Are We Making Our Covenant with Jesus or Death?

We know that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We know that sin brings death. When we preach or accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, how often do we hear it framed in the context of making a covenant with God—a covenant of life? In some form, I’m sure we do. But, I want you to consider this more fully.

Hebrews 8

Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;

A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.

For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices: wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer.

For if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law:

Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.

But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

For finding fault with them, he saith, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away (the writer is quoting Jeremiah 31:31-34).”

What is the New Covenant?

The Christian covenant given by grace through faith was paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. Through the sacrifice of the only begotten Son of God, we have access to a wonderful promise and inheritance as children of God—both in this present life and in the age to come.

Through the Holy Spirit the laws of the kingdom of God are written in our minds, teaching us how to discern good from evil and convicting our hearts so that we may turn from sin. From there, though we might fall a hundred times for the same sin, if we continue in the faith and seek Jesus with all our heart, He will make a way out of that sin in His perfect time and perfect way, thereby writing the law into our hearts—changing our very natures into greater conformity with His ways—the ways of love towards God and mankind.

This new covenant was made to the Jewish people first, and then to the gentiles so that all people—people of all nations—would walk in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and become restored to God. Rich, poor, bond, free, Jew, gentile, male, female—regardless of race, status, culture, or past sin—the gospel goes out to all people so those who God retains for Himself will be saved from sin and death and made heirs of eternity with Jesus Christ.

No one has been without sin. Jesus Christ is the spotless sacrifice for the sins of all who are called according to His purpose. Growing up in the things of the kingdom is a journey, and during that time we sin—and we do it a lot, though that should decrease more and more. As we continue in the faith, we need the blood of Jesus to wash away those sins so that we can be forgiven. Past sins for which we repent are remembered no more!

As long as we push forward and seek the promises of the covenant of Jesus Christ—having the laws written in our hearts so that we can grow up in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and sin no more—our faith counts us a righteous before God so that we can approach Him. We need that in order to be allowed to seek God with all our hearts—even when our hearts are still plagued by sins—not only for forgiveness, which we all so desperately need because the punishment for sin is death, but so that we can have an actual change in nature, raising us up from a dead life now, and completed in the resurrection of life at the coming of Jesus Christ. We are promised LIFE! Sin and the kingdom of Satan is DEATH!

That is the covenant of Jesus Christ in a nutshell. In good conscience to His sacrifice, we should all be pushing forward every day. We should all diligently seek Him. We should all be seeking the Holy Spirit who will teach us of God’s ways and write the laws of the kingdom in our hearts so that we do not continue in a life of sin and death. We should have faith in the blood that brings mercy, so that we can continue in the faith no matter how many times we fall into sin along the way.

We should never try to hide our sin from God or justify ourselves when we are in the wrong. Instead, we should look to His immense patience and forgiveness and push forward with faith that one day, He will free us from the bonds of sin—chain by chain, sin by sin, day by day, and even moment by moment. We are in a constant state of change and redemption when we follow the gospel of Jesus Christ.

If we deny these simple but profound truths of Jesus Christ, we are making our covenant with death. Each person should seek the Holy Spirit, freedom from sin, and should serve Jesus Christ with all their heart—each according to their ability and opportunity. There are many who continue in some measure of faith who do not hear the fullness of the gospel, and should their lives be required of them before they do, I believe in the mercy of Jesus for them. There are many who are simple minded and are limited in their ability to understand the laws of the kingdom, and I believe in the mercy of Jesus for them. There are many who are not concerned with having every doctrinal issue down, but they love people, and if they are not ministers, then I believe in the mercy of Jesus towards them.

If you are of sound mind and have had this gospel preached to you and continue to deny it indefinitely, then you are making your bed with sin and death—whether you carry the name of Jesus on your lips pretentiously or not. If you’ve had this gospel preached to you and you minister another, less-complete gospel to others, then you are in danger of having your “candlestick removed from its place.”

Even so, judgment and salvation belongs to Jesus Christ, and He can grant mercy to whomever He chooses on whatever grounds He wills. We cannot judge any individual, and our fight is not with people, but with the ruler of darkness. We wrestle not against flesh and blood. If someone says they are a Christian, then we should accept that and let the Lord deal with their hearts. Those who say otherwise, deeming some as “false,” “counterfeit,” or “Luciferian” Christians and use fear to lead you into legalism, letter of the law obedience are false teachers, and you should not listen to them.

If we love Jesus as we say we do, then I see no reason why we would not want to be conformed to His image and His laws according to our mental ability, spiritual gifts, and the time on this earth we are given. If we love Jesus as we say we do, then we should accept that Jesus is the ONLY WAY, and there is no room to “coexist” or adopt other religious beliefs as part of the faith. If we love Jesus as we say we do, then we should love others as Jesus loved us. Otherwise, it will be manifested that the faith we have is dead, and the refuge of lies we hide under will be our downfall, leading many into worship of antichrist—all the while thinking they are loving and serving Jesus Christ himself.

This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.

Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem.

Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:

– Isaiah 28: 12-15