On the Road with Jesus: They Knew Him When

Posted on June 23, 2021March 5, 2025 by The Shepherd's Voice

Starting today, we are embarking on a journey with Jesus. We’ll look at some of the scenes from Luke’s gospel, highlighting times that Jesus is said to be travelling. We’re going to start with the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, after His baptism and temptation.

They Knew Him When

And Jesus returned [from being tempted in the wilderness] in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away. (Luke 4:14-30)

This isn’t the way many would have imagined their Messiah to begin His ministry. Instead of going immediately to Israel’s leaders and announcing His kingdom, He embarks on a mission of teaching and helping. Notice the first thing He does after returning from the wilderness is enter the synagogues to teach. And when He does this, He proclaims His mission:

To proclaim good news to the poor
To proclaim liberty to the captives
To proclaim recovering of sight to the blind
To set at liberty those who are oppressed
To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

Jesus is saying, “The time has come. This is the time of the Lord’s favor. It’s time to set the children of God free.” Notice that all of those things have to do with freedom and liberty. And He began to do just that. He set people free from all sorts of oppression–blindness, deafness, mute, epilepsy, leprosy, demon oppression, and more. He just didn’t do what everyone in Israel wanted done: to kick the Romans out.

This is why we see the leaders and the people reject Jesus. They were really rejecting His portrait of what Messiah was and would do. They forgot that their own writings told of a Messiah who would do the very works that Jesus did. This is also a clue as to why their attitude changed toward Him. They were “marveling” at the gracious words coming out of His mouth, but then when He brought up the subject of Elijah and Elisha being sent to Gentiles instead of Israel, they were “filled with wrath” and tried to throw Him off the cliff!

Two things happened here. First, they saw Jesus as someone they knew. He was, after all, preaching in His hometown of Nazareth. He rightly pointed out that “no prophet is accepted in his own town.” They said among themselves, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” Translation? “We know this guy!! He’s just an ordinary carpenter. Who does He think He is?” Second, the Jews clung so tightly to their status of “God’s people,” that they had forgotten that they were supposed to be a light to the nations. Now, not only were they blind, not being that light, they hated anyone who would show God’s light to the Gentiles.

What is the lesson here? There are at least three. First, God wants people of all the nations to be given this message of freedom and liberty. As the Jews were called to be a light to the nations, so we are called to be the light and engage with those who are different from us. We might be tempted to see ourselves the same way the Jews saw themselves, as God’s people and hunker down in that identity. But God calls us to be the light to the nations.

Second, when we are called by God and embrace His priorities, often the strongest opposition comes from within our circle of people who know us. Our family, friends, or church can often be where we see that resistance the most. This is why Jesus made it clear that we must place Him above all over earthly relationships. Being on mission with Jesus will cost us, but He is worth it.

Third, we still live in the “year” of the Lord’s favor. Jesus stopped His reading before the next part of Isaiah 61, which continues: “the day of vengeance of our God.” And as we see time and time throughout the Gospels, His first response to those in bondage to sin and oppression is compassion. He reserved His judgment for those who thought they were well. And what did that compassion look like? We see great examples of the heart of compassion in Luke 10:25-37 and Luke 15:11-24.

We are walking with Jesus, who has great compassion for us, showing us the heart of the Father. Likewise, we can show compassion for those around us.

The Shepherd's Voice

Pressing Forward, Not Shrinking Back (Pt. 2)

Posted on June 16, 2021March 5, 2025 by The Shepherd's Voice

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26-31)

In the last post, we began looking at Hebrews 10:19-39. We said that now, because of God’s great love for us and the work of Christ on the cross, we can approach God with confidence and others in love and encouragement. In fact, we are told to press forward, moving toward God and others. In this post, we’re going to talk about the danger of shrinking back. This passage, Hebrews 10:26-31, has caused much debate in the church through misunderstandings of what it does and does not teach.

The Danger of Shrinking Back

The first statement of this passage may at first seem like an abrupt change of subject to the modern reader. We might be tempted to ask, “Who said anything about continuing to deliberately sin?” But, the author of Hebrews is making a contrast. He is contrasting the exhortations in the previous section (vv. 22-25) with “continuing to sin deliberately.” So, to state it simply,

Drawing near to God, holding fast to our faith, and encouraging each other
is in direct contrast to
Continuing to deliberately sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth

There is an important implication here that we need to think about. Based on these passages, we can say that those exhortations in vv. 22-25 (drawing near to God, holding fast to our faith, and encouraging/loving one another) are natural and expected behaviors for Christians. This is a section, like many of the more practical parts of Paul’s letters, that say, “This is what a Christian, one who has been washed by Christ’s blood, looks like.” If there is never any movement in those directions by a professed believer, then there is a problem.

Now, let’s look at that first statement fully. The author of Hebrews writes, “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries” (emphasis added). We need to be careful in understanding this sentence. First, notice what the author does not say. The author does not say there will not be forgiveness, but instead that there is no more sacrifice for sin. Why is this? Because Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient for all sin. And it’s because of Christ’s sacrifice that the believer is changed and empowered to grow in Christ.

Basically, the author of Hebrews is saying, “God has done all He can. He has provided everything we need to change and live in relationship and fellowship with Him and others.” Peter echoes this thought when he writes,

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. (2 Peter 1:3–4)

And Paul further adds,

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14)

God has given us His grace for the specific purpose of training us in righteousness and to help us avoid unrighteousness. He has given us all we need, not the least of which is His very presence. Thus, anyone who continues to willfully live in sin after receiving His grace is spurning both the grace of God and the sacrifice of Christ. What does the author say about such an attitude? There is no more sacrifice for sins. It’s as if the offernder is saying, “That’s not enough God,” but God has done everything possible.

This is why the author writes that the only thing left is “a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” Now, we need to avoid a couple of extremes here. One extreme would say, “You lost your salvation [or were never a believer at all].” The other extreme would say, “It doesn’t matter, all sins are covered by grace.” Both are contrary to the sense of the text. Notice that verse 30 says, “The Lord will judge His people.” Here, as with all the NT letters, the writer is communicating to those who at least profess the name of Christ. He sees His audience as God’s people.

