Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. If you
would be turning with me to Hebrews 8. Hebrews 8. Hebrews 8, and my text will be
Hebrews 8, 9, and 10. I just wanna let you know that,
but I'm just gonna read right now Hebrews 8, 1 through 8. Now of the things which we have
spoken, this is the sum. We have such an high priest who
is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the
heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which
the Lord pitched and not man. For every high priest is ordained
to offer gifts and sacrifices. Wherefore, it is of necessity
that this man have somewhat also to offer. For if he were on earth, he should
not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer
gifts according to the law, who serve unto the example and shadow
of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he
was about to make the tabernacle. For see, saith he, that thou
make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in
the mount. But now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a
better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if
that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place
have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them,
he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make
a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house
of Judah." We read here of a better covenant,
a second covenant, a new covenant. All of these are talking about
the same covenant. And I want to also point this
out, this covenant, although it uses or says it is the second,
does not in any way indicate this was a plan B covenant which
God had to make. It is mentioned as second because
all this being done was in time and this second covenant was
manifest and accomplished after the first was instituted in time
by God. It was a better or a stronger
covenant than that which was made to man at Mount Sinai. The fault with the first covenant
was man. Man could not keep it and it
was evident when Moses came off the mount the first time with
those tables of stone that were hewn out by God and that law
written by the finger of God. What happened to those tables
of stone? Moses broke them. There had to
be a second covenant, a better covenant, a new covenant because
man was not able to fulfill the first so that he might have life.
In fact, the scripture tells us that life could not have come
this way because it was weak through the flesh. This covenant
that it talks about here, the better covenant that is, was
a covenant entered into by the Holy Trinity before the world
was. We are told that Christ is the
lamb slain from the foundation of the world. There was a reason
why the first covenant was given. We are told in scripture why
it was given, that the offense might abound. Some never see
the offense, and for these, the first covenant is still in effect,
and God will judge those by his holy law. And in fact, he also
says, and I did not write this down, but he will judge us by
his gospel because they believe not on the only begotten Son
of the Father. If you are not one of God's chosen
people, you must keep the whole law of God, which you can in
no way do. but you are obligated to do it
every jot and tittle. But God bethinked that he had
purposed a better covenant, a second covenant, a new covenant for
some. Better covenant, which is a covenant
of grace and not works. Better promises, which meaning
God would send us his gospel and teach us through his spirit.
Jesus Christ is the better covenant. Isaiah 49, eight says, thus saith
the Lord, in an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day
of salvation have I helped thee, and I will preserve thee, and
give thee for a covenant of the people to establish the earth
to cause to inherit the desolate heritages. So there are a couple
of things here that I wanna look at concerning this new covenant.
First of all, how was it obtained? And what does it promise? First of all, I wanna give a
little bit more on covenant or testament, as it is rendered
in some places here. When you read this, it says Old
Testament and New Testament. And it's not talking about what
we know as the Old and New Testament, per se. It's talking about the
covenants. One, the covenant God made with
man in himself at Mount Sinai, and second, the one God made
with Christ. This new covenant, based on a
sure foundation, and that foundation being Jesus Christ himself, also
had promises to the Son of which we find ourselves a part of by
grace, and not by any works that we do. Christ says in Matthew
26 and 28, he says, for this is my blood of the New Testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Remission
of sins. This is Christ when he first
had what we call the Lord's table with his apostles. The cup of
wine signifying his blood, which Christ says is of the New Testament
or covenant. This blood which was shed for
the remission of sins. as opposed to the Old Testament
which issued forth from Sinai. And if you would turn with me
over into Galatians 4. Galatians 4. Galatians 4 verses
21. Galatians 4 verses 21. Tell me ye that desire to be
under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written that
Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a
free woman. But he who was of the bondwoman
was born after the flesh, but he of the free woman was by promise. Which things are in allegory? For these are the two covenants,
the one from the Mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which
is Agar. For this Agar is Mount Sinai
in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem, which now is, and is in bondage
with her children. But Jerusalem, which is above,
is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written,
Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not. Break forth and cry, thou
that travailest not. For the desolate hath many more
children than she which hath a husband. The old covenant had
fought. That's what we read in our text
in verse 7. For if the first covenant had
been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the
second. The indication here is that there
was fault in the first covenant or testament. We have this confirmed
in scripture that the fault was not with the law of God, but
the fault lies with man. We read that it was weak through
the flesh in Romans 8.3. For what the law could not do
in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in
the flesh. This is also confirmed in our
text as well as we read in Hebrews 9.15. And for this cause, he
is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the
redemption of the transgressions that were under the First Testament,
