Under Lock & Key...NO MORE

There are times in my faith where I find myself genuinely frustrated. Not the small, petty, frustrations that each of us experience from time to time. But major, gut-wrenching, almost infuriating frustration. You know...the kind where you would like to just grab someone & shake them (not that I would actually do it)!?! This sense of frustration generally shows up when I hear people talking about the New Covenant using Old Covenant language. When I hear legalism wrapped up in so-called "grace preaching." When I hear people teach on the finished work of Christ and trying to get us to add something to it. I find this frustrating because we have kept the truth under lock & key. I'm going to share with you a secret: the door is UNLOCKED!!!

If you own a Bible, I want you to go ahead & get it out. There are some things you need to read for yourself. There is so much truth in plain sight that we often overlook it. The beauty of the New Covenant often becomes shrouded in our religious thinking. Today, I want you to throw away any misconceptions you may have about the nature of God, misunderstandings about the finished work of Christ, & see the glory that you were created to live in from the day you were born. Are you ready?

The letter to the Hebrews is one of the greatest writings we possess regarding the sacrificial nature of Jesus' ministry. The writer takes great pains to help those who came out of Old Covenant Judaism to enter into New Covenant Relationship. He places enormous emphasis upon the centrality of Christ. He talks about the types & shadows of the Old Covenant. We read about the priesthood, the role of mediators, and the significance of Jesus' blood as it relates to sacrifices. While we may not always understand many of these references since most of us did not come out from under this type of religion, the truths within these pages are remarkable. While many people have misused many of the verses to try and convey a different understanding of God, the reality of the New Covenant is there for the taking.

I want you to take some time to look at Hebrews 8. I will not post the verses here for the sake of time & space. However, I do want to draw attention to a couple of quotes found in this chapter & the writers summation.

VERSE 10: "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."

VERSE 12: "For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Now...VERSE 13: "In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."

Verses 8-12 are quotes from the prophet Jeremiah in particular. You can also find other aspects of these verses in Isaiah & Ezekiel. What's my point? My point is that the writer of Hebrews is trying to help these Jews understand the fulfillment of these prophecies concerning the New Covenant. Verse 13 is a cap stone to all that he is saying. He is saying that the first covenant (Moses) is obsolete. It's growing old. It's ready to vanish away. This is important. What the writer is trying to tell his readers is that what they used to experience has changed & is changing. What I am trying to tell my readers is that what was ready to vanish away THEN has completely vanished NOW.

We were not born into a dying covenant. We were born into an already established & fully functioning covenant. A covenant that was not based upon our performance. A covenant that was firmly established between the Father & the Son. Jesus prophesied the end of the age to his followers & the writer of Hebrews is declaring that the end of that age is coming to a close. In 70 AD, when the Romans invaded Jerusalem & destroyed the Temple, they did away with the last remaining ties to the Old Covenant. You were born after that time. You were born into the New Covenant. How can I say that? I can say that because many of the Old Testament prophets envisioned a time when the Gentiles would be included in the God's Covenant with Israel. They envisioned a time when there would be an inclusion of all nations, tribes, & tongues into the blessings of God. What you & I read about in the book of Acts is just that. The WONDERFUL GOOD NEWS that the Gentiles had received the same blessings of the Jewish believers. You were included!!!

The Father, before the creation of the world, looked down through times & space. He saw the failings of His children. He saw the darkness that would come upon them. He saw all that He would have to go through to win back the heart of His creation. An agreement was made. The Son chose to come into our darkness. He chose to take on our flesh. Once, and FOR ALL, the Father had a Son of Man who would walk in covenant relationship. Jesus would establish what Adam could not. Jesus would be obedient were Adam failed. As a High Priest, Jesus would be the Once & FOR ALL mediator. As the Lamb of God, Jesus would take away the sin of the world. He is our atonement. He is the Author & Finisher of faith. He is the one who took upon Himself "the handwriting of ordinances against us" and nailed them to the Cross. He would establish a covenant that could not fail. How? If you look back at the verses in Hebrews 8, you discover the issues of the Old Covenant. The issue was humanity. This is why Jesus took on flesh. The New Covenant cannot fail because the Man who established this Covenant with God is none other than Jesus. Did anyone see that coming?

Do you now understand my frustrations? Can you see how old covenant thinking & language has hidden the beauty of the New Covenant? Can you see how our vain attempts at keeping the Law has kept us from enjoying the reality of the Law that was already placed within our minds & hearts? Is it any wonder why Paul said, "If our Gospel is veiled, it is veiled from those who are perishing..."? What are they perishing under? The Jews would be perishing under a system of religion that was fading away. The Gentiles would be perishing under false misconceptions about God. The light of the Gospel was to be shed abroad among all people groups. No one should be left out of its hearing because none have been left out of its reach. It is a Gospel of inclusion. The Good News that we have been included in the Son's relationship with the Father. The Good News that we have been redeemed, reconciled, and restored to our original design. This is what you were born into. This is the reality that you get to live in. Your belief about the finished work of Christ simply gives you access to what Jesus paid for. The door is unlocked. In fact, it is standing wide open.

I hope you will take the time to read through chapter 8 of Hebrews. I pray that the eyes of your understanding would be open to reality of all that Jesus has accomplished for us. May you be amazed at the goodness of the Father on your behalf. May you live in the freedom of Christ.

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I just wanted to mention that I will only be writing two more entries this week. I will be attending a conference beginning Thursday & do not have plans to write during this time. Have a great week!!!