Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” (John 13:34 KJ2000). In Hebrews chapter seven we read that Jesus is our great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, not Levi. It also say that where there is a new priesthood there must be a NEW law. The old law was filled with commandments like, “Thou shalt” and “Thou shalt not..” But we have something all together NEW in the New Covenant. In Hebrews the writer continues,
“For finding fault with them [the Hebrews under the Old Covenant], he says, ‘Behold, the days come, says 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, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says 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:” (Heb 8:8-10 KJ2000).
God knew that sinful man could not keep His commandments so He sent His Son to not only be our propitiation for sin, but to empower us by removing from us our hearts of stone and putting in us a new heart with His New commandment written in them. In Ezekiel we read,
“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them.” (Eze 36:26-27 KJ2000)
God sent forth His Son to do it all for us and in us. All we need to do is yield to His wonderful grace by faith and be empowered anew from above. Walking in His love fulfills the whole law of both the Old and New Covenants (see Gal. 5:23 and 1 Tim. 1:13-14). First Jesus did this among the worst of sinners and then He empowered us to do the same. It is no longer an outward straight jacket of law keeping, but an inward motivation from a new God given heart that enables us to walk out His love in this dying, love starved world just as He did. We are so blessed.
A Wilderness Voice 
Well spoken Michael!! If more believers had a grasp on this, there would be more transformed lives, to represent Christ for who He really is. Tragically, most of the visible “church” has fallen short of the goal…”for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
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Yes, my brother. How many years have we both spent laboring in the wrong covenant? Behold, He makes all thing NEW and the old things are passed away.
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Miss hearing from you.
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Sorry, brother. Lets get together after the holiday rush! Or by phone being neither of us are fast typers.
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Reblogged this on spiritualabusesanctuary.
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Often I think of the true love action we see at the cross and in brother Stephen, when he was martyered. Following Jesus Christ, empowered by His love and obedience to His Father. All the time He knew He would be despised and rejected of men. His own Jewish natural heritage. Their own suffering from the world’s desperate evil condition did not stop them from the high call of God in Christ Jesus.
May we also not shrink back, but, endure to the end, in the unity of the last moment, alone, forsaken, experiencing that day that HAD come, as for Stephen and Jesus Christ.
This authentic love is of a same kind, just as James said, those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours. His one of a kind love, is clearly seen in laying down our life for our friend. I sure want to be found in it. It’s not a matter of a martyrdom complex, it’s a matter of throwing off false loves and laying ahold of the authentic.
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Russel, it is good to hear from you, my brother. As I wrote this little article I also was struck with how Jesus did everything in compliance with the law… The law of the New Covenant, the law of the love of the Father. This is why he was in direct collision with the traditions of the Jewish elders that demanded a pound of flesh every time He turned around. The law brought death, but life and peace came with Jesus Christ. He administered LIFE, His life to all who would receive Him, the harlots, the tax collectors, shepherds, ignorant fisherman, even a Roman centurion and a Gentile mother. Let us go and do likewise as we abide IN the Son.
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We are so blessed, indeed, Michael.
At first I want to lay emphasis on the fact that “A Wilderness Voice” is a genuine blessing from the Lord. So rare, so true, so faithful to the voice of the One whose way has been and is prepared here.
Secondly, we are blessed by the Lord who gives us all spiritual power including love, joy, peace etc. so that we can say at the end of the day,
” For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” (1: Jn 5:3 – ESV)
Thanks to all contributors – including commenters, of course – who write on this website which has been designed by God.
Blessings,
Susanne from Bavaria
PS
By the way, looking at the photograph taken from a famous Jesus film, I recall having fallen in love with Jesus for the second time as a rather young girl when I was watching that film (those extremely blue eyes – grin grin). However, the first time I fell deeply in love with Jesus Christ was at the age of about three when I was attending the Roman Catholic Church in Hof (Bavaria) called “Marienkirche” (St. Mary’s Church) with my parents. At first sight, looking to the huge cross at the very top of the nave, I saw “Him” hanging there and looking down right into my eyes. Immediately, I was lost in Him and found in Him. Forever. đŸ™‚
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Susanne, I am glad that you included all of God’s family that have posted on here in what you wrote. God has many of us on the same page, as the saying goes, and it is so good to hear His voice in all His saints that write in from all over the world. His words, “Wherever two or three of you are gathered IN my name, I am there in your midst,” keep taking on greater scope as each day goes by.
About your post script, I was also raised in the Catholic denomination and I find that when a Catholic gets touched by the living Christ, they really seem to GET IT! If you want to reach an RC, a JW or a Mormon or even an Islamist, speak to them words of Jesus’ life flowing from within you and they in most cases respond and want to hear more. I have learned to never attack a person’s religion, it is all they have. I have learned to rather show them His life and those things dead will soon fall away.
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Michael, I agree wholeheartedly. It is my very experience as well that by never attacking others’ religion but loving them as they are (including their belief system) – in fact, this was just the way I experienced Jesus – opens their hearts for MORE OF JESUS. đŸ˜‰
Just recently I felt nudged to write a little story about it. If you are interested, you might check the link below:
http://blogforthelordjesuscurrentevents.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/ravi-zacharias-quote-on-tolerance-apologetics-315/
And yes, I have learned so much, even from the most funny and (only) seemingly senseless comments on different blog sites that I realized, “God is talking all the time.” If other bloggers randomly read this, I would just suggest to not delete such comments automatically but ask God whether or not He was speaking through them.
Thank you, Michael!
Susanne
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Susanne, Thanks. The little things can have great eternal value, for sure. Jesus and the disciples were sitting in the temple watching people put coins in the offering jar. The Pharisees put in much and they made sure everybody knew it, too. But then up came this old down and out widow and put in two pennies and Jesus saw it. It was a little thing that nobody else noticed, but it was big with God and Jesus used it to teach a principle about giving and generosity.
I will check out your story on your blog,
Michael
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