Old And New

Everyone has heard about the Old Testament and the New Testament.  The books in each of these covenants is us what make up the full Christian Bible of those who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.  The religion of Judaism does not have the teaching of the New Testament but have many of the books of the Old Testament, though not all.  The Jewish religion teaches the Torah but has other Rabbinical teachings also.  The Islamic religion teaches from the Koran and also from the writings of their prophets.  The Mormon religion teaches from the Bible and from the writings of some of their prophets.  There are other religions that teach from other manmade writings.  There have been writings and teaching from man for thousands of years.  How do we know which are divine revelations from God the Father?  The One True God?  The only God?  I AM?

When Jesus was on earth and began teaching the Jewish people in Israel he told them,

Matthew 5:17 (NIV) - “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

Jesus was Jewish and practiced Jewish laws.  There were no Christians until after his resurrection when the other Jews who had been his disciples/apostles began preaching to the Gentile peoples in the areas they traveled to.  Many of the religious Jews hated him for what he was teaching the Jewish people which is why the religious leaders had him killed. He could have stopped his death at any time but because he came to save the lost souls from all people groups he had to die and pay the sacrificial price for all who would come to him and believe in him as God. He was the sacrificial lamb who would be slain.  

Today we live in an age where man is still fighting against the teachings of Jesus.  Many are saying the Old Covenant is no longer valid and that it has been replaced by the New Covenant.  They base this lie on the verse by the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 8:13 that says;

'By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.'

Paul goes on to teach them about animal sacrifices no longer being necessary as the Lamb (Jesus) was the final sacrifice.  As usually man reads the parts they want to believe and toss out the parts they don’t want to follow.  

Yes, the new church is under the New Covenant but the Old Covenant has not been buried.  Parts if the old laws have been done away with but the history and lessons of the Israelites are still valid today under the New Testament.  By the power of the Holy Spirit these are reveled to us as faithful and true.  The new church has not replaced the place of honor God the Father bestowed on Abraham and his descendants.  Only numerous sacrificial laws of the Jewish religion have been made obsolete.  You are no longer allowed to stone another person for adultery.  You are no longer allowed to cut off the hands of the thief.  The Ten Commandments still stand right along with "Love your enemy."

The first covenant was made by God for the Jewish nation.  The second covenant was made for those who chose to believed Jesus Christ was the Messiah prophesied about in the Old Testament writings.  The Messiah who would come to establish a new kingdom.  A kingdom far different than this earth kingdom. The church is the Bride of Christ Jesus.  She is pure and holy and new.  She is born again and faithful and under the New Testament teachings of Jesus the Teacher.  She is not the Nation of Israel. She is not under the old laws.  Those who come to the knowledge of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit understand the Israelite's and the Gentiles are two different people groups who can come together as one under the name Jesus Christ the Messiah. The apostles that Jesus chose for his ministry were Jews who came to Jesus.  They were not called Christians at that time, they were called people of the Way or Christ Followers but they still practiced Jewish traditions as laid out under Old Testament law, though they no longer sacrificed animals or burnt offerings.  

Parts of the Old Testament are now obsolete under Jesus.  The lion and the lamb can be friends.  The Jew and the Gentile can be friends.  They can all eat at the same table with no unclean foods.  The poor and the rich can laugh together.  The sinner and the saint can be friends.  There is no condemnation in doing good for others.  There is new law in replacement of old laws that are obsolete with Jesus as the new sacrifice for sin. 

But as for the nation of Israel the covenant that God made with them as his chosen nation still stands. He will redeem them one day just as he has redeemed the new church, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that Christ has built since his resurrection.  

Man can try to change what God has planned but in the end it will be only God's word that will stand.  Man can try to say, "This is what God meant in that scripture writing" but only God's truth will be revealed to those who diligently seek truth.  No one will be deceived if they keep their eyes and ears open to the word of God.  All of those chosen by the Father to be in his kingdom will be with him one day. 

Isaiah 45:22 - 25 - "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath. He shall say, 'Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength. To Him men shall come, And all shall be ashamed Who are incensed against Him. In the Lord all the descendants of Israel Shall be justified, and shall glory.'"

A wise man once said,

Ecclesiastes 1:9 - What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

Psalms 33:4 - For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.