Experiencing New Covenant Life

2013-4 Proclamation!, Dale Ratzlaff, Feature, New Covenant, Proclamation! Magazine Archive

You Are Formed by Jesus

DALE RATZLAFF

Today we have hope for true transformation only by focusing on the glories of the gospel, the many declarations that God has made to believing Christians, rather than by trusting the practice of the disciplines touted to bring one deeper spiritually.

In our search for truth we often focus on the facts of doctrine and not on the experience that comes when the correct doctrine is discovered, accepted, and worked out in the life. I am not downplaying the importance of doctrine because experience based upon false or fuzzy doctrine will be worked out in life experience as well. That is the very reason why so many people in today’s society are frustrated, discouraged and without hope. Therefore, experiencing new covenant life must be based upon the facts of the new covenant. A number of articles on the covenants have been written in previous issues of Proclamation! Therefore, I will not do an in-depth study here; rather I will just do a quick summary. Those who wish more information on the covenants will find them in the archives of Proclamation! and in Sabbath in Christ.

 

Summary of the covenants

The old covenant:

The new covenant:

Covenant partners

God and Israel

The Father and Jesus

Words of the covenant

Ten Commandments

The Law of Christ

Book of the covenant

Genesis to Deuteronomy

Gospels and epistles

Entrance sign

Circumcision

Baptism

Remembrance sign

Sabbath

The Lord’s Supper

 

With the doctrinal facts of the old and new covenants well in mind, we now move to the experience that is worked out in the life when we internalize new covenant concepts. We will do this by unpacking the implications of the first two items mentioned above.

 

Jesus our Covenant Keeper

Perhaps the most insightful discovery of the new covenant is that Jesus is the One who keeps the covenant. We enter the covenant simply by belief and trust in our Substitute and Representative who paid the price for our sin and broke the curse of death. Based on the word of God, this entrance into the new covenant takes place solely by grace, solely by faith, and solely by Christ. And here is where many of us missed the wonderful assurance that comes from this doctrinal truth. We want to please God ourselves and feel that if we fall short of perfect obedience or continue to sin, our standing with God is in jeopardy, forgetting that it is not our obedience but our trust in Christ’s obedience that God credits to our account.

Christ’s parable in Matthew 18:23 teaches a valuable lesson. It is in the context of forgiveness. Peter had asked Jesus how many times he should forgive a sinning brother. Note how Jesus ties His answer to Peter with the following parable:

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a certain king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves” (Mt. 18:22-23).

Then Jesus told the disciples the well-known parable of the ungrateful steward (v. 23-35). Several things need to be highlighted: first, the steward had no concept of the magnitude of his debt. He owed ten thousand talents. A talent was the most valuable coin of the day and was equal to about 6,000 day’s wages for the common laborer. It would take about 160,000 years for the steward to pay off the loan—an utter impossibility. The fact that the servant said, “Have patience with me, and I will repay you everything,” shows he had no realization of the humongous size of the debt. The point Jesus is making is that our sin is so large it is impossible for us to deal with it. There is only one recourse for sinners—to trust completely the forgiveness offered by God.

The second thing we should note is the slave’s reaction. The fact that the slave went to a fellow slave and demanded payment indicated again that he did not understand the magnitude of his own debt nor the depths of the grace and forgiveness of the king. It appears the reason he went after a fellow slave who owed him but a small amount was to get some money so he could give something to the king. Perhaps he thought that at least a little payment would be pleasing to His master.

The two-fold lesson is clear. First, we can only comprehend the vastness of God’s grace and mercy when we understand the depths of our own sin. We were born in sin with not only a sinful nature but we inherited the guilt of Adam. We sin with acts of commission and acts of omission. We sin by thought, by deed, and by lack of faith. Second, we must face the utter impossibility of our achieving or enhancing the righteousness of God by our diligent practice of the disciplines of the Christian life. Not even if we had another lifetime of practice could we please Him. In short, we cannot make ourselves pleasing to God by our own good works. Too often many of us have thought we accepted the full forgiveness and grace of God, but then we set out to make ourselves more righteous or spiritual. When we think we are progressing in holiness we begin to measure others by our own standards, and the poison root of judgmental legalism begins to flourish. This sort of judgment appears to be what was going on in the Corinthian church. Paul wisely gave this counsel:

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:26-31).

