[Music] It has
stood the test of time,
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God's book, the Bible.
Still relevant in today's
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complex world. It Is
Written, sharing hope
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around the globe.
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This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
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Thanks for joining me
today. Today on It Is Written,
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I'm joined by a
very special guest.
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We've met before when we
talked about the covenants,
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the Old Covenant and the
New Covenant, but there's much
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to talk about on these
subjects and how the Old
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and New Covenants impact
our lives today and what they
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really stand for. My
guest is Dr. Skip McCarty
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who for over four decades
has been a pastor, a teacher
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and an author.
Skip, thanks very much
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for joining me
today. SM Thank you John.
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An honor to be
here. JB I appreciate this
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opportunity to speak
with you about the covenants.
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You have written
extensively on this subject.
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You have engaged with
theologians and scholars
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from across the Christian
spectrum on the subjects
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of the covenants.
It's a relevant subject,
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a very pertinent subject
today because there is a lot
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of discussion among people
who say, well I'm a New Covenant
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Christian. I
don't want to be an Old
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Covenant Christian.
And I'm sure that's right
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because the covenant
God gave us today is the New
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Covenant. What
was the first Covenant
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God gave us and
before you answer that,
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what's a covenant biblically?
What's a covenant biblically
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and what is the
first one God gave us?
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SM The covenants in the
Bible were different kinds.
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There were covenants between
nations, there were covenants
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between
individuals such as David
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and Jonathan, they had a
covenant with each other.
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But the dominant covenants
in the Bible are the covenants
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God made with human
beings. And those covenants
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are all God initiated.
They are promises God made
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to his people. JB
What is or what was
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the original covenant God
made with the human family.
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SM I am going to back
up even before the human
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family. You can go back in time
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far enough where
there was no creation
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and there was only God.
And Christianity understands
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God in terms of
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
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That's how we understand God.
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Therefore, it can say
God is love for eternity past
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because you have Father,
Son and Holy Spirit relating
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to one another.
Those love bonds, those
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commitments of loyalty to
one another, each treating
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the other as they would
want to be treated if they
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were in the other's
place. That's covenant.
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That's essentially covenant.
It's that whole sold commitment
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John Murray, a Presbyterian
scholar, he called it
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a whole souled
commitment to the other.
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Once God began to bring
creation into existence,
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the Angels, they were
just folded into that covenant.
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This was the same commitment
that was made to them when
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he brought Adam and Eve
into the existence, that same
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commitment was made to
them. That kind of a covenant
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expects the same kind
of commitment back again.
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JB The covenant represents
God's total commitment
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to the person he is
making a covenant with.
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SM Absolutely. God
does expect a whole
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souled commitment back to him.
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There is no question about
that. No, it's not a whole list
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of you do this and this
and this and this and this
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and then I'll be your
God. JB And many people see
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it that way. SM
Yeah, well, that's
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a mistake. It
was not that way with
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the Angels, it was not that
way with the Father, Son or Holy
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Spirit and when Adam and
Eve were brought into existence,
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God made that same
commitment to them.
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Now he did give them a
way that they could express
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their trust in him and
that was that tree in the garden
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and they showed
their distrust of him which
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is essentially what that
was. It was distrusting him but
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every covenant from
that point on has been God
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reaffirming. Once
Adam and Eve sinned,
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the everlasting
covenant from eternity past
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was adapted into
a covenant of grace.
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The covenant of grace is
the bridge between Eden lost
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and Eden restored.
Everything Adam lost,
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the Covenant of Grace,
the Everlasting Gospel --
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the Book of Revelation calls
it the Everlasting Gospel --
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is that Covenant of Grace.
Is God's initiative to restore
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to us everything we've lost.
So that's the four promises
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we talked about last time I
came here, the New Covenant.
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God will write
his law in our hearts.
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He'll be our God,
we'll be his people.
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Eventually everyone is
going to know him and he'll
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forgive us of our
sins. That comes into that.
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JB Important to discuss
that because many people have
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the idea the Old Covenant
was the Ten Commandments,
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obey this and live, the New
Covenant is believe in Jesus
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and be saved by grace.
You mentioned something
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that isn't often
spoken of in discussions
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of the covenants. So
we want to accurately
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understand what the
covenants are and you've
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expressed them always
as being God's expression
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of his commitment to his
people and as we participate
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in that covenant our expression
of our commitment back
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to him. But you talked about
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an everlasting covenant.
And now, where did that come
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from and what's that?
SM The everlasting covenant
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came from God
who is everlasting.
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The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
That's where it originated
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in the commitments they have
made to one another and then
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enfolded the angelic
host and the human race into
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that commitment. I
am going to turn to one
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passage and that's Isaiah
24 and read verse 5 if you
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would for us. JB The
earth is also defiled
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under its in habitants
because they have transgressed
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the laws, changed the ordinance,
broken the everlasting
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covenant. SM
Isn't that interesting?
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This is the earth.
This is not just a little
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group of people here or there.
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It's not just a
nation. It's not just Israel.
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The everlasting
covenant involves everyone on
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the earth and the covenants
God made with his people,
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for instance, the covenant
he made at Sinai, he was just
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grooming them to share
with the world the knowledge
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of the everlasting covenant,
of God's commitment to everyone
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and that they needed to
put their trust in him too
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and have this same experience
with God that they were having
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to have restored to them
everything that Adam lost
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on their behalf. In Hebrews 13,
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this is the first time
that the everlasting covenant
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is associated directly
with Jesus in Hebrews 13:20.