To reinforce this, look at verse 29, which contains these words:”. . . . the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified” (emphasis added). Notice that the writer speaks of this one of having been sanctified by Christ’s blood. He is one of God’s people. Thus, God does judge His people. He does discipline us, to train us in righteousness (we’ll talk about that in the next post). This is why both of those extremes are in error.

Now, let’s talk about why this judgment is merited. The author of Hebrews makes an argument from the lesser to the greater. He reminds the people that those who rebelled against the law of Moses were executed without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses (v. 28). Then he asks, “How much worse punishment will be deserved “the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?” (v. 29) The one who continues to sin deliberately, shrinking back from what God has called him to, has (as we said above) essentially told God, “What you did was not enough, and I reject it.”

How to Live Without Shrinking Back

The problem with teaching about or reading passages such as this is that it’s too easy to focus on the judgment and fear. It, no doubt, is a warning against abusing the grace we have received from God. At the same time, as we commit our hearts to positively and actively following Christ, we need not fear that jdugment. Discipline? Yes. God disciplines all of us, to train us. Discipline is not always punishment, though.

The thing is, we have to remember that God describes Himself as patient (Exodus 34:6), and the writers of both the Old and New Testaments agree. 2 Peter 3:9 tell us that God is patient toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all reach repentance. Psalm 103:14 tells us that God remembers our frame, He nows that we are but dust. My translation of that is, “He knows He has to pick up our slack.” But He knows our hearts also. He knows who is His, and He knows the desire of our hearts. As our hearts are turned toward Him, He will grant our desires to obey and follow Him. We will press forward and not shrink back.

Go to Part 1

Go to Part 3

The Shepherd's Voice

Pressing Forward, Not Shrinking Back (Pt. 1)

Posted on June 11, 2021March 5, 2025 by The Shepherd's Voice

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. (Hebrews 10:19–39)

This is the first in a three-part series looking at Hebrews 10:19-39. In many ways this is a follow-up and conclusion to the last several posts on the New Covenant and its implication (see “A Better Word than Abel“, 5/13/21, for the start of this series). Now, the author of Hebrews is going to turn practical. Here, he gives some practical directions based on what he has said before. We can break this passage into three parts:

Drawing Near to God and Others (vv. 19-25)
The Danger of Shrinking Back (vv. 26-31)
Confident Baby Steps and Maturity (vv. 32-39)

Drawing Near to God and Others

Notice that the passage begins with “therefore.” This links back to what has previously been said. Since context is important to understanding any passage of Scripture, we’ll briefly mention that the author of Hebrews has gone to great lengths to show the superiority of the New Covenant and of Jesus. In fact, his two statements beginning with “since” (vv. 19, 21) are really a summary of what he has argued up to this point. He tells us:

Since we have confidence to enter the holy place.

The author starts out by reminding us that we have “confidence” to enter the holy place. First, what does it mean to be able to enter “the holy place”? Simply put, it means that we now have direct access to God. Previously the author of Hebrews had said, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). We can now approach the very throne of grace. In the Old Testament this was represented by the ark of the covenant. The top of the ark was covered with gold, with golden cherubim on either side. It was referred to as the mercy seat. The ark was in the innermost part of the Tabernacle and Temple, the most holy place (the holy of holies), which was separated from all the rest by a thick curtain. No one was allowed to enter behind the curtain except the High Priest, and then he could only enter once a year.

Now, however, not only can we enter the holy place and approach God’s throne, but we can do so in confidence. On what is our confidence founded? We don’t enter by our own works, but “by the blood of Jesus.” He has opened the curtain, giving us a fresh and living way, “through His flesh,” that is, His death and resurrection. And what does this confidence do? It helps us “receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” We can ask God, our heavenly Father, for help, without fearing judgment or condemnation. In fact, He delights to help us.

Since we have a great high priest over the house of God.

Recall that Jesus is called the Great High Priest, and He is a far better priest than Aaron (see “Jesus, the Highest Priest“). While he can empathize with the temptations and sufferings of His people (as could Aaron), He did not submit to the temptations but lived .a perfectly sinless life. So what advantage is this for us? We have an Advocate, who can say (at the same time) “I’ve been there” (empathizing with us) and “you can do it through My grace” (a statement of encouragement).

Let Us Draw Near and Love

Since we have such a new confidence and new access to God, the author says, we should act in that confidence.

Let us draw near

This is an echo of the verse we already mentioned, Heb. 4:16, which encourages us to “come confidently (some translations say boldly) before the throne of grace.” We are invited to draw near to God, to His very throne. In the Old Testament, God was always at a distance. When He gave the law to Israel at Mount Sinai, there were barriers around the base of the mountain to prevent the people and animals from even touching the mountain. Only Moses was allowed to go up.

Now, though, those barriers have been removed. We can approach God as our heavenly Father. In fact, He desires us to draw near. He delights in us drawing near. He invites us to draw near (James 4:8). We can approach Him in confidence knowing that He, because of His great love, saved us so that we might come near. We can approach Him in confidence knowing that He’s a good father, who has a good plan for us.

We are to draw near “in full assurance of faith” or “with a full measure of faith.” How do experince tha? The author tells us: having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. When we have things weighing on our conscience, it hinders both our faith in and our fellowship with the Lord. Not from His side, mind you, but from ours. We tend to want to repeat Adam and Eve’s behavior. They tried to hide from God, and we tend to draw away also.

But we have the promise of cleansing and forgiveness. John tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, emphasis added). Not only are we forgiven, but we are cleansed. We can experience a clean conscience, and thus we can again draw near to the Father.

Let us hold fast

Not only are we told to draw near, but because we can now approach the throne of our Father, we are told to “hold fast.” We are told to hold fast to “the confession of our faith without wavering.” To me, this gives the since of holding on with everything we’ve got, holding on for dear life. When we hold to our confession of faith, we are holding on to Him.

Why can we hold fast to our faith? Because “He who promised is faithful.” Our Father has promised to forgive our sins, transform us into His image, use us to impact the world, and ultimately take us to be with Him forever. And He has shown Himself faithful over the centuries. He keeps His word. That is one of the most fundamental characteristics of God: faithfulness. Because He has promised, we have a solid rock to cling to.

