"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah-- not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD." (Hebrews 8:8, 9)
The Holy Spirit then goes on to affirm the nature of the New Covenant.
This is a difficult passage to exegete. I have read several commentaries, and all attempts seem to affirm the difficulty. But it seems as though the Apostle is saying here that the New Covenant has something in it which enables more grace and keeping power of our Lord Jesus Christ to be released. It was the unfaithfulness of the Hebrews which caused, "and I disregarded them," or, "and I turned away from them...." Maybe the unfaithfulness of the First Covenant People was so easy because the law, the covenant was not, as he goes on to say, "into their mind, and...in their hearts."
This is absolutely central to the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. When we receive Jesus Christ as King, Savior, and Master, we receive the great engrafting of the very, "God-Breathed," words of God. One of the ways in which you and I can be sure of our salvation is the smitten conscience when we walk contrary to the purposes of Jesus Christ as revealed in the "God-Breathed" Word. Sinning, aka, disobedience becomes more and more difficult to the degree His Words are, "into their mind, and...in their hearts." This is a Word which is difficult to escape. If a person can sin without any conviction, one could well doubt not only the presence of the engrafted Word, but of the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
I am not asserting that in the New Covenant there is never a disregarding or turning away on the Lord's part. But I do say, perhaps untheologically correct, the chances of that happening are far less in the New Covenant. It is not, I can do all things through me. It is, "I can do all things in Christ Who strengthens me." The New Covenant is an, "in Christ," Covenant, "I in you," and, "you...in Me." Stay "there," and we stay.
Father, in Jesus' Name, thank You for the, "New," and, "better." Amen.
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When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