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Why don't you read
that for us if you would?
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JB Now may the God of
peace who brought up our Lord
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Jesus from the dead, the
great shepherd of the sheep
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through the blood of
the everlasting covenant
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make you complete in
every good work to do his will.
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SM Exactly. Isaiah said there is
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an everlasting covenant
the whole earth has broken.
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In Hebrews it says when
Jesus died it was his blood
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of the everlasting
covenant. He atoned for the sins
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of the whole world and gave
his life for them so they could
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be restored to wholeness again.
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JB When do we
find talk in the Bible
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of the Old Covenant?
SM The term Old Covenant
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first shows up in
the New Testament.
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It doesn't occur
anywhere in the Old Testament.
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The term New Covenant
does in Jeremiah, after
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the exile, when they
are in Babylon for 70 years
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and Jeremiah 31 God said
I'm going to make a New Covenant
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with you. JB It's
worthwhile reading
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that. Can I look at that?
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It starts in verse 31. SM Yes.
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JB Behold the days
are coming, says the Lord,
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when I will make a New Covenant
with the House of Israel
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and with the House of Judah.
Not according to the covenant
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that I made with their
fathers in the day that I took
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them by the hand to bring
them out of the land of Egypt.
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My covenant, which they
broke, though I was a husband
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to them, says the Lord.
But this is the Covenant
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that I will make with the House
of Israel after those days,
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says the Lord. I
will put my law in their
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minds and write it on
their hearts and I will be their
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God and they shall be my
people and verse 34 goes on
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to say, no more shall
every man teach his neighbor
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and every man his brother saying
know the Lord for they all
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shall know me, from the
least of them to the greatest
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of them says the Lord.
For I will forgive their
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iniquity and their sin
I will remember no more.
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SM Okay this is the new
expression of New Covenant.
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JB And it's in
the Old Testament.
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SM It's in the Old Testament
and it's talking about God
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is renewing his covenant
with his people, with Israel,
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that he had made
with him at Sinai.
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These same promises
occur in the Sinai covenant,
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they incur all
through the Old Testament.
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There is New
Covenant all the way through
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the Old Testament.
JB Which means, then,
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that the Old Covenant isn't
the Old Testament and the New
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Covenant, the New Testament,
which is commonly talked about.
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SM Yes. There's
an element of truth
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to that. Once
Jesus came, there was
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something so significant
about that that the Book
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of Hebrews does talk about
the whole period before Jesus
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came as being Old Covenant,
all the sacrifices and all
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the temple ritual and so
forth, that was Old Covenant.
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When Jesus came,
the ritual changed.
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We still have
ceremonies. We still have
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ceremonial law. Our
ceremonies are baptism
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and the Lord's supper.
There is still ceremonial
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laws but that changed
because all of those other
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ceremonies were looking
forward to Jesus coming,
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the ceremonies we now
have look back on his coming.
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The moral law didn't change,
it is still the same moral
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standard, it is still
the same standard for sin.
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But the ceremonies change.
In that sense, you do have
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a historical Old
and New Covenant.
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But that's not what the
New Testament is focusing on.
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When the New Testament
talks about the two covenants
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it's talking about
something vastly different.
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JB We are going to have
to talk about that in just
00:09:10.71\00:09:12.71
a moment. We'll
be back with more on
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the covenants with Dr.
Skip McCarty, right ahead.
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[music] When you
hear the word "heaven"
00:09:17.55\00:09:26.46
what comes to your mind?
If it's little more than harps
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and clouds, my guess is you
might not be too excited about
00:09:29.16\00:09:31.83
spending an eternity
there! But the Bible has good
00:09:31.83\00:09:34.74
news for you!
Heaven is a very real place
00:09:34.74\00:09:37.24
for real people!
And God has great things
00:09:37.24\00:09:40.34
in store for you
there. If you'd like to know
00:09:40.34\00:09:42.78
what the Bible says
about heaven, let me
00:09:42.78\00:09:44.58
send you a booklet
called, "As Good As It Gets"
00:09:44.58\00:09:46.95
It's absolutely FREE. Just call
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(800) 253-3000 and ask for
00:09:49.25\00:09:52.49
"As Good As It
Gets." If the line's busy,
00:09:52.49\00:09:55.06
do keep on
trying. You can write to:
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It Is Written, P.O. Box
6, Chattanooga, TN 37401,
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and we'll mail a
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Our toll-free number is
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1 (800) 253-3000,
and our web address is
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ItIsWritten.com.
00:10:10.74\00:10:13.38
This is It Is
Written and I'm John Bradshaw
00:10:15.98\00:10:18.11
and my guest today is Dr.
Skip McCarty and we are talking
00:10:18.11\00:10:20.68
about the covenants,
the Old Covenant and the New
00:10:20.68\00:10:24.15
Covenant and Skip, must
a moment ago you mentioned
00:10:24.15\00:10:28.19
something that is going to take
our conversation a little bit
00:10:28.19\00:10:31.63
deeper. There is an historical
00:10:31.63\00:10:34.96
element to the covenants
and an experiential element
00:10:34.96\00:10:39.47
to the covenants. SM Correct.
