GOD’S PLAN IN DETAIL – THE STUDY GUIDE

What is the New Covenant?

The New Covenant was planned from the very beginning and was finally established when Yeshua died for our sins. Matthew 26:26-28 CEVDuring the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, "Take this and eat it. This is my body."

Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to his disciples and said, "Take this and drink it. This is my blood, and with it God makes his agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven., Mark 14:22-25 CEVDuring the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, "Take this. It is my body."

Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He gave it to his disciples, and they all drank some. Then he said, "This is my blood, which is poured out for many people, and with it God makes his agreement. From now on I will not drink any wine, until I drink new wine in God's kingdom." and John 12:23-25 CEVJesus said: The time has come for the Son of Man to be given his glory. I tell you for certain that a grain of wheat that falls on the ground will never be more than one grain unless it dies. But if it dies, it will produce lots of wheat. If you love your life, you will lose it. If you give it up in this world, you will be given eternal life.. It offers much greater promises and completely replaces the Old Covenant. Hebrews 8:6-13 CEVNow Christ has been appointed to serve as a priest in a much better way, and he has given us much assurance of a better agreement.

If the first agreement with God had been all right, there would not have been any need for another one. But the Lord found fault with it and said,

"I tell you the time will come, when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and the people of Judah. It won't be like the agreement that I made with their ancestors, when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. They broke their agreement with me, and I stopped caring about them!

But now I tell the people of Israel this is my new agreement: `The time will come when I, the Lord, will write my laws on their minds and hearts. I will be their God, and they will be
my people.

Not one of them will have to teach another to know me, their Lord.' All of them will know me, no matter who they are. I will treat them with kindness, even though they are wicked. I will forget their sins."

When the Lord talks about a new agreement, he means that the first one is out of date. And anything that is old and useless will soon disappear..

It is based on using the power of God’s Spirit working within us to keep the full intent of God’s Law rather than on using our own strength to try keeping the letter of the law. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 NLTWe are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God. He is the one who has enabled us to represent his new covenant.

This is a covenant, not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old way ends in death; in the new way, the Holy Spirit gives life.

We can only participate in the New Covenant through believing and obeying Yeshua. Galatians 3:22 NLTBut the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ., 1 John 5:1-12 NLTEveryone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.

We know we love God's children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and really, that isn't difficult. For every child of God defeats this evil world by trusting Christ to give the victory. And the ones who win this battle against the world are the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

And Jesus Christ was revealed as God's Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross - not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit also gives us the testimony that this is true.

So we have these three witnesses - the Spirit, the water, and the blood - and all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know that this is true. Those who don't believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don't believe what God has testified about his Son.

And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. So whoever has God's Son has life; whoever does not have his Son does not have life., Hebrews 5:9 CEVSuffering made Jesus perfect, and now he can save forever all who obey him., Luke 6:46-48 NLTSo why do you call me `Lord,' when you won't obey me?

I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then obeys me. It is like a person who builds a house on a strong foundation laid upon the underlying rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against the house, it stands firm because it is well built..

We have to forsake our natural desire to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong and realize that it doesn’t matter how good we might think we are, our own righteousness is like filthy rags to God. Isaiah 64:6 NLTWe are all infected and impure with sin. When we proudly display our righteous deeds, we find they are but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall. And our sins, like the wind, sweep us away. . Paul describes where we have come from in his letter to the church in Rome. Romans 1:18-32 NIVThe wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them., Romans 3:9-20 NIVWhat shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.

As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."

"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know."

"There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin., Romans 7:14-25 CEVWe know that the Law is spiritual. But I am merely a human, and I have been sold as a slave to sin. In fact, I don't understand why I act the way I do. I don't do what I know is right. I do the things I hate. Although I don't do what I know is right, I agree that the Law is good. So I am not the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.

I know that my selfish desires won't let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I cannot. Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong. And so, if I don't do what I know is right, I am no longer the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.

The Law has shown me that something in me keeps me from doing what I know is right. With my whole heart I agree with the Law of God. But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do.

What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me.
So with my mind I serve the Law of God, although my selfish desires make me serve the law of sin..

We are to use the power of God’s Holy Spirit to dedicate our lives to loving each other – being willing to die for each other if necessary. 1 John 3:23 NIVAnd this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us., Galatians 6:10 NLTWhenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters., John 15:12-13 NIVMy command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends..

We must each become a completely new person. 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLTWhat this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!. However, this doesn’t happen instantaneously – it takes time and personal commitment to change. Christians can make mistakes and sin, but we must not make a practice of sinning. 1 John 5:17-19 NLTEvery wrong is sin, but not all sin leads to death.

We know that those who have become part of God's family do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot get his hands on them.

We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the power and control of the evil one..

Yeshua taught his disciples that we will all be judged in the same way that we treat others. Matthew 7:1-2 CEVDon't condemn others, and God won't condemn you. God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them., Luke 6:36-37 NLTYou must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others, you will be forgiven.. Of course, if we have never sinned as Christians, then there would be no need to take our treatment of others into account. God balances our desire and commitment to obey him against the many mistakes that we make along the way.

But what is sin? Under the Old Covenant this was spelled out very clearly in the legal agreement recorded by Moses. As Christians we are no longer required to follow the detailed laws given in the Old Covenant and we cannot be saved by following them. Galatians 2:11-16 NLTBut when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him publicly, speaking strongly against what he was doing, for it was very wrong.