they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. There is a glory that exceleth,
the scripture tells us. The law of God, the Ten Commandments,
are holy, just, and good. but there is a glory that excels
that glory. Jesus Christ not only established
or fulfilled the law of commandments, but he also fulfilled the law
of grace. He offered sacrifice to the satisfaction
of a holy and just God. So what about this glory that
exceleth? If you would now turn with me
to 2 Corinthians 3. 2 Corinthians 3. 2 Corinthians 3 and verse 5. 2 Corinthians 3 verse 5. Not that we are sufficient of
ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency
is of God, who also hath made us able ministers of the New
Testament, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter
killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. Now what is the letter? What is it talking about? It
tells us in the next verse. But if the ministration of death,
written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children
of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for
the glory of his countenance, which glory was to be done away. How shall not the ministration
of the Spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation
be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness
exceed in glory. For even that which was made
glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory
that exceleth. For if that which is done away
was a glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness
of speech, and not as Moses which put a veil over his face that
the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end
of that which is abolished. But their minds were blinded,
for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in
the reading of the Old Testament, which veil is done away in Christ." Because of this hope we have
in Christ Jesus, as Paul said, we will use great plainness of
speech. The scripture is plain. The old
covenant, the first covenant, the inferior covenant, inferior
because of fallen sinful man. This is who the first covenant
was given to. Do this and live is what it says.
We did not do it, we cannot do it, and we will never do it in
and of ourselves. But God, in his wise design,
made a new covenant, a covenant as old as God is, a better covenant. He made the covenant with a man,
a man which would do that which was required of God. This man
did keep the law. But remember, this is a better
covenant, a new covenant. This new covenant where the promises
were made to the seed, singular. Although in this second covenant
the law was kept every jot and tittle, there was need of a sacrifice. The sin of man had to be dealt
with to take it out of the way, never to be seen again. A sacrifice
for sin so that sin would be remitted. This was given in the
hand of a mediator. One which, as we have said before,
could touch man and not be defiled, and touch God and not be consumed,
bringing them both together in Himself. Jesus Christ, that name
which is above every name, being both God and man, was the only
one who could do this. Galatians 3.19 says, Wherefore
then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions,
till the seed should come to whom the promise was made, and
it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. This
covenant was accomplished, carried out, fulfilled in Jesus Christ
our Lord dying on that tree. Hebrews 12, 24 says, and to Jesus,
the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling
that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Jesus Christ, our
only hope. If you look to yourself in any
way, you are looking at the wrong thing or the wrong person. Jesus
Christ is where we find mercy and forgiveness of sins. Jesus
Christ is the better covenant. He is the one and only one who
hath obtained eternal redemption for us. He has done away with
the old. Hebrews 8.13 says, in that he
saith a new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that
which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. One
more here in our text that shows us that there was fault in the
first covenant, Hebrews 8 verses 6 through 9. Hebrews 8, get back
to my passage here, verses 6 through 9. But now hath he obtained a
more excellent ministry by how much also he is the mediator
of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no
place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with
them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I
will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with
the house of Judah. Jesus Christ, our great High
Priest, has come, and through His flesh, He has renewed that
communion with God through His obedience, that is, His faith,
and by His death, His blood being shed for the remission of sins. Hebrews 9 tells us that the first
covenant, which was a shadow of the second, I want to point
out that in order to have a shadow, the real thing must exist first. You're not going to have a shadow
without the real object being there to cast that shadow. Keep
that in mind when you think about this old and new covenants. Hebrews
10.20 says, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated
for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. Jesus Christ,
it tells us in Hebrews, that he did this through his flesh.
What do we read in Hebrews 9 verses 11 and 12? Hebrews 9 verses 11
and 12. But Christ, being come and high priest of good things
to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made
with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by
the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered
in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption
for us. Jesus Christ has obtained, this
word meaning get, Jesus Christ has laid hold of and retained,
if you will, eternal redemption for us, the us being his people. As Joe has said before, that
this eternal redemption means perpetual, like this, perpetual,
always there. Jesus Christ doing this for us,
it comes with promises to us because of the promise to the
Son. So then what are the promises spoken of, especially those in
our text? That which Jesus Christ is the
mediator of. Hebrews 8 verses 10 through 13. For this is the covenant that
I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith
the Lord. I will put my laws into their
mind and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them
a God, and they shall be to me a people. And they shall not
teach every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying,
Know the Lord, for all shall know me from the least to the
greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and
their sins and their iniquities where I'll remember no more.
