"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant,
then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all
the earth is mine:" Exodus 19:5
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:" Hebrews 8:10
In the Old Covenant, God said to the people, "if you will obey... then you shall be a peculiar treasure..." This was a conditional covenant, and what Israel got from it was dependent on their obedience. But the New Covenant is different, in it, God said, "I will make... I will put My law in your mind...I will be to them a God and they shall be to Me a people."
Whereas the Old Covenant was predicated on what the people did, the New Covenant is predicated on the faithfulness of God. When this distinction is not made, the New Covenant is presented as a work based covenant in which we get what we deserve, but nothing can be further from the truth as this.
Regarding the New Covenant, we do nothing, but believe, to remain and be blessed in it; unlike the covenant of works that requires obedience, the New Covenant puts God's word in our hearts to make obedience possible. In fact, faith, not obedience is required, but true faith, when it is in operation, generates obedience. True faith has works, but it doesn't come by works. When this truth is not known, we tend to confuse the Old Covenant with the New Covenant, but they are not the same.
Toni
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:" Hebrews 8:10
In the Old Covenant, God said to the people, "if you will obey... then you shall be a peculiar treasure..." This was a conditional covenant, and what Israel got from it was dependent on their obedience. But the New Covenant is different, in it, God said, "I will make... I will put My law in your mind...I will be to them a God and they shall be to Me a people."
Whereas the Old Covenant was predicated on what the people did, the New Covenant is predicated on the faithfulness of God. When this distinction is not made, the New Covenant is presented as a work based covenant in which we get what we deserve, but nothing can be further from the truth as this.
Regarding the New Covenant, we do nothing, but believe, to remain and be blessed in it; unlike the covenant of works that requires obedience, the New Covenant puts God's word in our hearts to make obedience possible. In fact, faith, not obedience is required, but true faith, when it is in operation, generates obedience. True faith has works, but it doesn't come by works. When this truth is not known, we tend to confuse the Old Covenant with the New Covenant, but they are not the same.
Toni