When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who don't bother with circumcision. But afterward, when some Jewish friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore because he was afraid of what these legalists would say. Then the other Jewish Christians followed Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was influenced to join them in their hypocrisy.

When I saw that they were not following the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter in front of all the others, "Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you trying to make these Gentiles obey the Jewish laws you abandoned?

You and I are Jews by birth, not `sinners' like the Gentiles. And yet we Jewish Christians know that we become right with God, not by doing what the law commands, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be accepted by God because of our faith in Christ - and not because we have obeyed the law.

For no one will ever be saved by obeying the law.". The New Covenant completely replaces the Old Covenant. Hebrews 8:7-13 NIVFor if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said:

"The time is coming, declares the Lord,when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers 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 is the covenant I will make with the house 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 a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, '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 aging will soon disappear..

We were condemned to die under the Old Covenant because we have all sinned. No amount of following the Old Covenant laws, after we have sinned, can change that. Even Gentile people, who never received the Old Covenant laws, will still be held accountable because God created every man with a conscience that instinctively helps them to understand what is right and wrong. Romans 2: 12-15 NLTGod will punish the Gentiles when they sin, even though they never had God's written law. And he will punish the Jews when they sin, for they do have the law. For it is not merely knowing the law that brings God's approval. Those who obey the law will be declared right in God's sight. Even when Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, instinctively follow what the law says, they show that in their hearts they know right from wrong. They demonstrate that God's law is written within them, for their own consciences either accuse them or tell them they are doing what is right..

The Old Covenant laws were there to show us that we don’t have the power within ourselves to obey all of those laws and therefore to be acceptable to God. Galatians 2:19 NLTFor when I tried to keep the law, I realized I could never earn God's approval. So I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ., Romans 5:20 NLTGod's law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God's wonderful kindness became more abundant., Romans 7:7-25 CEVDoes this mean that the Law is sinful? Certainly not! But if it had not been for the Law, I would not have known what sin is really like. For example, I would not have known what it means to want something that belongs to someone else, unless the Law had told me not to do that. It was sin that used this command as a way of making me have all kinds of desires. But without the Law, sin is dead.

Before I knew about the Law, I was alive. But as soon as I heard that command, sin came to life, and I died. The very command that was supposed to bring life to me, instead brought death. Sin used this command to trick me, and because of it I died. Still, the Law and its commands are holy and correct and good.

Am I saying that something good caused my death? Certainly not! It was sin that killed me by using something good. Now we can see how terrible and evil sin really is.

We know that the Law is spiritual. But I am merely a human, and I have been sold as a slave to sin. In fact, I don't understand why I act the way I do. I don't do what I know is right. I do the things I hate. Although I don't do what I know is right, I agree that the Law is good. So I am not the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.

I know that my selfish desires won't let me do anything that is good. Even when I want to do right, I cannot. Instead of doing what I know is right, I do wrong. And so, if I don't do what I know is right, I am no longer the one doing these evil things. The sin that lives in me is what does them.

The Law has shown me that something in me keeps me from doing what I know is right. With my whole heart I agree with the Law of God. But in every part of me I discover something fighting against my mind, and it makes me a prisoner of sin that controls everything I do.

What a miserable person I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is doomed to die? Thank God! Jesus Christ will rescue me.
So with my mind I serve the Law of God, although my selfish desires make me serve the law of sin.. This is a critical lesson for us to learn as we naturally want to believe that we can do it by ourselves.

Trusting in Yeshua, who did keep all of those laws, and who died in our place so that we could be made acceptable to God, is the only way. We must become dead to this world and allow Yeshua to live in us through the Holy Spirit. Galatians 2:20-21 NLTI myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I am not one of those who treats the grace of God as meaningless. For if we could be saved by keeping the law, then there was no need for Christ to die., Romans 3:21-26 CEVNow we see how God does make us acceptable to him. The Law and the Prophets tell how we become acceptable, and it isn't by obeying the Law of Moses.

God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ.

All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.

God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life's blood, so that by faith in him we could come to God. And God did this to show that in the past he was right to be patient and forgive sinners. This also shows that God is right when he accepts people who have faith in Jesus.. Then we can rely on Yeshua to keep us on track. Jude 1:24-25 NLTAnd now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy.

All glory to him, who alone is God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, glory, majesty, power, and authority belong to him, in the beginning, now, and forevermore. Amen.. He has dedicated himself to do this. John 17:19-20 KJ21And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also who shall believe in Me through their word..

We have done nothing to earn this benefit. We can only receive it as a free gift from Yeshua. Romans 3:27 CEVWhat is left for us to brag about? Not a thing! Is it because we obeyed some law? No! It is because of faith., Romans 4:1-8 NLTAbraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What were his experiences concerning this question of being saved by faith?

Was it because of his good deeds that God accepted him? If so, he would have had something to boast about. But from God's point of view Abraham had no basis at all for pride. For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous."

When people work, their wages are not a gift. Workers earn what they receive. But people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work.

King David spoke of this, describing the happiness of an undeserving sinner who is declared to be righteous:

"Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose sin is no longer counted against them by the Lord.". Paul used Abraham as an example of someone who was saved and greatly blessed by God because of his faith and not by keeping the Old Covenant laws which didn’t exist until 430 years later. Galatians 3:17 NIVWhat I mean is this: The law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the covenant previously established by God and thus do away with the promise. . Having once sinned, we can only be reconciled to God through faith. Romans 4:1-25 NLTNow then, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it for Gentiles, too? Well, what about Abraham? We have been saying he was declared righteous by God because of his faith. But how did his faith help him? Was he declared righteous only after he had been circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? The answer is that God accepted him first, and then he was circumcised later!