Let us consider

As we move toward God and hold fast to Him, we are also to move toward others, specifically our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to consider how we can stir one another up to love and good works. This isn’t a Christian “pep rally,” though, to simply stir up emotions (as is often common in the modern church). Rather, it’s giving spiritual encouragement, appealing to the desires of the Spiritual Heart (the new heart), with practical ideas.

This encouragement, the author of Hebrews tells us, comes mainly in the corporate setting of the assembly. He contrasts stirring up one another to love and good works with neglecting to meet together. Can we encourage each other outside that setting? Of course, and we should! But there is something deeply strengthening about encouraging one another in the midst of the church assembly. To me, this suggests that the way we “do” church needs to change, allowing for more people to actively participate in such encouragement.

And we are to give this encouragement all the more, the author says, as we see the Day approaching? What Day is he talking about? The Day of the Lord, when He returns in victory and judgment. Often as we run a race, the end part of the race is harder and harder, and we are more tempted to quit. This is why we need more encouragement the closer we get to that Day.

In our next post we’ll talk about the danger that we face in shrinking back from these encouragements and from the faith.

Let us draw near, hold fast, and encourage one another in confidence and faith in the Risen Christ.

Go to Part 2

The Shepherd's Voice

How Then Shall We Live? (Pt. 5)

Posted on June 9, 2021March 5, 2025 by The Shepherd's Voice

In this post, our final post in this series, we are continuing our discussion of spiritual transformation and growth. Specifically, we are going to look at the real keys to our role in transformation. In the last post, we mentioned a passage that talks about these keys.

Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—alive, holy, and pleasing to God—which is your reasonable service. Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God—what is good and well-pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2, NET)

This passage marks a shift in Paul’s teaching in Romans. up until this passage, he had been teaching more theology–what to believe. Now he shifts to the working out of that theology. (“If this is true, then this is how you should live.”) Notice that he starts with “therefore.” A well-worn axiom of Bible study says, “When you see a ‘therefore,’ ask ‘What’s the ‘therefore’ there for?” Essentially, Paul is saying, “Because of the great mercy of God that He has shown to us, we should live this way.” He starts off with two ideas in this passage: total devotion and transformation.

Total Devotion: A Living Sacrifice

The first thing Paul exhorts (or encourages) us to do is to present ourselves as a sacrifice. In the Old Testament, a sacrifice was seen as something totally devoted to God. In the same way, the sacrifice of Christ showed His total devotion to the Father’s will. There’s a difference, however, between the sacrificies of the Old Testament and the giving of ourselves wholly to God. The Old Testament sacrifices were killed before being placed on the altar. We, on the other hand, are are told to present ourselves as living sacrifices. In fact, Paul says our sacifice should be “alive, holy, and pleasing to God.”

Even though we aren’t killed, part of us is killed, namely the flesh. As we offer ourselves to God on a daily basis, we live out and enforces the truth of Rom. 6:5-11, particularly the death of the old man. Being a living sacrifice, then, is also living out the truth of Rom. 6:12-14, where presenting oneself to God as an instrument of righteousness leads to transformation and the truth that the we are not under law but under grace.

The real problem with living sacrifices, as is often quipped, is that they tend to try to get off the altar. Likewise our flesh will resist such devotion, and the world and devil will give us reasons not offer ourselves to God in that way. When I was first saved, my first summer after college, my mother would often say “Don’t get too religious on us.” This was before she was saved, and thank the Lord she is with Christ now. But, she didn’t understand the spiritual truth of Romans. This sort of offering must be done daily. It is not a once-for-all sacrifice like Christ’s was for us.

Remember also that sacrifices of old had to be spotless and without blemish. Unfortunately, that is not true of any human. It is only because of Christ that we are holy and righteous. But, Paul does tell us that we have been thoroughly washed and justified by the Spirit (1 Cor. 6:9-11). That is, as you’ll recall, one of the promises of the New Covenant–cleansing and forgiveness. We stand in God’s sight as righteous–not becasue of anything we have done or will do, but solely because of Christ’s work. Because we are cleansed, though, and are continually being cleansed as we walk with Christ, we can present ourselves as that sacrifice to God, being wholly devoted to Him.

Transformation: Renewing the Mind

The second thng Paul tell us to do has two parts–a negative and positive command. The negative command is “do not be conformed to this world.” In the Greek, the word is syschēmatizō, meaning “to conform to, to assimiliate into.” It’s translated as a passive verb (something done to me) rather than active (I do something) because that’s the sense of the Greek. We might paraphrase this as, “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold.”

Conformity to the world is most often passive. We adopt thought patterns, beliefs, images, and attitudes from what we ingest–and often without even tinking about it. Unfortunately, the Sinful Heart (which we had before trusting Christ) has already throughly programmed us in the world’s ways. So, it doesn’t take much.

Renewing the mind, then, means replacing those old ways of thinking with God’s ways of thinkings. As we learn, meditate on, and put in the practice God’s Word, our mind is progressively renewed. Thinking in a biblical worldview becomes more natural to us. And as such, our behavior begins to change–not because “I should [or should not] do this,” because it’s natural to me now.

What’s the difference between “conformed” and “transformed”? Besides being mostly passive, conformed has an idea of adopting a system of thought and belief (the Greek word is where we get “system” and “systemitize”) without changing basic nature. The word translated transformed, however, is the Greek word metamorphoō, from which we get metamorphsis. To be transformed is to be changed into something new, something that did exist before. This is the idea Paul has when he writes, “If any man or woman be in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17).

Unfortunately, many Christians practice a form of spiritual growth that seeks to confrom them to Christ’s attitude and behavior rather than transforming them into His image. Changing our external behaviors isn’t enough. Seeking to sin less is a good thing, but it’s not enough. We must be transformed. And that happens as we change the way we are thinking. The Bible has another word for that.

Repentance.

Renewing the mind and being transformed equates to living in a state of repentance before God and others. We change how we think. We come into alignment with God’s word in our beliefs, images, and thoughts, then our attitudes and actions follow. As we do this, we are progressively transformed into the image of Christ. We are changed.

We are new creations in Christ.

