Much Better! The New Covenant

Recently, I had the great joy of marrying a special young couple for whom I had provided pre-marital counseling.  It was cool to observe them stare into each other's eyes with that "I love you but I hope I don't pass out" look as they repeated their vows.  As they did, it reminded me that wedding vows are the closet thing we have to a covenant in our culture today.  Christ followers have entered into what Jesus called the New Covenant by very few know what this means.  This void has made us vulnerable to being ambushed by religion and the pain of the flesh.  We see them every week at Grace Life International. A covenant is an agreement between two parties pledging their commitment and responsibilities to each other.  It is binding until one of them dies.   In ancient times, it might be between a king who set up a covenant with the people he had conquered.  The people may not have been given the choice of agreeing.  This was a very authoritative, legal covenant. Another version was much more relational.  In the Old Covenant, God gave Himself to Israel as their authoritative King and their loving Husband.  Key Elements of A Covenant 1. Binding vows.  2. Responsibilities and blessings.   Each had responsibilities for the other which would result in blessings for both.  For example, you and I might commit to be responsible for helping each other if one was attacked.  The blessing would be that we would both have twice the defense for defeating an enemy.   3. The Cutting of the Covenant.   The two parties would walk in a figure eight around animals sacrificed and cut in half in two piles. Now the covenant was sealed in blood until someone died.  The sacrificed animals were also a warning of what would befall someone who broke the covenant!
4. The Covenant Meal.  Both the enjoyed a meal together, eating the cooked animals showing they had internalized the covenant in the very fabric of their being.  5. A sign of the covenant.  There was always a sign covenant as a constant reminder of the relationship.  For example, my wedding ring constantly reminds me of my marriage covenant with my wife.
 Did you know that the Old and New Covenants have all five elements (which I will share next week)?  Did you also know that when Jesus died as one of the parties of the Old Covenant, it ended and the New Covenant was inaugurated?  Read Hebrews 9:16-17.
 "Like a will that takes effect when someone dies, the new covenant was put into action at Jesus’ death. His death marked the transition from the old plan to the new one, canceling the old obligations and accompanying sins, and summoning the heirs to receive the eternal inheritance that was promised them. He brought together God and his people in this new way." I am excited for the deeper intimacy, freedom, and fruitfulness in Christ that await you as God unfolds the New Covenant for you during the next few weeks.
 Believe it!  It's the Gospel!
Live Free In Christ,

Mark Maulding, President and Founder
www.GraceLifeInternational.com All Content Copyright © 2014 Mark Maulding