The circumcision ceremony was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous - even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are made right with God by faith.

And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.

It is clear, then, that God's promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was not based on obedience to God's law, but on the new relationship with God that comes by faith. So if you claim that God's promise is for those who obey God's law and think they are "good enough" in God's sight, then you are saying that faith is useless. And in that case, the promise is also meaningless. But the law brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)

So that's why faith is the key! God's promise is given to us as a free gift. And we are certain to receive it, whether or not we follow Jewish customs, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who brings into existence what didn't exist before.

When God promised Abraham that he would become the father of many nations, Abraham believed him. God had also said, "Your descendants will be as numerous as the stars," even though such a promise seemed utterly impossible! And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though he knew that he was too old to be a father at the age of one hundred and that Sarah, his wife, had never been able to have children.

Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything he promised. And because of Abraham's faith, God declared him to be righteous.

Now this wonderful truth - that God declared him to be righteous - wasn't just for Abraham's benefit. It was for us, too, assuring us that God will also declare us to be righteous if we believe in God, who brought Jesus our Lord back from the dead. He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised from the dead to make us right with God.. In fact it was because Abraham believed God that he was promised the blessings that ultimately resulted in the New Covenant replacing the Old Covenant.

Believing Yeshua is the very first step required for becoming a Christian. Yeshua came with a message from his Father about both the coming Kingdom of God and how to qualify to enter that Kingdom. Yeshua taught that he is the only way that humans, who have sinned under the Old Covenant laws, can be reconciled with God our Father. He was the perfect spokesman for the Father.

While he came to fulfil every part of the Old Covenant law, he also cancelled that agreement for his followers and replaced it with a much better one. So our very first step is to believe what Yeshua taught, including what he later revealed through the Holy Spirit to the leaders of his church. John 5:24 NIVI tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life..

Galatians 3 is a complete description of the purpose of the Old Covenant, God’s promise to Abraham, and the significance of the Messiah’s death and our union with Him and the Father through faith. Notice that, in Galatians 3:10 NIVAll who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.", Paul is referring to all of the Old Covenant laws and not just to the Jewish rituals or sacrificial laws.

Colossians 1:20-23 CEVAnd God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross, so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God.

You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent.

But you must stay deeply rooted and firm in your faith. You must not give up the hope you received when you heard the good news. It was preached to everyone on earth, and I myself have become a servant of this message. is a very clear statement of the significance of the Messiah’s sacrifice as the only condition required for us to be reconciled with our Father.

The New Covenant promises are the same promises that God made to Abraham. Abraham was counted as righteous because he believed God. Abraham didn’t make up his own interpretation of what God promised. He understood what God had promised and demonstrated by his actions that he believed that everything God had promised would come to pass. So also Christians must begin by believing Yeshua.

But what is sin under the New Covenant? Yeshua, in one bold stroke, simplified the entire complex set of Old Covenant laws into just one based on his eternal law of love – to love God above all else, and to love our neighbour as much as we love ourselves. Romans: 12:9-10 CEVBe sincere in your love for others. Hate everything that is evil and hold tight to everything that is good. Love each other as brothers and sisters and honor others more than you do yourself.. He expanded on this in the well-known ‘Sermon on the Mount’, Matthew 5:1-12 NIVNow when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you., and later defined love as being willing to die for our brother. John 15:12-13 NIVMy command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends..

The whole issue of sin became much simpler and now focuses on keeping the spirit of God’s law rather than just observing legal requirements. This is not about what we do but rather the attitude with which we do it. This is not about blind obedience to a schedule of laws but rather to giving our lives over to serving God and our brothers. This cannot come from our own strength but only from the power of the Holy Spirit living within us.

This doesn’t mean that we can now steal, kill and commit adultery.  These laws from the Old Covenant are followed automatically if we love our neighbour as much as we love ourselves. Romans 7:6 NLTBut now we have been released from the law, for we died with Christ, and we are no longer captive to its power. Now we can really serve God, not in the old way by obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way, by the Spirit., Romans 8:4 CEVHe did this, so that we would do what the Law commands by obeying the Spirit instead of our own desires., Galatians 5:13-26 NLTFor you have been called to live in freedom - not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.

So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to the law.

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another..

Note that Matthew 5:17-19 NLTDont misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of Gods law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys Gods laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.


is often used to justify teaching that we must still follow the Old Covenant laws. But, in the following verses, Yeshua explains what he really means – that we must follow the full spirit and intent of God’s underlying law of love. Matthew 5: 21-48 NLTYou have heard that our ancestors were told, 'You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.' But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.

So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

When you are on the way to court with your adversary, settle your differences quickly. Otherwise, your accuser may hand you over to the judge, who will hand you over to an officer, and you will be thrown into prison. And if that happens, you surely won't be free again until you have paid the last penny.


You have heard the commandment that says, 'You must not commit adultery.' But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your eye - even your good eye - causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand - even your stronger hand - causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

You have heard the law that says, 'A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a written notice of divorce.' But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery.

