Short Creek Sunday Mornings

What the Blood Does for Those That Truly Believe!

Part FIVE – The New Covenant Sealed With His Blood

September 8, 2024

 

 

We started discussing what His Precious Blood does for those who believe on June 30^th. So far, we have covered the following:

• Our Conscience is Cleansed! – Learning to Live – Guilt & Shame Free…
• I am justified! – Legal Declaration of the Law of God of our innocence…
• I am spiritually alive! – “You must be born again!”
• My judgment has been satisfied, and I am at peace with God! – “Our wrath was poured out on Jesus Christ, satisfying our sin debt!”
• We have Power through His Blood to Overcome Our Enemy! – Walk in the Light as He is in the Light, and His Blood WILL empower us to overcome the enemy…
• I Am No Longer Under the Curse of the Law. – the Old Covenant has ended, and the New Covenant has begun.

 

The Law Represents the Old Covenant, but we now live under the New Perfect Covenant sealed with the Blood of Christ. – This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. Luke 22:20

 

Covenant versus Contract

A covenant and a contract are both agreements between people, but they differ in several ways:

• Basis:A contract is based on mutual exchange, while a covenant is based on unconditional commitment.
• Validity:A contract is invalid if one party breaches it, but a covenant remains valid even if one party breaches it.
• Relationship:A contract is a transaction, while a covenant is a relationship.
• Seal:A covenant is usually sealed or guaranteed (with the Blood of Christ), while a contract is signed.
• Purpose:A contract is mutually beneficial, while a covenant is a promise to benefit the relationship.
• Personal:A covenant is personal and relational, while a contract is about interests.
• Example:In the Bible, a covenant is a relationship between two partners who make binding promises to each other.

 

The New Covenant is the promise that God will forgive sin and restore fellowship with those whose hearts are turned toward Him. Jesus Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant, and His death on the cross is the basis of the promise.

The Old Covenant God established with His people required strict obedience to the Mosaic Law. Because the wages of sin are death, the Law required that Israel perform daily sacrifices to atone for sin. But Moses, through whom God established the Old Covenant, also anticipated the New Covenant – Deuteronomy 29.

Hebrews is the best book to understand how the Old Covenant points to the New Covenant, especially chapter 9.

 

Hebrews 9:8-15 (NLT) By these regulations, the Holy Spirit revealed that the entrance to the Most Holy Place was not freely open as long as the Tabernacle and the system it represented were still in use. ⁹ This is an illustration pointing to the present time. For the gifts and sacrifices that the priests offer are not able to cleanse the consciences of the people who bring them. ¹⁰ For that old system deals only with food and drink and various cleansing ceremonies—physical regulations that were in effect only until a better system could be established.

• The entire Bible points to the Redemption of those who believe through Christ Jesus – it points us to the Gospel Message. We can find Jesus from Genesis to Revelation.
• The Old Covenant, with its many ceremonies and ordinances, could not make us right with God—it lacked the Grace (the unmerited, unearned, imputed Holy Spirit Power of God) to cleanse us so we could boldly approach the throne and enter the Most Holy Place.
• Not able to cleanse the consciences – Is it not our thoughts that lead us down the road of anxiety, depression, addiction, anger, bitterness, and other self-destructive behaviors? His Blood was the perfect sacrifice that cleanses us once and for all! When we are struggling, we look to and contemplate the Cross.     

¹¹ So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world.

• Jesus, as our High Priest, ministers in a superior sanctuary – the very throne room of God. This is obviously a place greater than anything human hands could make

 

¹² With his own blood—not the blood of goats and calves—he entered the Most Holy Place once and for all time and secured our redemption forever.

• Animal sacrifice was sufficient for a temporary covering of sin, but only a perfect sacrifice could obtain eternal redemption.
• Jesus’ sacrifice was superior because it was perfect, voluntary, rational, and love-motivated.
• At the Tabernacle, the sacrifice was made outside the veil, at the altar, but the atoning blood was brought into the most holy place, representing God’s throne.

 

• In the same pattern, Jesus had to die here, outside heaven and among sinful men, but the payment his death made had to be satisfied in heaven itself.
• The High Priest entered once a year, going through the veil and back again, letting the veil fall behind him as he left—the barrier remained. Jesus tore the veil and continues to stay in the most holy place, heaven itself, welcoming us in. This is what makes Christianity all about access, not barriers. Eph 2:6 confirms that we are seated in heavenly places with Christ.
• With His own blood: “Blood in Scripture always includes the two thoughts of a death suffered and a life offered.”
• “The Lord Jesus Christ did not come to earth to make a reconciliation by the holiness of his life, or by the earnestness of his teaching, but by his death.” (Spurgeon)
• “The Lord Jesus did not bring before God the sufferings of others or the merits of others, but his own life and death.” (Spurgeon)

 

¹³ Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. ¹⁴ Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

• The sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient even to restore the most damaged, sin-sick conscience.
• Our conscience is a wonderful tool from God. But it isn’t perfect.
  • Our conscience can be seared.
  • Our conscience can be defiled.
  • Our conscience can be evil.
• The believer is cleansed, conscience and all, not to live unto himself but to serve the living God. The ancient Greek word translated serve here is latreuo, which speaks of religious or ceremonial, priestly service.
• “And, dear friends, do keep in mind that you are henceforth to ‘serve the living God.’ You that are acquainted with the Greek will find that the kind of service here mentioned is not that which the slave or servant renders to his master, but a worshipful service such as priests render unto God. We that have been purged by Christ are to render to God the worship of a royal priesthood. It is ours to present prayers, thanksgivings, and sacrifice; it is ours to offer the incense of intercession; it is ours to light the lamp of testimony and furnish the table of shewbread.” (Spurgeon)

 

¹⁵ That is why he is the one who mediates a new covenant between God and people, so that all who are called can receive the eternal inheritance God has promised them. For Christ died to set them free from the penalty of the sins they had committed under that first covenant.

