Holy Spirit/Comforter becomes indwelling.

John 16:13  However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth...

John 14:20  At that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.
v. 21  He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will reveal Myself to him.

So the old covenant is about keeping the letter of the law, it is man's attempt to be righteous. The new covenant is of the heart, it is the attitude of righteousness, that comes from the Holy Spirit indwelling and gives you a 'new heart,' a circumcised heart.

Rom 2:29  but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart; in spirit and not in letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.

The old covenant was given to prove to man he could not obey the law, but God has provided a better covenant, the One that leads to LIFE!

Heb 8:6  But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by so much He is also the Mediator of a better covenant, which was built upon better promises.
v.7  For if that first covenant had been without fault, then no place would have been sought for the second.
v. 8  For finding fault with them, He said to them, "Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, and I will make an end on the house of Israel and on the house of Judah; a new covenant shall be,
v. 9  not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day I took hold of their hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt," because they did not continue in My covenant, and I did not regard them, says the Lord.
v. 10  "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 and write them in their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

mercy, peace and love
Kat

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page