You have also heard that our ancestors were told, 'You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.' But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, 'By heaven!' because heaven is God's throne. And do not say, 'By the earth!' because the earth is his footstool. And do not say, 'By Jerusalem!' for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, 'By my head!' for you can't turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, 'Yes, I will,' or 'No, I won't.' Anything beyond this is from the evil one.

You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow.

You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.

But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.. Yeshua came to accomplish the purpose of the law – and Paul explains the real significance of this is in Romans 10:1-4 NLTDear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God..

But we cannot do any of this unless we first believe in Yeshua. That is why he said in John 16:9 NLTThe world's sin is unbelief in me. that “The world’s sin is unbelief in me.”

This was such a radically new concept that even the early Christian church struggled with it for many years after it was first established.

Example of the early Gentile Christians

One of the big issues that arose in the early church concerned whether Gentile Christians should keep the Jewish laws of the Old Covenant. The Christian church began in a region of the world where following the Jewish laws was not an option – it was required by law and enforced by the Sanhedrin. It had also become such an ingrained way of life that most of the Jewish Christians found it hard to accept that this was no longer necessary.

The Gentile people who were converted to Christianity did not have any such constraints, and many of the Jewish Christians argued strongly that the Gentile Christians should also have to follow the Old Covenant laws. This debate is described in Acts 15. The conclusion of a full conference of the church leaders was that the Gentile Christians did not have to obey the Old Covenant laws, except to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from eating the un-bled meat of strangled animals, and from fornication. Acts 15:22-29 NLTThen the apostles and elders and the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders - Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas. This is the letter they took along with them:

"This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings!

We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but they had no such instructions from us. So it seemed good to us, having unanimously agreed on our decision, to send you these official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you what we have decided concerning your question.

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these requirements: You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or eating the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell."
, Acts 21:25 NIVAs for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality." .

Paul later made it clear that even the first two requirements were more about not causing offence to a new Christian’s tender conscience. 1 Corinthians 8 NIVIn your letter you asked me about food offered to idols. All of us know something about this subject. But knowledge makes us proud of ourselves, while love makes us helpful to others. In fact, people who think they know so much don't know anything at all. But God has no doubts about who loves him.

Even though food is offered to idols, we know that none of the idols in this world are alive. After all, there is only one God. Many things in heaven and on earth are called gods and lords, but none of them really are gods or lords. We have only one God, and he is the Father. He created everything, and we live for him. Jesus Christ is our only Lord. Everything was made by him, and by him life was given to us.

Not everyone knows these things. In fact, many people have grown up with the belief that idols have life in them. So when they eat meat offered to idols, they are bothered by a weak conscience. But food doesn't bring us any closer to God. We are no worse off if we don't eat, and we are no better off if we do.

Don't cause problems for someone with a weak conscience, just because you have the right to eat anything. You know all this, and so it doesn't bother you to eat in the temple of an idol. But suppose a person with a weak conscience sees you and decides to eat food that has been offered to idols. Then what you know has destroyed someone Christ died for. When you sin by hurting a follower with a weak conscience, you sin against Christ. So if I hurt one of the Lord's followers by what I eat, I will never eat meat as long as I live..

We must not rely on pleasing God by following rituals on certain days, months, seasons or years. Galatians 4:8-11 NIVFormerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God - or rather are known by God - how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.. However, if our conscience would be hurt by not keeping the Jewish holy days, or by eating meats sacrificed to false gods, then we should do what we believe until God has clearly convinced us otherwise. Romans 14:5-15 NIVOne man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'" So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died..

It is the principle that is important here, not so much the examples that Paul used. Everything that we do should be done with the desire and conviction that we are pleasing God by what we do. If there are any niggling doubts because of our lack of knowledge or maturity as Christians, then we must be careful to err on the safe side, and without damaging our consciences. And we must be considerate of others so that we do not cause offence or to do something that would result in damaging their consciences. Romans 14:23 NLTBut if people have doubts about whether they should eat something, they shouldn't eat it. They would be condemned for not acting in faith before God. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning..

In fact there is danger in following such rules as denying ourselves certain foods as a way of pleasing God. Doing this requires great commitment and self-discipline and yet has no effect on overcoming our sinful nature. Colossians 2:20-23 NLTYou have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the evil powers of this world. So why do you keep on following rules of the world, such as, "Don't handle, don't eat, don't touch."

Such rules are mere human teaching about things that are gone as soon as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, humility, and severe bodily discipline. But they have no effect when it comes to conquering a person's evil thoughts and desires.
. This deceives us into trying to use our own strength instead of using the power of God’s Holy Spirit, which is the only effective way. Galatians 5:16-17,22-23 CEVIf you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires. The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should...

God's Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. .

Paul became increasingly concerned about those who were teaching that Christians should follow the Old Covenant laws. Titus 1:10-11 NLTFor there are many who rebel against right teaching; they engage in useless talk and deceive people. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation.

They must be silenced. By their wrong teaching, they have already turned whole families away from the truth.

Such teachers only want your money. .

Tithing and the system of sacrifices were provided in part to support the Levitical priesthood because the Levites didn’t receive any land as an inheritance. The animal sacrifices also pointed towards the ultimate sacrifice that Yeshua would make to atone for our sins. Yeshua replaced this entire system. Hebrews 7:11-18 NIVIf perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come - one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?

For when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.

He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared:

"You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless.