• He is the Mediator of the new covenant through His death: Jesus’ work as a Mediator is fundamentally accomplished at His death. His heavenly work of mediation looks back to that perfect sacrifice. – “IT IS FINISHED!”
• For the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant: Jesus’ payment on the cross accomplished redemption for those under the first covenant. Every sacrifice for sin made in faith under the Mosaic command was an IOU paid in full at the cross.

 

The New Covenant involves a total change of heart so that God’s people are naturally pleasing to Him.

Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law of Moses and to establish the New Covenant between God and His people.

 

Do you know, truly know, all the many benefits of the Covenant that the Lord God Almighty has made with those who have surrendered their wills to Him? Have we not stated John 8:31-32 multiple times? Do you know the Truth of the New Covenant? Satan’s plan for you is to keep you from fully knowing the Truth.

 

The seed that was sown in us by God at our conversion, our spiritual birth, is only the beginning. Being a child of God and being free in Christ is the positional truth and every believer’s birthright.

Because of a lack of repentance and ignorance of the truth, many believers are not living like liberated children of God. They still see themselves as just ole sinners saved by grace, not as the saint’s scriptures declare them to be.

 

Slavery in the United States was abolished by the 13th Amendment on December 18th, 1865. How many slaves were there on December 19th? In reality, none, but many still lived like slaves. Many did because they never learned the truth; others knew and even believed that they were free but chose to live as they had been taught.

Several plantation owners were devastated by this proclamation of emancipation. “We’re ruined! Slavery has been abolished. We’ve lost the battle to keep our slaves.” But their chief spokesman slyly responded, “Not necessarily; as long as they think they’re still slaves, the proclamation of emancipation will have no practical effect. We no longer have a legal right over them, but many don’t know it. Keep your slaves from learning the truth, and your control over them will not even be challenged.” “But, what if the news spreads?” “Don’t panic. We have another barrel in our gun. We may be unable to keep them from hearing the news, but we can still keep them from understanding it.

Emancipation – the fact or the process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions. – liberation, freedom, deliverance, release

 

They don’t call me the father of lies for nothing. We still have the potential to deceive the whole world. Just tell them that they misunderstood the 13th Amendment. Tell them that they will be free, not that they are free already. Someday, they may receive the benefits, but not now.” “But, they’ll expect me to say that. They won’t believe me.” “Then pick out a few persuasive ones who are convinced that they’re still slaves and let them do the talking for you. Remember, most of these free people were born as slaves and have lived like slaves. All we have to do is to deceive them so that they still think like slaves. As long as they continue to do what slaves do, it will not be hard to convince them that they must still be slaves. They will maintain their slave identity because of the things they do. The moment they try to profess that they are no longer slaves, just whisper in their ear, ‘How can you even think you are no longer a slave when you are still doing things that slaves do?’ After all, we have the capacity to accuse the brethren day and night.”

Years later, many have still not heard the wonderful news that they have been freed, so naturally, they continue to live the way they have always lived. Some have heard the good news but evaluated it by what they are presently doing and feeling. They reason, “I’m still living in bondage, doing the same things I have always done. My experience tells me that I must not be free. I feel the same way before the proclamation, so it must not be true. After all, your feelings always tell the truth.” So, they continue to live according to how they feel, not wanting to be hypocrites!

One former slave hears the good news and receives it with great joy. He checks out the validity of the proclamation and finds out that the highest of all authorities has originated the decree. Not only that, but it personally cost the authority a tremendous price which He willingly paid, so that he could be free. His life is transformed. He correctly reasons that it would be hypocritical to believe his feelings and not believe THE TRUTH!

Determined to live by what he knows to be true, his experiences began to change rather dramatically. He realizes his old master has no authority over him and does not need to be obeyed. He gladly serves the one who set him free.

 

Many Christians today never learned the truth about their freedom. And some of those that know the truth, slavery was the only life that they know. So many Christians remain in bondage because they will not take the time to learn about their freedom.

 

Have You Dedicated Your Life to Knowing the Truth of the New Covenant Sealed with the Blood of Christ?

 

John 8:31-36 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 

Abide – remain, continue, tarry, endure, to be held, kept, to remain as one, not to become another or different, to continue to be, not to perish.

 

³² And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Know – more than the accumulation of facts, it is an intimate knowledge that requires time and effort. It is the process of sanctification that starts at salvation.

 

³³ They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. ³⁵ And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  ³⁶ Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

vs 35 – we see a progression. When we submit to the Lordship of Christ, we then become Christ’s slaves. But He doesn’t let us remain as His slaves. We become the sons and daughters of the Most High God.

 

Romans 8:17 (NLT) And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

 

Freedom isn’t the ability to simply choose, it isn’t Free-Will, for a believer it is the ability (imputed grace) to make the right choice.