New Covenant

"In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." (Luke 22:20)

"He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?" (2 Cor. 3:6-8).

"But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Cor. 3:14-16).

"Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Gal. 3:21-29)

The Law of Moses. The Ten Commandments. That's the old covenant. The new covenant is Jesus Christ. It's interesting to note, though, that the new covenant... Jesus...was promised long before the old covenant was
ever established!

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel." (Gen. 3:15).

"I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Gen. 12:3).

"Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him." (Gen. 18:18).

It's also interesting to note what Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 3:14-16. If you didn't catch it, please read it again. Did you see it?

"...for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read."

What veil? At some point, there will be a fascinating teaching on the tabernacle of the Old Testament. For the moment, though, do you remember the curtain that was hung to separate the Most Holy Place from the Holy Place?

"Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the Testimony behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place." (Ex. 26:33).

"The Lord said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover." (Lev. 16:2).

Not just anyone could enter the Most Holy Place. Only the high priest...which at the time was Aaron. And even he could only enter once a year (Lev. 16:24). Why?

"...because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover."

God was present in the Most Holy Place. And no one was clean enough to enter His presence, which is why He was separated from the people by the heavy curtain. Before the high priest could enter, he had to cleanse himself by sacrifice...and if he wasn't clean enough, he would never leave the Most Holy Place under his own power. His fellow priests would drag his lifeless body out by a rope tied around his ankle.

That's the old covenant. Separation from God. Those who try to live by the Law of Moses will never enter God's presence. They can't get past the veil. No one will ever be clean enough to enter God's presence through the old covenant.

"All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." (Isa. 64:6).

For those who seek God's presence by their own works...for trying to follow the rules and regulations of religion...the veil is still there, separating them from God. And it always will be. For those people "...It has not been removed..."

But what else did you see in 2 Cor. 3:14-16?

"...because only in Christ is it taken away."

"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."

Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away! No more separation from God. How come? Because centuries later...

"At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split." (Matt. 27:51).

Because when Jesus died on the cross for your sins, the curtain that separated us from God was torn in two from top to bottom. Just as Aaron had to cleanse himself by sacrifice before he could enter God's presence, I have to cleanse myself by sacrifice before I can enter His
presence. So do you. But for you and me, the sacrifice was provided by God....Jesus....so that whenever "anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." His blood is our purification.

And instead of having to sacrifice every time we wish to enter God's presence, the sacrifice that was made once...Jesus on dying on the cross...was sufficient forever.

On top of that, we can enter His presence any time we wish. We're not limited to once a year.Through Jesus, we've been made clean. We can be with God anytime we like, anywhere we like! Unlike the priests of old, we don't have to enter God's presence with fear and trembling...we don't have to wonder if our buddies are gonna have to drag us back out by a rope tied around our ankles! In fact, Paul says in Hebrews 4:16

"Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence..."

With confidence! Why?

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood..." (Rom. 3:20-25)

"Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!" (Rom. 5:9).

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace..." (Eph. 1:7).

"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." (Eph. 2:13).

"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." (Col. 1:19,20).

Through Jesus, we have peace with God. We've been washed in the Blood of the Lamb. We can fellowship with God...anytime, anywhere. Our sins have been redeemed.

That's the New Covenant.
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