Paul made it quite clear that those so-called Christians who continued to teach following the Old Covenant laws were doing so for their own monetary gain. Titus 1:10-11 NLTFor there are many who rebel against right teaching; they engage in useless talk and deceive people. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation.

They must be silenced. By their wrong teaching, they have already turned whole families away from the truth.

Such teachers only want your money. . The leaders of some of our modern evangelical churches would do well to learn from Paul’s example as well as his very clear instructions to the early church.

In his letter to the Philippian church Paul describes a whole new attitude to giving. Philippians 4:10-20 NIVI rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.

Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen..  In his second letter to the Corinthian church Paul describes the new members of that church as being like his own young children – and that children don’t pay their parents for food and shelter. 2 Corinthians 12:13-15 CEVYou missed out on only one blessing that the other churches received. That is, you didn't have to support me. Forgive me for doing you wrong.

I am planning to visit you for the third time. But I still won't make a burden of myself. What I really want is you, and not what you have. Children are not supposed to save up for their parents, but parents are supposed to take care of their children. So I will gladly give all that I have and all that I am. Will you love me less for loving you too much? .

This also illustrates how Christian life is a growing process – we start off like young helpless children, making many mistakes as we gradually mature and learn to follow Yeshua through exercising the power of the Holy Spirit now living within us.

As mature Christians, we should be contributing to the work that God is doing – but not at a legalistic 10% of our income, expecting that God will then bless our business activities. God wants us to be 100% committed to doing his work. Yes, we also need to work to support ourselves and our families. 2 Thessalonians 3:9-11 NLTIt wasn't that we didn't have the right to ask you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. Even while we were with you, we gave you this rule: "Whoever does not work should not eat."

Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and wasting time meddling in other people's business. . But our heart should be fully committed to contributing whatever we can to make God’s work as successful as possible.

Under the New Covenant, God is not concerned about what we eat and drink, or whether we keep the Sabbath or holy days, but only that we learn to follow his Holy Spirit – loving God and others with a desire and love that comes from the Holy Spirit working in us. Paul makes this crystal clear in his letter to the church at Colossae where he is writing to Gentile people who had never kept any of the Old Covenant laws. Colossians 2:11-17 NLTWhen you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedure - the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross. In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ.

So don't let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new-moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. For these rules were only shadows of the real thing, Christ himself..

The Purpose of the Old Covenant Laws

The Old Covenant laws were very good and following them would have resulted in a wonderful lifestyle for the Israelite people. Leviticus 26:1-13 CEVI am the LORD your God! So don't make or worship any sort of idols or images. Respect the Sabbath and honor the place where I am worshiped, because I am the LORD.

Faithfully obey my laws, and I will send rain to make your crops grow and your trees produce fruit. Your harvest of grain and grapes will be so abundant, that you won't know what to do with it all. You will eat and be satisfied, and you will live in safety. I will bless your country with peace, and you will rest without fear. I will wipe out the dangerous animals and protect you from enemy attacks.

You will chase and destroy your enemies, even if there are only five of you and a hundred of them, or only a hundred of you and ten thousand of them. I will treat you with such kindness that your nation will grow strong, and I will also keep my promises to you. Your barns will overflow with grain each year.

I will live among you and never again look on you with disgust. I will walk with you - I will be your God, and you will be my people. I am the LORD your God, and I rescued you from Egypt, so that you would never again be slaves. I have set you free; now walk with your heads held high.. However, because they refused to obey God, these laws only served to convict those who wanted to live their own way. 1 Timothy 1:6-11 NLTBut some teachers have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time arguing and talking foolishness. They want to be known as teachers of the law of Moses, but they don't know what they are talking about, even though they seem so confident.

We know these laws are good when they are used as God intended. But they were not made for people who do what is right. They are for people who are disobedient and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who murder their father or mother or other people.

These laws are for people who are sexually immoral, for homosexuals and slave traders, for liars and oath breakers, and for those who do anything else that contradicts the right teaching that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God.. They also gave the Israelite people an interim standard to live by until Yeshua came with a new and better way. Hebrews 9:10 CEVThese rules are merely about such things as eating and drinking and ceremonies for washing ourselves. And rules about physical things will last only until the time comes to change them for something better.. They gave a dim preview of what was to come. Hebrews 10:1 NLTThe old system in the law of Moses was only a shadow of the things to come, not the reality of the good things Christ has done for us. The sacrifices under the old system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship..

God set the Old Covenant in place as a temporary agreement with a headstrong people who were not ready to enter into the full intent of the New Covenant that he had planned from the beginning. The Old Covenant concerned physical laws and rituals – things that they could understand. Their subsequent history demonstrated that they were incapable of keeping even this cut-down version of God’s Law.

Under the Old Covenant the Sabbath day was given as a reminder for the Israelites of everything that God had prepared for them if only they would trust him. The various festivals were given to remind Israel of the great things that God had done for them in their past, as well as looking forward to the even greater things that he would do in the future. Hebrews 4:1-11 CEVThe promise to enter the place of rest is still good, and we must take care that none of you miss out. We have heard the message, just as they did. But they failed to believe what they heard, and the message did not do them any good. Only people who have faith will enter the place of rest. It is just as the Scriptures say,

"God became angry and told the people, `You will never enter my place of rest!' "

God said this, even though everything has been ready from the time of creation. In fact, somewhere the Scriptures say that by the seventh day, God had finished his work, and so he rested. We also read that he later said, "You people will never enter my place of rest!" This means that the promise to enter is still good, because those who first heard about it disobeyed and did not enter. Much later God told David to make the promise again, just as I have already said,

"If you hear his voice today, don't be stubborn!"

