What is the New Covenant?

What is the New Covenant?

In order to understand Christianity one must understand what the new covenant is. In Old Testament times covenants were made to form an agreement or unbreakable bond between two people or groups of people. God of the Old Testament made unbreakable bonds or covenants with His people Israel. The Old Testament is a Covenant between God and His people, which Moses brought to the people. It was founded on the Law, with consequences for obedience and disobedience. The people not only had the law, but they had a sacrificial system for dealing with sin. Animals were sacrificed to cover, not remove sin, and there were priests that fulfilled this service to God. Mankind still had the guilt of their sins because the blood of bulls and goats couldn't take away sins. "But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." Hebrews 10:3-4 | ESV

Why then did God require this? Because in God's plan, the world was waiting for a Saviour, but God had to make provision for the people's sins before the appointed time of Christ's first coming. Jesus was not the kind of Saviour that they were expecting though. His Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, but it also currently is an invisible Kingdom. Jesus preached a message that didn't resonate with the people of His time. He taught that suffering had a purpose and that purpose is redemptive. They were expecting a King that would bring peace to the world, but this isn't the purpose of the New Covenant that Jesus set up. When Jesus comes a second time, He will bring everlasting peace to a redeemed world and His redeemed people.

But in order to be a part of that redeemed community then, we must be a part of it now. Part of what makes us a part of God's redeemed community is being a part of the New Covenant or Testament. The new covenant is founded on love, love for God and love for our neighbour. When we sin against God in this way, we need to repent. God allows men and women freedom in this new covenant and it is ratified in the blood of Jesus, which not only covers our sin, but removes it. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 | ESV This is Mike.

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