319 - The Work of Jesus Brings Us into the New Covenant#
319 - The Work of Jesus Brings Us into the New Covenant
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Jeremiah 31:31-34
The Lord says: "The days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the Lord. "This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the Lord. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you! Thank you for bringing us into a new week. As we begin this new week, we come before you to receive your provision. Your words are the bread of our lives and help us in our daily lives. During this time, through your words, let me receive strength from you. Let me understand that in the new covenant, with the help of Jesus, I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Please guide this time, and may the Holy Spirit personally help everyone who seeks you. In the name of our Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!
Sharing Topic: The Work of Jesus Brings Us into the New Covenant
The Bible is divided into the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. Since it is called the New Covenant, it proves that it is different from the Old Covenant. What are the differences between these two covenants? Is the Old Covenant mentioned here the covenant of the Law of Moses?
John 1:17 says, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
This verse clearly tells us that there are two covenants mentioned here: one is the covenant given through Moses, which we call the Mosaic Law Covenant. Is this covenant the one God made with the people of Israel in the wilderness? The second covenant is the one Jesus made with us, which we call the Covenant of the Cross.
Are these two covenants different? Moses was the transmitter of the law, but he was not the creator of the law; the one who truly established the law is our God. However, the Jesus we believe in today brings us the Covenant of the Cross; He Himself is grace and truth. When we see Jesus, we see grace and truth. Conversely, can we say that Moses is the law? No, because even Moses himself could not keep the law.
First Point of Sharing: The Difference Between the Old and New Covenants
Do you know when the New Covenant began?
Jeremiah 31:33 says, "This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."
Is this the beginning of the New Covenant? What does it mean by "after those days"? In the past, some people said that the New Covenant began with the Gospel of Matthew. Is that correct? No, it is not correct. Because the Gospel of Matthew already records events leading up to the birth of Jesus, and the four Gospels record the coming of Jesus, John the Baptist, etc., which are still under the Old Covenant.
When exactly did the New Covenant begin? The New Covenant began after Jesus shed His precious blood on the cross and died for our sins. To correctly distinguish between the Old and New Covenants, we need to understand that God establishes a relationship with us through covenants, whether Old or New. This viewpoint and core content have never changed.
God found Abraham to make a covenant with him. Since it is a covenant, does it mean both parties must abide by it? A covenant can also be understood as a contract. For example, in business, do people often sign contracts with others? A contract does not bind one party; it is an agreement for both parties. Do not be afraid of a contract just because it has restrictions. Along with restrictions, there are also blessings. The purpose of signing a contract with others is for both parties to benefit; we gain benefits, and they gain theirs. If the purpose of signing a contract is to harm each other, then there is no need to sign it.
Brothers and sisters, we also have an agreement with God. Through this covenant, we understand why God blesses you. Under the Law of Moses, the people of Israel would be blessed if they kept the Ten Commandments. This is clearly stated by God. If they did not keep them or broke even one, what would be the consequence? Curses would come upon them, and punishment would be upon them.
Please consider, is the curse upon the people of Israel because God is often angry and a God of curses? Please remember, brothers and sisters, God has never changed. The Bible mentions that our God is full of love, mercy, grace, and justice. This attribute of God has never changed.
Some may say, but God indeed brought down some disasters in the Old Covenant because He is a just God. Since He is just, He must punish evil; otherwise, He would be unjust. Conversely, He is just, and He must reward good; otherwise, He would not be just. This is what we need to understand.
God has never changed; it is just that the people of Israel could not keep God's agreements, so they were cursed. Just like when we sign a contract with someone, whether it is a housing contract or a business contract, what happens if one party violates the agreement?
When we go to buy something, they say, "If it is fake, you will be penalized tenfold." Is this a kind of agreement? If the item purchased is fake, the other party must return ten times the price; this is what they should do after breaching the contract. If they really give you a fake item, they must compensate you tenfold.
Are we cursing them? No, this is what they deserve. Since it is within the contract, both parties must uphold the agreement. Under the Law of Moses, God's meaning is very simple: if you keep the law, I will bless you; otherwise, curses will come upon you. Even if curses come, that is what you should bear. Can you say that God is unjust or that God is an angry God? Many people often say that God is a God who loves to be angry. The Bible does not record this; it is just that they did not keep the agreement, so they failed.