We have the hope of being changed. The Holy Spirit was given to us for that very hope and to help us along the journey. No matter where you are or have been on your spirititual journey, there is hope for you to change. No matter what sins you struggle with, whether they be open sin or the deep hidden sin that few see, Christ offers, forgiveness, grace, healing, and change.

The Shepherd's Voice

How Then Shall We Live? (Pt. 4)

Posted on June 4, 2021March 5, 2025 by The Shepherd's Voice

In our last post, continuing our discussion of how we are to live in light of the New Covenant, we said that we are to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in transforming us into Christ’s image. To do that, we are to walk according to the Spirit, not according to the Spirit. We then fleshed out what that means:

To walk according to the Spirit is to set the mind on the things of the Spirit, not the things of the flesh.

That thought led to our next question.

#5: How are we to know which desires are of the flesh and which are of the Spirit?

That’s a good question, and sometimes a tricky one. The flesh can be very deceptive, making us think that what we “want” is God’s desire, when it’s really the flesh. Likewise, we sometimes think that something might be of the flesh when it’s actually a Spirit-led desire. When dealing with this question, there are some things to keep in mind.

The First and Greatest Commandment

The fundamental thing that we need to ask is, Are we walking in love? Jesus clearly told us what our first responsibility is:

[Jesus said to the lawyer], “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37–40)

So, our first commandment is to love God, and the second is to love our neighbor. What does this mean? It means that in all we do we are to move toward God in loving obedience and service and move toward people in loving and self-giving service. Any desire that moves us away from these goals is contrary to God’s word and should be rejected. (See my post “Toward Christ: A Model for Biblical Change” for more on this topic.) Desires that tend to move us away from these goals are often focused on self-protection, and a refusal to be vulnerable before God and others.

Fixing the Mind

The next thing we want to think about when we consider how to discern Spirit-led desires and fleshly desires is what we are thinking about. What we saturate our mind with often comes out in our desires. Thus, we are told,

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

As we’ve talked about previously, our entire being was thoroughly programmed by the Sinful Heart. Thus, renewing of the mind represents unlearning those old thought patterns and attitudes that keep us from living in dependence on God and moving toward others in loving sacrificial service. This is really a key passage in understanding our role in transformation, so we’ll look at it closely in the next post.

Here are some other questions to ask about thoughts, attitudes, and actions when considering whether they are of the Spirit or the flesh. (For more in-depth discussion of these questions, see my post “Legalism, License, or Liberty?“.)

Is it prohibited in the New Testament? Some examples are found in Rom. 1:28-32; Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:9-11.

Is it prohibited to all in the Old Testament? Notice the question includes “all.” Some examples are eating meat with blood in it (Gen. 9:4) and murder (Gen. 9:5-6).

Is it beneficial, helpful, or profitable? “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful (1 Cor. 6:12a). Specifically will it help me carry out God’s purposes for my life? Is there an advantage in it?

Is it an activity or thought that controls me? “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything (1 Cor. 6:12b). Notice the idea here is not about something that could control me, but something that actually does.

Will it cause a stumbling block in another’s life? Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8-10 teach that we should be willing to lay down anything that may hinder another’s spiritual growth. This is not simple “offense,” but rather causing another to stumble into sin.

Does it match the characteristics we should be thinking about? Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (Phil. 4:8) This is really one of the best examples of what believers should be focusing their minds on. Because all of these things lead to Jesus.

Is it in accordance with biblical wisdom? Is it wise? Both the Old and New Testament encourage us to seek biblical wisdom. We were created with minds to make wise, reasonable, and sound judgments. The books of Psalms, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes have much to say about wisdom (and great examples of practical wisdom). James tells us that if we lack wisdom, we need only ask for it from our Father who gives it generously (James 1:5).

Speaking of asking the Father, we should always ask the Holy Spirit for discernment. As He instructs us and we obey our ability to discern His will will become better and better.

In our next post, we’ll look closely at the passage we mentioned above. We’ll talk about the two keys in our role in the process of transformation.

Continue to Part 5 in the series >>>

The Shepherd's Voice

How Then Shall We Live? (Pt. 3)

Posted on June 2, 2021March 5, 2025 by The Shepherd's Voice

In our last post we talked a little about what it means to be holy and to grow in Christ. We said that holiness is a work of God with which we cooperate in His transforming us into the image of Christ (His image). It is primarily focused on the inner thoughts and attitudes, and is then expressed in outwardly loving behavior. All of that prompts our next question.

#4: What is the believer’s role and responsibility in the process of sanctification (growing in holiness)?

If holiness and sanctification is a work of God that He applies to us, then what is our role in this process (if any)? Do we have a role to play? The short answer to that question is “Yes!” There are numerous positive commands in the New Testament that tell us to be active and not passive in our growth. Some examples include:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1–2)

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:1–3)

Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)

These are just some of the commands in Paul’s letters, and there are more-both in the Gospels and in the other letters. We do have a role to play The question is, “What is our role?” The answer can be summed up in something we said in our last post when talking holiness.

Growing in holiness means cooperating with the Holy Spirit in the process of being progressively transformed into God’s image, to reclaim that which has been distorted in us.

Notice the emphasized words, “cooperating with the Holy Spirit.” That is our role. As we cooperate with Him, He transforms us into the image of Christ. Now, I don’t know about you, but I tend to be a practical person. If you’re the same way, then your next question is likely, “What does that look like? How do I do that?” We’ll find some answers in this passage:

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:1–11)

Notice there are two competing ways to “walk” in this passage. The believer (the one “in Christ Jesus,” v. 1) can choose to walk according to the flesh or according to the Spirit. Now, before we talk about the difference between those terms, we need to be clear on what it means to be “in Christ,” because only those in Christ can walk according to the Spirit.

The phrase “in Christ” is one of Paul’s favorite phrases, appearing some 70 times in the New Testament. It is the state in which the believer is placed upon trusting Christ as his Savior. It is a state of union, so that what happened to Christ can be said to have happened to His people (death, burial and resurrection), of which baptism is a symbol. This is why Paul makes his argument that the believer is dead to sin (Rom. 6) and to the law (Rom. 7). When Christ was raised, we were also raised to a new life. His righteousness is given to us.

