Welcome!
Today I want you to know about God’s greatest act of unfailing love toward us: The New Covenant in Christ. About 1900 years after God made a covenant with Abraham, He sent His Son Jesus to Earth to be the last covenant sacrifice and give us salvation from sin. In Hebrews 8:10-12, God said in this New Covenant, we would all know Him and He would forgive our sins forever. This was a sharp contrast to the Old Covenant.
Old vs. New
Under the Old Covenant, which God made with the Israelites at Mount Sinai, the way to approach God was through priests and sacrifices. The average person did not come to God directly. The priests were anointed by God to be mediators between the Israelites and Him. Once a year, the high priest would take the blood of an animal into the Holy of Holies as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the nation. (Exodus 28:1; 29:42-46; Leviticus 9; 16:34; Numbers 27:21)
In the New Covenant, we approach God through Jesus’ sacrifice. When Jesus died for our sins on the cross, He was the sacrifice. When He rose from the dead, He took His own blood into the heavenly Holy of Holies as the final sacrifice for our sins. He became the mediator of this covenant, making it with God on our behalf. We can approach God boldly at any time because we are in Christ, the mediator. (Hebrews 9:12, 14, 15; 4:16)
We Know God
Under the Old Covenant, there were two other types of individuals anointed by God, the prophet and the king. The Holy Spirit rested on those individuals and helped them fulfill their godly callings. The average person didn’t have firsthand communication with God. (I Samuel 3:19; 10:1, 10; 16:13; Isaiah 61:1)
In the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and enter into the covenant. He is always with us. We can always talk to Him. He is our Comforter, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby. We are never alone! (Ephesians 1:13, 14; Romans 8:11, John 14:16, 17)
Salvation from Sins
Under the Old Covenant, God promised the Israelites they would be His treasured possession if they obeyed Him and kept His covenant. He told them the blessings they would receive for keeping the covenant, and the curses they would receive for breaking it. (Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 28)
But the Old Covenant never promised salvation from sins, only atonement through animal sacrifices. In fact, judgment for sins was visited on the people who sinned and their descendants, “…to the third and fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:7 NIV)
In the New Covenant, Jesus died one time to take away all of our sins forever. As a perfect human, His sacrifice redeemed us from our sin, instead of only atoning for it. God no longer holds our sins against us when we accept Jesus as our Lord. We become new creations and are as perfect in God’s sight as Jesus is. (Hebrews 9:24-28; 10:14; II Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:4-6)
The Main Point
God loves us so much, He sent His Son Jesus to die as the covenant sacrifice for our sins. He did this so all people could know Him and be in covenant with Him when they accept Jesus as Lord of their lives. God created the New Covenant so we could have direct relationship with Him. He created it so He could give us the Holy Spirit. In His mercy, He created this covenant so He could forgive our sins forever. This is God’s greatest act of unfailing love toward us.
If you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, take a moment to pray this prayer out loud:
Father God, I come to You in Jesus’ Name. Your Word says if I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead, I will be saved. (Romans 10:9, 10) So, Father, I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I believe in my heart that You raised Him from the dead. Thank You for saving me from sin and hell. (Romans 10:13, John 3:16) Thank you for making me Your child in the New Covenant. (John 1:12, 13) In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Welcome to the Family
If you prayed that prayer, you are now in the New Covenant. You are God’s newest child and Heaven is throwing a party over you. (Luke 15:10) Welcome to the family of God! Please let me know in the comments or through the Contact page if you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior so I can rejoice with you and pray for you. I would also like to send you some free materials to help as you begin your new life with God.