Sunday 05:16:10

We are to become what we already are. We are declared to be holy by the work of Christ on the cross and being made holy by the work of Christ continuing in our lives. The very heart of Christianity is this: we are loved, forgiven and accepted by God. We did not have to earn it; it was done for us through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. The old covenant was weak in that it was not accompanied by spiritual transformation. Because of this, it was inadequate, temporary, and imperfect. So it wasn’t obeyed and did not bring life. It was written on hearts of stone, not with the Spirit on the heart. . So God promised a new covenant; one that was to be better and more glorious than the first. Jeremiah 31:31-34 31 "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. 32 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 broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. 33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 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," declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." The new covenant came with the ability to change people. God would write his law, not on tablets of stone, but in their minds and in their hearts and they would be transformed. The old covenant was inadequate and temporary, but the new covenant is effective and permanent. So we don’t forget, how did we get the new covenant? Jesus said that his blood was the “blood of the new covenant, which was poured out for many.” (Mark 14:24) The new covenant came through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. The suffering and death of Christ guarantees the inner change of his people. We are forever transformed by the sacrifice of Christ. The problem for many Christians is that they think they mature as believers by following the laws of the old covenant. Do this. Don’t do that. Try to be a good person. A good Christian doesn’t do those things. Be more disciplined: read your Bible, pray, share your faith. But the problem is this: that’s how the old covenant was structured and it didn’t work because people couldn’t do it. Your experience – mountain-top experience. Followed by a promise to God to do better having quiet times, sharing your faith. Then three weeks later, you’re back to the same way you were. You go away for a little while. Then another mountain-top experience, another promise to do better, another three weeks… What you are doing is a perfect pattern of the old covenant. We’re not under the old covenant. We’re under the new covenant. The new covenant came with the ability to change people. God would write his law, not on tablets of stone, but in their minds and in their hearts and they would be transformed. So if the way that we mature is not through more effort or discipline, how are we changed? 2 Corinthians 3:18 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect (or contemplate - behold) the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. We are changed by reflecting, contemplating, and beholding Jesus Christ. • When Paul tells Corinthians to be generous. He tells them think of the generosity of Christ. His generosity is to be their motivation. • When he tells men how to treat their wives. He says love them sacrificially, like Christ loves the church. Our motivation to love our wives is the love of Christ. • When he tells people to submit to authorities, just like Christ made himself a servant. He never says good Christians do this, not that. He never says shame on you if you do that. He says reflect, contemplate and behold Christ. That is how you mature as a believer. That is how God’s law is written on your heart and you are forever transformed from the inside – by reflecting on Jesus Christ. John captured what Jesus said about having a fruitful life. John 5:5 5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. “Remain in me and you will bear much fruit”. The word for remain means to stay, dwell, live with. If you do those things, you’ll have a fruitful life. Don’t try doing it on your own – “apart from me you can do nothing”. We are not under the old covenant. We do not live by dos and don’ts. We cannot discipline ourselves into maturity or shame ourselves out of sin. Reflect and remain. Contemplate on Christ. Remember all that He has done. The Spirit will take Christ’s work and write the law on your heart and you will be forever changed.