The New Covenant – What is it?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Throughout the Bible, God made covenants with His people. Some of those covenants were conditional, like the Mosaic Covenant, in which God promised blessings if the people would follow His Law. Others were unconditional, like the promise God made to Abraham to make him a great nation. Problems arose with the Mosaic Covenant because the people of Israel were unable to follow the Law. Their hearts were constantly turning away from God and breaking the Law. The purpose of these covenants was to show us God’s faithfulness and to help us realize that we could not fulfill these covenants on our own. The New Covenant, foreshadowed in the Old Testament, promises a transformed heart and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and it is fulfilled in Christ. Unlike the conditional Mosaic Covenant, which required strict adherence to the Law, the New Covenant is unconditional, offering salvation and transformation without cost (Ephesians 2:8–9). This covenant ensures that God’s people will be given a new nature, able to obey and follow Him out of love, not mere obligation (Jeremiah 31:31–33). It points to Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice, who redeems us from sin and frees us from the burdens of the Old Covenant (Hebrews 9:13–15). The New Covenant invites us to live in the freedom and grace found in Christ, walking by the Spirit and embracing abundant life (John 10:10).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Throughout the Old Testament, God established several covenants with His people. The Adamic Covenant was both conditional and unconditional, laying out humanity’s responsibilities in Eden and the promise of redemption through the “seed of the woman” (Genesis 3:15) after the fall.
• The Noahic Covenant (Genesis 9:8–17) was an unconditional promise to never destroy the earth by water again, symbolized by the rainbow.
• The Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1–3; 15:1–21) unconditionally promised land, descendants, and blessings through Abraham’s lineage.
• The Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19:5–8; 24:3–8) was conditional, with blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, showing Israel’s inability to fully keep the Law.
• The Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12–16) was an unconditional promise of an eternal dynasty through David’s descendants, ultimately pointing to Jesus Christ.
• The New Covenant, foreshadowed in the Old Testament, promises the transformation of hearts and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which was fulfilled in Christ. God Himself would fulfill the requirements of the Law and give the people the ability to follow Him in love and obedience (Jeremiah 31:31, 33; Ezekiel 36:26–28). The covenants of the Old Testament illustrate God’s faithfulness and His redemptive plan, culminating in Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of all His promises.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• In the Old Testament, blood sacrifices were required for cleansing and atonement when the Law was broken. Under the New Covenant, Jesus Christ provided His own body on the cross as a sacrifice that would purify once, for all time, those who had faith (Hebrews 10:10, 14).
• God proclaimed the first covenant, the Mosaic Covenant, as flawed because of the inability of the people to fulfill their part of the deal. Because His love and His promise to Abraham superseded the demands of the Mosaic Covenant, God did away with the Old Covenant and made the "new covenant" in Christ's blood (Hebrews 8:8–13).
• According to the terms of the New Covenant, God would forget about the sins of the people and be merciful toward them. He promised also to put the law into their minds and to write the law on their hearts. Jeremiah 31:31 promised the Holy Spirit, who would indwell all who have faith, teaching and helping them to follow the Lord's commands (John 14:26; Romans 8:9–11).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Now that the New Covenant is in effect, we can receive the gift of salvation and the presence of the Holy Spirit freely, without payment (Ephesians 2:8–9). Everyone who is thirsty is welcomed to come to the water, and he who has no money to pay is encouraged to buy wine and milk without price (Isaiah 55:1–3). Isaiah speaks of God's "steadfast, sure love for David" in conjunction with this promise. Throughout Scripture, it is evident that the covenants work together. The Abrahamic Covenant promises that righteousness will come through faith (Galatians 3:6–14; Genesis 15), and the Davidic Covenant promises that an eternal King will come from the line of David (2 Samuel 7:16). The Mosaic Covenant exists to show us our inability to obey, so we will know to turn to God for mercy (Galatians 3:23–25). And the New Covenant in the blood of Jesus, the Eternal King, provides redemption from sin and freedom from the Mosaic Covenant (Hebrews 9:13–15). "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). The New Covenant reminds us that we are no longer bound by the old; instead, we are invited to live in the freedom and grace found in Christ, walking by the Spirit and finding abundant life in Him (John 10:10).

UNDERSTAND

• The New Covenant provides believers with a new heart and the Holy Spirit, enabling them to follow God out of love.
• Jesus fulfills the Mosaic Law through His sacrifice, providing a direct relationship with God.
• The New Covenant offers redemption from sin and spiritual growth through the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

REFLECT

• How does understanding the New Covenant influence your relationship with God and your actions?
• How can you experience and live out the freedom and grace of the New Covenant?
• How does the promise of a transformed heart affect your view of obedience to God’s commands?

ENGAGE

• How can we support others within our community in living out the freedom of the New Covenant?
• What relationship does the New Covenant have with the rest of God’s covenants?
• How can we encourage others who struggle with understanding or accepting the New Covenant to experience its benefits?