00:10:39.47\00:10:41.47
JB There was an Old Covenant
and there is a New Covenant.
00:10:41.47\00:10:44.04
Jesus stood between the
two covenants historically
00:10:44.04\00:10:48.68
but what do you mean when
you say there is an experiential
00:10:48.68\00:10:50.88
component? SM In
the writings of Paul,
00:10:50.88\00:10:52.98
when he is talking about
the covenants, he is talking
00:10:52.98\00:10:54.92
about something that
God himself hinted at when
00:10:54.92\00:10:57.75
he gave the New
Covenant in the book of Hebrews.
00:10:57.75\00:10:59.75
When he gave the New Covenant
in Hebrews 8, he said it's not
00:10:59.75\00:11:02.56
going to be like the
covenant I made with those
00:11:02.56\00:11:04.56
I brought out of
Egypt because they weren't
00:11:04.56\00:11:06.56
faithful to my covenant.
That was the difference.
00:11:06.56\00:11:09.43
It was a matter of faithfulness.
So God himself said what's
00:11:09.43\00:11:12.43
going to be different
about the New Covenant is I'm
00:11:12.43\00:11:14.44
expecting a different
response than I got at
00:11:14.44\00:11:16.44
At Sinai, people said we'll
do it all, we'll do everything
00:11:16.44\00:11:19.11
you said but they
didn't. They immediately made
00:11:19.11\00:11:21.44
a golden calf. JB Sure.
00:11:21.44\00:11:23.45
SM God says I want a different
response from this generation
00:11:23.45\00:11:25.45
and so what he's talking
about here is how people respond
00:11:25.45\00:11:29.52
to the gospel
message. Jesus said that which
00:11:29.52\00:11:32.09
is born of the flesh is
flesh, that which is born
00:11:32.09\00:11:34.09
of the spirit is
spirit. You must be born again
00:11:34.09\00:11:36.09
and so if we stay in the flesh,
and that can be a rebellious
00:11:36.09\00:11:39.63
response to God or a
religious response to God.
00:11:39.63\00:11:42.36
Religious response is
where we just do what we think
00:11:42.36\00:11:45.77
is right and think that's
going to put God in our debt.
00:11:45.77\00:11:48.20
We'll merit eternal
life. That's all Old Covenant.
00:11:48.20\00:11:51.14
And the other side,
being born of the Spirit, being
00:11:51.14\00:11:54.24
born according to the
Spirit is New Covenant.
00:11:54.24\00:11:57.01
JB So what you're saying,
there's a historical component
00:11:57.01\00:12:00.22
to the covenants, Jesus
stood between the two covenants
00:12:00.22\00:12:03.55
historically, but
there is an experiential
00:12:03.55\00:12:06.22
component where somebody
living in this very modern
00:12:06.22\00:12:08.76
age can have a very
Old Covenant experience.
00:12:08.76\00:12:11.73
SM That's what
he's warning against.
00:12:11.73\00:12:13.73
JB Tell me how a person
in practical terms today
00:12:13.73\00:12:15.70
can have an Old
Covenant experience.
00:12:15.70\00:12:17.70
SM Okay. JB You
might be living under
00:12:17.70\00:12:19.70
the Old Covenant even if
you attend a church that says
00:12:19.70\00:12:22.70
New Covenant church
right on the sign, if.
00:12:22.70\00:12:24.71
SM That's true. I've
knocked on many doors
00:12:24.71\00:12:27.34
in my life just talking
to people about the gospel
00:12:27.34\00:12:29.74
and somebody says well I
don't really need what you're
00:12:29.74\00:12:33.05
offering because I
think I live a good life.
00:12:33.05\00:12:35.25
I live a good enough
life. If there's an after life,
00:12:35.25\00:12:37.25
I think I'll be okay.
It's the law of Karma.
00:12:37.25\00:12:40.52
The law of Karma says
I'm going to get coming back
00:12:40.52\00:12:43.49
to me. If I don't get it all
00:12:43.49\00:12:45.49
in this life I'm gonna
get it in the next life either
00:12:45.49\00:12:47.50
good or bad. The
Gospel isn't Karma.
00:12:47.50\00:12:50.20
The Gospel is total
faith in Jesus Christ.
00:12:50.20\00:12:53.23
His blood of the everlasting
covenant is what washes away
00:12:53.23\00:12:56.37
my sins. His
promise to write his law
00:12:56.37\00:12:59.27
in my heart and mind is
what empowers me to live a godly
00:12:59.27\00:13:02.84
life and that's a process.
If I think going to church
00:13:02.84\00:13:06.65
is going to help get me
salvation, just going to
00:13:06.65\00:13:10.32
church - that's
not going to do it.
00:13:10.32\00:13:12.32
I have to have total
dependence on the grace
00:13:12.32\00:13:14.32
of Jesus Christ's sacrifice
for me and his promise to change
00:13:14.32\00:13:17.76
my life. That's new covenant.
00:13:17.76\00:13:19.96
JB So secular people,
without realizing it, can
00:13:19.96\00:13:22.06
have an Old Covenant attitude.
00:13:22.06\00:13:24.07
SM Exactly. JB and
modern New Testament
00:13:24.07\00:13:26.07
church going Christians
can be under the Old Covenant.