Internalizing the truth that Jesus is our Covenant Keeper, our Substitute, and our Representative and that His one sacrifice for sin is 100% sufficient for all time brings a tremendous sense of relief, peace, and assurance. It is the necessary foundation for us to begin to fulfill the law of Christ.

My father died when I was in the fourth grade, so my mother was my role model from that time on. We were often strapped financially, and at times people would help us in one way or another. When someone gave us money or some other gift, my mother would always say, “Oh, you should not have done that.” Later, when Carolyn and I were married and we would do something special for my mother, she would say, “Oh, you should not have done that.” It was not that she did not need or want the gift or service; on the contrary, she deeply appreciated it. Apparently, however, she did not feel worthy of the gift, and by example she taught me to respond the same way. It took years for me simply to say, “Thank you,” when someone did something for me.

In contrast with our natural inclination to feel unworthy, however, if we have accepted Christ as our Covenant Keeper, we can know in the core of our beings that we are wholly pleasing to God—because of Jesus. This confidence that God fully accepts us in His Son is the essence of new covenant life. It is the engine that motivates us to love. It is the foundation of all that follows. We can say to ourselves, “Yes, in myself I am unworthy, but in Christ, I am worthy, fully pleasing to God, with the very righteousness of God accounted to me by my faith in my Covenant Keeper, Jesus Christ.” Know it, believe it, and trust it. It is the gushing fountain of living water that will flow out through you to others. Drink deeply!

 

The Law of Christ—Love mediated by the Spirit

Perhaps the second most important insight in experiencing new covenant life is discovering what it means to live under the law of Christ. Over and over again we read, “This is my commandment, that you love one another.” Significantly, this law is not codified in a list of “don’ts” engraved on stone, but it is a dynamic reality taught personally to us through the Holy Spirit in connection with the written word of the new covenant. In new covenant life, the Spirit performs the same function that the law performed in the old covenant, except He guides us personally as we live in the Word of God and function in the body of the church. This truth we find woven into all of Paul’s epistles to young gentile churches, but nowhere is the contrast between the covenants and the resulting life experience more clearly laid out than in 2 Corinthians 3:3-18.

 

Covenants contrasted

The old covenant:

The new covenant:

• written with ink

• written with the Spirit

• on tablets of stone

• on tablets of human hearts

• inadequate (implied)

• adequate servants

• of the letter

• of the Spirit

• letter kills

• Spirit gives life

• ministry of death

• ministry of the Spirit

• came with glory

• abounds in glory

• ministry of condemnation

• ministry of righteousness

• glory fades

• glory surpasses it

• now has no glory

• remains in glory

• veil remains unlifted

• veil removed in Christ

• veil lies over their heart

• veil taken away

• bondage (implied)

• liberty

• unable to change heart (implied)

• being transformed

 

Jesus and the writers of the New Testament all taught that the law of love takes care of all the questions of morality. When Paul explained his evangelistic methods of working with Jews who had the law and Greeks who were not under the law, he gave a helpful insight:

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law (1 Cor. 9:19-21).

Note how Paul specifically declares that this law of Christ takes care of all the questions of morality. It is a dynamic principle that covers and goes beyond all the specific moral laws of the old covenant.

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Rom. 13:8-9).

