Our Covenant with God-Part III: The New and Better Covenant

Covenant: An agreement or mutual undertaking between two or more parties, each binding himself to fulfill obligations.

Up to now in our study of the Covenant of God with man, we have established that this covenant is indeed the foundation of our lives in God. We also took an in depth look at the inception of that covenant with a man named Abraham. Indeed, each of these studies has brought us into a greater revelation of our covenant with God, as well as giving us the ammunition that we need to consistently defeat the devil. BUT, there's more! We now come to the best part of all-the new (and better) covenant.

The new covenant came into existence and thereby became an extension of the old covenant, and it is through this new covenant that we have access into and partake of God's total grace.

The Ultimate Sacrifice

The new covenant (or testament) that we have with God today came by way of a great sacrifice, the precious blood of Jesus. If you recall, when God made covenant with Abraham, it was marked by the shedding of blood (Genesis 15), as every covenant is. However the blood that was shed to ratify, make legal and seal our covenant with God far supersedes the blood of goats, heifers, bulls and lambs sacrificed under the old covenant.

What we have today is a covenant that was ratified by the blood of God Himself! God, through the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son, shed His own blood to establish this covenant with you. It was a serious matter to God, so much so that He would give up His only begotten Son to enter into a new and better covenant with mankind, and it should be a serious matter to you, too.

Indeed what Jesus did for you through His life and later through His death, burial and resurrection is a gift that should never be taken lightly. A great price was paid for you and I to know the love, blessings and grace of God, as we do today; that price was nothing less than the ultimate sacrifice of the blood of Jesus.

"For this is My blood of the new covenant, which [ratifies the agreement and] is being poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. " Matthew 26:28-Amplified Version

This sacrifice did away with man's sin once and for all and brought God and man back together again. Allow the shed blood of Jesus to be a constant reminder of God's commitment to you, as His child, and the proof that there's nothing He wouldn't do for you. After all nothing could be harder than giving the ultimate sacrifice--Himself.

Better Promises

"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." Hebrews 8:6

There's no disputing that the promises, which were given by God through the Abrahamic covenant, were great and awesome promises. A cursory glance at them reveals promises such as "I will multiply thee exceedingly" and "nations shall come out of thee". But even in the great glory and blessing of those promises, the new covenant provides us better promises.

It's not hard to see why our new covenant is filled with better promises when you consider the fact that it is a better covenant. Our covenant with God today is a covenant that is entered into freely by anyone who wills to enter in and partake of the covenant blessings. The access code is "through faith by grace". (Ephesians 2:8) Once someone enters the family of God by accepting Jesus as his/her personal Lord and Savior, they then automatically enter into the new covenant.

Another great attribute of this new and better covenant is that Jesus is the mediator or go between of this new covenant. In other words, Jesus is the One Who is responsible for bringing about reconciliation between God and man. Before the new covenant, man had never been fully reconciled to God after the fall of man in the Garden. The old covenant, therefore, was only a shadow of what was to come by way of the new testament-man's complete redemption and restoration to God. Now, Jesus faithfully oversees this reconciliation between God and every born-again believer. I'm sure you would agree that there is nothing in the world better than being at peace with God. That privilege, along with countless others, are ours to enjoy as a part of the new covenant.

Understanding that we have a better covenant allows us to trust that this covenant does contain better promises. Every promise that God has given to you through His Word is a settled issue in the heart and mind of God. God has already given you every promise in the Book, now you must rise up and take it-by faith. Do not allow yourself to be deceived into thinking that you somehow must convince God (through your good deeds, prayers, etc.) to bless you or manifest His promises in your life. That's not necessary, and that's not how it works. In this new system of operating, God has already agreed to bless you, take care of you, and make His Word good in your life.

"For all the promises of God in him are  yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." II Corinthians 1:20

This wonderful Scripture assures us that God has already said "yes" to everyone of His promises coming to pass in your life and "amen" or "so be it". So if you're wondering, "does God ever say 'no' to a prayer?" the answer is: only if it is not according to His will, which is His Word. Remember, ALL of His promises are yes! and amen!

Jesus Our Guarantee

Jesus ratified (or made legal) this new and better covenant by giving Himself and shedding His blood. Then he invited us to enter into the new covenant, and this is how the invitation or proposal went:

"And he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament…" Matthew 26:27, 28

In these passages of Scripture, Jesus chose to offer this new covenant to His people in the words of a marriage proposal. You see, in bible days, the Jewish custom of a marriage proposal was for the man to fill a cup and offer it to the woman accompanied with the proposal or statement: "this is my blood of the new testament (or covenant), take and drink of it." This was the standard phrase used by Jewish men when proposing marriage to a woman. If the woman drank of the cup, then it meant that she accepted his proposal for marriage. However, if she did not drink of it, but instead poured it to the ground, then it was understood that his proposal had been refused. So when Jesus decided to enter into a new and better covenant with mankind, he used the most powerful and intimate words one could have used during the time. His choice of words, signifying a marriage proposal or a becoming one with man, shows the great depth of His love for us and desire to be one with us again. What a loving God we serve.

The blood of this covenant made Jesus our personal guarantee that we now have a better covenant; that we are redeemed from the curse of the law; that we are free from Satan and his works of evil. The blood of Jesus forever settled any issue of our liberty, deliverance and new life in God.

"In keeping with [the oath's greater strength and force], Jesus has become the Guarantee of a better (stronger) agreement [a more excellent and more advantageous covenant] (Hebrews 7:22).

How do you know you are blessed? Jesus is your Guarantee. How do you know you have eternal life with God? Jesus is your Guarantee. How do you know that you can overcome any adverse circumstance or situation that comes your way? Jesus is your Guarantee. Your Guarantee for everything good--everything that pertains to life and godliness--is found in this new and better covenant. The day that Jesus died on the cross at Calvary, He said "I do" to you, and the day you received Him as your personal Lord and Savior, you accepted the proposal in Matthew 26:28 and said "I do" to Him. Now you are in an eternal covenant with Someone Who loves you more than you could ever possibly know-someone committed to your success for every area of life. Now you stay faithful to Him and the covenant or agreement that you are now a part of. As in a marriage between a husband and a wife, you will experience the thrill of working together toward common and shared goals, all the while giving and receiving love, support and faithfulness from one another. This new covenant has brought you and God back together again. Stay committed and faithful to your newfound Love, and your rewards will be great, as you do.

How do I know? Jesus is our Guarantee!

Additional Scriptures for further study and meditation:
Romans 11:27
Hebrews 10: 16, 17, 20
Hebrews 12: 22-24
Hebrews 9:15
1 Corinthians 11:23-26