00:13:26.07\00:13:28.80
SM John, we are
born Old Covenant.
00:13:28.80\00:13:31.11
Every human being is
born in Old Covenant.
00:13:31.11\00:13:33.68
.We have to be converted
to become New Covenant people.
00:13:33.68\00:13:36.11
That's what Paul
has in mind here.
00:13:36.11\00:13:38.28
Those who are born of
the flesh are Old Covenant.
00:13:38.28\00:13:40.98
That's what he
calls Old Covenant.
00:13:40.98\00:13:43.12
Those who are born of
the Spirit are New Covenant.
00:13:43.12\00:13:45.79
So He is saying if you
are Old Covenant, you will not
00:13:45.79\00:13:48.02
inherit eternal life. So
John, if the Old Covenant
00:13:48.02\00:13:51.33
is the Covenant God made
with the people at Sinai,
00:13:51.33\00:13:54.83
that would be saying
that anyone who is faithful
00:13:54.83\00:13:57.17
to that covenant, as God
asked them to me, cannot have
00:13:57.17\00:14:00.34
everlasting life.
That's why we absolutely,
00:14:00.34\00:14:02.47
positively know that
it's not talking about
00:14:02.47\00:14:05.01
any covenant he
had made previously.
00:14:05.01\00:14:07.01
It's talking about their
response, an illegitimate
00:14:07.01\00:14:09.24
response, a legalistic
or a rebellious response
00:14:09.24\00:14:11.55
to the gospel.
That's totally what the Old
00:14:11.55\00:14:13.78
Covenant is in Paul's thinking.
00:14:13.78\00:14:15.85
JB That's serious, isn't
it? Because there are Christians
00:14:15.85\00:14:17.85
today who, based on their
attitude towards the gospel,
00:14:17.85\00:14:22.12
might be Old
Covenant Christians because of
00:14:22.12\00:14:25.93
the experience they are
having rather than New Covenant
00:14:25.93\00:14:28.80
Christians because they
are missing something vital
00:14:28.80\00:14:30.87
with Jesus
Christ. SM That's true.
00:14:30.87\00:14:32.87
And it has nothing to do
with Oh, I believe in the Ten
00:14:32.87\00:14:34.87
Commandments, therefore
you must be Old Covenant.
00:14:34.87\00:14:36.87
It has nothing to do with that.
00:14:36.87\00:14:38.87
It's how we are
responding to God in faith.
00:14:38.87\00:14:40.88
Or if I'm responding to
God and I say, Oh, I put faith
00:14:40.88\00:14:42.88
in God but I don't
want anything to do with
00:14:42.88\00:14:44.88
the transformation of my
life. The New Covenant is I'm
00:14:44.88\00:14:46.88
going to write my
law in your hearts.
00:14:46.88\00:14:48.88
I am going to forgive you
but I am going to write my
00:14:48.88\00:14:50.89
law in your hearts as
well. It's a total submission
00:14:50.89\00:14:53.02
to God, it's a total submission
to God to do everything
00:14:53.02\00:14:55.22
he wants to do
for us in this life.
00:14:55.22\00:14:57.23
JB and entering into the
transformation he wants to
00:14:57.23\00:14:59.23
bring into our
lives. SM Exactly.
00:14:59.23\00:15:01.26
JB Let's pick up on more
and that in just a minute.
00:15:01.26\00:15:03.53
A great discussion
with Dr. Skip McCarty.
00:15:03.53\00:15:04.40
I'll look forward to
talking with you more about this
00:15:04.40\00:15:06.00
in just a moment.
00:15:06.00\00:15:07.57
[music] Every
Word is a one-minute
00:15:08.17\00:15:10.41
Bible-based daily devotional
presented by Pastor John
00:15:10.41\00:15:13.17
Bradshaw and designed especially
for busy people like you.
00:15:13.17\00:15:16.71
Look for Every Word on
selected networks or watch
00:15:16.71\00:15:19.78
it on-line everyday on
our website, itiswritten.com.
00:15:19.78\00:15:25.42
[music] A very
practical verse today
00:15:25.42\00:15:33.80
that you can use
in powerful ways.
00:15:33.80\00:15:36.46
Romans 6:11 says,
"Reckon ye also yourselves
00:15:36.46\00:15:39.50
to be dead indeed unto
sin, but alive unto God through
00:15:39.50\00:15:43.00
Jesus Christ our Lord."
This is direct instruction from
00:15:43.00\00:15:45.94
Paul, but not many
people follow His advice.
00:15:45.94\00:15:48.54
He's saying that in a
person's daily battle with sin,
00:15:48.54\00:15:51.11
that person can simply
reckon - or consider - himself
00:15:51.11\00:15:54.28
or herself to be dead to
sin. You never saw a dead person
00:15:54.28\00:15:58.09
smoke a cigarette or lose
his temper, because that person
00:15:58.09\00:16:01.02
is dead. So when we believe,
reckon, consider that we are
00:16:01.02\00:16:04.89
dead to sin, sin
loses its power over us.
00:16:04.89\00:16:08.40
When temptation comes today,
try this. Quote Romans 6:11,
00:16:08.40\00:16:11.23
remind yourself that you
are dead to sin but alive
00:16:11.23\00:16:13.94
to Jesus Christ. Call
on the Lord, and experience
00:16:13.94\00:16:16.84
the power of sin
being broken in your life.