The good news today is that we are not under the Law of Moses. It is truly impossible to live under the law. Today, we are under the New Covenant through the work Jesus accomplished on the cross. Please remember, brothers and sisters, that we are not under the Law of Moses. Does that mean we can trample on the Law of Moses? Even the New Covenant does not abolish the previous covenant; it simply fulfills it with a better one.
It may seem like it has been abolished, but in reality, it has supplemented the previous one. This is similar to when two people sign a contract and later realize that some things were not clearly stated, so they add some clauses. Both parties acknowledge this contract. If new clauses are added and a new contract is established, what happens to the previous one? Because the new contract already includes the previous one, the new one takes precedence, and the previous one is no longer used. It may seem like it has been abolished, but in reality, the new one already includes everything from the previous one, making it better.
Even under the New Covenant, the law in the Old Covenant has not been abolished; it is Jesus who fulfilled it. If we do not understand this and think that being under the grace of the New Covenant means we can do whatever we want and that God will not punish us, we will ultimately harm ourselves. We are not under the Law of Moses; we are under another law. Look at what it says here: "This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel: I will put my law in their minds." Is this something in the New Covenant? So what does "my law" refer to here? It actually refers to the law of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s look at a passage, Romans 8:1-2:
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Does this mention two laws again? This passage tells you about both laws. Where are you now? There are two laws in the world: either you are in the law of the Spirit of Christ Jesus, or you are in the law of sin and death. There is no other law. You cannot say you do not want to be in either; that is impossible. You can only choose one.
If a person does not accept Jesus, they are certainly in the law of sin and death; no one can escape it. When you accept Jesus, you are no longer in the Law of Moses, nor in the law of sin and death; you are in Christ Jesus. In Christ Jesus, there is another law that supplies us; that is not called restriction but supply. This law is the law of the Holy Spirit. When you accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart.
Brothers and sisters, please remember, the Holy Spirit is also a law; you can call Him the law of freedom, the law of love, or the law of truth; all are correct. It is completely different from the Law of Moses. The Holy Spirit can do what the Law of Moses could not do. Under the law of the New Covenant, we are blessed not because we have done good deeds or made great efforts. Simply put, we are blessed because of what Jesus has done; He has made us good and cleansed us of all our sins with His precious blood. Therefore, God accepts us and blesses us. Amen! Let’s look again to see if you are under the law of the New Covenant.
Let me read to you from Luke 22:17-20:
After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." 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."
This is some teaching about the Holy Communion, which Jesus personally told us. Every time we receive Holy Communion, we should think about which covenant we are under. Are we sure it is the New Covenant? If some people take the cup and say, "Lord! I see this precious blood and know how many sins I have," which covenant are they under?
The New Covenant does not remind you of what you have done but reminds you of what Jesus has done. This precious blood is indeed because of your sins; Jesus has shed it for your sins. This is the content you should remember. In Holy Communion, Jesus clearly said, "Do this in remembrance of me."
Is the bread Jesus' body? Is the cup Jesus' precious blood? So what you need to remember is Jesus. That represents the beginning of the New Covenant.
Verse 20 says, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."
This passage indicates when the New Covenant began. Jesus said that when His precious blood is shed, the New Covenant begins. Even when Jesus was teaching the content of the New Covenant, teaching about Holy Communion, and teaching about the effect of His precious blood, the New Covenant had not yet begun. Do you understand?
Jesus came to live under the law. The purpose of Him living under the law was to give us clear evidence that He fulfilled the law; He did not break any law. Jesus accomplished this. At the same time, while He was under the law, He told us the content of the New Covenant, which begins with faith in Jesus.
What do we believe in Jesus? We always tell others to believe in Jesus, but what do we tell them to believe in? Are you sharing the content of the Old Covenant or the New Covenant? Since we are under the New Covenant, we should share the content of the New Covenant with others. We cannot use the content of the Old Covenant to speak to others; not many people want to hear that.
