There was a secret and hidden wisdom of God that had not been made known since the beginning of the ages. This hidden mystery is the New Covenant of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. The New Covenant was made for the New Creation Man and remains a mystery to many believers.
Ps. 25:14 The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.
Knowledge of this secret is only prepared for those who fear God and love Him above all. The fear of the Lord and the love of God are the secret codes to unlock all mysteries of the New Covenant. When “believers” are still living for themselves, they will not be able to receive God’s revelation about the New Covenant.
Deut. 7:9 Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
1. GOD MADE THE OLD COVENANT WITH THE JEWISH PEOPLE
We know that God made the Old Covenant with the Jewish people. The Old Covenant was given by God through Moses in the Hebrew language. We see in the Book of Exodus that the Jewish people came into Covenant with God with the promise that they would do all that the Lord commanded them. This means that the Jewish people were responsible for keeping the Old Covenant with God.
Ex. 19:5-8 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel." 7 So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. 8 Then all the people answered together and said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do." So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.
2. WITH WHOM DID GOD MAKE THE NEW COVENANT?
But now the question arises, with whom did God make the New Covenant? Did God make it with all nations and all people? We can find the answer in the New Testament. To find this answer is very important for your spiritual life because the New Covenant is a legal document that proves what position and possessions belong to you. We can find the answer to this question in the book of Galatians.
Gal. 3:15-16 Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. 16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. 17 And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.
The Apostle Paul says that the promises were made to Abraham and his SEED, not seeds. That means that God made the New Covenant with THE SEED, who is Christ. When we see that God made the New Covenant with Christ we know that Christ has to take the responsibility for keeping the New Covenant! The Lord Jesus Christ is given all responsibility to keep the commands, statutes, and righteous requirements of the law. This means that it is not our responsibility but Christ’s responsibility, our part is to believe in Him who lives in us. That is why we need to walk by faith!
3. WE DIED WITH CHRIST, WHICH MEANS THAT YOU DON’T LIVE FOR YOURSELF ANYMORE BUT LIVE FOR HIM WHO DIED FOR YOU.
2Cor. 5:14-15 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
The Lord Jesus Christ taught us how we can walk in the new life He prepared for us. The new life connects to the New Covenant. If you lose your life you will find your life. When we die to our old life and start to live for Him all the blessings of the New Covenant are available to us.
Matt. 10:38-39 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
Mark 8:34-35 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.
John 12:24-25 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
We believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have to understand how we can be connected to the Lord Jesus Christ, and how we can be a branch in the True Vine. (John 15:1) Just a prayer to put Jesus in your heart will not bring all the blessings of the New Covenant. That is just a cheap gospel message in this end-time that can be dangerous for the people who hear it. The gospel is that the Lord Jesus Christ came to suffer for us to save us; He got beaten with a whip, was nailed to a cross like a criminal, and died giving up His Spirit. On the Third Day, He rose from death to start a new family line, a new priesthood, and a new creation.
4. WE ARE RISEN WITH CHRIST TO LIVE A NEW LIFE BY FAITH
Rom. 6:4-5 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
When we laid our lives down for the Lord Jesus Christ who loves us so much we can expect and experience the working of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Because when we lose our lives we will find our lives. We will experience the live of Christ working through us and start to live like a son of God, as the new creation man. Only the cross can bring us into the New Covenant, New Life, and the Kingdom of God.
THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING THROUGH YOU BY FAITH
Rom. 8:3-4 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
THE RISEN CHRIST WORKING THROUGH YOU BY FAITH
Gal. 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
GOD WORKING IN YOU FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE
Phil. 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
GOD WORKING THROUGH YOU ABOVE WHAT YOU ASK OR IMAGINE
Eph. 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
THE OLD COVENANT SHOWS WHAT MAN CAN’T DO THE NEW COVENANT SHOWS WHAT GOD CAN DO!
5. HOW DOES THE NEW COVENANT OPERATE IN THE BELIEVER
The New Covenant works a mighty way in the believer, it works through a combination of the Word and the Holy Spirit. The New Covenant is a mystery that was hidden for ages and started to get mentioned by the Prophet Jeremiah and the Prophet Ezekiel. We firstly will read what the Prophet Jeremiah said about the New Covenant in the book of Hebrews.
Hebr. 8:8-12 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 11 None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
The New Covenant functions by God writing His Words/Law in our minds and hearts. The New Covenant looks like God writing or re-writing a computer code in our minds and our hearts. We know that a computer only can function according to the coding that is written in it. God, who is a genius, He knew that He had to write His Word in people’s minds and hearts to let them walk in His ways. The WORD that God writes in our minds and hearts is Christ Jesus, the Word, and the Son of God. Through writing the WORD in our minds and hearts, God re-designed us in His image and our original design.
