Some people are confused about the covenants that apply to believers. God made a number of covenants throughout history. I won't go into them in any detail, but I want to point out two vital differences.
Some covenants were unconditional. They include God's covenant with Noah and with Abraham. The covenant of the Law that God made with Israel is conditional. The covenant of the Law, given to Israel, is conditional. God declared that there would be great blessing if Israel followed God's law and terrible judgements if they did not. History demonstrates that Israel, in spite of all the marvelous works they saw, disobeyed. Their disobedience was not an occasional sin for which forgiveness was available. The whole nation turned away from God. God's promises were revoked and God's judgement came.
Jesus instituted the New Covenant in His blood. There is no "blessing and cursing" in the New Covenant. It does not require obedience to a set of rules. The only requirement for believers is to accept Christ as Saviour. "Accepting" is far more than intellectual belief in facts. It is trusting as well as believing. A person may go to the doctor and get a prescription to cure their ailment. That's only part of the solution. Until they swallow the pill, nothing will change.
The New Covenant is unconditional. If we accept Christ, we are transformed. There is about 1500 years from Moses to Christ. So for 1500 years, Israel had the law. What good did it do? Nothing. Knowing God's requirements did not enable Israel to live accordingly.
Too many Christians do not understand that the Old Covenant was for Israel. Too many think that God demands that believers live by the law. Christianity is not rules to be obeyed, it is new life to be lived. No one puts new wine into an old wine skin. No one with any sense, that is. Putting believers under the law of Moses is like putting new wine into an old wine skin. No thanks. The New Covenant is new because the old was inadequate. We can, and should, live by the new law, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ our king.
Some covenants were unconditional. They include God's covenant with Noah and with Abraham. The covenant of the Law that God made with Israel is conditional. The covenant of the Law, given to Israel, is conditional. God declared that there would be great blessing if Israel followed God's law and terrible judgements if they did not. History demonstrates that Israel, in spite of all the marvelous works they saw, disobeyed. Their disobedience was not an occasional sin for which forgiveness was available. The whole nation turned away from God. God's promises were revoked and God's judgement came.
Jesus instituted the New Covenant in His blood. There is no "blessing and cursing" in the New Covenant. It does not require obedience to a set of rules. The only requirement for believers is to accept Christ as Saviour. "Accepting" is far more than intellectual belief in facts. It is trusting as well as believing. A person may go to the doctor and get a prescription to cure their ailment. That's only part of the solution. Until they swallow the pill, nothing will change.
The New Covenant is unconditional. If we accept Christ, we are transformed. There is about 1500 years from Moses to Christ. So for 1500 years, Israel had the law. What good did it do? Nothing. Knowing God's requirements did not enable Israel to live accordingly.
Too many Christians do not understand that the Old Covenant was for Israel. Too many think that God demands that believers live by the law. Christianity is not rules to be obeyed, it is new life to be lived. No one puts new wine into an old wine skin. No one with any sense, that is. Putting believers under the law of Moses is like putting new wine into an old wine skin. No thanks. The New Covenant is new because the old was inadequate. We can, and should, live by the new law, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ our king.