RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH.

What covenant are you under as a believer in Jesus Christ?

Many become confused because they mix the covenants of the old and new.

Jesus paid a dear price so we would experience the New covenant.  

The old covenant was about what man needed to do. Judgement and punishment, all that Jesus took for us on His cross.  We now have God's grace, mercy and compassion extended to our life.

Ephesians 2:8

For by grace you have been saved through faith,  and that not of yourselves;  it is a gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

The New covenant is about what Jesus has done to set us free.

In the new covenant we are under the grace of God and all shame and guilt was laid upon Jesus at the cross.  We have salvation, deliverance and healing for our mind, body, and every part of our soul.

Our mind is renewed, our will is God's will, and our emotions are under control by the Holy Spirit.

We hear over and over about the need for repentance.  

Repentance is good and necessary to clear our conscience.  

What about the thief on the cross, he didn't have time to repent, or did he?  

Repent means to change your mind and actions, he changed his mind and his action was to ask Jesus to remember him, he went from a thief to a believer.

Many times we tend to put Jesus in a box.  Beloved, He will do as He desires with His own and there is no limitations on Him.

The New covenant reveals this all through the scriptures.

He will do something that seems unusual to us, but He is always listening to the voice of His Father.

John 12:49

"For I have not spoken on My own authority;  but the Father who sent Me gave Me a  command what I should say and what I should speak."

We often try to fit Jesus into our own mold of religion.  He just doesn't fit.

It is time we learn about the Jesus of the bible, the  NEW covenant we have in Him.

Not the religious Jesus man has made up for themselves. Who can seem cruel and judgmental. Unloving and distant. 

Example:  

In the old covenant they were told that ten percent of their increase belonged to the Lord.  That's an obligation.  

In the new covenant we are told to give as we purposed in our heart.

2 Corinthians 9:7

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Beloved, it all belongs to God.

Yes, Jesus is love, that is the true nature of God.  But He is also the God of justice.  Make no mistake man cannot out wit God.

God sits in the heavens and laughs at the plans of man.

Psalms 37:13  (read 12-15)

The Lord laughs at him for He sees his day is coming.

When the disciples (John and James) wanted to call fire down from heaven like Elijah had done,(old covenant) 

Jesus rebuked them.

Luke 9:54-55

And when the disciples James and John saw this (the Samaritans rejecting Jesus) they said,  Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?" (old Covenant)

But He turned and rebuked them, and said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of.  For the Son of Man did not come to destroy but to save them." And they went to another village. (new Covenant)

Another example to ponder.

Matthew 17:1-8

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves ; and He was transfigured before them.  His face shone like the sun,  His clothes became as white as light.

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.  

Then Peter said to Jesus,  "Lord it is good for us to be here;  if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

While he was still speaking behold, a bright cloud over shadowed them;  and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying,  "THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED!"

The disciples had put Jesus on the same level as the Moses (Representing the law)  and Elijah, representing the prophet.(Representing the miracles)  God had to intervein, and let them know they were to listen and worship Jesus only.

This is a good example of the old and new covenants.

Father God made it clear, it is all in Jesus.

Do we ever apply some of the old covenant to our lives?  Absolutely!  It is all God's word.

Just know the difference of the two covenants.

What Jesus purchased for you at the cross.

The old covenant was always pointing to Jesus coming, it let us know we need a Savior.

Zechariah 9:9

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold your King is coming to you;  He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Matthew 21:5-9)

Beloved, we need to know how to rightly divide the word of God.

There are many examples of showing the difference between the old and new.

Exodus 17:6

God told Moses to hit the rock, with mans effort. To receive water for the children of Israel.

Numbers 20: 8-11

"Take the rod;  you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation. SPEAK to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water' thus you shall  bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink , and give drink to the congregation and their animals.

Jesus is the Rock.  in the gospels He told his disciples to speak to the mountain and it would move. (Mark 11:23)

Can you see the old and new covenant in this message.

Moses was told to hit the rock, first.  Then he was told to just speak to it.

The first hit was mans efforts, and the second was the power of our words backed by the Holy Spirit.

Obedience to God's word brings Godly results.

Know which covenant you are in, and do not neglect to learn the valuable lessons in the old.  They point to Jesus coming to Save His people.

We are under a better New covenant, and we have privilege's that the children of Israel did not have.  We have Jesus.  He loves us and is always for us. He has redeemed us back to the Father.

Study the New covenant that you belong to.

God Bless your day

Jesus loves you

Love in Jesus

Joy