00:16:16.84\00:16:20.78
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:16:20.78\00:16:22.98
Let's live today by Every Word.
00:16:22.98\00:16:24.95
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00:16:25.68\00:16:28.78
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00:16:28.78\00:16:31.79
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00:16:31.79\00:16:34.92
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00:16:34.92\00:16:37.69
To discover more about
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00:16:37.69\00:16:40.53
website: itiswritten.com,
browse the dozens of pages
00:16:40.53\00:16:43.93
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00:16:43.93\00:16:46.67
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00:16:46.67\00:16:49.30
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00:16:52.81\00:16:55.81
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--today. And follow us online,
00:16:58.38\00:17:02.88
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00:17:02.88\00:17:05.39
I'm glad you've joined
me today on It Is Written.
00:17:06.79\00:17:09.02
My guest is Skip McCarty
and our discussion is centering
00:17:09.02\00:17:13.33
on the covenants, the Old
Covenant and the New Covenant.
00:17:13.33\00:17:16.80
And Skip, what we find in
the Bible is that God wants
00:17:16.80\00:17:19.37
everybody to have a
New Covenant experience.
00:17:19.37\00:17:22.00
SM Amen. Old
Testament, New Testament,
00:17:22.00\00:17:24.01
it doesn't matter when
they lived, he wants them
00:17:24.01\00:17:26.01
to have a New
Covenant experience.
00:17:26.01\00:17:28.01
It's the only way for salvation.
00:17:28.01\00:17:30.01
JB So somebody in the Old
Testament living, it was God's
00:17:30.01\00:17:32.08
will that that
person have a New Covenant
00:17:32.08\00:17:34.08
experience. SM All those people
00:17:34.08\00:17:36.08
in Hebrews 11.
They didn't have the Old
00:17:36.08\00:17:38.09
Covenant experience
that Paul is talking about
00:17:38.09\00:17:40.09
in Galatians 4.
They had a New Covenant
00:17:40.09\00:17:42.09
experience. JB
Tell me how somebody
00:17:42.09\00:17:44.09
living in the Old
Covenant times could have an Old
00:17:44.09\00:17:46.09
Covenant experience as
opposed to a New Covenant
00:17:46.09\00:17:48.06
experience. SM Oh easy.
00:17:48.06\00:17:50.07
In Isaiah 1, God is saying
you perform the sacrifices,
00:17:50.07\00:17:52.07
you go to the festivals
but you are oppressing people.
00:17:52.07\00:17:54.20
He says I hate your
sacrifices. You need to live
00:17:54.20\00:17:57.87
a godly life. In
other words, they weren't
00:17:57.87\00:18:00.41
fully embracing the
promise God had given them
00:18:00.41\00:18:03.21
to transform their hearts.
It's very clear God wanted
00:18:03.21\00:18:05.75
love first. Love me and keep my
00:18:05.75\00:18:08.82
commandments. And
Love for God and love
00:18:08.82\00:18:11.62
for others was always
at the top of the list
00:18:11.62\00:18:14.22
of His
commandments. It always was.
00:18:14.22\00:18:16.22
And so God says you're not
loving people, then the ritual
00:18:16.22\00:18:18.93
means nothing to me. So
people who say I'll treat
00:18:18.93\00:18:21.53
people, I'll cheat them
in business, I'll get as rich
00:18:21.53\00:18:23.70
as I can and oppress
the poor but yet I'll do
00:18:23.70\00:18:27.07
the sacrifices and
I'll perform the rituals.
00:18:27.07\00:18:29.90
God says no, it's
not what it's about.
00:18:29.90\00:18:31.91
That is Old Covenant.
JB New Covenant, it seems
00:18:31.91\00:18:34.38
very clear, involves a
transformation in the life.
00:18:34.38\00:18:37.48
SM Absolutely. JB
God said if you love me,
00:18:37.48\00:18:39.78
I'll write my
law in your hearts.
00:18:39.78\00:18:43.05
SM Exactly. JB Now you would say
00:18:43.05\00:18:45.05
that that law that
he is talking about
00:18:45.05\00:18:47.06
is the Ten
Commandments. Can we be certain
00:18:47.06\00:18:49.06
about that? SM It's at least
00:18:49.06\00:18:51.06
the Ten Commandments.
It's at least the Ten
00:18:51.06\00:18:53.06
Commandments.
That's the law that God
00:18:53.06\00:18:55.03
is writing on our hearts.
JB And saying that a person
00:18:55.03\00:18:57.03
is going to keep the Ten
Commandments is not legalism.
00:18:57.03\00:18:59.03
SM It can be legalism if
that is all they think about,
00:18:59.03\00:19:02.10
is the Ten Commandments
and obeying those in order
00:19:02.10\00:19:04.11
to get to heaven.
That can be legalism.
00:19:04.11\00:19:06.11
But a person who sincerely
seeks God, who trusts God
00:19:06.11\00:19:08.68
to do the work in them
they can't do for themselves,
00:19:08.68\00:19:10.85
to make them godly people,
loving people, and obedient
00:19:10.85\00:19:14.38
to His commandments, of course.
00:19:14.38\00:19:16.38
But the
commandments become promises.
00:19:16.38\00:19:18.39
Once a person becomes
a believer and converted,
00:19:18.39\00:19:21.19
they are ten
promises. JB And that's the New
00:19:21.19\00:19:23.49
Covenant
experience. SM Yes it is.