Let me demonstrate what it looks like to evangelize using the content of the Old Covenant. Suppose today I tell someone, "Believe in the Lord, and after believing in the Lord, you can go to heaven." They might ask, "How do I believe?" I would say, "Come to church and memorize the Ten Commandments with me. From today on, you must live by the Ten Commandments. If you cannot keep them, all the curses will come upon you." If I say this, would you want to believe in this Lord?
But some people do it differently. If they really preach the Law of Moses, no one would believe. So people change their approach: "Believe in the Lord! Jesus loves you!" After coming to church, they say, "I want to accept Jesus; Jesus is really great." But once they get to church, the tone changes: "You must keep the Ten Commandments; otherwise, wait for the curses to come upon you."
This is why many people feel deceived after believing in Jesus; it was not like this before. Brothers and sisters, this is the confusion between the Old and New Covenants, or the mixing of the Old and New Covenants. Sometimes people have faith, and sometimes they do not; sometimes they feel saved, and sometimes they feel unsaved.
When sharing the content of the New Covenant with others, it is essential to remember that the New Covenant does not negate the Old Covenant. Let me demonstrate how to evangelize under the New Covenant. We also tell others, "Believe in the Lord, and you can be saved." They might ask, "Why should I believe in this Lord?" In this world, we indeed have sins. What are the characteristics of sinful people? They encounter pressure, problems, diseases, death, and troubles...
All these negative and terrible results are actually the consequences brought about by our ancestor Adam's sin. How can we escape from these? Believe in Jesus. Jesus has already shed blood and sacrificed Himself for our sins on the cross. All our sins have been cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus. They might ask, "What benefit does that have for me?" Our God can declare you righteous because of the precious blood of Jesus, bless you in your life, and let you live as a child of God on this earth. Is this not the way to evangelize under the New Covenant?
Should we change again? Even if we are weak or fall, we must still hold on to the content of the New Covenant. Amen! The New Covenant is beneficial to us. Let me explain this with another example because distinguishing between the Old and New Covenants is crucial. Since a covenant is a contract, let’s use a contract as an example.
Many people have rented houses before. Let me take myself as an example. Suppose I want to rent a house, and after finding the landlord, the landlord says, "It's 2000 yuan a month, and you need to pay one month’s rent as a deposit." Why the deposit? Because I do not trust you. What if you damage my things? The landlord will tell you about the facilities in the house, such as the air conditioner, television, washing machine...
The contract will give you some restrictions. If you damage these things, you will have to pay or compensate at market price.
Brothers and sisters, is this unreasonable? Not at all. If we put it in terms of our covenant, this is the content of the Old Covenant. If you damage someone else's property, you must compensate. Do not say, "Look, this is so old." But it was fine before; if you break it, you must compensate. We have nothing to say; this is the content of the first contract. Is this an agreement? I must be careful every day and maintain these things; I cannot do whatever I want and damage them. This is the content of the Old Covenant.
If it changes to a New Covenant, the same situation applies: I want to rent a house, and the landlord says, "Welcome to rent my house. I am now offering the cheapest price in this area because you believe in Jesus." Do you understand? It is not because your behavior is good; it is because you believe in Jesus, so you get the cheapest price. The house has air conditioning, a television...
You can use it freely; I have plenty of such things at home. If something breaks, just tell me, and I will take the broken one away and replace it with a new one. If it were me, I would say, "No! Let’s stick to the previous year's contract." Do you know that this is a very foolish decision? Previously, if something broke, you had to compensate at market price, which could be a lot. Now, if something breaks, you do not need to compensate; I will replace it with a new one. But we say, "No, how can I do that?"
If the landlord says, "Let’s do it this way; I really do not lack money; I just want to give you this because you believe in Jesus." But we say, "No! Let’s stick to the old contract." Brothers and sisters, do you know how many people today live under the New Covenant but cling to the old contract? They feel that they cannot accept the grace given to them now, fearing that they might still be deceived. People think this way about others and also about God, leading them to live under the appearance of the Old Covenant while being under grace.
