As a Christian I see Two covenants. The first is described in the Old Testament...and the second in the New.
A Christian lives under the new covenant – and is released from the old covenant through the work of Jesus. He established the new covenant by His blood.
The old covenant is about laws – the new is about gr…
As a Christian I see Two covenants. The first is described in the Old Testament...and the second in the New.
A Christian lives under the new covenant – and is released from the old covenant through the work of Jesus. He established the new covenant by His blood.
The old covenant is about laws – the new is about grace. The old outlines what man must do – the new is about what God has done in Christ.
In the old covenant enemies are destroyed – in the new they are forgiven. In the old covenant it’s about requirements – in the new it’s about requirements that have been met by Jesus.
So…is the old covenant useful? Yes. It expresses the need for grace. And once grace is received…the old covenant is helpful and instructive.
Live under grace – but learn the lessons of the old covenant.
Thank you, Pastor Mike! I am so disheartened to see the comments of Evangelical Christians on this blog who condone the genocide of innocent people in Palestine because they somehow misguidedly believe it is connected to the return of Christ, as if Jesus would condone the loss of a single person no matter their religion.
And once you have dispensed of the ‘Old’ Covenant, you have done away with the Savior. Because He Is the Foundation. He IS the Word. And you just did away with Him.
Also. You can no longer claim ‘salvation’ or the ‘blessings’. You have wiped out your need for a Savior , just as you wiped out your access to the blessings.
Amen. Jesus came to fulfill the law not to abolish it. The Old Covenant is as essential for our salvation as the new. It is the precursor to Our Lord’s fulfillment. Just as John the Baptist was the precursor between the Old and New testaments pointing the way to Jesus. A foundation less faith is no faith at all. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…” Reading John 1:1-18 makes this abundantly clear.
Enemies that accept that they are sinners, repent and accept Jesus as their savior AND master and continually repent of their sins and receive Jesus’ grace through the word and sacrament are not destroyed. All others are destroyed as they claim to have accepted Jesus and cry “Lord, Lord, you know me!” And he replies “I do not know you” as you are judged with the other unsaved sinners. No one enters Heaven except through Jesus and by knowing the Word; knowing him and he knowing you. All others are cast into Hell. To say the new covenant is about Grace is like saying the old covenant was about the Ten Commandments. I call this cotton candy Christianity. Feels good but is unsustainable in hard times. The babies of this world need to grow up and trade their milk for meat and need to know the Word, not the false hope taught by many false teachers. The path and the gate to salvation are narrow. Read “The Pilgrims Progress” for an idea of what I speak. It’s even on Audible.
Dad, I can make no sense out of this. Grace is a word describing His disposition towards sinners, us. It is His favor to us, which we by no means merit — nor can we. Ever. How does this not sustain us in hard times? How is this contrary to his word, which I do know and revere, or to repentance or to faith in Christ alone?
There is indeed such a thing as shallow theology, leading to an unsustaining faith, but the teaching of the fullness of His grace is lacking in those — as is the fullness of the gospel and Biblical understanding.
But how does reliance on His Grace, Love and Mercy render one a “cotton candy” Christian?
(I have, in fact, read both Pilgrims Progress books. The originals, with scripture references therein.)
Grace to you (all) and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is with the fruit of love that comes from the Holy Spirit that I implore you to pray for discernment as you read the passages that use the word "covenant" in the Old Testament.
I am reminded of this quote I read recently from St. Ignatius of Antioch (Letter to the Magnesians ca A.D. 110)“Do not be led astray by other doctrines nor by old fables which are worthless. For if we have been living until now according to Judaism, we must confess that we have not received grace. The prophets, who were men of God, lived according to Jesus Christ. For this reason they were persecuted, in spired as they were by His grace to convince the disobedient that there is one God, who manifested Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ….” “It is absurd to have Jesus Christ on the lips and at the same time to practice Judaism. Christianity did not base its faith Judaism, but Judaism on Christianity, in which every tongue believing in God is brought together.”