If Joshua had really given the people rest, there would not be any need for God to talk about another day of rest.

But God has promised us a Sabbath when we will rest, even though it has not yet come. On that day God's people will rest from their work, just as God rested from his work.

We should do our best to enter that place of rest, so that none of us will disobey and miss going there, as they did..

God has prepared a place of rest for us to enjoy. We must believe God and trust him to provide this - even when our time here is difficult. God rested on the seventh day after finishing his work of creation, and we will be able to enter the same kind of rest on completing our training here on earth – but only if we trust God and endure until the end of our lives. Revelation 14:13 NLTAnd I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this down: Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, they are blessed indeed, for they will rest from all their toils and trials; for their good deeds follow them!".

Why Yeshua had to come

Every one of us has sinned all through our lives and we are all condemned to die as a result. Yeshua was the Son of God who created the whole universe and everything in it. His life was worth far more than his creation. Colossians 1:15-18 CEVChrist is exactly like God, who cannot be seen. He is the first-born Son, superior to all creation. Everything was created by him, everything in heaven and on earth, everything seen and unseen, including all forces and powers, and all rulers and authorities.

All things were created by God's Son, and everything was made for him.

God's Son was before all else, and by him everything is held together. He is the head of his body, which is the church. He is the very beginning, the first to be raised from death, so that he would be above all others..

When he came to live among us he completely fulfilled the requirements of the law by living a perfect life without any sin. Hebrews 4:15 CEVJesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin!. He then freely allowed himself to be condemned to suffer and die as a common criminal so that he could fully repay the price of our sins. We could finally be forgiven our sins and be given the gift of eternal life in God’s Kingdom. John 3:13-21 CEVNo one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from there. And the Son of Man must be lifted up, just as that metal snake was lifted up by Moses in the desert. Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will have eternal life.

God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!

No one who has faith in God's Son will be condemned. But everyone who doesn't have faith in him has already been condemned for not having faith in God's only Son.

The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light. People who do evil hate the light and won't come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done. But everyone who lives by the truth will come to the light, because they want others to know that God is really the one doing what they do., John 5:24-29 CEVI tell you for certain that everyone who hears my message and has faith in the one who sent me has eternal life and will never be condemned. They have already gone from death to life.

I tell you for certain that the time will come, and it is already here, when all of the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen to it will live! The Father has the power to give life, and he has given that same power to the Son. And he has given his Son the right to judge everyone, because he is the Son of Man.

Don't be surprised! The time will come when all of the dead will hear the voice of the Son of Man, and they will come out of their graves. Everyone who has done good things will rise to life, but everyone who has done evil things will rise and be condemned..

When Yeshua appeared to Mary just after he rose from the dead, he had just laid the cornerstone of the New Covenant – his perfect life, suffering and death had defeated Satan and finally made it possible for all men to be reunited with his Father - at last it was possible to fulfil the promise that Yeshua made to Abraham.

Yeshua had sworn by himself that he would keep that promise. Genesis 22:15-18 NIVThe angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said,

"I swear by myself, declares the LORD , that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore.

Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me." . He had put his own eternal life as the Son of God on the line, and now it was done. His first words to Mary show how important this was to him. John 20:16-17 NIVJesus said to her, "Mary."

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'".

So the Good News also includes the message that our sins can be forgiven if we accept, believe, and obey Yeshua. Luke 24:47 CEVThey also say that all people of every nation must be told in my name to turn to God, in order to be forgiven. So beginning in Jerusalem,, Romans 3:21-26 CEVNow we see how God does make us acceptable to him. The Law and the Prophets tell how we become acceptable, and it isn't by obeying the Law of Moses.

God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ.

All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.

God sent Christ to be our sacrifice. Christ offered his life's blood, so that by faith in him we could come to God. And God did this to show that in the past he was right to be patient and forgive sinners. This also shows that God is right when he accepts people who have faith in Jesus..

Yeshua Died to Annul the Old Covenant

Yeshua died to save us from having to try to follow the futile way detailed in the Old Covenant. 1 Peter 1:18-25 ESVknowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for

"All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever."

And this word is the good news that was preached to you.. He cannot save us if we rely on keeping the Old Covenant laws. Galatians 5:1-4 CEVChrist has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don't ever become slaves of the Law again.

I, Paul, promise you that Christ won't do you any good if you get circumcised. If you do, you must obey the whole Law. And if you try to please God by obeying the Law, you have cut yourself off from Christ and his wonderful kindness. . All that matters is that we have been changed into new and different people. Galatians 6:14-15 CEVBut I will never brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his cross, the world is dead as far as I am concerned, and I am dead as far as the world is concerned.

It doesn't matter if you are circumcised or not. All that matters is that you are a new person..

Paul added to this when he described how the Old Covenant law created a barrier between Jews and Gentiles and that Yeshua died to annul the whole system of Jewish laws. Ephesians 2:14-15 CEVChrist has made peace between Jews and Gentiles, and he has united us by breaking down the wall of hatred that separated us.

