Jesus is Promise Covenant (5)

Biblical ideas sometimes take some time to decipher - because we trap ourselves by "human ideas". Grace salvation is one of those Biblical ideas - it is not a new Law focus on us - it is a new concept, focusing on GOD. He warned us of this in Jeremiah 31 - the "new" would be "NOT LIKE" the old which they broke. Do we get the idea that the new covenant can be broken from that - or are we challenged to see a new covenant which cannot be broken ? Our general interpretation goes like this : "WOW - that couldn't be true - so that must mean God won't break it but we might" - and my response is - what's wrong with allowing Scripture to be actually true without explaining away half of it ? Question two - how would that be NOT LIKE the first which they broke ?

Then, Paul comes along and writes that God has a "totally different" kind of plan - not like law at all (Romans 3:21) and for some reason humans make it into law ! (At least let's try to make it into a concept which cannot be broken !)

How can these things be ? Well - Principle number one - Jesus is the New Covenant - "I AM The Way, The Truth, The Life" (all covenant concept fulfillments) and fulfillment of Isaiah 42:6; 49:8 of His being sent for a covenant.

Principle number two - Jesus is a gift of God to us as a Representative for God (and us) to bring about "reconciliation - 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.

Principle number three - Jesus is kept/fulfilled law - and His LIFE is given to us for a new identity and forgiveness for sins - so His death AND life are given to us. (Romans 5:10ff.) Our connection to this is simply faith in Jesus Christ. BUT - that is the full Hebrew concept of faith/obedience - "listen toward, run toward, hide under for protection" - and the focus is JESUS - "listen to Him; come to Him; hide under Him." Faith in Him means faith in His life and work, or what we might call faith in what God did in Christ. So - as Peter wrote about it - "Your faith AND hope are in GOD" 1 Peter 1:21.

Why does this concept succeed while others may not ? Simply - when Paul wrote - "NOT of yourselves, NOT OF works" PLUS "not by Law" and "apart from Law" - it required specific exclusions. As he wrote - "What can we boast about ? Boasting is excluded !" Romans 3:27ff. but notice his reasoning - "On what PRINCIPLE ? Of works - NO ! BUT - on faith's Principle !" Romans 3:28. What is faith's Principle ? Simply that the focus is always on God and honoring Him - never on us. It is the Abraham principle of "believing God". (By the way - since we are to have faith - that is a seemingly small focus on us - but since the principle of faith focuses on God - it wouldn't be a self-focus to Hebrews or Greeks. It won't be to us either - unless we somehow make faith what we DO - instead of a focus on what God did/promised. That would violate the whole context of Ephesians 2:1-10 as well as Romans 1-5.)

God designed everything to make Jesus preeminent, Colossians 1:15-20. When we do make Him everything and we "hide under Him" - we do come to the fullness of the Godhead - so having done nothing but receive, we should be very humble and appreciative - but the focus is always Jesus and what God is doing and has done - so many problems are eliminated. Competition, envy, jealousy, gossip, party spirit, slander and many others are not possible because that would simply not be honoring God as God. As Paul wrote "how do you treat the brother for whom Christ died ?" Romans 14:15. (That simply must honor God as God.)

That is true in Salvation - but also true in Life - "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ" Ephesians 5:21 - starts with the example of Jesus - giving Himself up - and applies to all. When Jesus gave the secret to being great, He shared the concept of "the greatest is the servant of ALL" Matthew 20:27. Servants of NT times made their focus "what the Master wants" - not what I want - so the focus is set. If we have a servant church, we will change the world. If we do not - then it won't be Christ's bunch anyhow. His "friends" are known for loving one another.

How can we have that happen ? By realizing that Jesus is everything - and He runs us now. It won't mean we are necessarily more successful than He was then - but it will mean the right thing is happening. When Jesus is thought of as "Covenant" - we actually can get our minds on Him - not ourselves. Otherwise - we are always concerned with US - when we should have "died" to that - and if HE is covenant, HE is "at work in us, to will and to work" Philippians 2:13. If not - then we are simply NOT "His project" at all. (Ephesians 2:10.) I believe it is good to do it the Biblical way - and I confess, I have run into verses which convicted me about error for over 60 years now - and this way does not do that. Jesus is the New Covenant - which cannot be broken - but you do have to take it or leave it - even though all sin is now paid for, it must be received to be enjoyed. However - maybe you have a verse or two you think is still not included - or a cogent concept which may be violated. Ask away - more to come