Unfortunately, many Christians are not informed that the Talmudic Jews still wish to execute those that speak heresy. If you believe in Jesus, the heretic, you are committing heresy. Therefore, all Christians deserve the death penalty under Talmudic law, like Islamic law. It is a very dangerous world for Christians. Aetheistic communists, Talmudic Jews (modern day Pharisees) and Islamists all prefer to see us gone. Odd that most of them don’t see their similarities and then question their beliefs. Jesus is alive in resurrected splendor, sitting at the right hand of God. He’s alive and well and will take care of his flock, always. Come Lord Jesus! We, your brothers and sisters, await your return and welcome it…. Sooner than later, if you please, God willing 🙏🏻
I hate to upset your apple cart, but what you have just imparted is a thumbnail sketch of the prime causative theological failure responsible for the Fallen Church of the Collective West. Tributary of the now Fallen Church is Western Civilization in collapse. And therefore, I am in total agreement is CStone and Kate. They state the bare bones opposing view succinctly.
Long ago, as a believer in cause and effect, I figured that there must be something very wrong with the churches because there must be a reason why the churches could not and/or would not defend themselves against the Evil arrayed against them. In short, the Western Pastorate (the most of them) seemed long on babble going nowhere, but short on effective answers.
Somehow and long ago, I got a hold of Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen. This must have been somewhere around 2008. I noted the date of writing of the book. It was 1923 and therefore still fairly early in the 20th century. Machen, at time, made good sense to me, and I could begin to see a bit of from whence came some of the 'cognitive' confusion which was then puzzling me. Later on, Howard Phillips, a rather well-know political figure and then Chairman of the Constitution Party of Virginia placed a copy of the seminal The Institutes of Biblical Law, Volume I by R. J. Rushdoony into my hands. This blew the lid of of everything. And I instantly could see why the American pastorate (for one) could not defend itself, not even from a creeping snail.
We have all been lied about everything. There is literally no area life in America free from lying, stealing, cheating ... and in many cases, even murder. There is some truth in what you stated. But as usual, it is what is left out, obscured and hidden under the rubble of a collapsing civilization which does the damage. There is, of course, Hosea 4:6, but there is also Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. And that begs the question, what should we fear? Of this, submit that one will find no answers to such things in the Fallen Churches of the West.
Concerning the Middle East
As a Christian I see Two covenants. The first is described in the Old Testament...and the second in the New.
A Christian lives under the new covenant – and is released from the old covenant through the work of Jesus. He established the new covenant by His blood.
The old covenant is about laws – the new is about grace. The old outlines what man must do – the new is about what God has done in Christ.
In the old covenant enemies are destroyed – in the new they are forgiven. In the old covenant it’s about requirements – in the new it’s about requirements that have been met by Jesus.
So…is the old covenant useful? Yes. It expresses the need for grace. And once grace is received…the old covenant is helpful and instructive.
Live under grace – but learn the lessons of the old covenant.
Thank you, Pastor Mike! I am so disheartened to see the comments of Evangelical Christians on this blog who condone the genocide of innocent people in Palestine because they somehow misguidedly believe it is connected to the return of Christ, as if Jesus would condone the loss of a single person no matter their religion.
Someone finally said that word, genocide. Evangelicals seem to be afraid to look in that direction.
The genocide of Jews by the Arabs that killed 1200 innocent men women and children on October 7th?
That isn’t it at all. Now try again.
And once you have dispensed of the ‘Old’ Covenant, you have done away with the Savior. Because He Is the Foundation. He IS the Word. And you just did away with Him.
Also. You can no longer claim ‘salvation’ or the ‘blessings’. You have wiped out your need for a Savior , just as you wiped out your access to the blessings.
Amen. Jesus came to fulfill the law not to abolish it. The Old Covenant is as essential for our salvation as the new. It is the precursor to Our Lord’s fulfillment. Just as John the Baptist was the precursor between the Old and New testaments pointing the way to Jesus. A foundation less faith is no faith at all. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…” Reading John 1:1-18 makes this abundantly clear.
Good thing I didn't do that.
Exactly right. Thank you.
Amen Pastor Mike. Thanks for speaking here!!! How long have you been a reader?