What does this mean? It means that the landlord says, "Let’s set it according to the New Covenant." The contract has already been signed, and it states that if anything inside is broken, just let me know; I will not be angry with you; I will replace it with a new one because I do not lack money; I have plenty of things. But you do not believe that the landlord is so good. While living there, one day while mopping the floor, you accidentally break a corner of the television. You feel heartbroken and pay out of your own pocket to replace the television, then complain, "Why does this landlord have to buy such a big television? Now I have to compensate so much; how terrible!"
Do you hear where the problem lies?
The problem is that you do not know you are under the New Covenant, or you are under the New Covenant but do not believe in its content. You are still living according to the Old Covenant. Many Christians today live in poverty, sickness, and problems. They do not dare to pray to God, saying, "What if my prayer is not in God's will? God will bring down curses." Is this the meaning of the New Covenant?
Did God say, "If you dare to pray incorrectly, I will punish you"? No, He did not. Although James says, "You do not have because you do not ask. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." We say, "Look, God has said that we do not have because we do not ask, and when we ask, it is because we ask with wrong motives." But do you not look at the context?
So today, many Christians say, "I cannot pray. What if my prayer is wrong? Not only will God not give me anything, but He will also punish me." But the Bible has never said this. Amen! It is essential to confirm that you are under the New Covenant. Jesus has already shed His precious blood; this matter was completed two thousand years ago. There is no need to live according to the Law of Moses because the Covenant of the Cross established by Jesus already includes the Law of Moses. Jesus also said that love fulfills the law. Do you understand why love fulfills the law?
Simply put, all the laws of nations are established to regulate your behavior as good; if it is evil, you will be punished. But if your heart is filled with the love of Christ, any law of any earthly nation will have no effect on you. Do you know what this means? The nation has laws, but those laws do not apply to you because the law that fills your heart has already transcended all earthly laws.
When your heart is filled with love, wherever you go, you always do good deeds to help others and always hope for the betterment of that area. Which country's laws would restrict you from doing good deeds? Therefore, no matter which country you go to, even if you do not know the laws of that country, if the love of Christ fills your heart, you will not violate the laws of that country. This is the New Covenant; the blessings given to us in the New Covenant, through Jesus, can overcome all the laws of Moses.
Second Point of Sharing: The New Covenant is Better than the Old Covenant.
Hebrews 8:7, "For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another."
The first covenant is the Mosaic Law Covenant. Do you know where the flaw in the Mosaic Law Covenant lies? Is the law's condemnation a flaw? No, let’s look at a passage.
Romans 7:9-13:
Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful.
Does this sound a bit convoluted? What is it really saying? This passage tells us what the flaw of the law is.
Verse 9 says, "Once I was alive apart from the law."
Did we not sin when there was no law? Yes, we had sin, but without the law telling you that you have sinned, sin cannot be revealed. The following verse says, "But when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died." This refers to the law revealing our problems and our sins. As a result, under the law, we are dead in comparison to the law. Verses 10-13 actually tell us that the commandment was meant to bring life, but now we cannot keep it, so we die. There was one person who kept it: Jesus kept all the commandments, so He is alive.
If we speak directly today, there are two ways to receive God's life. The first way is to keep all of God's commandments; as long as you keep them, you can live forever. The second way is to believe in Jesus. The first way, the Jews have tried for thousands of years, and none have succeeded; they all failed. The second way does not require your effort; as long as you believe, you can achieve it. This is the two paths God has given us; you can choose one.
If you insist on choosing the first, you will have to try to keep all the laws. Rest assured! The outcome will definitely be failure. That is why Paul says, "For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death." The problem is not with the commandment; the problem is with us. The flaw of the first covenant is manifested here. Pay attention!
Is the law holy? The commandment is holy, righteous, and good. Simply put, God's law is holy, just, and good.
Everyone should remember this: the Ten Commandments are not evil. Today, some people say that the law is evil and that we should not keep the law. This is wrong. The Bible clearly states that the commandment is holy, just, and good; there is no problem with it. The problem lies with us.
Just like some people always say, "Why have I not received God's blessings? Does God not love me anymore?" Do not look for problems with God; God has no problems. We just need to adjust and see if we have any issues. As long as we adjust to be in sync with God, His blessings will naturally come. It is that simple.
