The problem the Old Covenant had was that it was weak due to it’s dependence upon the flesh. It had no power outside the cooperation of men to remit sin and therefore continual sacrifice had to be made because of the corruption of man from the fall. The priest was kept busy.
Everything under the Old Covenant had a temporal affect about it. There was nothing permanent, there was no hope of a final solution.
Under the New Covenant we have this reality to rejoice about.
Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Here it is most clear that the concept of a walk in the flesh is a walk of attempting to keep the law. A walk in the Spirit is a walk that puts trust in Christ and therefore enjoys an imputed righteousness that satisfies the demands of the law on the basis of Christ becoming our substitution on the cross. He paid the price with His own blood!
This blood initiated a New Covenant that completely replaces the Old one. It does not renew as some might think. It completely replaces it. Which is why new commands have been given by the One who initiated this New Covenant.
1John 3:23 ¶ And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. 24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
What are his commandments? Believe on Jesus Christ and love one another!
Why? Because there is no other means for remission! There is no other way to deal with the problem of sin inherit in man. Christ alone is the answer and His covenant is better than that of the Old!
Jesus said himself,
John 6:39 "This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 "And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." 41 The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven."
See why the Jews complained about him? Jesus was declaring Himself to be the final solution to just penalty of sin and He would make eternal life possible for all who believe in Him.
Jesus is the bread of life! That symbolic bread in the meal is intended to remind us of Him and the fact that He bore our punishment on the cross!
The only way the wrath of God is satisfied is through the cross of Christ!
About The Author
- Tim Atchley
- Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
- I currently serve as Senior Pastor of Harvest Church in Knoxville, Tn. I was sent out from Trinity Chapel of Knoxville in 1993 accompanied by my wife Sheila our four children Sarah, Hannah, Josiah & Isaac and a handful of bold, brave and committed believers determined to plant our first church. Pioneering is hard work but well worth the journey. That is why we desire to make disciples of Christ who will, like us, also embrace the call to plant churches.
