After the release of our Law of Christ documentary, we were very grateful to hear feedback regarding the handling of weighty matters such as covenants, the Torah, faith in Christ, etc… Those on our Patreon site were able to see how much went into the study and preparation for this project. There was much we needed to cover.

By God’s grace, we were able to effectively explore the purpose of God’s Law and how all people can be included in the New Covenant through faith.

‍

Here is a Recap:

In the Law of Christ Documentary we explored how The Torah (the first five books of The Bible) is a narrative about the covenant relationship between God and his people. The terms of that covenant are what we call The Law. Within the Torah, there are very instructive lessons for us all.  

When Jesus ministered, he often expounded upon the deep meanings behind many of the law commands. For example, we saw how it is written within the Torah that one shall not commit adultery. Yet, Jesus elevated it further by saying to not only avoid physical adultery… but even mental adultery. He taught that if you even look at one lustfully, you have committed adultery within your heart (Matthew 5:28).

‍

We saw a pattern of how Jesus elevated and expounded upon the heart of the law commands. He taught what it truly meant to please God. Throughout the presentation, it should have become apparent that living in such an intrinsically pure way is seemingly impossible. As Jesus said, “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).

But thanks be to God through Christ Jesus! Jesus lived the perfect life that we never could live. He then fulfilled the law “terms” regarding sacrifice by dying in our place. And through faith in Him, we are able to remain in covenant relationship with God…and no matter our race! In Christ, all are able to be included into this union. For the covenant connector is Faith! And such faith is not based upon human ancestry (See Romans Ch. 3-4).

Now that we all are able to remain in covenant relationship with God, we certainly want to please him and follow his commands. Thankfully, through the leading of his Holy Spirit, we are led in how to keep the terms of the covenant. Now of course, in Christ we are within a New Covenant (see Jeremiah 31:31, Hebrews 8:6-13). As scripture testifies, it is far better than the old.

For instance, in the New Covenant, when we fall short of the terms through sin…the sacrifice has already been made (The Cross)!  And we don’t have to seek an earthly High Priest, for Jesus is now our High Priest! And he is ready and willing to mediate our case before our Father in Heaven (Hebrews 4:16, 8:1-6). When you come before Christ with a repentant heart, he is faithful and just to forgive and restore (1 John 1:9).

‍

New Covenant Regulations

‍Another thing we explored was how New Covenant living allows one to satisfy the true heart of the Old Covenant commands. We explored how circumcision in the New Covenant is not about the removal of skin… Rather, it is about the removal of a wicked heart. In the New Covenant, true circumcision is about having a renewed heart towards God (Romans 2:29, Galatians 5:6 Colossians 2:11)!

And so, if circumcision is a command that looks differently under the New Covenant… are there any others? Well, one thing to keep in mind, is that Jesus demonstrated and taught us what New Covenant living looks like as well. This is echoed in his teachings regarding adultery, lust, murder, and love. His life example and teachings hit at the heart of what pleases God.  

For example, on Sabbath, he lived and operated in a way that upset the religious authorities of the day. Jesus showed them what true Sabbath living looks like (Matthew 12:1-14, Mark 2:23-27). While they criticized him for healing and doing good to others on Sabbath, he explained the importance of such works (Luke 13:10-17).

‍

And understandably, just as Jesus and the first believers received many questions regarding Sabbath, many questions arise today. After the release of our documentary on the Law of Christ, one of the main questions received regarded the role of Sabbath in the New Covenant. Consequently, we are working on a new video to explore that!

Here is some of what the next video will cover:

1)    Life in the Kingdom of God

2)    Exploring the historical precedent and purpose of Sabbath

3)    What does Sabbath look like in the New Covenant?

(After this episode is released... we can resume in 2021 the episodes mentioned in this trailer: Upcoming Episodes Trailer ‍Stay Tuned!!)

‍

-AoC Network

‍