This week's audio message:
The Four Gifts of the New Covenant
Grace For Life audio archives are here.
Monday, March 16, 2009
The Four Gifts Of The New Covenant
This week's audio message:
The Four Gifts of the New Covenant
Grace For Life audio archives are here.
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5 comments:
I listened to your recording a week ago. I appreciate your ministry. Thank you.
Where do you stand in regards to New Covenant Theology?
I am new to Jesus and have just learnt from Hebrews about the new covenant and the true meaning of Easter. I can not stop smiling now.
Thank you
Mark,
Thanks for your comments.
New Covenant Theology is the “school” to which I am the closest in my understanding of Scripture.
However, NCT has had a continual problem, which I’ll express in two parts:
1. NCT has not dealt bibiically with Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not UNDER law but UNDER grace.”
2. Because of #1, and what seems like a fear of being called that dreaded term “antinomian”, NCT has too often tried to compete with Covenant Theology by proclaiming something like “We’re not antinomians! We UNDER in Law, too! We just have a better Lawgiver, Jesus! We’re UNDER His Law, not UNDER Moses’ Law!”
And thus, although properly distinguishing the shift from Moses to Jesus, NCT has still missed the larger point, that the *unilateral* New Covenant has [through the New Birth and its resulting faith] made a New Creation who…
1. Loves Jesus Christ,
2. Hates sin,
3. Loves the Law of Christ (and even the Law of Moses as an expression of God’s heart)…
…BUT, is not UNDER the Law because:
1. He is utterly forgiven of all sins, past, present and future, APART FROM THE LAW,
2. He has been blessed with “with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 1:3), APART FROM THE LAW,
3. Is secure in His salvation, APART FROM THE LAW, and therefore, as Paul proclaimed…
4. All things are lawful for him (1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23).
Q. Why have laws or imperatives at all, then, even from Christ?
A. At least two reasons:
1. We love God (in our new spirit, our new nature, our new heart) and therefore want to know His heart and mind and ways, which are expressed in His commands.
2. The commands are a red flag indicator for when we are walking by the flesh and not by the Spirit. As new creations, this will typically bring us back to walking by the Spirit (at least for a time, until we are deceived again by the world, the flesh and the devil).
And because we are now “one spirit with him” (1 Cor. 6:17), when we walk by His Spirit (capital “S”), we are also walking by our own *new* spirit (small “s”).
Final point:
Until New Covenant Theology properly deals with Romans 6:14, and such corollary passages as “all things are lawful for me”, it will simply be an ACADEMIC battleground for smart guys who understand that the Old Covenant is obsolete.
But it won’t be a practical resting place of freedom for those who understand that we are not UNDER Law at all, Old Covenant or New Covenant.
Final final point :)--
Is this antinomianism? Of course not!
Antinomianism is anti-law, lawless. We LOVE the law in our very heart of hearts. And when we walk by the Spirit (our practical goal), we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, and will seek to obey His every command.
Blessings, Mike. I’ve appreciated your heart and mind for some time.
Terry
Joan,
You're sure welcome. Thanks for stopping by.
what about the REAL new covenant. you know....Acts 2:38!!! repent and be (BAPTIZED) everyone of you in the name of (JESUS CHRIST) and ye shall recieve the gift of the (HOLY GHOST) for this promise is unto you and your children. think about that before preaching FALSE DOCTRINE. MY God has standaerds that WILL be met with LOVE and PASSION! with all respect and efection
-Blake
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