New Order
Praise Jesus today. Everyone. I wanted to speak briefly here on the new order, which is the new covenant. See, the old order was the Covenant made with the people of Israel. It's the law of Moses, and that is the 613 laws of the Torah. We know about Mount Sinai, and we know about the laws that were written on those tablets of stone that God gave to Moses to give to the nation of Israel. And we know how Israel disobeyed those commandments and fell into sin. And even though God gave them a Sabbath, even though He gave them all these rules and regulations in regards to what they would wear, what they would eat, the days that they could gather. He gave all these rules to keep that nation in order to keep them orderly. But they broke that. And instead of learning from their mistakes, the Jews, even up until the point of Jesus, were still living according to the law of Moses, but not seeing the shadow pictures pointing to Jesus Christ.
I want to read just briefly what Hebrew says about this. In Hebrews chapter 9 concerning the law, it says in Verse 10, in regards to the law, it was concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings and fleshly ordinances impose until the time of reformation. Some versions also say the New Order, which it speaking about the new Covenant.
When Jesus came, He said, I did not come to abolish the law or the law and the prophets, but to fulfill. And this is, it's saying two things at the same time that's really confusing to some people, because a lot of the Jews that want to uphold the law of Moses will say, “you are still bound by all of the old Testament laws. You still have to keep sabbaths high, holy days, purity, washing, what you wear, not mixed fabrics.” And they go on and on, and they try to make gentile believers even feel guilty for not keeping the old Testament law. But what the apostle Paul writes about this. I mean, you can look, in Galatians Chapter 2, specifically Galatians Chapter 2. I'm going to start and just read this scenario that happens.
“11Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I (Paul) withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed;
12for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.
13And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
14But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?
15We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law;”
And pay attention to this part.
“for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
17“But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!
18For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
19For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.
20I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
21I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
As Christians, we know these verses. In fact, a lot of Christians have made doctrines out of this, and they have went too far, e.g. they start to say that, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, when you become baptized and start living for the Lord, they start calling those things works. And that becomes the hyper Grace Gospel, which is also a lie from the Devil. But Christians for ages have aired on either side. Either, very strict and very legalistic, trying to put people back under the law, saying that you are not really following Jesus right, unless you're keeping the 613 laws of Torah, even if you're a gentile, which is obviously not the truth. The apostle Paul speaks to that explicitly. Or on the other hand, a lot of Christians, they will say, “well, stopping sin is a work. Therefore you don't have to stop sinning in order to be justified by God. Because we're justified by grace, not through works.” And so they start preaching a false gospel on the opposite side of the spectrum.
Both of these gospels are false. The hyper grace gospel is false, and the work based salvation is false. Because both of them are by the efforts of men. Both of them are by the ideas of men. If we could be saved by just keeping the law, then obviously we wouldn't need Jesus. And if Jesus just did everything for us on the cross and we don't have to do anything at all, then even people that, just proclaim Jesus with their mouth, but have no intention to love Him with their heart, they would also be saved. And clearly that's not the truth. Jesus speaks about that. He renders each according to their works, to their deeds. And He talks about, you will know people by their fruits. People can say they believe in God. They can say they believe in grace and they believe in faith, but if they don't show it with their feet and with their actions, with their voice, then they aren't truly the children of God.
The Gospel is about holding Jesus' hand. Jesus Himself is the Word of God, the law of Moses, that cannot lead us and guide us into everlasting life. As the apostle Paul writes, it was as a tutor to guide us into the truth. There were shadow pictures, things to point to what was the reality. Jesus came to fulfill the law.
And so in what way did Jesus fulfill it? He became our perfect sacrifice. So that if we put our faith in Him, if we start praying to Him, that we would receive the better gift of the Holy Spirit, that He would put His law on our hearts. It's not about just following old Testament laws in the becoming like a Jew, but it is about receiving the Spirit of life.
Jesus is alive and His Baptism is real. And those that receive the Holy Spirit, they have the same guidance that I have, or you have. If you have received Him anywhere around the globe, no matter where you are, if you receive the Holy Spirit, you have received the same faith, the same Baptism, the same God, the same tutor, the same one who will guide you and teach you and bring to your memory all things that you are learning in the truth.
Jesus wants to be your teacher, but unless you come to Him, you cannot be guided into everlasting life. Jesus Christ Himself is the door. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
May the grace of Jesus be with you.