Do not doubt that the law is evil, that the law is wrong, or that the law is against you. It is not. The law itself is good; it has no problems. The problem lies with us. It is like a mirror that reflects our problems. Amen! What does the flaw of the law refer to? It can reveal your problems, but it does not have the power to help you overcome those problems. Just like I mentioned before, when you wake up in the morning and look in the mirror, you see a pimple on your face. The mirror can show you the pimple, but it cannot solve the problem. This is the flaw of the law that God refers to. Do not expect the law to help you solve problems; it can only point out your problems, and then it ends there. Amen!
Any country's law can point out your crimes, but it cannot correct your behavior. What can correct your behavior is the power within you to overcome these problems, and that law cannot provide. That is why God says, "For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another." Since this is the case, we need to distinguish that the focus of the Old Covenant is the law, which is human behavior, while the focus of the New Covenant is grace, which is the behavior of Jesus.
At all times, know that you are under the New Covenant. Focus on the behavior of Jesus, not your own behavior. Now we still look in the mirror. If you look in the mirror of the law, you will see more of your problems and more of your sins, ultimately leaving you powerless. But now there is another mirror; everyone wants to come before the mirror of Jesus. When you see Jesus, you tell yourself, "This is my appearance. As Jesus is, so am I in this world."
Every time you see Jesus being so perfect, you say, "I am just like that." When you see Jesus being so holy, you say, "I am just like that." When you see how Jesus lived in this world, you say, "That is also my example." Everything about you will change because of Jesus. Since you know you are under the New Covenant, please remember that your focus is grace, the behavior of Jesus. The passage I just read shows that Paul could not overcome this law; he said it was truly bitter.
In Romans 7:24-25, Paul has an inner struggle:
"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
Paul is telling us that relying on oneself is always impossible. Jesus Christ is your way out. Amen! You cannot fulfill the law; Jesus fulfilled the law for you, bringing you into the new law, which is the law of the Holy Spirit, the law of love. You only need to live in the law of God's love to overcome your past bad habits. It is that simple.
Hebrews 8:8-9:
The Lord says, "The days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them," declares the Lord.
This passage has a parenthesis that says, "The Lord points to the shortcomings of the first covenant." This is actually what the original text intends to express. When translating, the translators were unsure which to use, so they wrote both. Today, after understanding the grace of the New Covenant, we know that the parenthesis is a more accurate expression. God is not blaming His people; He knows that the people cannot bear the law. Therefore, God points to the shortcomings of the first covenant, which is that He knows the law cannot empower you to be holy, just, and good. That is why He establishes a New Covenant for you. This is equivalent to God discovering a problem in the first covenant.
Taking the previous contract example, suppose we have two children who always like to play at home and break the television. The landlord says, "No, I need to find a way to solve this problem completely." So he embeds the television in the wall. Is this a permanent solution? This is something I cannot do, brothers and sisters. After God discovered the shortcomings of the first covenant, He said, "The days are coming when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah." Is this the covenant you are currently under? This is the part you need to remember: you are now under the New Covenant. Hallelujah!
"It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt." This is a comparison. It refers to the Law of Moses because the covenant God made with the people of Israel in the wilderness is the Mosaic Law Covenant. One characteristic of that covenant is that they could not remain faithful to God's covenant. How terrible is the Old Covenant law? If you keep it today, but tomorrow you break it, you will still be cursed. You must keep it faithfully for a lifetime; from the moment you are born until you die, you cannot break even one law. This is called faithfully keeping the covenant. What if you cannot keep it? It says here, "Because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, I turned away from them."
Today, many people say:
"Teacher Ren! Please pray for me; my health has been terrible lately."
I ask, "Have you prayed?"
"I prayed, but God does not listen..."
Their basis lies here. Why do many Christians say that God does not listen to their prayers? They feel their behavior is not good enough, they feel they have sinned, and they feel unworthy of being accepted by God. That is an issue under the Old Covenant. Your behavior is indeed not good enough; at that time, God would not listen to you. The last book of the Old Testament is Malachi, which mentions that the people of Israel violated God's commandments, laws, and statutes, and did not listen to God's words. They even offered the blind, sick, and lame as burnt offerings to God.