By contrast, anyone who is not “in Chirst” is “in Adam.” The contrast is seen in passages like Rom. 5:12-21 and 1 Cor. 15:22. Those who are in Adam die. Those who are in Christ are made alive together with Him. To move from being “in Adam” to “in Christ” is to be born again when one repents and trusts Christ for salvation.

So, for those in Christ, what does it mean to walk according to the Spirit? Paul gives us his definition in verse 5 of this passage. He writes, “those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” Since the believer has the new heart (the Spiritual Heart), he or she now has new desires that are prompted by the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, since the flesh remains, there are also the fleshly thoughts and desires. To walk according to the Spirit, Paul says, is to set our mind on the thoughts and desires of the Spirit. We are to identify, nourish, and live out the Spirit-led desires. As we do that, the Spirit begins to transform us to the image of Christ.

In fact, to set our minds on the things of the Spirit, Paul says, “is life and peace.” If we want to experience God’s peace, then that is the door. We meditate on God, His character, and His ways and seek to live our lives accordingly. As we do that we will experience His peace–the peace that surpasses all understanding (John 14:27; 16:33; Phil. 4:7). This peace can be had even in the hardest and darkest of times.

“But,” one may ask, “how do I know which desires are of the flesh and which are of the Spirit?” It’s a great question, and we’ll look at that in our next post.

Continue to Part 4 in the series >>>

The Shepherd's Voice

How Then Shall We Live? (Pt. 2)

Posted on June 1, 2021March 5, 2025 by The Shepherd's Voice

In the last post, we began to talk about the implications of the New Covenant, that “better” covenant that we are part of as followers of Christ. We’ll continue our discussion in this post. The primary thing we need to remember here is this truth:

Under the New Covenant, there is no sin that we cannot be freed from. Change and growth is possible.

There are some who largely discount the New Covenant, practically speaking. This is a dangerous view for a few reasons. First, it denies that God keeps His promises. As we said in previous posts, God does what He says He will do. He keeps His Word. Second, if such views were true, then we are no better off than the people of Israel were. Yet, that is neither the witness of the New Testament nor the experience of millions over the centuries. So, then, how do we live in light of the New Covenant? We’ll continue with our questions.

#3: What does it mean to be holy, to grow in holiness?

This is a deep subject. Entire books have been written on the subject (not to mention the Bible itself). So, we really won’t go very deep here. Some people look at holiness in terms of my outward life–the old standard of, “I don’t smoke, drink, cuss, or chew, or go with girls who do.” Holiness in these sense means being clean on the outside. We avoid activities (and people) that may tempt us to engage in “sinful activities.” Certainly there are activities that are contrary to Scripture and should be regarded as sinful and avoided by the believer.

Holiness, however, is more than the outward appearance of righteousness. Look at a few things that Jesus said:

Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. . . . And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18)

And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (Matthew 15:10-20)

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.(Matthew 23:23-28)

As we look at these passages, an important truth sticks out. The Pharisees and scribes appeared to do the right things. They prayed, they fasted, they gave, they tithed. Yet, Jesus clearly says that’s not enough. Why is that not enough? Because their hearts weren’t right. Firstly, they were doing those things with impure motives. They wanted the public recognition. They wanted an earthly reward for their “devotion.” Those things, though, are to be done to God’s glory and honor alone. Because of their heart attitude, Jesus said they were hypocrites–outwardly religious and righteous but inside “full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matt. 23:28). Lawlessness and hypocrisy combine to make one self-righteous, and that is the exact opposite of righteousness. Thus we can say this about holiness:

Holiness is primarily inward. As the inner attitudes are changed, so the person grows in holiness that is expressed outwardly.

There is another aspect of holiness that we need to look at here. It goes back to our identity at creation. Recall what God said about mankind when He created Adam:

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

Fundamentally, then, humans are created in God’s image. The Fall and sin have distorted that image in us, however. Contrary to schools of thought that insist the image is completely lost, we still retain God’s image. It is shrouded often by the flesh and our sin, but it’s still there. So, the second thing we can say about holiness is this:

Growing in holiness means cooperating with the Holy Spirit in the process of being progressively transformed into God’s image, to reclaim that which has been distorted in us.

There is one final aspect of holiness that we need to touch on before moving forward. It’s often taught in churches that we are to be sanctified and the actions we take are what makes us holy, or to put it another way, the more we obey the holier we become. That is not the case, however. Here is what the Lord told Israel:

Keep all my decrees by putting them into practice, for I am the Lord who makes you holy. (Leviticus 20:8, NLT, emphasis added)

What does the Lord say to Israel? He is the one who makes them holy. And He says the same to us. This is another truth that deserves special attention.

Holiness and transformation is a work of God, not man. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves holy.

We need to ponder that statement. It prompts another question about our role and responsibility in transformation. We’ll take a look at that in our next post.

Continue to Part 3 in the series >>>

The Shepherd's Voice

How Then Shall We Live?

Posted on May 28, 2021March 5, 2025 by The Shepherd's Voice

We’ve been exploring the New Covenant in the last several posts. We’ve seen that we have a better priest, a better propitiation (the spotless sacrifice), and better promises. At the end of the last post, we asked the question, “What do we do with this?” Or, as I used to say to my students, “So what?” Good theology is more than just information to be learned and believed. Good theology is that which helps us encounter God and changes our hearts. So, then, what does the New Covenant really mean for us? We’re going to look at this by asking and answering a few questions.

#1: What is the most basic, fundamental difference between the Old and New Covenants?

The Old and New Covenants have some similarities. They were both instituted by God, not man. They both required a sacrifice, and both were sealed with blood and a covenantal meal. There are many differences between the two covenants, as we have seen in the previous posts. The most basic difference lies in how the covenant people (Israel and the church) relate to the covenant and to God. Under the Old Covenant, the people obeyed (or didn’t obey) God’s law simply because it was the law. The mentality is, “The law says this. . . . I should do this. . . . I’m supposed to do this.”

Fallen human nature has no desire to obey God. In fact, fallen human nature is hostile and opposed to God and His ways. You’ve heard the saying, “I just don’t have it in me . . . “? When it comes to obeying God, fallen humanity just doesn’t have it in us. Obedience is mostly (if not fully) outward.^[1) The New Covenant, however, doesn’t just give us a new way to obey, nor does it just give us a new reason to obey. The New Covenant fundamentally changes the one who trusts in Christ. He or she now has a heart that desires and longs to obey and please God, to know Him and to walk in His ways. This is why Paul can say that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). This is the most fundamental difference. The Old Covenant demands obedience but leaves the heart unchanged. The New Covenant changes the heart and then invites obedience.

