UNDERSTANDING THE HOLY BIBLE
by Jeff Parks, Owner, FreshTech
The Holy Bible is physically divided into two testaments: The Old Testament and the New Testament. These two testaments disclose two main covenants that God made with man: the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.
The Old Covenant is a covenant of laws God created for man and is documented in the Old Testament. This covenant of 613 laws, called the Mitzvot, was put into place to help man understand how to treat each other well and maintain a good relationship with God; ten of the 613 laws are known as the "Ten Commandments". Man could not consistently (and still cannot) keep those laws, which separated God and man. But, God loved us so much, he created a new covenant with man, an easier covenant for man to live by; one that made a way in which God would not remember our sins and lawless deeds any more.
In this New Covenant, mostly spoken of in the New Testament, God sent his son, Jesus, who took it upon himself to be a permanent payment for the sins of man, by dying for mankind. The only requirement God makes of us in order to be "saved" and to have eternal life in Heaven, is that we believe that Jesus did, indeed, die for our sins.
The Old Covenant of laws has not passed away; it continues in full force to judge the world. But, the Old Covenant does not apply to people who put their faith in Jesus, collectively known as "Christians". Christians are not bound by the Old Covenant and its laws. Christians are bound by the "New Covenant of Grace through Faith in Jesus" alone. When a person puts faith in Jesus as their savior, God no longer counts any sin they commit against him or her. That's why the New Covenant is said to be a "grace" covenant -- meaning, Christians do nothing to deserve it--at all; it is unmerited; it is a free gift.
In the New Covenant, instead of keeping a covenant of laws, we are directed to love each other, and, our neighbor. Because love does no wrong to its neighbor, Christians still fulfill the Old Covenant of laws indirectly by doing good to others. In addition, Jesus's death established a permanent "repair" for man to keep a good relationship with God. Sadly, many Christians still believe their mission in life is to quit sinning and to get other people to quit sinning. That's not what Christians are suppose to do. In fact, Christians are not suppose to try to follow the Old Covenant laws … at all. The mission of every Christian is to START loving people! Our inability to keep God's old covenant laws, in other words, "to quit sinning", stopped mattering when Jesus brought forth the New Covenant and paid for our sins through his death.
Many preachers and parishioners think that if you tell Christians their sins are not counted against them, they will be lost to a life of debauchery. Apparently, they haven't noticed that sin bites back. Most Christians who get bit by sin will eventually learn their lesson, but, many won't and could possibly be awash in sin for decades or even a lifetime. It is not the place of a preacher nor parishioner to tell or even imply to a believer that his or her salvation is in jeopardy because of sin in their life. God paid the dearest of prices for our sins, His own Son's life. With such a dear price, Jesus's blood paid for all sins ... even slow learners.
To be clear, in the New Covenant, in God's eyes, Christians have been permanently made clean by the perfect sacrificial lamb, Jesus. Any work that Christians do, albeit unnecessary because of the New Covenant grace bestowed upon on us by our loving God, let that work be to love our neighbor as ourself and to love Jesus as He has loved us.
The Old Covenant is a covenant of laws God created for man and is documented in the Old Testament. This covenant of 613 laws, called the Mitzvot, was put into place to help man understand how to treat each other well and maintain a good relationship with God; ten of the 613 laws are known as the "Ten Commandments". Man could not consistently (and still cannot) keep those laws, which separated God and man. But, God loved us so much, he created a new covenant with man, an easier covenant for man to live by; one that made a way in which God would not remember our sins and lawless deeds any more.
In this New Covenant, mostly spoken of in the New Testament, God sent his son, Jesus, who took it upon himself to be a permanent payment for the sins of man, by dying for mankind. The only requirement God makes of us in order to be "saved" and to have eternal life in Heaven, is that we believe that Jesus did, indeed, die for our sins.
The Old Covenant of laws has not passed away; it continues in full force to judge the world. But, the Old Covenant does not apply to people who put their faith in Jesus, collectively known as "Christians". Christians are not bound by the Old Covenant and its laws. Christians are bound by the "New Covenant of Grace through Faith in Jesus" alone. When a person puts faith in Jesus as their savior, God no longer counts any sin they commit against him or her. That's why the New Covenant is said to be a "grace" covenant -- meaning, Christians do nothing to deserve it--at all; it is unmerited; it is a free gift.
In the New Covenant, instead of keeping a covenant of laws, we are directed to love each other, and, our neighbor. Because love does no wrong to its neighbor, Christians still fulfill the Old Covenant of laws indirectly by doing good to others. In addition, Jesus's death established a permanent "repair" for man to keep a good relationship with God. Sadly, many Christians still believe their mission in life is to quit sinning and to get other people to quit sinning. That's not what Christians are suppose to do. In fact, Christians are not suppose to try to follow the Old Covenant laws … at all. The mission of every Christian is to START loving people! Our inability to keep God's old covenant laws, in other words, "to quit sinning", stopped mattering when Jesus brought forth the New Covenant and paid for our sins through his death.
Many preachers and parishioners think that if you tell Christians their sins are not counted against them, they will be lost to a life of debauchery. Apparently, they haven't noticed that sin bites back. Most Christians who get bit by sin will eventually learn their lesson, but, many won't and could possibly be awash in sin for decades or even a lifetime. It is not the place of a preacher nor parishioner to tell or even imply to a believer that his or her salvation is in jeopardy because of sin in their life. God paid the dearest of prices for our sins, His own Son's life. With such a dear price, Jesus's blood paid for all sins ... even slow learners.
To be clear, in the New Covenant, in God's eyes, Christians have been permanently made clean by the perfect sacrificial lamb, Jesus. Any work that Christians do, albeit unnecessary because of the New Covenant grace bestowed upon on us by our loving God, let that work be to love our neighbor as ourself and to love Jesus as He has loved us.