Christ gave his own body to destroy the Law of Moses with all its rules and commands. He even brought Jews and Gentiles together as though we were only one person, when he united us in peace.. He emphasised this still more in the context of how to live a Christian life by trusting Yeshua rather than in our own strength. Philippians 3 CEVFinally, my dear friends, be glad that you belong to the Lord. It doesn't bother me to write the same things to you that I have written before. In fact, it is for your own good.

Watch out for those people who behave like dogs! They are evil and want to do more than just circumcise you. But we are the ones who are truly circumcised, because we worship by the power of God's Spirit and take pride in Christ Jesus.

We don't brag about what we have done, although I could. Others may brag about themselves, but I have more reason to brag than anyone else. I was circumcised when I was eight days old, and I am from the nation of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a true Hebrew. As a Pharisee, I strictly obeyed the Law of Moses. And I was so eager that I even made trouble for the church.

I did everything the Law demands in order to please God. But Christ has shown me that what I once thought was valuable is worthless. Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ and to know that I belong to him.

I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, so that somehow I also may be raised to life.

I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize.

My friends, I don't feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you. But we must keep going in the direction that we are now headed.

My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you. I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ. And now with tears in my eyes, I warn you again that they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and brag about the disgusting things they do. All they can think about are the things of this world.

But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body..

When Yeshua died on the cross he became a new kind of priest – different from the Old Covenant Levites. This is explained in Hebrews 7:12-19 NIVFor when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law.

He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God., Hebrews 8:6-13 CEVNow Christ has been appointed to serve as a priest in a much better way, and he has given us much assurance of a better agreement.

If the first agreement with God had been all right, there would not have been any need for another one. But the Lord found fault with it and said,

"I tell you the time will come, when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and the people of Judah. It won't be like the agreement that I made with their ancestors, when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. They broke their agreement with me, and I stopped caring about them!

But now I tell the people of Israel this is my new agreement: `The time will come when I, the Lord, will write my laws on their minds and hearts. I will be their God, and they will be
my people.

Not one of them will have to teach another to know me, their Lord.' All of them will know me, no matter who they are. I will treat them with kindness, even though they are wicked. I will forget their sins."

When the Lord talks about a new agreement, he means that the first one is out of date. And anything that is old and useless will soon disappear.. The Old Covenant is dead – replaced by a new and much better one. If we first accept the sacrifice made for us by our High Priest in heaven, then God has promised to write the full intent of his laws in our minds and to give us the desire to want to live by them.  Hebrews 9:13-15 CEVAccording to the Law of Moses, those people who become unclean are not fit to worship God. Yet they will be considered clean, if they are sprinkled with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a sacrificed calf.

But Christ was sinless, and he offered himself as an eternal and spiritual sacrifice to God. That's why his blood is much more powerful and makes our consciences clear. Now we can serve the living God and no longer do things that lead to death.

Christ died to rescue those who had sinned and broken the old agreement. Now he brings his chosen ones a new agreement with its guarantee of God's eternal blessings!, Hebrews 10:15-17 CEVThe Holy Spirit also speaks of this by telling us that the Lord said,

"When the time comes, I will make an agreement with them. I will write my laws on their minds and hearts. Then I will forget about their sins and no longer remember their evil deeds." .

We are being offered the future role of priests under Yeshua, our king and high priest. 1 Peter 2:9-10 NLTBut you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

"Once you were not a people; now you are the people of God. Once you received none of God's mercy; now you have received his mercy.".

The different inheritances of Isaac and Esau

Paul likens following the Old Covenant laws to the inheritance of Esau, Abraham’s slave wife’s child, compared with the freedom through faith enjoyed by Isaac, the son of his free wife. Galatians 4:21-31 NIVTell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. His son by the slave woman was born in the ordinary way; but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a promise.

These things may be taken figuratively, for the women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children.

But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: "Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband."

Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son."

Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman..

This is not freedom to do wrong, but rather freedom to focus on loving and serving God and each other. Galatians 5:13-14 NLTFor you have been called to live in freedom - not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself.". We are to keep the full intent of God’s law, even as our Father and Yeshua do. Romans 3:31 NLTWell then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.
,  Romans 8:1-4 NLTSo now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.

The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful.

God destroyed sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit., 1 Peter 2:16 CEVYou are free, but still you are God's servants, and you must not use your freedom as an excuse for doing wrong..

The Old and New Covenants are related to which master we are following. If it is our sinful human nature, then the Old Covenant is there to show us in black and white what God expects from us and to make absolutely clear that we have not measured up. If we are using the power of God’s Holy Spirit to follow and please Yeshua, then a written legal contract is no longer needed. Romans 6:1-23 CEVWhat should we say? Should we keep on sinning, so that God's wonderful kindness will show up even better? No, we should not! If we are dead to sin, how can we go on sinning? Don't you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father.

If we shared in Jesus' death by being baptized, we will be raised to life with him. We know that the persons we used to be were nailed to the cross with Jesus. This was done, so that our sinful bodies would no longer be the slaves of sin. We know that sin doesn't have power over dead people.

As surely as we died with Christ, we believe we will also live with him. We know that death no longer has any power over Christ. He died and was raised to life, never again to die. When Christ died, he died for sin once and for all. But now he is alive, and he lives only for God. In the same way, you must think of yourselves as dead to the power of sin. But Christ Jesus has given life to you, and you live for God.

Don't let sin rule your body. After all, your body is bound to die, so don't obey its desires or let any part of it become a slave of evil. Give yourselves to God, as people who have been raised from death to life. Make every part of your body a slave that pleases God. Don't let sin keep ruling your lives. You are ruled by God's kindness and not by the Law.

