What Is the New Covenant?

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Why does God need a New Covenant with man? What makes it so much better than the one God made with ancient Israel in the Old Testament? What exactly is it in the first place?

The prophet Jeremiah wrote about the New Covenant that the Eternal will soon offer to all humans when he wrote the following.

The time is coming when I will (God) make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah . . . (Jeremiah 31:31).

God greatly desires to establish a close, personal relationship with his greatest creation, which is us (Genesis 1:26 - 27). One of the ways he will accomplish his goal is through new covenants (agreements) with humans, both conditional and unconditional.

The first mention of a better or new covenant is in Genesis, where Noah is promised he and his household will be spared the great flood (Genesis 6:18). The Lord also promised Noah, and indeed all mankind, that he would never again use water to destroy all life on the planet (9:12 - 15).

God the Father establishing covenant with Noah
God establishing covenant with Noah
Tapestry of wool and silk
Willem de Pannemaker, 1567

The book of Hebrews tells us why the new covenant offered through Jesus Christ is better than the old one made in the Old Testament.

But on the other hand, He has obtained a supremely more excellent ministry, as much greater as the superior covenant of which He is also Mediator, which was established upon superior promises (Hebrews 8:6).

There are at least three superior reasons why the new covenant made by God is far better and greater than anything he previously proposed to man.

Ancient Israel was not given the ability to obey their Creator both in the letter and the spirit (intent) of the law (Romans 8:3). God promises with this new agreement that, through the power and might of his Holy Spirit, he will personally write his laws and ways on man's mind.

I will give My laws into their minds, and I will inscribe them upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they will be My people (Hebrews 8:10, see also Romans 8:1).

The second reason why the covenant Jesus Christ offered in the Gospels is greater than anything that came before it is it promises ALL sins will be forgiven. In fact, the tremendous promise He makes is that our sins, once he forgives them, will NEVER, EVER be recalled or remembered by him!

For I will be merciful toward their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawlessness I will not remember EVER AGAIN (Hebrews 8:12).

It is only through the sacrifice and death of Jesus Christ the Savior that such an incredible and awesome forgiveness can be extended to man (Matthew 26:27 - 28).

The third and final reason (promise) the proposed new covenant is far greater than anything else is that those who love and obey God will receive an inheritance only HE can give.

And for this reason He is the Mediator of the New Covenant: in order that through His death . . . those who have been called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15)

God's proposal to live forever is being offered to only a relative few now. It soon will be proposed to ALL Israel. It will ultimately be offer to all those who ever lived (Ezekiel 37, Jeremiah 31, Hebrews 8, etc.). Although only partially fulfilled during his first coming to earth, the primary mission of Jesus' second coming will be to encourage man to accept God's will for them.

And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the MESSENGER OF THE COVENANT, in whom you delight. (Malachi 3:1).

Under the rule of Jesus, the world will come to know, respect, and keep God's law under the new covenant that will be made to fully understand.

God made humans for a particular reason and purpose. Out of his perfect love, he wants to share ALL he has, forever, with as many beings as possible. First, however, he must develop in us holy righteous character, the same character he and Jesus have had eternally, so that we can fully appreciate all that he generously wants to give.

Ultimately, every human will be given a full chance to hear and understand the gospel. They will then have to decide whether they wish to live the way of God or not. It is through his incredibly amazing new covenant that God fulfills his will to have countless billions of spiritual children just like him.

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