God said, "If you offer this to your governor, he will not like it." The people of Israel said, "What have we offered? Look, it has turned to ashes; show me how you transformed it." They refused to admit it. In this situation, because they were under the Old Covenant of the Law of Moses, they violated the law and did not acknowledge it. God said, "Fine! I will not listen to you."
Is this how people interact with each other in the world? Many people live under the law, always picking at my flaws and attacking me. I will not listen to you anymore. If God treated us with the law, He would have long stopped listening to us because our behavior is far worse than that of the people of Israel. There were four hundred years between the Old and New Covenants during which God did not speak a word to the people of Israel because they were disobedient. Are we under that law today?
No, we are not. So please remember, God can never ignore you. God can never not listen to your prayers. As long as you pray, believe that under the New Covenant, under grace, God will hear my prayers, not because of my behavior, but because of Jesus' behavior, because of what Jesus did on the cross. Therefore, He will surely hear my prayers. If you want evidence, let me show you this passage. You should firmly remember this passage and always use it as the content of our contract when praying to God or doing things.
Hebrews 8:10-13:
The Lord says: "This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." By calling this covenant "new," He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.
Has this passage been fulfilled? Yes, it has. Is this content in the New Covenant? This is for you. Please remember, as long as it is in the New Covenant, it is for you. Keep it firmly in your heart. "This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel: I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts."
Today, when anyone accepts Jesus as their Savior, is it not based on the Covenant of the Cross? How does one say it? "I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus shed His blood on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day." Which covenant is this? The Covenant of the Cross, the New Covenant, right? How many people say, "Lord! From today on, I will keep the Ten Commandments. I will strive to keep them myself to earn your blessings." Then you are under the Old Covenant.
If we started under the New Covenant, the covenant we made with God, why did it change later? Do not replace God's covenant. When you accept Jesus, He will place the Holy Spirit within you. The Book of Acts tells us very clearly that when we accept Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, meaning He makes your heart His home and will never leave you.
"I will be their God, and they will be my people." What do you see in this statement? God says He is your God, and you are His people. What is the relationship between a citizen and a king? What can citizens receive from the king? Provision, protection, love... All these come from the king to you.
Today, our Lord is your king; the Lord who created heaven and earth is your king, and you are His people. So when a country is invaded, the army of that country will fight for you. It is the same in the kingdom of God. If someone attacks the kingdom of God, since you are His people, we are together in the kingdom of God. When the devil wants to attack the kingdom of God, it is not you who must fight; it is God who fights for you. Our God has never failed, so you do not need to worry about lack, recession, or death in this kingdom.
Do you know you are in the kingdom of God? Your provision also comes from above. You can think about what comes from above. Ephesians chapters 1 and 2 have already stated very clearly what will be given to you from above. It also says, "No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest."
It is simple; as long as you accept the words of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will dwell in your heart. He will personally teach you to know God. This is something we must confirm. Even if a person believes in Jesus today and then leaves and does not attend church, do not worry! The Holy Spirit is already dwelling within them. God will guide them step by step to know this great God, ultimately bringing them back. We do not need to worry about this. Do not say, "This person accepted Jesus, but he does not come to church..." Do not worry about this; as long as the Holy Spirit is within them, the Holy Spirit will guide them.
Is this God good? Even if there is no one around to guide them, the Holy Spirit will personally guide them to know the greatness of this Lord. The following is the most important part: "I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Amen! Is this not for you? Let us read it together, replacing "them" with "me": God says He will forgive my wickedness and will remember my sins no more. Amen! Is this not correct?
Why do I tell you to keep this passage in your heart? Remember, God said He has forgiven my wickedness. Wickedness refers to your weaknesses and sinful parts. God says, "I have forgiven you." What does God's forgiveness mean? It can be explained with another term: to blot out. Human forgiveness sometimes does not mean this. I forgive you now, but two days later, if you offend me again, I will bring it up again. That is not forgiveness.
