We often hear of someone who has something “on their heart”. It is an expression of deep feeling or a need to DO something. Keep this principle in your mind as you read through this short article on the New Covenant and law.
Covenants: A binding agreement between two parties which when broken contains serious negative consequences. When a covenant is kept the results are wonderfully amazing. God gave us a New Covenant, not because the old covenant was poorly written or imperfect in any way, but because the people did not and could not fully keep it. (See Heb. 8:8). So, this morning let us take a quick look at the New Covenant.
Jeremiah 31:33 “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.” (KJV All scripture quotes are from the KJV unless otherwise noted). God’s law, the first covenant was the Ten Commandments, “…And He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.” (Ex. 34:28b NKJV). Now, Jesus is giving us a new updated covenant and writing His law on our hearts. The Bible repeats the new covenant proclamation to us, “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:” (Heb.8:10). Paul said, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 2:5 NKJV). God’s law is on our heart and in our mind as a part of the New Covenant.
God is putting His law into our minds and our heart. Under the Old Covenant the law was commanded. Under the New Covenant, the law is what we want to do, so He can be a God to us and we can be a people to Him. For those who say we do not need to obey God’s moral law (The Ten Commandments) under the New Covenant as Christians, please re-read the above. GOD’S COVENANT LAW IS NOW IN OUR HEARTS, it is what we do to please Him.
A few more verses on His law under the New Covenant:
Romans 2:13 “(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.” We can attend church and listen all we want but unless we DO the law we will not be justified before God. Paul said so.
Romans 7:12 “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” Since the commandments are “holy, and just, and good” should we not keep them? Of course, we should!
Do not be swayed, God has put it on and in our hearts and into our minds to do His will. We please Him by obedience to Him. “Furthermore, then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.” (I Thes.4:1).
God has put His law into our hearts and our minds to be obedient to Him. Our obedience is pleasing to God. Under the New Covenant we will want to keep His wonderful moral law as written in the Ten Commandments. We are not saved by keeping the law, we are saved only by His grace and forgiveness for when we break the law. For without law, there can be NO grace.
The New Covenant, thank you God for your love and mercy on all of us who follow you and Jesus.
