THE NEW COVENANT

A CHRISTIAN VIEW

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THE NEW COVENANT

The New Covenant is God's promise to make the Holy Spirit and salvation available to all men by His grace. The New Covenant was made possible by the shedding of the blood of Jesus on the cross.


Galatians 3:22 But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.


The promise, that is the New Covenant, is by faith in Jesus Christ.


Ephesians 2:12-13 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.


The New Covenant is only available because of the shed blood of Jesus.


Hebrews 9:16-17 For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. 17 For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives.


Jesus had to die before the New Covenant was in effect.


Hebrews 8:7-13 For if the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second......13 When He said, "A new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete  and growing old is ready to disappear.


The Old Covenant became obsolete when Jesus died on the cross and the apostle Peter preached the New Covenant. The apostle Peter preached the terms for pardon, under the New Covenant, on the Day of Pentecost.


Peter preached to them Jesus as Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36)


Peter preached the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.(Acts 2:22-35)


When they heard Peter's message, they asked what they should do. (Acts 2:237)


Peter told them what to do. (Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.)


The promise of the New Covenant was received by the 3000 on the Day of Pentecost. (Acts 2:39-41)


The New Covenant terms for pardon are:
A. FAITH: (John 3:16)
B. CONFESSION: (Romans 10:9-10, Acts 8:37)
C. REPENTANCE: (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19)
D. WATER IMMERSION (BAPTISM): (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21, Galatians 3 :27, John 3:5, Ephesians 5:26, Romans 6:4, Acts 22:16, Colossians 2:12-13, Titus 3:5)


THE NEW COVENANT IS THE ONLY MEANS OF SALVATION TODAY!


1. You cannot be saved according to the Law of Moses. It is obsolete. (Galatians 5:4)
2. You cannot be saved like the thief on the cross. Jesus will not be placed on the cross again. (Luke 22:42-43)
3. You cannot have your sins forgiven like the paralytic on the bed. (Luke 5:18-22)
4. You cannot have your sins forgiven like the woman who cleaned the feet of Jesus. (Luke 7:44-50


THESE WERE  ALL SAVED BEFORE THE NEW COVENANT WAS IN EFFECT.


ALL MEN TODAY ARE SAVED BY OBEYING THE TERMS OF PARDON ACCORDING TO THE NEW COVENANT.


THE COMMUNION CUP AND THE NEW COVENANT


1 Corinthians 11:25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."


What Jesus was not saying. Jesus was not saying the cup of communion was the entry way for individual church members or the church at large into the New Covenant. Christians are under the New Covenant because they have been obedient to the terms of pardon that were made available when Jesus shed His blood on the cross.


The cup symbolizes, represents, the New Covenant which was brought about, made available, by the shed blood of Jesus. The cup its self is not the covenant. Jesus was speaking figuratively.


Those who have had their sins washed away by obeying the gospel plan of salvation; are under the New Covenant. They do not have wait until they partake of the communion cup in order to be under the New Covenant.


Partaking of communion "The Lord's Supper" was not one of the requirements that the apostle Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost; in order to receive forgiveness of sins, to be saved, to be under the New Covenant.


THE COMMUNION CUP IS NOT part of a sacrificial mass, is not a re-presentation of the crucifixion.


JESUS DIED ONLY ONE TIME. (1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit;)


THE COMMUNION CUP IS NOT THE NEW COVENANT NOR IS IT A SACRIFICIAL MASS.