As mentioned in The Old Covenant, I was baptized when I was ten but didn’t quite have a handle on everything. Then, more than a decade later, a man approached me and asked if I wanted to study the Bible and learn about The New Covenant of Jesus. The Bible says that the more I spend time with God and his word, the more I understand the truth (John 8:21-32) and be set free. But set free of what?
Why Do I Need To Be Free?
First, let’s remember that God is alive. And when you move towards God, you move towards life. When you move away from God or sin, you turn away from life and towards death. Once you choose death, you become a slave to sin (Romans 7:14). Sadly, we have all chosen death. And now, if we want to be set free, we need help.
Someone has to die (Hebrews 9:22). It should be you. It should be me. But, if another would come and take our place of death, then perhaps we could live. That is what Jesus did. Throughout history, God has offered man blessings, future promises, law and order, and a relationship with Him, but man has rejected all of this. We have rejected His dreams and visions, saying no to his promises and killing his prophets. Now, he is offering us forgiveness and salvation. Are we going to choose to reject His mercy again?
God became man (John 1:14), made an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2), rose from death proclaiming victory (1 Corinthians 15:20-22), not to condemn you to hell (John 3:17), still, so you may have a restored relationship with God and eternal life (Romans 6:23). Wow!
The Terms Of The New Covenant
You just read some of the best news you’ll ever read in your entire life. We live in a time when even the angels created long ago longed to catch a glimpse of the time we are living in their lives! We are in a time of freedom and liberty. Hallelujah!
1 Peter 1:12
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.
But what now? Yes, we agree the New Covenant is great. But how do we get it? And that is the million-dollar question. The message of the New Covenant has been watered down through the years that you had someone like me, a ten-year-old boy thinking all he had to do was believe in God and maybe say a little prayer, and I’m good to go forever. Others teach you to be sprinkled with water when you are a baby. Others teach that if you do more good than bad, you’ll be accepted into the New Covenant. But what does the Bible say? How did someone receive salvation in the Bible if they wanted to turn from death to life?
Like all covenants, there are terms. God has his terms; we have our terms. God’s terms of the covenant are that He will keep his promises, die in our place for our sins, and give us eternal life with Him. But what are the terms of the New Covenant? Do we have to do anything, or do we get it automatically? Let’s find out.
Entering The New Covenant
- Believe: First, we must believe. We must believe in God. Believe in his Son. And believe that God raised his only son from death. Romans 10:9
- Confess: God says we must confess Jesus is the Lord. He is the one that sits on the throne, and all things are subject to Him. (1 Corinthians 15:25)
- Repent: We must repent (2 Peter 3:9). Turn away from the direction we were going. To change the inner man. Turn completely away from our old selves and towards life again.
- Baptized: Peter tells us (Acts 2:38-39, 1 Peter 3:21) to have a good conscience and receive the forgiveness of sins through baptism.
- Remain Faithful: Once you understand the truth and agree upon it, don’t turn back (Hebrews 10:29). Continue dying to yourself daily and work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12-13).
This is an oversimplification and probably stirs in your something of confusion or maybe an argument waiting to happen. Before we jump into a debate and are filled with the spirit of strife, continue reading The New Covenant (Part 2) and review the Baptisms in the Bible.
Be free.