God's forgiveness means He will not remember it anymore because it says, "He will remember their sins no more." What does it mean that God will not remember? It means He will not remember. When we get to heaven, will He go over all the mistakes we made in our lives on a big screen? No, because He says He will not remember. Amen! If some people say that when we get to heaven, God will replay all the mistakes we made in our lives, you can say, "I do not believe your nonsense," because God says He does not remember my sins; He has forgiven my wickedness. When God does not remember your sins, what does He remember? He remembers what you have done for the Lord in this world, and He will reward you for it. Hallelujah!
Verse 13: "By calling this covenant 'new,' He has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear."
Would you want to follow something that is about to disappear? No, there are many things in the world that have been replaced by new things. The old things have gradually exited the historical stage, and the law is the same. It does not mean that when the New Covenant comes, the law is immediately abolished; that is impossible. There is a process of gradually exiting.
Let me give you an example. Everyone here has probably experienced many changes. For example, when we were young, the most common way to communicate with people was to write letters, and we even had to send them with postage. If you tell a teenager today about postage, they might not know what it is; perhaps in the future, they will only see it in a museum.
Is that something we often used back then? Do we still use it now? Nowadays, even postmen have lost their jobs. Is it because these people are useless? No, they have been replaced by something new. Today, various forms of communication, like WeChat and mobile phones, have replaced these methods. Back then, we had very few of these things, and communication relied on written words and postmen, which could take half a month or a month to receive. Now, with the arrival of the information age, information reaches us quickly, and that industry has gradually exited the historical stage.
It did not disappear overnight; it was slowly forgotten. Do you think the postman is still useful? Yes, if you send a letter, they might still deliver it, although I have not sent one in a long time. Some people may still send letters, but you do not want to use it anymore because something new has replaced it. A phone call, a WeChat message, or a text message can accomplish what took half a month or a month to receive. You do not want to use it anymore.
How many years has the law been gone? In the Jewish context, it was 1500 years, plus the current 2000 years, over 3000 years have passed. If you say you want to receive God's blessings, you can write a letter to your family; you can do that, and no one will stop you. But is your efficiency too slow? Today, you should live under the New Covenant. The New Covenant is like the WeChat and text messages I just mentioned; it reaches you instantly. There is no need to live like in the past. You can abandon the Old Covenant and uphold the Covenant of the Cross established by Jesus, believing in what Jesus accomplished on the cross, and receive blessings from God! In the past, you had to strive to keep the Ten Commandments to obtain blessings; now God says, "Through Jesus, I give you everything."
Which one do you want? You can live under the Old Covenant law or under the New Covenant. God hopes you will live under the New Covenant. The focus of the New Covenant is the behavior of Jesus, what Jesus has done for us on the cross. We receive what Jesus has done and then live it out on earth. Hallelujah!
2 Corinthians 3:5-9:
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 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, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!
This passage directly refers to the New Covenant that Jesus accomplished on the cross for you. How do you live it out and fill your heart with the New Covenant? It does not mean you deny the Old Covenant or the Law of Moses; it tells you that the Law of Moses also has its function. Some people tell me that there are some law-based churches and some people who preach the law, and they also have miracles.
Yes! We acknowledge that they exist, but how many are there? Very few. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant. You are under the New Covenant, so you are a minister of the New Covenant. What is the difference for a minister of the New Covenant? It is not based on the letter; here, the letter refers to the surface meaning of the Ten Commandments, but it is based on the Spirit, which means the Holy Spirit.
How much service can you do based on the Ten Commandments? If your past service was done according to the law, what does it mean to serve according to the law? Let me give you an example to clarify. Do you want to be saved? Then work hard to evangelize! If you evangelize to a hundred people, you might be saved. You will find that some people are very aggressive and very enthusiastic about evangelism, and their goal is to be saved. After being saved, others tell them, "Work hard to evangelize; otherwise, you will be in trouble." So these people must do it, even if they feel miserable; they must do it to avoid trouble. If it is like this, is it not exhausting? Every day is under pressure, and your service does not see results, and you feel very stressed.