What does all this mean? Does it mean we are free to sin, because we are ruled by God's wonderful kindness and not by the Law? Certainly not! Don't you know that you are slaves of anyone you obey? You can be slaves of sin and die, or you can be obedient slaves of God and be acceptable to him. You used to be slaves of sin. But I thank God that with all your heart you obeyed the teaching you received from me. Now you are set free from sin and are slaves who please God.

I am using these everyday examples, because in some ways you are still weak. You used to let the different parts of your body be slaves of your evil thoughts. But now you must make every part of your body serve God, so that you will belong completely to him.

When you were slaves of sin, you didn't have to please God. But what good did you receive from the things you did? All you have to show for them is your shame, and they lead to death. Now you have been set free from sin, and you are God's slaves. This will make you holy and will lead you to eternal life.

Sin pays off with death. But God's gift is eternal life given by Jesus Christ our Lord..

The Old Covenant is still in force

This is also the reason why, in Hebrews 8:13 NLTWhen God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear., the Old Covenant is described as 'obsolete' and 'soon to disappear.' It still applies to the Israelite people who either have rejected the New Covenant, or don't know about it. And this is why the Jewish people in Israel today are still anticipating building a third temple.

The Old Covenant will finally 'disappear' immediately before Yeshua returns, and the Jewish people finally accept him as being the true Messiah. This is after the two witnessess, who were killed by the Beast, are brought back to life, and a massive earthquake levels Jerusalem, killing 7,000 people. Revelation 11:11-13 NLTBut after three and a half days, God breathed life into them, and they stood up! Terror struck all who were staring at them. Then a loud voice from heaven called to the two prophets, “Come up here!” And they rose to heaven in a cloud as their enemies watched.

At the same time there was a terrible earthquake that destroyed a tenth of the city. Seven thousand people died in that earthquake, and everyone else was terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.,  Zechariah 12:10-14 NLTThen I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died. The sorrow and mourning in Jerusalem on that day will be like the great mourning for Hadad-rimmon in the valley of Megiddo.

All Israel will mourn, each clan by itself, and with the husbands separate from their wives. The clan of David will mourn alone, as will the clan of Nathan, 13 the clan of Levi, and the clan of Shimei. Each of the surviving clans from Judah will mourn separately, and with the husbands separate from their wives.. The seventh trumpet sounds immediately after. Revelation 11:15 NLTThen the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:

“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.”.

The Significance of Baptism

Our old nature has to die in order for us to live this new life through God’s Holy Spirit. In ‘dying’, we are also freed from the legal requirements of the law and are given a new desire to want to obey and please Yeshua and our Father in heaven. Romans 7:1-6 CEVMy friends, you surely understand enough about law to know that laws only have power over people who are alive. For example, the Law says that a man's wife must remain his wife as long as he lives. But once her husband is dead, she is free to marry someone else. However, if she goes off with another man while her husband is still alive, she is said to be unfaithful.

That is how it is with you, my friends. You are now part of the body of Christ and are dead to the power of the Law. You are free to belong to Christ, who was raised to life so that we could serve God.

When we thought only of ourselves, the Law made us have sinful desires. It made every part of our bodies into slaves who are doomed to die. But the Law no longer rules over us. We are like dead people, and it cannot have any power over us.

Now we can serve God in a new way by obeying his Spirit, and not in the old way by obeying the written Law..

This is the significance of being baptised – being immersed under the water is symbolic of the death of our natural physical nature which is subject to the Old Covenant law. Being raised back out of the water symbolises receiving a new spirit-led life that is no longer subject to the Old Covenant laws. Romans 6:3-5 CEVDon't you know that all who share in Christ Jesus by being baptized also share in his death? When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father.

If we shared in Jesus' death by being baptized, we will be raised to life with him..

Believing God in not enough

Believing what Yeshua promised and trusting Him to provide it is the only way to be reconciled with God. Even this trust is a free gift from God. Ephesians 2:8-10 CEVYou were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.

God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That's why he sent Christ to make us what we are..

However, believing God, is not enough – we must also act on what we believe. James 2:18-26 NLTNow someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." I say, "I can't see your faith if you don't have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds."

Do you still think it's enough just to believe that there is one God? Well, even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that faith that does not result in good deeds is useless?

Don't you remember that our ancestor Abraham was declared right with God because of what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do. His faith was made complete by what he did - by his actions. And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: "Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous." He was even called "the friend of God." So you see, we are made right with God by what we do, not by faith alone.

Rahab the prostitute is another example of this. She was made right with God by her actions - when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without a spirit, so also faith is dead without good deeds.. And this can only be done by following God’s Holy Spirit working within us, Galatians 5:16-18 CEVIf you are guided by the Spirit, you won't obey your selfish desires. The Spirit and your desires are enemies of each other. They are always fighting each other and keeping you from doing what you feel you should. But if you obey the Spirit, the Law of Moses has no control over you., which is the same as having The Messiah living within us. Colossians 1:26-27 CEVFor ages and ages this message was kept secret from everyone, but now it has been explained to God's people. God did this because he wanted you Gentiles to understand his wonderful and glorious mystery. And the mystery is that Christ lives in you, and he is your hope of sharing in God's glory., Colossians 2:8-10 NIVSee to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority..