for this is the covenant that i will make with the house of israel after those days, declares the Lord: i will put my law within them, and i will write it on their hearts. and i will be their God, and they shall be my people. [jeremiah 31:33]
the new covenant of the blood of Christ. such a beautiful promise of God prophesied by jeremiah so long before Jesus ever set a human foot on the earth.
the old covenant God had made with israel, the old covenant that promised God’s presence among his people if they would follow his law with genuine hearts of worship, the old covenant that required blood sacrifices offered repeatedly by the priesthood, was never meant to save their souls for eternity.
the old covenant was passed down from family to family, urging them [or failing to urge them] to seek the presence of the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength. but the daily, weekly, yearly, sacrifices, the blood of bulls, could never take away sins. [hebrews 10:4] works of the flesh could never take away sins! the old covenant was only sufficient to expose their sin before a holy God and to reveal their desperation for a better sacrifice, sufficient for the forgiveness of sin.
consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. then i said, ‘behold, i have come to do your will, o God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” and by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. [hebrews 10:5-7, 10]
Christ was the ultimate sacrifice that atoned for our sin. Christ was the ultimate sacrifice that allows God to dwell with man permanently. Christ was the ultimate pleasing aroma to God, and his blood was the blood of the new covenant between God and man!
under the new covenant of grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s people israel now would have his law written on their hearts through the Holy Spirit. instead of following the letter of the law, “you shall have no other gods before me”, those in Christ Jesus now had the Spirit of the law, “love the Lord your God with all your heart” written on their hearts, and through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the desire and ability to follow that law. no longer a slave to sin, but free to live for God! praise the Lord for his covenant of grace!
as gentiles who have been grafted into the vine of Christ, this covenantal promise is for us as well. those who were far off [us] have been brought near! [ephesians 2:13] this is amazing truth for us as believers! the promised Holy Spirit now dwells in us. the Spirit of God’s law has been written on our hearts. no longer slaves to unrighteousness, we have become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus!
praise the Lord for the freedom to follow him! don’t waste this truth today. don’t go back to your former slavery. Jesus has the words of eternal life. cling to him in desperate thanksgiving! he holds out the promises of the new covenant to you today. come to him!
~arwen eastman