"New Covenant" (4-18-21)

Overview

The New Covenant: A One-Way Promise

There's an old idiom—"before the ink was dry"—that describes an agreement broken almost as soon as it was signed. That phrase captures exactly what happened with the covenant God established with His people at Mount Sinai. It was a two-way covenant: God declared Himself their God, gave His commandments, and called for obedience, with blessings attached to faithfulness Deuteronomy 28:1. Yet while Moses was still on the mountain receiving God's word, the people were already at the foot of it fashioning a golden calf Exodus 32:1-6. The covenant itself was holy and good. The problem was the sinfulness of the people. The law could reveal sin, but it could not remove it. It could call for obedience, but it could not empower it. Sinai was preparatory.

Through Jeremiah, God promised something different: "The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah… not like the covenant that I made with their ancestors… a covenant that they broke" Jeremiah 31:31-34. This new covenant would be different in kind—God Himself writing His law on human hearts, knowing His people from the least to the greatest, and most stunning of all: "I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more."

Hebrews tells us how this promise was kept. Where the priests of old offered sacrifices "that can never take away sin," Christ "offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins" and sat down at God's right hand Hebrews 10:11-18. The new covenant was sealed in His blood. Unlike Sinai's two-way contract, this covenant is one-way—more like a will than a loan. Jesus does the work; we receive the inheritance. Sin is removed because He bore the wrath for it. Obedience is empowered because the Holy Spirit dwells within the believer. This covenant is sealed to us in the waters of baptism, where God joins His Word to water and claims us as His own.

The temptation in the Christian life is to keep slipping back into the language of law: I must have done something good to deserve this blessing… God helps those who help themselves… if I just had enough faith… God, I deserve better after all I've done for You. Each phrase tries to bargain with God on the terms of the law—but the law was never given to save. As Paul writes, "a person is justified, not by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ" Galatians 2:16. The good news of the new covenant is that God has already done the work, already claimed you, already promised never to let go. The ink is dry. The promise stands.

Transcript

What you open your Bibles, please, with me today for our study to Jeremiah the 31st chapter. 3s

Jeremiah chapter 31 for our study today. 11s

Idioms. 17s

Idioms. 18s

There are a grouping of words that if you take them by themselves, well, it just doesn't 20s

make sense to hold them together. 26s

But because of usage, one understands what is being communicated by grouping those words together. 28s

For example, an idiom is it is raining cats and dogs. 38s

When you just take the words by themselves, that doesn't make too much sense to hold them 45s

together in association with rain. 51s

Does it? 53s

But yet because of usage holding those words together, we know that if we say it is raining 55s

cats and dogs, what we're communicating is it is an absolute downpour or an idiom like 61s

it's the best of both worlds. 73s

Well, again, holding that image together doesn't quite make sense, does it? 77s

But because of usage, we understand the meaning that is being communicated or the idiom 84s

of, well, that's just adding insult to injury. 91s

Idioms, there's quite a few of them aren't there. 95s

There's also this idiom. 100s

Before the ink was dry, before the ink was dry, that communicates, doesn't it? 103s

That an agreement had been entered into, but the agreement was broken by one of the parties 112s

or perhaps both of the parties. 120s

Before the ink was dry, I mentioned that idiom today. 123s

Because that idiom will it helps us to understand our text for study. 132s

We continue today in the sermon series, simply entitled New. 141s

An eight-week celebration of that which God makes new and this is sermon number three in 149s

the series. 155s

You'll recall it began the series on Easter day in which we studied the new name that we 156s

were given in heaven. 163s

That new name meaning the reality of heaven in all of its beauty. 165s

Last week we studied new life and the image of the butterfly emerging a caterpillar to a 174s

butterfly, new life that God gives us in Christ. 183s

Well, today, as we continue the sermon series on New and celebrating that which God makes 188s

new, I'd like to study with you the new covenant, the new covenant. 196s

To do so, we turn to Jeremiah 31st chapter. 205s

Jeremiah in that great great book is God is speaking through the prophet. 211s

Jeremiah is bringing words of condemnation because of the sin of the people of Judah. 216s

But then he brings these beautiful words of hope. 225s

Look with me, please. 231s

At chapter one or chapter 31 verse 31. 232s

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house 238s

of Israel and the house of Judah, a covenant, a contract. 248s

That can be two ways, can't it? 257s

For example, if you buy a car and you finance the car, they give you the car, but there's 260s

also the promise that you're making that you're going to pay off that car and most likely 267s

with interest. 273s

There's an agreement. 275s

It's two ways. 276s

You get the car, but now you have to make the payments. 277s

And if you don't make the payments, your car is taken away. 281s

That's a covenant. 284s

That's a contract. 286s

It's two ways. 287s

There's also covenants that are one way covenants. 290s

A will would be a perfect example of that. 296s

A person makes a promise gives a direction. 300s

And the people then that receive that promise embedded in the will, they do absolutely nothing 304s

to receive that was as indicated in the will. 311s

They simply receive it. 316s

So a covenant can be two ways or a covenant can be a one way covenant. 319s

God made a two way covenant with the people of old at Mount Sinai. 329s

It was two ways. 335s

God said, I am God, and now this is what I demand of you. 338s

I demand obedience. 342s

And this is what obedience looks like. 344s

God says, these are my expectations for you. 346s

I establish this covenant. 350s

And now this is what I expect of you. 351s

And you are to teach this covenant. 356s

You are to adhere to this covenant. 358s

You are to keep this covenant always before you. 361s

You are to live out this covenant in obedience. 366s

And God said, as I enter into covenant with you and as you are obedient, there are blessings. 372s

Deuteronomy the 28th chapter. 382s

If you will only obey the Lord your God by diligently observing all His commandments 385s

that I am commanding you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations 392s

of the earth. 400s

So God establishes a covenant. 402s

It's a two way covenant. 404s

And what did the people do? 406s

They broke that covenant. 409s

They broke it. 411s

In fact, they broke it before the ink was dry. 414s

So to speak. 421s

I think of Exodus the 30 second chapter. 424s

Let's turn there, please. 428s

Genesis and then Exodus. 429s

Exodus chapter 32. 432s

Moses has gone up to the mountain to receive the message of God to receive the commandments 435s

of God, but he doesn't come down according to the timetable of the people. 440s

And so the people form their own God. 445s

We read in chapter 32 of Exodus, when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down 451s

from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron and said to him, come, make God's for 456s

us who shall go before us. 463s

As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know 466s

what has become of him. 472s

Aaron said to them, take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons 475s

and your daughters, and bring them to me. 480s

So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. 483s

He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold and cast an image of a calf. 489s

And they said, these are your gods, oh Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 494s

When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. 503s

And Aaron made proclamation and said, tomorrow shall be a festival to the Lord. 506s

They rose early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well 516s

being. 522s

And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to revel. 523s

God establishes a two-way covenant with the people. 531s

God says, this is what I expect from you. 537s

And before that, inquisitri, so to speak, they broke it and they continued to break it. 541s

There was certainly nothing wrong with the covenant that God had established. 554s

Not at all. 559s

There was nothing to matter with that. 562s

What the problem was was the sinfulness of the people. 564s

But here's what I want to highlight about the covenant. 571s

When God established that covenant, that two-way covenant, 576s

when God established that, it revealed sinfulness. 581s

But the covenant couldn't remove the sin. 588s

It called for obedience, the covenant. 594s

But it didn't empower that obedience. 598s

You see that two-way covenant that God established at Sinai, 604s

that was preparatory. 610s

It was a preparatory covenant, preparatory for what? 613s

Back to our text now, please. 622s

Jeremiah 31, verse 31. 624s

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, 630s

when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 634s

It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors. 642s

When I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, 646s

a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. 650s

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel 657s

after those days says the Lord. 662s

I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts 666s

and I will be their God and they shall be my people. 671s

No longer shall they teach one another or say to each other, 677s

no the Lord for they shall all know me, 681s

from the least of them to the greatest says the Lord. 685s

For I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin, no more. 690s

Turn now, please. 703s

To the book of Hebrews, the 10th chapter, 706s

we'll pick up in verse 11 and there we read this. 711s

And every priest stands, day after day it has served us, 718s

offering again and again the same sacrifices that can never take away sin. 723s

But when Christ had offered for all a single sacrifice for sins, 730s

he sat down at the right hand of God, continuing on in verse 15. 740s

And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us for after saying, 749s

this is the covenant that I will make with them after those days says the Lord, 755s

I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds. 761s

He also adds, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds, no more. 766s

Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. 774s

The new covenant, the new covenant was born through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 783s

And this new covenant, while the covenant established at Sinai was a two-way covenant, 796s

the new covenant is a one-way covenant. 802s

Jesus Christ dies on the cross. 811s

He removes our sin. 816s

Our sin is placed upon him and he takes the wrath of God for our sin. 819s

The new covenant removes sin. 828s

And the new covenant, it empowers obedience, the Holy Spirit dwelling inside the believer, 833s

God by his grace manifesting that which is pleasing unto him. 847s

And when we fall short, God lifting us up with his word of absolute. 853s

The new covenant sealed in our baptism. 861s

When we are splashed with the promises of God, 867s

where God takes his word and puts it together with the word, with the water and washes us in it. 872s

Giving us of His forgiveness of sins and life, eternal and faith and the Holy Spirit, 879s

and making us a member of the family of God. 885s

Back to our text again. 892s

Verse 34, the last part, 894s

for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more. 900s

That's what God speaks to us through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 911s

That's what He speaks to us through the empty tomb of our Lord. 919s

Behold, behold, the new, the new. 927s

And I think back to my first call in the state of Washington. 939s

The person came by that was outside of the community and they shared that they're relative who was part of that community that lived in the town. 945s

Had passed away. 954s

That person had Lutheran roots, they said, and so they were wondering if I would do a funeral service. 958s

As we talked, the relative shared such an interesting line. 966s

The relative said, if there's anybody that deserves to get into heaven, it was Him. 973s

He was such a good person. 982s

Talk about him, open door to witness, right? 989s

What we're tempted to do is try to deal with God in terms of the law. 996s

Try to affect the relationship with Him in terms of the law or try to win eternal life through the terms of the law. 1008s

But the law that God gave to us, the law was never meant to save. 1021s

God gave the ten commandments long after humankind had fallen into sin. 1030s

God never gave the ten commandments and said, now if you fulfill these perfectly, you will earn your way into heaven. 1035s

Humankind had already fallen into sin. 1044s

It was already imperfect, already stood under the condemnation of God. 1047s

God never gave the law to save. 1053s

Paul puts it this way in Galatians 2. 1056s

We know that a person is justified, not by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ. 1060s

And yet, we're tempted to try and deal with God in terms of the law. 1073s

It can creep into our thinking. 1084s

It can creep into our speech, for example. 1087s

We might be tempted to say, I must have done something really, really good to get this blessing from God. 1092s

Hear the law there and trying to deal with God in terms of the law or how about this. 1104s

God helps those who help themselves. 1114s

Hear the law and who gets the glory in that scenario, right? 1119s

It's almost the image of God patting us on the back and saying, well, help you. 1125s

But you were the one that really helped yourself. 1130s

Here it's trying to deal with God in terms of the law or if you just have enough faith, 1134s

or if you just pray harder or more fervently. 1146s

If you just have enough faith and pray harder, then you can get from God what it is you want. 1153s

Or you can have your breakthrough with God. 1159s

Or a phrase either thought or lived out or one says, 1165s

God, you just don't understand here how much I have I've served you and served you. 1170s

And so why is it then that I'm suffering God? 1178s

Or God, I deserve this. 1183s

Hear and all of that, it's just the bondage that we put ourselves in when we think. 1189s

That the law is that which we must fulfill in order to earn God's blessing. 1199s

We'll love. 1211s

Look again, Ropee, please, at verse 31. 1214s

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, 1218s

when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 1225s

The new covenant, the one way covenant where God simply says, 1237s

this has been one for you through the cross and the empty tomb. 1248s

The new covenant where God simply says, 1255s

look what you have received in the waters of baptism. 1261s

I've claimed you, I've washed you, you are mine. 1266s

And I'm not letting go. 1273s

The new covenant, God's grasp upon us. 1278s

The new covenant, the ink is dry. 1287s