Since the summer of 2020
Enemies that accept that they are sinners, repent and accept Jesus as their savior AND master and continually repent of their sins and receive Jesus’ grace through the word and sacrament are not destroyed. All others are destroyed as they claim to have accepted Jesus and cry “Lord, Lord, you know me!” And he replies “I do not know you” as you are judged with the other unsaved sinners. No one enters Heaven except through Jesus and by knowing the Word; knowing him and he knowing you. All others are cast into Hell. To say the new covenant is about Grace is like saying the old covenant was about the Ten Commandments. I call this cotton candy Christianity. Feels good but is unsustainable in hard times. The babies of this world need to grow up and trade their milk for meat and need to know the Word, not the false hope taught by many false teachers. The path and the gate to salvation are narrow. Read “The Pilgrims Progress” for an idea of what I speak. It’s even on Audible.
Dad, I can make no sense out of this. Grace is a word describing His disposition towards sinners, us. It is His favor to us, which we by no means merit — nor can we. Ever. How does this not sustain us in hard times? How is this contrary to his word, which I do know and revere, or to repentance or to faith in Christ alone?
There is indeed such a thing as shallow theology, leading to an unsustaining faith, but the teaching of the fullness of His grace is lacking in those — as is the fullness of the gospel and Biblical understanding.
But how does reliance on His Grace, Love and Mercy render one a “cotton candy” Christian?
(I have, in fact, read both Pilgrims Progress books. The originals, with scripture references therein.)
That’s sounds almost like Islam.
Grace to you (all) and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is with the fruit of love that comes from the Holy Spirit that I implore you to pray for discernment as you read the passages that use the word "covenant" in the Old Testament.
I am reminded of this quote I read recently from St. Ignatius of Antioch (Letter to the Magnesians ca A.D. 110)“Do not be led astray by other doctrines nor by old fables which are worthless. For if we have been living until now according to Judaism, we must confess that we have not received grace. The prophets, who were men of God, lived according to Jesus Christ. For this reason they were persecuted, in spired as they were by His grace to convince the disobedient that there is one God, who manifested Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ….” “It is absurd to have Jesus Christ on the lips and at the same time to practice Judaism. Christianity did not base its faith Judaism, but Judaism on Christianity, in which every tongue believing in God is brought together.”
Unfortunately, many Christians are not informed that the Talmudic Jews still wish to execute those that speak heresy. If you believe in Jesus, the heretic, you are committing heresy. Therefore, all Christians deserve the death penalty under Talmudic law, like Islamic law. It is a very dangerous world for Christians. Aetheistic communists, Talmudic Jews (modern day Pharisees) and Islamists all prefer to see us gone. Odd that most of them don’t see their similarities and then question their beliefs. Jesus is alive in resurrected splendor, sitting at the right hand of God. He’s alive and well and will take care of his flock, always. Come Lord Jesus! We, your brothers and sisters, await your return and welcome it…. Sooner than later, if you please, God willing 🙏🏻
I hate to upset your apple cart, but what you have just imparted is a thumbnail sketch of the prime causative theological failure responsible for the Fallen Church of the Collective West. Tributary of the now Fallen Church is Western Civilization in collapse. And therefore, I am in total agreement is CStone and Kate. They state the bare bones opposing view succinctly.
Long ago, as a believer in cause and effect, I figured that there must be something very wrong with the churches because there must be a reason why the churches could not and/or would not defend themselves against the Evil arrayed against them. In short, the Western Pastorate (the most of them) seemed long on babble going nowhere, but short on effective answers.
Somehow and long ago, I got a hold of Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen. This must have been somewhere around 2008. I noted the date of writing of the book. It was 1923 and therefore still fairly early in the 20th century. Machen, at time, made good sense to me, and I could begin to see a bit of from whence came some of the 'cognitive' confusion which was then puzzling me. Later on, Howard Phillips, a rather well-know political figure and then Chairman of the Constitution Party of Virginia placed a copy of the seminal The Institutes of Biblical Law, Volume I by R. J. Rushdoony into my hands. This blew the lid of of everything. And I instantly could see why the American pastorate (for one) could not defend itself, not even from a creeping snail.
We have all been lied about everything. There is literally no area life in America free from lying, stealing, cheating ... and in many cases, even murder. There is some truth in what you stated. But as usual, it is what is left out, obscured and hidden under the rubble of a collapsing civilization which does the damage. There is, of course, Hosea 4:6, but there is also Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. And that begs the question, what should we fear? Of this, submit that one will find no answers to such things in the Fallen Churches of the West.
WOW