In that he saith a new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now
that which decayeth and waxes old is ready to vanish away. What does this mean when it says
I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts?
Is this talking about the Ten Commandments? Only in this sense. that Jesus Christ has fulfilled
all the law, every jot and tittle. This is talking about the gospel.
This is talking about believers and what God has promised to
them. Jesus Christ being the mediator sends us his gospel. We will never know God in our
heart and mind that is of this flesh, because the flesh receiveth
not the things of the spirit of God. What this is talking
about is writing the gospel of Jesus Christ on our hearts and
putting in our mind the things of Jesus Christ. Romans 8, 2
says, for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath
made me free from the law of sin and death. His law being
written in our heart and by His Spirit confirming those things
of Christ, our souls, it purges our conscience from those dead
works of the law of sin and death. Dead works of the law of Moses. We are purged from that law so
that we can now serve the living God. This is what it tells us
in our text. Hebrews 9 verse 14. How much
more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit
offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God? When I first started
this message, I thought of it being the new year. So I wanted
to talk about those things in scripture that were new. I was
not really expecting this to necessarily go this way. But I couldn't help it. This
is what the text speaks of and what the spirit of God led me
to talk about. But there are other things spoken
of in scripture of new things. New things because of the better
covenant. A new creature in Christ. Second
Corinthians 5.17 says, and I have about three verses here. Therefore,
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are
passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. Galatians 6.15, for in Christ
Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision,
but a new creature. And then Ephesians 2.15, having
abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances for to make in himself of twain one
new man, so making peace. So what are we told to do? Put
on the new man. Ephesians 4.24, and that ye put
on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and
true holiness. What is this putting on of a
new man? It means to put on Jesus Christ. Romans 13.14 says, but put ye
on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh
to fulfill the lusts thereof. How are we to do that? Through
the gospel. We should be wholly given to
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, praying to him to work
in us both the will and to do of his good pleasure. Do we have
commandments that God gives us? Yes, we read so in scripture. And let us remember what we've
just read. We have been promised it. For some, it has been given. A new man which of God is created
in righteousness and true holiness. That is the righteousness and
true holiness of Jesus Christ. So what are we told? John 13,
34. A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another,
as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. We read
in several places in scripture about loving. Loving the brethren,
loving his gospel, loving our neighbor. How is this possible
if in this life we cannot obey God perfectly because of this
flesh which we must mortify? How are we to love one another
as we have been commanded? Galatians 5, 22 and 23 reads
this way. But the fruit of the spirit is love. joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such there is no law. I can only have love for something
or someone because of the spirit of God who has given me his fruit. I can love, that is love Christ
and love his people, and love my neighbor as myself. I can
have joy that is joy in Christ and joy for others who know Christ.
I can have peace with God. I can seek peace between the
brethren because of his fruit. I can be long-suffering with
others, and they can be long-suffering with me because of his fruit.
We can be gentle, we can do good, we can believe God, we can be
meek, and we can be temperate, all because of his fruit. Now,
I most of the time cannot see these things. That is, I cannot
see or know that I am doing these things. But God has told us,
he works in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. I want to ask you, if you have
a true love, that which is the fruit of the spirit, are you
going to go around committing murder? Are you going to go around
committing adultery? We know it's possible for a child
of God to do such things. God has given us those things,
those examples in his word. He has not given us these examples
that we should follow after that kind of thing, but that we should
fear him. Knowing we can do nothing without
him, we shall reap what we sow. But he has promised here in Hebrews
he will put the things of Jesus Christ in our mind and write
them in our hearts so that we can serve the true and living
God. Again, Hebrews 9.14, how much
more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal spirit
offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God? The covenant, the
better covenant struck between the three and one, was ordained
from before the foundation of the world. The first covenant
was decreed for a specific purpose, and that is so sin might abound.
But because grace did much more abound in that there was a better
covenant in place, this covenant where God himself in the face
of Jesus Christ would fulfill the law every jot and tittle.
This satisfying the law of God so that him who would be sacrificed
would be spotless and without blame. He would also die the
death that needed to be done for the salvation of those whom
the Father promised to the Son. Sin had to be paid for and him
being the only one who could obey the law of God completely,
he completed this work. He was faithful to this end.
The promise being made to the Son of having a people to the
praise and honor of His name. So what is the result of this
new covenant, this second covenant, this better covenant? Hebrews
10 verses nine through 14. Hebrews 10 verses nine through
14. Then said He, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh
away the first, that he might establish the second. By the
witch will we are sanctified through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once.