erebus-cross

The Bible speaks of an “old covenant” and a “new covenant.” The term covenant refers to a solemn, binding agreement between two parties carrying obligations for both sides and enforced by an oath. In the Bible the covenants God makes with man are initiated by himself. He sets the terms. His obligations are determined by his own purposes. The “old covenant” refers to the arrangement God established with Israel in the law of Moses. Its weakness was that it was not accompanied by spiritual  transformation. Therefore it was not obeyed and did not bring life. It was written with letters on stone, not with the Spirit on the heart.  The new covenant is radically more effective than the old. It is enacted on the foundation of Jesus’ suffering and death. “He is the Christ Suffered and Died . . .He is the mediator of a new covenant” (Hebrews 9:15). Jesus said that his blood was the “blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many” (Mark 14:24). This means that the blood of Jesus purchased the power and the promises of the new covenant. It is supremely effective because Christ died to make it so.  To guarantee that this covenant will not fail, Christ takes the initiative to create the faith and secure the faithfulness of his people. He brings a new-covenant people into being by writing the law not just on stone, but on the heart.

Reflecting on this reminds me of the time when I realized what it meant to be saved by grace.  Previously, I kept life and spiritual things separate.  I don’t know why I never put them together.  Maybe it was the way I was taught.  However when I came to understand that my life, my health, my job, my family were all gifts from God, what came next was even more transforming.  I read a book, I can’t remember the name but it essentially challenged my thinking in this way.  If God is sovereign and gave us everything, then what separated a person of faith from another without?  What made someone who heard the Gospel message, respond and the other one reject.  The potential answers were understanding, intelligence, education, exposure to Christian things, more opportunity, etc.  The next question clinched it.   The author asked, if that’s the case and the man of faith had more understanding, more intelligence, more education, more exposure to Christian things, more opportunities to respond; who was the provider of those things?  The only answer could be God.  I had it wrong.  My faith was not my contribution to God.  My faith was God’s precious gift TO ME.  The implications for me were life changing.

Questions?   Have you ever considered that faith is a gift from God?   Have you responded in faith to the savior who died to redeem sinners?   Have you ever considered what was said by John Owen when he considered what Jesus did on the cross…”To suppose that whatever God requireth of us, that we have power of ourselves to do, is to make the cross and grace of Jesus Christ of none effect.”

Quote from “The 50 Reasons Jesus Came to Die”.

John Owen quote from Works of John Owen: volume 3  pg. 433

Questions and reflections by me.

Picture – The cross at Mount Erebus, Antarctica, commemorating the 1979 Air New Zealand Crash near Mount Erebus.

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