New Covenant Versus Old Covenant

By John Weaver

November 1, 2022

The laws that God made and gave  to Moses are called the Old Covenant. It includes, but is not limited to, the Ten Commandments. This was basically an agreement from God that, if obeyed, a blessing would follow. If not obeyed, you would be punished.  

God saw the need to give a new covenant, one where He said He would put His laws into our minds and write them on our hearts. The law simply reminded us when we did wrong, but never gave any encouragement or help. In contrast, the New Covenant, which came by Jesus Christ, empowers us because we have His presence within. “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (Jn 1:17).

Sadly, many people are still living by the Old Covenant. They try to please God by their efforts. Some try really hard, but no one is justified by keeping the law, because no one ever kept the law in its entirety, except Jesus. He came and lived a completely sinless life and then willingly died so that His sacrifice could deal with the sin problem, once and for all.  

But for us to be able to partake of the New Covenant and reap the benefits thereof, we must get free from the Old. And the same as in a marriage covenant, to be free from the old, we must die. Only death can break the covenant. Only by dying and rising in new life can we be free to, as Romans 6 and 7 point out, be married to Christ.

What many people do is to try to partake of the New Covenant while staying loyal to the Old...having some of each. To God, this is committing adultery. The first few verses of Romans 7  make this very clear. In the Old Covenant, there was mercy for transgressors, but no power, besides their will power, to walk in freedom from sin.

When Jesus came, that changed. It was prophesied before His birth that He would save His people from their sins.

“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (Jn 8:36).

God gave a New Covenant that will free men from the bondage that the Old could not. However, there is no freedom for those who choose to stay under the law.

Now many people get very concerned about this New Covenant, which is a covenant of grace. They believe it to be a license to sin. But God’s Word is very clear. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid” (Romans 6:1-2a). The real grace from God not only comforts, it empowers! Instead of ‘grace to sin,’ it gives ‘grace to live above sin!’  

The very thing that many fear, is actually the answer to the problem. Which has the most power: you by yourself, or you with God’s power within you? We all know the answer. Die to your own righteousness, and embrace the righteousness which Jesus offers to all who believe.

We believe, God help our unbelief. Amen!

 

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