The Covenant of Jesus Christ

  

By Kenneth Pitcock

     The greatest gift available to man is the Covenant of Jesus Christ. There is nothing in our lives as important as eternal life. Eternal life is only available through the Covenant of our Lord. There are many false doctrines in the world today. The scriptures teach that many false prophets will arise and deceive many. (Matthew 24:11)  Only the Chosen of the Lord will receive His Covenant. He told us that “Many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 20:16) The way to eternal life is a narrow path. This means that there are dangers on both sides of the path. To understand God's will, it requires us to seek Him and do His will. The scripture states; “We know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshiper of God and doeth His will, him God heareth.” (John 9:31)  It is evident by this scripture, that the casual seeker will not be able to make an appeal to the Lord. Jesus also told us that: “broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, but straight is the gait that leadeth to life, and few there be that find it.”(Matthew 7:13) This lesson is written so those that hunger and thirst after righteousness are assisted in finding it.

     The word covenant can easily be interchanged with promise. His Covenant is His promise to you, and your promise to Him. His Church is called the Bride of Christ. Therefore, this Covenant is as an espousal. Sometime after the return of Jesus, there is a marriage and marriage supper between Christ and His body of believers. (Revelations 19:7-9) God promises on His behalf, that He will forgive you of your sins and never impute them  (charge them)  to you. (Romans 4:7-8) It also states that by His one sacrifice, He has perfected them forever who are sanctified, whereby the Holy Spirit is witness.(Hebrew 10:14-20) Once you have repented of your sins, been baptized in Jesus name, and received the Holy Ghost, you're perfected forever! There is no more sacrifice that is needed to be made. This is possible because once you're born again, you are taken out of the law, and placed into the law of the liberty in Christ Jesus. (James 2:12) His laws have been placed in our hearts and minds. There is therefore no need for a written law anymore. We are no longer subject to such things as touch not, taste not, and handle not.(Colossians2:21) There are many man made religions that seek to put a bondage on the believers of the Lord. They are mostly imposed by teaching people that they are required to obey the Mosaic Law of the Old Testament. Others impose their own man made doctrines. When the Apostles were gathered to discuss the restrictions that were to be imposed on the Gentile believers, (Non Jewish)   they gave their voices in Acts15:5-20.  They were to refrain from pollution to idols, from fornication, from things strangled, and from blood.

    Someone that is born again is the Lords free man. Yet, because of his love of Jesus, he has made himself a servant of Jesus. A true believer desires not to sin. A true believer will seek to please and worship the Lord.  Like earlier stated, a born again person is taken out of the law. Where there is no law, there can be no transgression.(Romans 4:15) It is crazy to drive a car 100 MPH down a city street. However, if there is no law against it, you can not be prosecuted for it. Therefore since you are no longer under the law, when you do things contained in the law, you are no longer charged with it. It is for this cause that Jesus went into hell after giving His life on the cross to preach unto the disobedient in Noah's days. They were wicked and violent, but the only law given to man at that time, was not to eat of the tree of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden. I can't tell you what Jesus preached to those souls, but it is evident that it was something that they could be judged by at the Judgment of the Lord.

  This subject of law versus grace was of much discussion during the early church. But, the apostles did conclude as above stated the things believers were to refrain from.

     To understand this subject, it is necessary to put it in the overall plan of God. The scriptures teach us that before the law, sin was in the world, but where there is no law, there is no transgression. (Romans 4:15)  The purpose of the law was to make all guilty before God. (Romans 3:19)  Then, it would allow them to turn to Jesus and His plan of salvation to be saved. The Apostle Paul was used greatly by the Lord Jesus to bring this understanding to the Church. It was of great great concern to the Jews who were converted to Jesus that had been keepers of the law. As a matter of fact, Jesus became a stumbling block to the Jews because they sought to be justified by keeping the law, when the law was given to make all guilty. They tried to seek justification by keeping the ordinances contained in the law. Romans 9:30-33 explains this in more detail. We can't make ourselves anymore right than the work that Jesus did for us on the cross. Doing things in the law will not give you anymore favor with God. On the contrary, if we seek to be justified by doing the things in the law, we will fall from grace. Galatians (5:4) Galatians 2:16-21 deals with this and what we are to do for justification. The seriousness of this subject can't be over stated. None of us want to fall from grace!

     Many ministers in this day are so afraid to preach this truth because they feel it will give their believers an attitude of; let us do whatever we want, good or bad. This is far from the truth! Someone truly born again will only seek to do things that please God. If you make a mistake, you will be the first to repent and try to please God. No laws or rules are able to stop people from doing wrong. Nor, can they justify anyone by doing what is right. We are justified by faith in the Lord. Believing He will do what He promised in His covenant.

     Our part of the covenant requires us to be faithful to the Lord and have no other God, or idol before Him. We are required to be faithful to Him. There are a few things that the Apostles taught us to do according to the flesh. You will find them in the writings of the Apostles in the New Testament.

     I am writing this because of the many teachings that are in the world today, and the fact that unless you really understand the LIBERTY that the Lord gives us, you will not understand how much love and trust He has for you. In marriage between a man and woman, trust is a big issue. With God, it is called faith. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. A good man does not put a bunch of rules and regulations on his wife. He trusts her. A good woman doesn't mess around with other men, but is faithful to her husband. When true love is obtained, fear is not present, but faith, hope, and charity!

The scripture proclaims that it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. (Luke 12:32).

   This teaching in no way is designed to teach anyone to do wrong. Paul explained this also in Romans 6:1-2. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid, How shall we that are dead to sin continue any longer therein? If we make a mistake or do wrong, we are to repent and continually die out to sin.

        The law has an effect on the human soul. It will actually put a snare on you that will cause you to do the things that are contained in it. It works it's purpose to make you guilty as God designed it to do. Paul explained this in Romans chapter 7. Please read the entire chapter.

     This liberty that the Lord has given us is not to be used for an occasion to serve our flesh. (Galatians 5:13)  We understand from the teaching of Jesus that all the commandments in the law can be summed in in one statement: love thy neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-40) If we really love someone, we will not transgress against them. Therefore it is concluded that by love we fulfill the law of God. John also spoke that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments and they will not be grievous.(1 John 5:3) The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost that is given to us. It is therefore by love and faith that we please God, not by works of the law.

     It is important that we lay no burdens on the children of God that are not ordained by the Lord. When you do this to the children of God, you are just as guilty as one that teaches it is okay to sin because you're under grace. It works both ways. We must be very careful not to add to or take away from God's Word. The Apostle Paul was concerned about those that would enter in teaching the law, not understanding the things that they were doing. (1Timothy 1:5-10)The law is for the ungodly and sinners, not for the righteous.

     You ministers of God, heed this warning; Galatians 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. If your minister preaches anything other than this, you need to get away and find someone that will preach and practice the truth.