A New and Better Covenant

"God made a way of salvation that defeated the enemy the body and the mind fought with."

A MAN OF SIN cannot fulfill righteous laws. These are the words of Paul to the Romans in chapter 7. For all their effort to observe the commandments of the Old Covenant, they continually failed because sin reigned in their heart. We are all born into sin on this earth and subject to it. But here's the good news, Jesus has set us free!

The Jews of Paul's day could not understand this. Why would God nullify a set of rules passed down for many generations? But what they couldn't see is those were meant only for a time and a purpose. Jesus, Son of God, walked on earth without sinning in any measure. Not in action. Not in thought. This amazes me. Even His thinking was without sin. He fulfilled every part of the Law from His circumcision on the 8th day to the yearly ceremonial worships. Then He became the Passover Lamb prophesied to Israel in Egypt.

Rabbi Meir Solaveichik says the word "pass over" is better translated "hover over." That God's presence hovered over His people behind the blood-soaked doorways and the death angel couldn't touch them. How like God this image is! Because now, we are people with a New and Better Covenant based upon better promises and sealed eternally in the blood of Jesus Christ. What the law could not do with sinful man, Jesus did by laying down His life.

He said, "I have the power to lay it down and the power to take it up again." He was not at the will of death at any point in time. Here is our victory. That He gave His life for sin and upon His physical death, was alive in His spirit and shown to be God. What the enemy thought he'd get to do, he did not. See Jesus' words to the thief on the cross. "To day you will be with me in Paradise." Only a recreated spirit could go into Paradise.

READ “Always”. Jesus, the man, is God.
https://sdwauthor.blogspot.com/2024/03/always.html

We are told elsewhere Jesus preached to those angels cast into prison. Preached, to herald divine truth. (1 Peter 3:19) Then on the third day, His body was made new, glorified, and He rose from the dead. King of kings and Lord of lords.

The law brought condemnation for those who did not act according to its demands. Men of sin tried to cure themselves through right behavior. But its purpose was that it would be fulfilled, and men could then come to God simply because the grace of God was so generous and His love so huge. God made a way of salvation that defeated the enemy the body and the mind fought with. We do not have to act like men sold to death any longer.

The Spirit of God within fills our inner man, declaring us children of God, and He aids us in right behavior in every way. He is our teacher, our helper, our friend. He gives us wisdom. His presence bearing fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (self-control). He helps us pray. When we pray in the Spirit in our heavenly language, He is speaking the perfect will of God. We can't mess it up. And God’s good is always the result.

The Spirit is called the pledge of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:14). He is the promise that we will one day be fully engulfed in Him, remade in body and mind like Jesus upon His Resurrection. What a glorious day that will be. What glorious days these are, each full of the joy of our wonderful God. Who knew our weaknesses, that we could not save ourselves and made a way that simply asks our trust in Him. Then He aids us doing everything else.

“…for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Image by Elisa from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com