00:19:23.49\00:19:25.53
JB You know, there's
another passage that I have been
00:19:25.53\00:19:28.26
asked about
frequently that deals with this.
00:19:28.26\00:19:31.20
It's found in 2 Corinthians
3. Would you mind looking
00:19:31.20\00:19:34.84
at that with me? SM Yes.
00:19:34.84\00:19:36.84
JB What do we say
about this passage that Paul
00:19:36.84\00:19:38.84
was talking about here.
In fact, you know, it has
00:19:38.84\00:19:41.21
a little heading right
here in this Bible, glory
00:19:41.21\00:19:43.55
of the New Covenant.
SM In 2 Corinthians 3
00:19:43.55\00:19:45.95
it's very much like
his letter to the Galations
00:19:45.95\00:19:49.22
in his discussion of
the two covenants there.
00:19:49.22\00:19:51.22
So we bring that mindset
here and we find out exactly
00:19:51.22\00:19:54.42
the same thing going on
here because what he does here
00:19:54.42\00:19:56.52
is he contrasts New Covenant
and another covenant here
00:19:56.52\00:19:59.69
that he has in mind.
He says we're ministers
00:19:59.69\00:20:03.06
of the New
Covenant, not of the letter.
00:20:03.06\00:20:06.10
He calls the other the
letter that many people
00:20:06.10\00:20:09.30
refer to the Sinai Covenant.
You have parallel columns
00:20:09.30\00:20:13.38
again where he has Old
Covenant and he says the Old
00:20:13.38\00:20:15.88
Covenant is the
letter and the New Covenant
00:20:15.88\00:20:18.15
is the Spirit. The
Old Covenant is written
00:20:18.15\00:20:20.38
on stone and the New Covenant
is written on the heart.
00:20:20.38\00:20:22.38
The Old Covenant is
condemnation and death.
00:20:22.38\00:20:25.39
The New Covenant is
righteousness and life
00:20:25.39\00:20:27.69
and when you go down those
columns, you find out if you
00:20:27.69\00:20:31.16
just have the items he
puts in the Old Covenant,
00:20:31.16\00:20:33.56
you have an unsaved
person. It's talking about
00:20:33.56\00:20:35.60
an unconverted person.
So what you have is the Old
00:20:35.60\00:20:38.57
Covenant again is an unbelieving
response to the gospel.
00:20:38.57\00:20:42.54
A rejection of it or a
legalistic response to it
00:20:42.54\00:20:45.27
and the New Covenant
being a faith-embrace
00:20:45.27\00:20:47.64
of the gospel, allowing
God to do everything in us
00:20:47.64\00:20:49.94
he wants to do and he is
going to change us from one
00:20:49.94\00:20:51.95
degree of glory to the
other by the Spirit who does
00:20:51.95\00:20:54.15
this work in us.
That's New Covenant.
00:20:54.15\00:20:56.15
No matter when a
person lived, they had to have
00:20:56.15\00:20:58.15
that experience and
that is New Covenant.
00:20:58.15\00:21:00.16
JB So the covenants that
God made with his people back
00:21:00.16\00:21:02.42
in Old Testament times
were gospel-revealing covenants.
00:21:02.42\00:21:06.26
SM Exactly. Each one in capsuled
00:21:06.26\00:21:08.23
the gospel to be shared
with the people of the world
00:21:08.23\00:21:10.93
around them. It
was the same gospel
00:21:10.93\00:21:12.93
throughout. Paul
said in Galations 1
00:21:12.93\00:21:14.94
there's one gospel.
There is no other gospel.
00:21:14.94\00:21:16.94
If anybody preaches a
different gospel, that would
00:21:16.94\00:21:18.94
be Adam, that would be
Moses, that would be anybody
00:21:18.94\00:21:21.44
in the Old Testament who
preached a different gospel,
00:21:21.44\00:21:24.45
Paul said let him be accursed.
JB God wants people today
00:21:24.45\00:21:27.62
to have New
Covenant experience with Him.
00:21:27.62\00:21:30.65
SM Exactly. JB
Explain to somebody right
00:21:30.65\00:21:32.89
now how they can have
a New Covenant experience
00:21:32.89\00:21:38.09
with God, what that is going
to look like, what it will do
00:21:38.09\00:21:40.96
for them. SM Okay.
00:21:40.96\00:21:42.96
Every human being,
John, no matter who they are,
00:21:42.96\00:21:44.97
is going to have times in
their life when they are under
00:21:44.97\00:21:48.07
conviction by
God. You can't get away
00:21:48.07\00:21:50.87
from that, no matter where
you are, whether you have even
00:21:50.87\00:21:53.01
heard of Jesus or not.
You are going to come under
00:21:53.01\00:21:55.01
conviction by the Spirit of God
that there is something wrong,
00:21:55.01\00:21:58.31
you need something more.
Now people can try to make
00:21:58.31\00:22:01.02
a transformation in their
life but that's futile too make
00:22:01.02\00:22:03.92
that ultimate change
that God is asking us to make,
00:22:03.92\00:22:06.65
and so they come to the
place where they say God,
00:22:06.65\00:22:08.66
help me! And God comes
00:22:08.66\00:22:11.29
into the picture.
