The Old Testament Law was conditional upon total obedience to God saying; “If you will” (Totally obey my Law) then I will give you all my promises and blessings!
The Law could not be * perfectly obeyed by any person because of the fallen nature we all inherited from Adam, did God know this, absolutely! We must go to the New Testament in order to understand this paradox between “If You” and “I Will”. The Apostle Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit revealed that we all need a Savior, a Deliverer, someone who could actually obey God’s Law perfectly and make the New Covenant with us which would bring all God’s “I Will” to those “In Christ” through faith. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the Law of Moses. … ACTS 13:39 NLT. This Covenant is instituted through Faith in Jesus and NOT OF WORKS! When we believe as Paul wrote in the Book of Ephesians we are ** SEALED IN CHRIST by the Holy Spirit FOREVER which is the earnest of our inheritance! In the Book of Romans Paul the Apostle explains clearly about the Old and New Covenants by saying that God gave us first the Law which was IMPOSSIBLE to keep (Acts 13:39) and He did that in order to show His Holiness and our sinfulness! The Law like a mirror shows a dirty face but can’t wash it! But God with his great love, mercy and grace sent the only one who was able to pay the price for our sin which God hates, he sent his only Son, Jesus who created the Universe and human beings created in God’s own image and likeness. ***Jesus the Son willingly laid aside His equality and power with the Father, submitted himself to the Father’s Will and planned work of Salvation. Born a Jewish King who’s Kingdom was to come, as a young boy he astounded the great minds in the Temple, he not only kept the Law perfectly but magnified it by teaching the “Spirit of the Law” which convicted the evil Scribes and Pharisees who rationalized that if they just thought about a certain sin they did not break the Law but Jesus said; If you thought it you did it! Paul confirms that God did not intend to use the Law to save us; he said the Law was the “Schoolmaster” God used to bring us to Christ; we are humbled when we realize it is hopeless to try to keep the whole Law without breaking one! Jesus did it for us, paid the debt we owed in full, the just dying for the unjust, as in the Old Testament the Prophet said; He shall save HIS people from their sins, both Jew and Gentile. He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” ISAIAH 49:6 NLT Isaiah one of the Major Prophets spoke of Jesus and His sacrifice. In Isaiah 53 he said that the Jewish Messiah Jesus would be a “Light” unto the Gentiles and in His name (Jesus) would they hope, that is the only name that all Christians hope in today! God the “I Will” has sent an invitation to the whole world through His Word – John 3:16 addressed to the “Whosoever will believe in Jesus Christ and they will not perish but receive Eternal Life a Free Gift!
When God chose Abraham the first Jew, He made special unconditional promises to him through his “Seed” the true believers not the ones born of the flesh alone but true worshippers through the power of the Holy Spirit. This Covenant with Abraham is still in effect today; all the Nations will be blessed through it. The Lord put Abraham to sleep and then swore by himself and made it an everlasting unconditional Covenant. He put Abraham to sleep in order that he had no part in it for it was God’s will and work alone! All of God’s Saints, Old and New Testament are the children of Abraham, chosen through the Promise, not of the flesh. That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. ROMANS 9:8 NASB.
*Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. ROMANS 3:19-20 NASB.
**In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation– having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, EPHESIANS 1:13 NASB.
*** Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as
a human being. PHILIPPIANS 2:6 &7 NLT.
For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone whoever
Believes in him will not perish but have Eternal Life. JOHN 3:16 NLT.
Author Ken
February 2015