#2: If the promises of the New Covenant are actual truth (not just theological or positional truth), then why do we still sin?

This is a logical question, and one that’s asked often. Unfortunately, many people assume that since Christians still sin, we must not have been actually changed. But that’s not the case. We have to ask ourselves, “Does God do what He says He will do?” The obvious answer is, “Yes!” He is faithful to keep His promises. When God gave those promises of the New Covenant in Jeremiah and Ezekiel, did He intend to keep them? Of course He did! Remember that Jesus specifically referenced the New Covenant when instituting the Lord’s Supper.

And [Jesus] took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:19-20)

Paul certainly speaks of believers as having been changed. Look what he told the Corinthians:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, emphasis added).

Notice how Paul speaks of the Corinthians. Now, we need to remember that this was a very troubled church. The whole of 1 Corinthians addresses multiple problems in the church. When we read this passage in context, we see that Paul is saying, “You are acting like the unrighteous! Why are you acting that way, when you’ve been cleansed and changed?” So, the New Covenant, the blood of Christ, does change us.

But back to our question. If that’s the case, why do we Christians still sin? Now, we know that we do sin–unless one believes in sinless perfection, in which case that’s a totally different conversation (and you’ll find the answers here less than satisfying). But why? The short answer is the flesh. In the previous post (“Better Promises, Better Covenant“), we saw that the Lord promised, “I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26). We referred to the heart of stone as the Sinful Heart. The Sinful Heart is totally opposed to God, seeking to live independently of Him and His ways.

The Bible considers the heart the very center, the very core, of our being. And as such, the Sinful Heart thoroughly programs our entire body and being to live independently of God. We learn to do things our own way. We learn that we can arrange our lives to provide our own satisfaction, safety, and significance. There is no part of the human that is untouched by the corruption of the Sinful Heart. This programming, if you will, occurs through the mind. We develop beliefs and images of ourselves, God, the world, and others that reinforce the notion that we must and can live independently of God.^[2]

What happens at the new birth (John 3:3) then? God promised to remove the heart of stone (the Sinful Heart) and replace it with a heart of flesh (the Spiritual Heart). Since we’ve established that God does what He says He will do, we can say that one who is saved has that new, spiritual heart. This heart, instead of being opposed to God, is inclined toward Him, desiring to worship, obey, trust, and please Him. Now, while the heart has been replaced, the old programming in the rest of us has not. The Bible calls this “the flesh.”

I like to use the analogy of the old-style mainframe computers. Back in the early days of computers there would be a mainframe computer (usually the size of a room) connected to other terminals (called “dumb terminals”). The dumb terminals took their programming from the mainframe. So, if someone wanted to infect the terminals with a virus, all that was needed was to introduce the virus into the mainframe. That’s exactly what’s happened withe the Sinful Heart. It has thoroughly programmed us with the virus of sinful independence from God.

Now, even if that mainframe were replaced, the programming in the terminals would remain, so they would need to be reprogrammed through the mainframe. That’s what God has done. He has replaced the Sinful Heart with the Spiritual Heart. But the flesh (the old programming) remains. It’s so interwoven throughout our being that it will take time (a lifetime, actually) to replace it. Remember, that old programming consists of those ideas, beliefs, and images that reinforce our independence from God. Spiritual growth and transformation, then, consists in cooperating with the Holy Spirit as He replaces that old programming. Paul calls this “renewing of the mind” (Rom. 12:2). Notice that there’s nowhere in the New Testament where we are told to have our hearts renewed or changed. That’s because our heart has already been changed.

We’ll pick up with this topic, how we grow spiritually, in our next post.

Continue to Part 2 of the series >>>

Notes

[1] There are many examples of Old Testament believers having the desire to obey God from their heart, and in fact this is what the law requires. Those people had their heart changed like what we have described.

[2] Since this isn’t a post on the theory of the person or biblical counseling, we won’t go deep into this subject. However, it is an important subject both in understanding spiritual formation/discipleship and biblical counseling.

The Shepherd's Voice

Better Promises, Better Covenant

Posted on May 25, 2021March 5, 2025 by The Shepherd's Voice

But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. (Hebrews 8:6)

So far in this series, we have seen that the New Covenant has a better High Priest (“Jesus, the Highest Priest“) and a better sacrifice (“Jesus, the Spotless Sacrifice“). Those are both amazing truths, and we need to take time to understand and apply the implications of them. In this post, we are going to talk about the most fundamental difference between the Old and New Covenant. The New Covenant was founded on better promises.

As we’ve said before, it’s not that the Old Covenant (the law, if you will) was bad. In fact, even the New Testament says that the law is holy, just and good (Rom. 7:12). Why then do we need a New Covenant? Because the law could not change man’s nature, nor could it give life to men. Both Paul and the writer of Hebrews describe the law as weak (Rom. 8:3; Hebrews 7:18). The thing about the law is that it cannot make one righteous; it can only tell if someone is. One can be declared righteous only as he fully keeps the law. One slip and he is forever condemned as unrighteous.

Thus, none of us is or will ever by righteous by the law. We are all already lawbreakers. The law can only promise earthly blessings–and not eternal life. And those blessings are only given as one keeps the law. Yet, the law does not and cannot help man keep it. The law simply says, “Here are the standards, now obey them.” The law is temporal; it has power over a person only as long as he or she lives (Rom. 7:1-6).

So, if the New Covenant is better because of better promises, what are those better promises?

Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. (Ezekiel 36:22-29)

If you’ve read much of this blog over the years, you know that we’ve talked about these passages much (and if you haven’t you really should). These really are central passages to understanding the New Covenant. So, we are going to look at these passages to see the “better promises.”