I remember chatting with some people, and some of us have experienced this story: serving under the law is really exhausting. The more you serve, the more tired you become, and the more you feel you cannot stop serving. But this is not God's way. You serve by relying on the Holy Spirit, which means letting the Holy Spirit fill us. We are merely a channel through which the Holy Spirit works. Is it particularly difficult for the Holy Spirit to heal someone?
Not at all. Similarly, if you serve in the church or live with the power of the Holy Spirit, it is also very easy. This is why some people say that they find that living by relying on the Holy Spirit is increasingly joyful, and the more they serve, the more joyful they become. I say this is correct. Serving under the New Covenant should be increasingly easy and joyful.
The ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, refers to the service under the Ten Commandments, which still has glory. Those who serve under the law also have love; those who serve under the law are also very loving, and gatherings are very orderly. This is undeniable, but to be honest, it is very little. The miracles they see are also very few, so the transformation in their lives is also very little. Just like the two million Israelites who came out of Egypt, were there any who pleased God? Caleb and Joshua, but most of them failed. Do not deny that there are good people under the law; many are good, but how much effort must they exert to achieve that?
The Israelites could not look steadily at Moses' face because of the glory that was fading. But the ministry of the Spirit is even more glorious! Do not deny those under the law; many people under grace do not know what grace is and recklessly attack those under the law, saying they are a cursed group. Do not say such things about those under the law; they just have not been renewed yet. They are still relying on themselves or the Ten Commandments to obtain God's blessings, but we only need to rely on the Holy Spirit. There is nothing to boast about. Amen! If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness?
This passage clarifies many things that confuse people. Many people ask me, "Teacher Ren! Those who confess their sins to God every day, but they also receive healing." Is there glory? Yes, the ministry that condemns has glory. Why does it have glory? They feel that God is not listening to them today and has given them illness. So how can I receive healing from God? I must confess this wrong thought and behavior to God, and after confessing, God forgives me. They receive healing, but if they find they have not confessed everything or remember something again, they feel weak again. So this service is uncertain.
But the ministry that brings righteousness, are you a minister of righteousness today? Under the New Covenant, we are all ministers of righteousness. Please remember, when it mentions ministers, it relates to service. What does service mean? After hearing the word, which covenant do you use? If you are under the New Covenant, you should believe you are a minister of righteousness. It is not about how I behave; it is about how Jesus is, so I am like that. How does Jesus view others? I view them the same way. Amen!
How does Jesus view those who behave poorly? I view those who behave poorly the same way. Jesus does not condemn people; I do not condemn people. Jesus often speaks of forgiveness; I often speak of forgiveness. Jesus often blesses others; I also often bless others. This is the ministry of righteousness.
If you live like this, the glory of the ministry of righteousness will increasingly grow... This is why those with greater faith ultimately have greater faith, while those without faith have less faith. Similarly, those who increasingly experience God's grace will continue to experience more grace, and this is the reason. Brothers and sisters, please remember, you are not under the Old Covenant but under the New Covenant. You are in God's blessings. You are not a minister of condemnation; do not easily condemn others. Amen!
You are a minister of righteousness. In your life, may all brothers and sisters believe in everything, believe in God's grace, believe that you are under grace, believe that God no longer remembers your sins, believe that God has forgiven all your sins, and live out this life of forgiveness. Under grace, may all brothers and sisters live with a New Covenant mindset and view the people around you. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you! The redemptive work that Jesus accomplished on the cross has brought me into the New Covenant. I am no longer under the Old Covenant. Under the Old Covenant of the Law of Moses, I had to please God through my own behavior. Now, under the New Covenant, I rely on what Jesus accomplished for me on the cross. God has accepted me; He no longer remembers my sins. I believe this, regardless of how people define me. I believe in the words God has spoken to me, and I am willing to keep God's words and promises in my heart.
As the new week begins, I am a minister of righteousness. Wherever I go, I am a channel of blessing. I will bring God's grace to more people because I am filled with the grace of Jesus Christ. Thank you and praise you! Renew the thoughts and intentions of our brothers and sisters, and let us live out this life of righteousness in the new week. Thank you and praise you! All glory be to you. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!