Our part is to allow God to write His Heavenly Code in our minds and hearts. That is why the Bible teaches us to meditate on God’s Word day and night. The part we have to do is to renew our minds with the Word of God.
Rom. 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Ps. 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
6. THE POWER TO RUN THE HEAVENLY PROGRAM IN OUR LIVES
We saw that God writes His Heavenly Code into our minds and hearts so that we will display God’s original Design here on Earth as it is in Heaven. Next to the Heavenly Code, the Word of God, God also supplies the power to run the Heavenly Program in our lives. The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, and the Helper will help us to walk according to God’s Word. The Prophet Ezekiel gave us this insight into how God will move in His people.
Ez. 36:27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
We can receive a Heavenly Download; the Holy Spirit who will help us to walk in God’s ways according to His Heavenly Program, the Word of God. The Holy Spirit will give us the power to walk as sons of God here on earth. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to help us to be a witness to the end of the world.
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
We need to be careful when we follow God and avoid sin. Sin is like a virus that makes a computer slow or hinders to opening of certain software to run. Sin will slow down our lives and hinder us from coming to our full potential. The Holy Spirit is the best virus killer we can find and we can download it by faith. The Holy Spirit will put the death of the deeds of the flesh and the blood of Jesus Christ cleans us from all our sins.
Rom. 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
There is much joy when we study the New Covenant because we see how Christ wants to work through us with His Holy Spirit and the Word of God. When we really understand the New Covenant we can stay in His rest. The reality is that many churches and believers didn’t walk in this blessing and I will try to explain why they went the wrong way. They still live in the Old Covenant or mix the two covenants and get stuck.
7. DON’T MIX THE OLD COVENANT WITH THE NEW COVENANT
Matt. 9:17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."
Most churches in this end-time are still in the Old Covenant or they mix the Old and New Covenant together which produces a strange and weird religion. The Bible is clear that the Old Covenant is over, out, and obsolete. Why should we mix the New Covenant with something that is obsolete and ready to vanish away?
Hebr. 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
Hebr. 8:13 In that He says, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
The words obsolete, growing old, and vanish away mean “completely canceled.” (Strong’s G3822, G1095, G854) (blueletterbible.org.) This means that we should not mix the Old and New Covenant and create a new religion called “Churchianity.” To mix the Old and New Covenant is a weak attempt to make a man-made religion that we can compare to GMO foods. These Genetically Modified Organisms produced by man can’t bear fruit and can’t multiply. That is the reason that wrong teachings or man-made religion will produce dead and unfruitful churches that can’t bear fruit and multiply.
We find that this man-made religion will hinder and limit the growth of believers and lock up people in a wrong belief system. This belief system produces believers who are not hot or cold but just lukewarm, and the Lord will spit them out of His mouth! (Rev. 3:15-16)
The Apostle Paul wrote in the book of Second Corinthians that there were two kinds of ministers, two kinds of ministries, and two kinds of covenants. He talked about the Ministers of the New Covenant, the Ministry of the Spirit, and the Ministry of Righteousness. The other ministers were called the Ministers of the Letter (Old Covenant), the Ministry of Death, and the Ministry of Condemnation.
2Cor. 3:6-9 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
MINISTERS OF THE NEW COVENANT – vs. – MINISTERS OF THE LETTER
MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT – vs. – MINISTRY OF DEATH
MINISTRY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS – vs. – MINISTRY OF CONDEMNATION
The difference between these ministries is like light and darkness, blessing and curse, and life and death. I believe that you get the clear revelation now that we should not mix these two kinds of covenants. The letter kills but the Spirit gives life!
2Cor. 3:17-18 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
The ministry of the Spirit is the Spirit of the Lord working in and through the believer. The Lord is the Spirit and He will transform us into the image of Christ. This was God’s original purpose for mankind from the beginning.
8. KNOWING THE NEW COVENANT IS THE REMEDY FOR UNBELIEF
When we understand the New Covenant we will experience peace knowing that He will do it. God is a covenant keeper and will not leave or forsake us. God wants to show His glory and wants to show what He can do through fallen people who put their faith in Him. May you be strengthened in the (Kainos) New Covenant with God!
Isa. 54:10 For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,’ says the LORD, who has mercy on you”
Jer. 32:40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me.
9. PRAYER TO ACTIVATE OR TO RENEW THE NEW COVENANT WITH GOD
Our Heavenly Father, we come to you to activate the blessings of the New Covenant in our lives. We lay our lives down before you and repent from our sins. We ask You for forgiveness of sins and want to start to live for You. We don’t want to live for ourselves but we want to live for You in Your power. We want to renew our lives and renew our covenant with You. We ask You that You will write Your Words in our minds and hearts and ask You to fill us with Your Holy Spirit so that we can be a witness for You to the ends of the earth. Teach us and help us to receive the blessings of the New Covenant. We thank You and ask You in the name of Jesus Christ! Amen!