Before we do that, however, one thing needs to be pointed out and clarified. Notice in these two passages that the Lord is speaking to “the house of Israel.” These prophecies, like so many in the Old Testament, were given specifically to Israel. The New Testament makes it clear that the new Covenant was first given to Israel. In fact, Jesus said that His death would institute the New Covenant. Read His words:

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:27-28)

These words are an echo of the words Moses spoke to Israel. After he read the whole law to Israel, we are told,

And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.” (Exodus 24:8)

So, the New Covenant and the gospel were offered to Israel first. That the Gentiles should be included in the gospel on the same basis was a mystery, as Paul calls it. It was not revealed back then but was revealed to the apostles. He writes:

Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. . . . For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. (Romans 11:25; Ephesians 3:1-6)

So, Paul says that the Gentiles are now fellow-heirs with Israel in the blessings of Abraham (compare Rom. 11:11-24). More than that, Israel has experienced a partial hardening until “the fullness of the Gentiles” (or the full number of the Gentiles). Thus, this better covenant (the New Covenant) is open to all.

The Better Promises

Returning to our passages, the first thing we should notice about the promises God makes is this: They are unconditional. Notice the repetition of the phrase “I will.” Under the Old Covenant, Israel was promised blessings if they obeyed. It was an “I will if you will” arrangement. As we’ve mentioned previously, the Old Covenant did nothing to change people or help them actually obey the law. It simply said “Obey and be blessed, disobey and suffer the curses.” Not so with the New Covenant. There is no “I will if you will.” There is only “I will.” And the repetition of “I will” strongly emphasizes the unconditional nature of the covenant.

This New Covenant is a fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham so long ago. When God called Abram (later known as Abraham, father of many nations). He repeated that same “I will” (Gen. 12:1-3) Like the covenant with Abraham, the New Covenant is unconditional. Both are eternal and still stand today.

Not only is the New Covenant unconditional, but it deals with far more than just the outward temporal things. The blessings of the Old Covenant are blessings of this life. The law only has authority over those who live. Its authority ends at death. The New Covenant, however, promises eternal blessings that go beyond this life. These blessings have to do with identity and inheritance, or who we are and who we will become.

Who We Are, Then and Now

The New Covenant changes everything. Specifically, it changes everything about us. When we put those two passages together, we see four key changes:

No longer defiled

Where once we were defiled by sin, we are now cleansed. Not like the repeated washings of the Old Covenant, but through the once-for-all cleansing through the blood of Christ. The Lord promised, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. . . . And I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses” (Ezek. 36:25, 29). No matter what we have done, when we turn to Christ in dependence and trust, we are cleansed from all our defiling sins. There is no sin that will escape His cleansing.

Forgiven, not just covered

Our sins are forgiven, not just covered. Under the Old Covenant, God accepted the sacrifices for an atonement or covering for sin. Yet, as we learned in a previous post, animal blood cannot take away human sin. Thus the debt of sin was continuing to pile up. The Lord promised, “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Jer. 31:34). The New Testament bears this out in such passages as this: “Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses” (Acts 13:38; see also 10:43; Eph. 1:7; Col.1:14; 2:13; 1 John 1:9; 2:12).

A new heart and motivation

Not only are we forgiven and cleansed, but we are also changed. Our very nature is changed. Notice what the Lord promised: “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. . . . I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Jer. 31:33; Ezek. 36:26). Why are cleansing and forgiveness not enough? Because those things, as wonderful as they are, don’t change our nature. We would continue to sin, making a mockery of that forgiveness and cleansing. So the Lord changes our heart. The old heart (the Sinful Heart, the heart of stone) is totally opposed to God and desires to live independently of Him. The new heart (the Spiritual Heart, the heart of flesh) is inclined toward God and longs to commune with Him and obey His voice. Thus, our motivation to obey has changed. We no longer obey because “the Bible says so,” but because obedience is part of who we are.

A new relationship and empowerment

The Lord promised that “no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. . . . I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules” (Jer. 31:34; Ezek. 36:27). Imagine that. Not only are our hearts changed, but now we have a relationship with the very One who created us! The very one we dismissed and sinned against. How do we have such a relationship? Through the presence of the Holy Spirit living in us. Jesus gave us information on the Holy Spirit, in what is a fulfillment of this promise. He said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. . . . 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 have said to you” (John 14:16-17, 26). In the Old Testament, the Spirit was said to be upon people, but never was it said that the Holy Spirit indwelt them!

Future Glory as Sons and Daughters

Because of the New Covenant, not only are we cleansed, forgiven, having a new heart and a relationship with God, but there is still more. We have been and are being adopted into the very family of God as sons and daughters. Paul tells us, “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him” (Rom. 8:15-17, see also v. 23; 9:4; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5).

Jesus Himself calls His disciples brothers (see John 20:17 for an example). Think of it, we are considered part of the family of the God of the Universe! Because of this, we will share in Christ’s glory. Paul wrote in that passage we are heirs of God and fellow heirs of Christ and we will be glorified with Him. Nowhere in the Old Covenant will you find such statements. This is what Paul means when he often refers to our inheritance.

The Real Question

The real question here is this: What do we do with these glorious truths? Like all of Scripture, we are to believe them and then act accordingly. This is why the oft-quoted statement, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace” is so inaccurate and misleading. The Bible does not call us sinners any longer. He calls us saints–holy ones separated out for God’s own purpose. If you see yourself as a sinner, guess what you’ll continue to do? Sin. If, however, you begin to see yourself as a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) and begin to apply these truths, you’ll begin to walk in freedom from sin and victory over sin more and more. Will we be perfect in this life? No. Will we grow? Absolutely.

All thanks to Jesus and the New Covenant.

The Shepherd's Voice

A Better Word than Abel

Posted on May 13, 2021March 5, 2025 by The Shepherd's Voice

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22–24)

In case you didn’t know, Pentecost is fast approaching. It is held to be the actual formation of the church. The Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples as they were praying and gave them utterance in other tongues, power to live a godly life, and courage to proclaim the gospel Though many people understand the basic difference between the Old and New Testaments, there is often confusion about why a new covenant was needed. Wasn’t the old one good enough? In the next several blog posts we’re going to look closely at that question.

What is a Covenant?

Before we get started, it’s a good idea to get a basic grasp of what that word covenant means. Some people think it’s a simple contract, like one my sign a contract to do work or buy a car. A covenant, however, is more than that.

