A better Covenant

Hebrews 8 : 6 «6But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. » KJV 

We are under a new covenant, based on better promises (Hebrews 8:6) for we have become children of God, in our own right with a filiation, privileges, rights and duties, a relationship and an intimacy with God, a family in Christ.

The commandment of the New Covenant is to walk in love. The new commandment of love replaces the Ten Commandments of the law for the New Covenant has replaced and fulfilled the Old.

The ten realities of the New Covenant

Jesus became the Son of man so that we might be children of God;

Jesus became sin that we might become in Him the righteousness of God;

Jesus became a curse so that we might be blessed;

Jesus carried and took our diseases so that we might be healed;

Jesus made Himself poor so that we might be enriched;

Jesus took our death so that we might live on His eternal life;

Jesus came on earth so that we might enter the Kingdom of God;

Jesus came to live on earth so that we could live in heaven;

Jesus clothed Himself with humanity so that we might be clothed in the power of the Holy Spirit;

Jesus suffered rejection so that we could be accepted.

With Christ

Crucified with Christ: from the moment we accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour and confessed Him as our Lord, we became crucified in the eyes of the world as it was crucified for us;

Dead with Him: Christ was our substitute. We died to sin once and for all in Christ;

Buried with Him: for three days, Christ went in the abyss for us and remained there, waiting for the requirements of righteousness to be fully satisfied;

Risen with Him: Christ died and raised. When He was brought back to life, we raised with Him;

Justified with Him: Christ was justified; all who accept Him as their Saviour and confess Him as their Lord are automatically and instantly made righteous;

Seated with Christ in the heavenly places: Christ sat at the right hand of the Father, and we with Him. By participating in the resurrection and reign of Jesus, God has elevated us to the highest position: sitting on His throne in Jesus (Ephesians 2:6).

Ephesians 2 : 6 « 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus » KJV

In Jesus, His Son, God goes even further because not only does He grant us to participate in the highest position that can be occupied, but He also makes us partakers of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), that of Christ (Hebrews 3:14) and of His holiness (Hebrews 12:10) uniting us to Him in Jesus.

2 Peter 1 : 4 «4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. » KJV

Hebrews 3 : 14 «14For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end » KJV

Hebrews 12 : 10 «10For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. » KJV

Thus, through both faith in Jesus and the New Birth by the Spirit, we are no longer sons of Adam but sons of God and partakers in the nature of God. We can now call God our Father, Jesus our Brother (John 20:17) because we are united with the Father in Jesus (John 17:21-22).

John 20 : 17 « 17Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God. » KJV

John 17 : 21-22 « 21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one » KJV

Righteousness in Christ

To the Ten Commandments of the law and in order not to break the will of God, the Jews over time added new commandments; it is estimated that there were 613 of them which regulated all life from rising to going to bed. These laws were there to enable them to reach a level of righteousness that would impress God. But the law never changed the heart of man.

The Lord in Matthew 5:20 tells us that our righteousness must be superior to that of the scribes and Pharisees!

Matthew 5 : 20 « 20For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. » KJV

The Lord Jesus has raised the demand for rignteousness to such a high level that it is impossible for men.

And if we could reach eternal life by ourselves, why would Jesus die on the Cross?

Jesus came to reveal the righteousness of God. He is the only one who could fulfill the law.

How have we been justified with God and become in good standing with Him? By:

– The Blood of Jesus (Romans 5:8-9);

Romans 5 : 8-9 « 8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. » KJV

– The Resurrection of Jesus (Romans 4:25);

Romans 4 : 25 « 25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. » KJV

– The Grace of God (Romans 3:23-24);

Romans 3 : 23-24 «23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus » KJV 

– Faith (Romans 5:1-2).

Romans 5 : 1-2 « 1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. » KJV

The first three pillars are available to all humanity; the fourth is the responsibility of each.

Righteousness is the state of being right before God, that is to say holy and perfect. We have been justified in Jesus and, henceforth, are in conformity with God, favored before Him.

God’s righteousness is declarative : God declares righteous of unrighteous. From the moment we believe in Jesus God declares us righteous.

Righteousness is not a goal to be achieved but a reality to be accepted and appreciated (Galatians 2:21). Nothing that can be done will make us more righteous in the sight of God.

Galatians 2 : 21 « 21I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. » KJV

Righteousness gives us the ability to stand before God without feeling guilt, inferiority or shame as if sin had never existed. By wearing the righteousness of Jesus, every time we stand before God, it is as if it was Jesus Himself who stood before Him.

Righteousness is a spiritual position, our position in God. Now, He wants us to bear the fruits of righteousness. And to practice righteousness is to do the works that Jesus did.