There's conversion.
00:22:11.29\00:22:13.29
The Spirit of God
brings a new life into them
00:22:13.29\00:22:15.36
and the Bible
calls that the new birth.
00:22:15.36\00:22:17.37
That's the New
Covenant experience and then
00:22:17.37\00:22:19.90
it's a matter of continuing
to trust God, trust his
00:22:19.90\00:22:21.90
promises, trust those promises.
God says I'm going to write
00:22:21.90\00:22:24.84
my law in your mind.
I'm going to forgive you.
00:22:24.84\00:22:26.84
Don't keep bringing up the past.
00:22:26.84\00:22:28.84
Don't keep
worrying about the past.
00:22:28.84\00:22:30.85
I am going to
forgive you for that.
00:22:30.85\00:22:32.91
Let's go on from here.
I'm going to do a new thing
00:22:32.91\00:22:34.92
in your life and I am going
to be your God, and you are
00:22:34.92\00:22:36.92
going to be my child even
when things go rough for you
00:22:36.92\00:22:38.92
when you fall, I'm still
your God, you're still my child.
00:22:38.92\00:22:41.92
We are going to get
through this together.
00:22:41.92\00:22:43.93
The New Covenant is God
promising people He is going
00:22:43.93\00:22:45.93
to do for them what
they can't do and He is going
00:22:45.93\00:22:47.93
to save them. It's his promise.
00:22:47.93\00:22:49.90
I am guaranteeing
you, I will save you.
00:22:49.90\00:22:51.90
Just don't run away
from me. Hang on to me.
00:22:51.90\00:22:53.90
Hang on to me. I
am going to save you.
00:22:53.90\00:22:55.90
I am going to make your
life more meaningful here than
00:22:55.90\00:22:57.91
you have ever
dreamed here on this earth.
00:22:57.91\00:22:59.84
JB Allowing God to be in
our life that which he wants
00:22:59.84\00:23:01.91
to be. SM Yes.
00:23:01.91\00:23:04.41
JB To make us
what he wants us to be.
00:23:04.41\00:23:05.51
SM Yes. JB The
discussion when we
00:23:05.51\00:23:06.65
get into well New Covenant
you don't keep the commandments,
00:23:06.65\00:23:08.38
Old Covenant you do
keep the commandments.
00:23:08.38\00:23:10.35
It's really a
smoke screen, isn't it?
00:23:10.35\00:23:11.99
SM It's not in
the New Testament.
00:23:11.99\00:23:13.12
It doesn't exist there.
That kind of thinking does
00:23:13.12\00:23:14.79
not exist there. Paul
is not talking, when he
00:23:14.79\00:23:16.83
is talking about the Old
Covenant, he is not talking
00:23:16.83\00:23:18.79
about the covenant God
made with his people at Sinai.
00:23:18.79\00:23:21.36
Particularly the moral
laws God gave his people
00:23:21.36\00:23:23.47
at Sinai. Paul himself said
00:23:23.47\00:23:24.47
if it wasn't for the
10th Commandment, Thou shall
00:23:24.47\00:23:26.47
not covet, I would not
even know I was a sinner.
00:23:26.47\00:23:28.67
He thought he was
living a perfect life.
00:23:28.67\00:23:29.97
He says that in
Philippians 3. Before the law,
00:23:29.97\00:23:32.14
I was faultless.
There is no argumentation
00:23:32.14\00:23:34.71
in the New Testament
against the commandments of God,
00:23:34.71\00:23:37.08
against the Ten
Commandments. Absolutely not.
00:23:37.08\00:23:39.18
It's only against
this rebellious attitude
00:23:39.18\00:23:41.35
toward them. Once you understand
00:23:41.35\00:23:43.59
that's what the Old Covenant
is about, it's about a faulty
00:23:43.59\00:23:45.79
response to God, an unbelieving
response or a legalistic
00:23:45.79\00:23:48.96
response to God, New
Covenant is a faith-response
00:23:48.96\00:23:50.56
to God, totally
trusting his grace.
00:23:50.56\00:23:52.83
It's our response to the law,
it's a perversion of the law
00:23:52.83\00:23:55.93
that he has in mind. If
he is talking negatively
00:23:55.93\00:23:57.57
about it, that's
what he is talking about.
00:23:57.57\00:23:59.40
He's not talking about a
faith response to God's law,
00:23:59.40\00:24:01.80
see it as now
the promise of God.
00:24:01.80\00:24:04.37
JB We've covered
some ground today.
00:24:04.37\00:24:05.81
I'm thankful to you for
taking the time and I want
00:24:05.81\00:24:07.78
to encourage you, friend,
to know that God wants you
00:24:07.78\00:24:12.21
to have a New
Covenant experience.
00:24:12.21\00:24:15.62
When you will come to God
by faith and say here I am,
00:24:15.62\00:24:19.15
take me and do whatever
it is you want to do in my
00:24:19.15\00:24:22.42
life, you are entering
into a New Covenant experience
00:24:22.42\00:24:24.99
with God. You
see, when God enters
00:24:24.99\00:24:27.76
your life and writes his
law in your heart, when Jesus
00:24:27.76\00:24:29.90
begins to live his life
in you, what once might have
00:24:29.90\00:24:33.17
seemed impossible to
you becomes possible.