For those of us who grew up on law, making a transition from old covenant law—the Ten Commandments, to the law of Christ—the law of love, was difficult. We were used to the “thou shalt not’s” and thought that without them, we would be without moral boundaries. However, when one is born again by the Spirit of Christ he is then in a position to experience new covenant life. Unless we have been born again we cannot claim to be a true Christian. Being born again is a real experience and is not the same thing as being “converted to the truth”. That is only an intellectual assent to a set of doctrines, which may or may not be true to Scripture. However, when we hear, understand, and respond to the gospel, then the miracle of God’s mercy, grace, and full forgiveness is ours. Note the gospel order in the verse below.

In Him, you also, (1) after listening to (2) the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—(3) having also believed, (4) you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is (5) given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:13-14).

The new birth is a supernatural event. It is not something we can conjure up—not by prayer, not by reading Scripture, not by fasting, not by silence, not by witnessing, not by giving, not by church attendance, not by any personal works. We come with an empty hand and allow the grace of God—God’s infinite grace that covers (remember the parable) up to 160,000 years of sinful debt. The new birth is an act of the Holy Spirit.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13).

“Were baptized” is aorist passive in Greek, indicating that the Holy Spirit is the active agent and we are the passive recipients of His work. Remember how the Holy Spirit in the new covenant takes the place of the law in the old as outlined above from 2 Corinthians? I have highlighted a few of the things below to show how this law of Christ—the law of love—mediated to us through the Holy Spirit works.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30).

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you (Jn. 14:26).

But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hea\rs, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come (Jn. 16:13).

And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Rom. 5:5).

But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter (Rom. 7:6).

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him (Rom. 8:14-17).

And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Rom 8:26).

 

New Covenant Transformation

The law of Christ brings liberty and freedom mediated by the Spirit in connection with the Word. By walking in the Spirit (willing obedience to the Word, keeping a clear conscience with God and others), and by living the law of Christ and fellowshipping in the body of Christ, there is real hope for transformation. Referring once again to the contrast between the old and new covenants listed in 2 Corinthians 3, let us focus on the last contrast.

But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit (2 Cor. 3:14-18).

“Are being transformed” is another passive verb. It is the work of the Spirit. Our work is to behold the glory of the Lord. Today there are numerous instructors and methods touted to deepen spirituality. Some may be good discipline; however, when reading through the New Testament over and over again, God’s overall plan for transformation becomes clear. It is not through fasting. There is no instruction or command to fast in the New Testament. True, on several occasions we have the record that the church leaders used prayer and fasting before choosing elders. Fasting for some people may be useful. Some say it clears the mind and gives focus. I fasted for two days once, but it did neither for me. Other people are withdrawing from society seeking solitude and silence. This isolation may be useful for a limited time; however, it is not the emphasis of New Testament transformation.

The New Testament method of transformation is beholding the glory of the Lord. It is knowing that Christ is our Covenant Keeper. It is practicing the law of Christ as described in 1 Corinthians 13. It is knowing that we are seated with Christ at the Father’s right hand. It is knowing that we are fully forgiven, that we have eternal life and are qualified to receive an inheritance with Christ.

Paul’s burning desire was that his readers would understand the infinite love of God.

For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen (Eph. 3:14-21).

The ungrateful slave in the parable of Jesus in Matthew 18 would have been much better off contemplating the magnitude of the king’s forgiveness than trying to scrounge up a few pence to put toward his debt. Today we have hope for true transformation only by focusing on the glories of the gospel, the many declarations that God has made to believing Christians, rather than by trusting the practice of the disciplines touted to bring one deeper spiritually. Gaze into the glory of God. Live in the first two chapters of Ephesians until you make it home. Visit 1 Corinthians 13 until you know the names of love. Study the first eight chapters of Romans until your heart leaps for joy. Take a month vacation in Galatians, reading it through in one sitting every day until you can pick the fruit of the Spirit. Travel in the gospel of John until you know that you have passed from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Know what it means to enter into God’s rest, to have eternal life, to be set free from sin. Yes, I invite you to experience new covenant life and bask in the glory of God. †

 

For further study

Dale Ratzlaff
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