Over the course of the past few articles, much groundwork has been laid in understanding the general nature of how God works through covenants and particularly the establishment of the current covenant, which came into effect when Jesus paid the purchase price with His own life. As we press forward in this exploration of scripture, our attention will narrow and focus specifically on what conditions are displayed in scripture for entering this covenant arrangement with God through Christ. There is an enormous amount of material to cover which will span several weeks of articles. Remember that past articles remain archived on the Floyd County record and can be revisited to refresh your mind as needed.
It is vital to fully understand what the blood of Jesus accomplished. It is true to say that the blood of Christ takes away sins, that it purifies, that it cleanses…but when and how is important to understand. Because it is equally true that this offering of life and blood at the cross did not automatically at that instance remove every last individual’s sin; everyone who ever was or is or will be. If that was the case, then there is no threat of judgement or being cast into the lake of fire for anyone (Revelation 20:11-15). And Paul would have been mistaken when he wrote, “…when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power…” (2 Thessalonians 1:7b-9). It is quite clear from the numerous passages in the New Testament similar to these, that not everyone is going to be saved and enter into the eternal rest of God. Those who will be, as alluded to by Paul in the quoted passage, are those who obey the Gospel.
It is clear that Jesus’ blood did not instantaneously save everyone, although anyone can be saved by it. What His blood did was purchase a covenant (a contract) by which those entering into with God through Christ might be saved and receive the promises made in that covenant, chief of which is entrance into the kingdom of God. Jesus said as much in every account of the events in the upper room during the institution of the Lord’s Supper. “Likewise, He also too the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’” (Luke 22:20) Jesus made a direct correlation between His blood and the new covenant. Let’s note a few passages from Hebrews where the writer of that book also elaborates on this fact.
“…how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason, He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament (covenant), there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. (Hebrews 9:14-16)
Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:29)
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant…” (Hebrews 13:20)
Just these three passages alone provide us with such knowledge regarding the blood and death of Christ. It is clearly what purchased the new covenant. It is those that are in this covenant that receive the promise of the eternal inheritance and sanctification. And, as has been noted in previous articles, this covenant is in force till the end of time. Thus, it is vital that one enters into this arrangement with God, into this contract, into this covenant…because until one is in this covenant, they have no hope of obtaining the promises contained in the covenant.
Let’s turn our attention to a conversation that Jesus had with a gentleman named Nicodemus in order to begin to understand how one enters this covenant agreement with God and gains the promises which it contains. At the mere mention of John chapter three most good religious folks can immediately quote verse sixteen. However, most cannot quote the verses on either side of it or recognize that it rest in the midst of a much larger conversation that Jesus is having that spans from John 3:1-21. Therefore, to build your understanding of this exchange on that verse alone is to build it on a signal statement taken out of the context of the entire conversation. None of us appreciate when someone does that with something we have said, why would we expect Jesus to be any different.
The fames verse states that, “…whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” There is much to say about this conversation and that might be the dedication of a future article of on the Cogitations radio program (Sundays 9 AM on 106.1 FM); here we will focus on the entry requirements. In the verse nearly everyone can quote one should highlight ‘believe in’ which is very different than simply believing that He exists…”You believer there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19)…but rather it is to believe in His message and thus believing obey it. Thus, the ‘should not’ it does not say ‘will not’, because one could believe the gospel message in all its parts, commands, doctrines, etc. and not answer its call or obey it. Look back at 2 Thessalonians 1:7b-9 mentioned earlier in this article; vengeance is on those who do not obey the gospel; thus implying that there is something to obey. At the beginning of this conversation with Nicodemus Jesus gives him something to believe and obey.
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’…Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’” (John 3:3 and 5)
Here Jesus makes it clear that in order of an individual to be able to both see and enter the kingdom of God that they must be born again of water and the spirit. This birth of water and the spirit is interwoven in the Gospel message throughout the New Testament. In the up coming articles we will continue to explore all the New Testament reveals about being born of water and the spirit.
(Carl Hartman is the Minister at Main Street Church of Christ in Lockney)