00:24:33.17\00:24:35.57
You love the things you
used to hate and maybe hate some
00:24:35.57\00:24:38.37
things you used to love
and you find your life trending
00:24:38.37\00:24:41.28
in the very direction
that God wants it to go.
00:24:41.28\00:24:43.98
Friend, there is only one
thing, and that is to enter into
00:24:43.98\00:24:45.88
a New Covenant
experience with Jesus.
00:24:45.88\00:24:48.18
Let him write his
law in your heart.
00:24:48.18\00:24:51.49
Respond to him by saying
as Jesus said to his Father,
00:24:51.49\00:24:54.32
not my will, but
your will be done.
00:24:54.32\00:24:58.29
When you say to Jesus,
let me have a New Covenant
00:24:58.29\00:25:00.80
experience with you,
your life is going to bloom,
00:25:00.80\00:25:03.97
your joy will be full,
you'll be walking with Jesus
00:25:03.97\00:25:07.24
the way he wants you to
walk and you can look forward
00:25:07.24\00:25:10.97
with great
certainty to the wonderful day
00:25:10.97\00:25:12.97
when Jesus comes
to take you home.
00:25:12.97\00:25:16.58
[music]
00:25:16.58\00:25:19.55
When you hear the word "heaven"
what comes to your mind?
00:25:26.55\00:25:29.92
If it's little more
than harps and clouds.
00:25:29.92\00:25:32.26
My guess is you might not
be too excited about spending
00:25:32.26\00:25:34.46
an eternity there! But
the Bible has good news
00:25:34.46\00:25:37.43
for you! Heaven
is a very real place
00:25:37.43\00:25:39.40
for real people!
And God has great things
00:25:39.40\00:25:42.47
in store for you there. If
you'd like to know what the
00:25:42.47\00:25:45.21
Bible says about heaven,
let me send you a booklet
00:25:45.21\00:25:47.28
called, "As Good As It
Gets." It's absolutely FREE.
00:25:47.28\00:25:50.38
Just call (800)
253-3000 and ask for
00:25:50.38\00:25:54.58
"As Good As It
Gets." If the line's busy,
00:25:54.58\00:25:57.29
do keep on
trying. You can write to:
00:25:57.29\00:25:59.82
It Is Written, P.O. Box
6, Chattanooga, TN 37401,
00:25:59.82\00:26:04.39
and we'll mail a free copy to
your address in North America.
00:26:04.39\00:26:07.76
It Is Written is a faith-based
ministry supported by people
00:26:07.76\00:26:10.87
like you. Your
help makes it possible
00:26:10.87\00:26:13.27
for us to share God's
good news with the world.
00:26:13.27\00:26:16.37
Your tax-deductible gift
can be sent to the address on
00:26:16.37\00:26:19.27
your screen, or you can support
us online at ItIsWritten.com.
00:26:19.27\00:26:22.71
Thank you for your
continued prayerful support.
00:26:22.71\00:26:26.25
Our toll-free
number is 1 (800) 253-3000,
00:26:26.25\00:26:29.45
and our web
address is ItIsWritten.com.
00:26:29.45\00:26:33.36
Do you have a New
Covenant experience today?
00:26:35.69\00:26:38.49
It's the experience
that God wants you to have.
00:26:38.49\00:26:40.96
Dr. McCarty, thanks
for making this clear
00:26:40.96\00:26:43.06
for us today.
I'm just so thankful
00:26:43.06\00:26:45.27
you've taken the
time. Friend, I want to pray
00:26:45.27\00:26:48.00
for you that you can have
that experience with Jesus
00:26:48.00\00:26:50.77
that he wants you to have,
an experience that is vital
00:26:50.77\00:26:53.54
and vibrant, that
even when there are times
00:26:53.54\00:26:55.54
of challenges, God can
get you through, an experience
00:26:55.54\00:26:58.45
where the Lord's will is done
and you are made a new creature
00:26:58.45\00:27:00.62
in Christ. Let's
pray for that now.
00:27:00.62\00:27:04.09
Father in heaven, thank you
for giving us a New Covenant
00:27:04.09\00:27:06.62
experience, where we can
open up our hearts to you
00:27:06.62\00:27:09.56
and allow you to be the God
in our life, and allow Jesus
00:27:09.56\00:27:13.63
to work in us
both to will and to do
00:27:13.63\00:27:15.60
for his good
pleasure. May we not choose
00:27:15.60\00:27:18.80
to be Old Covenant Christians,
trusting our own works,
00:27:18.80\00:27:22.17
doing our own thing in
order to secure salvation.
00:27:22.17\00:27:25.97
But may we trust fully in you.
00:27:25.97\00:27:27.98
Give us the grace today
to lean on Jesus and expect
00:27:27.98\00:27:31.11
His will to be done.
This we pray, thanking you
00:27:31.11\00:27:35.32
in Jesus' name, amen.
00:27:35.32\00:27:38.69
[Music]
00:27:40.99\00:27:42.96
Thank you for joining me today.
00:27:54.47\00:27:56.17
I look forward to
seeing you next time.
00:27:56.17\00:27:58.01
Until then, remember, it
is written, man shall not
00:27:58.01\00:28:00.34
live by bread alone but
by every word that proceeds
00:28:00.34\00:28:04.81
from the mouth of God.
00:28:04.81\00:28:07.85