The word for covenant in the Old Testament is the Hebrew berît. When referring to a covenant between God and man, the word is always said to be God’s covenant (note the phrase “my covenant” in such verses as Gen. 6:18; 9:9-15; 17:2-21; Exod. 6:4-5). It is not a contract made by equal parties. In a contract, if one party refuses to honor the terms (breaks the contract), the other party is free from the obligations. Not so in a covenant. The covenant binds all parties, and one party’s failure to honor the terms of the covenant does not free the other. Not even deceit would cancel the covenant, as Joshua found out.

But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai, they on their part acted with cunning and went and made ready provisions and took worn-out sacks for their donkeys, and wineskins, worn-out and torn and mended, with worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes. And all their provisions were dry and crumbly. And they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a distant country, so now make a covenant with us.” But the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you live among us; then how can we make a covenant with you?” They said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you? And where do you come from?” They said to him, “From a very distant country your servants have come, because of the name of the Lord your God. For we have heard a report of him, and all that he did in Egypt, and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon the king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who lived in Ashtaroth. So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country said to us, ‘Take provisions in your hand for the journey and go to meet them and say to them, “We are your servants. Come now, make a covenant with us.”’ Here is our bread. It was still warm when we took it from our houses as our food for the journey on the day we set out to come to you, but now, behold, it is dry and crumbly. These wineskins were new when we filled them, and behold, they have burst. And these garments and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” So the men took some of their provisions, but did not ask counsel from the Lord. And Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live, and the leaders of the congregation swore to them.
At the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, they heard that they were their neighbors and that they lived among them. And the people of Israel set out and reached their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. But the people of Israel did not attack them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel. Then all the congregation murmured against the leaders. But all the leaders said to all the congregation, “We have sworn to them by the Lord, the God of Israel, and now we may not touch them. This we will do to them: let them live, lest wrath be upon us, because of the oath that we swore to them.” And the leaders said to them, “Let them live.” So they became cutters of wood and drawers of water for all the congregation, just as the leaders had said of them. (Joshua 9:3-21)

Even though the Gibeonites lied to Joshua, the covenant still stood. In fact, in David’s years, Saul had tried to wipe out the Gibeonites, and thus God’s wrath was against Israel–there was a famine in the land for 3 years (see 2 Sam. 21 :1-14). God takes covenant very seriously. This is also why God kept calling Israel back to Himself when they would seek after other gods. The covenant contained blessings and curses, and in judging the sin of the nation, He was honoring the terms of the covenant.

The New Testament word for covenant is the Greek diathekes, which often means “covenant, testament, or will [specifically a last will]. It’s most often used when talking about the New Covenant. This was prophesied in the Old Testament (see Jer. 31:31-34; Ezek. 36:25-29). As we know, Israel continually broke the covenant that God made with them, so He promised a new covenant, one that wiould enable His people to obey the covenant and love Him with all their hearts.

Jesus, on the night He was to be betrayed, said that His death would inaugurate the New Covenant.

And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. (Luke 22:20)

With that cup being poured out came a better covenant.

The Better Covenant

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is “the mediator of a new covenant [whose] sprinkled blood speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” Abel, as you’ll remember, was the second son of Adam and Eve. He was killed in a jealous rage by his older brother Cain. Abel has always been declared righteous in Scripture and held up as an example of faith. Hebrews tell us that, “By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4). Yet, what Jesus speaks is a “better” word, and the New Covenant is a “better” covenant.

In this series, we’ll see why the New Covenant is a far better covenant than the Old Covenant. It’s not the Old Covenant was bad. Paul calls it holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12). What we’ll see, however is that the law was “weak.” Not because of God, mind you, but because of sinful humanity. In fact, Paul says that God, by sending Jesus, did what the law could not do. He writes,

For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4).

What could the law not do? According to Paul, the law could not “condemn sin in the flesh.” The law could not do away with sin. It can only pass judgment on sin. As we’ll see, this is the reason that the OT sacrifices had to continue day after day, year after year. Sin was never put away, but “in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year” (Hebrews 10:3).

Not only is there a reminder of sin, the truth is that “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). One might wonder, then, why the Old Covenant was given at all then, if that’s the case. This is an importnat question, and we’ll address it later.

In this series, we will learn what better word the blood of Christ speaks to us. It tells of:

A better high priest and mediator. Moses, though called by God as the mediator of the Old Covenant, was no less a fallen man than the Israelites he led out of Egypt. He had his own sins to reckon with, and in the end died before reaching the Promised Land because of disobedience. As we’ll see, Jesus is the fulfillment of everything that Moses and Aaron could not be.

A better sacrifice. As we mentioned, the Israelites continually offered the same sacrifices, day in and day out. They did so as an act of faith, and God was faithful to honor their faith, in that their sins were not counted against them. Yet, instead of doing away with sin, the sacrifices served only to remind people of their sin. As we’ll see, the New Covenant promises to forgive and cleanse those who trust in Christ.

A better promise. The promises of the Old Covenant were about earthly blessings. Further they were restricted to Israel and any who would enter the covenant through the prescribed way. There was, as Paul calls it, a wall of hostility between the covenant people of God and the rest of the world. The New Covenant breaks down that wall and invites the Gentiles into the blessings of God, which are far more eternal than the earthly blessings of this life (Ephesians 2:14).

The question still persists, though. Why did God do it this way? Why even establish an Old Covenant? If there had never been an Old Covenant, well, this blog would never have been written for one! Seriously, though, God established the Old Covenant to move the world toward His plan of showing all creation His attributes of wisdom, justice, holiness, love, grace, and mercy. Without the Old Covenant, man would have no sense of just how depraved he is apart from God. Man would have limited knowledge of God’s redeeming grace. Man would have no real understanding of just how holy God is.

In the end, all history is about God, not man. Though God is reconciling sinful man to Himself, He is doing it for Himself. For His glory. He alone is the one worthy of glory. Salvation is about God showing His greatness. Redemption is about God showing His love and power to redeem fallen and broken people to Himself. He invites all who will to come to Him and drink freely of the water of life.

Stay tuned….

Posts in This Series:

Jesus, the Highest Priest
Jesus, the Spotless Sacrifice
Better Promises, Better Covenant