Welcome to Reign of Grace. This
program is brought to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries,
an outreach ministry of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany,
Georgia. It is our pleasure and privilege
to present to you the gospel message of the sovereign grace
and glory of God in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that today's program
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for today's program. Welcome to our program today.
I'm glad you could join us for the message. Today's message
is going to be taken from the book of Hebrews chapter eight. The last two messages were taken
from this chapter and just going through it concerning the summation
of all the revelation of God in this book concerning the abolishment
of the old covenant the old covenant law of Moses, Mount Sinai, and
the establishment of a better covenant, the new covenant. And
so I've entitled today's message, Something Better, Something Better,
Something Much Better. And of course, what we're talking
about is the gospel of God's grace, of salvation by the grace
of God. based upon the merits of the
obedience unto death of the Lord Jesus Christ. I've said often
when I preach through Hebrews or preach messages out of this
book that the major theme of it is simply stated in three
words, Christ is better. Christ is better. But now I believe
it's important for us to understand that God's way of salvation,
which is, as I said, by His free and sovereign grace through and
by and in the Lord Jesus Christ, based upon the merits of Christ. You see, salvation is not by
our works, it's not by what we earn or deserve, it's not by
our merits, but it's totally, completely, 100% based upon the
merits of Christ. The salvation of God's people
is what Christ has earned for them. What Christ has brought
himself to deserve by his finished work on the cross. That's why
he died. That's why he was buried. And
that's why he arose again the third day. And he is seated now
at the right hand of the father ever living to make intercession
for his people. who are evidenced by their belief
in Him. Faith in Christ is an evidence
of salvation. It's not the cause or the ground.
It's the evidence of salvation. And so what Christ did in that
salvation by grace is the full salvation of His people. Now,
that's God's way of salvation. And it's always been that way.
It's never been different. In fact, the Bible, if you read
the Bible and study it and believe it, which you should, the Bible
tells us that salvation by His grace through Christ is older
than creation. That God set it up in His sovereign
purpose, in His wisdom, before the world began. Paul wrote about
that in 2 Timothy 1, when he talks about salvation, which
was given to God's people in Jesus Christ before the world
began. Ephesians 1 talks about it. The Old Testament saints, even
before Christ came and died on the cross, were saved by the
grace of God that God had promised to bring through Christ in their
future. And so it's always been that
way. Salvation is the product of the everlasting covenant of
grace. Now what the Bible calls the
new covenant, and we'll see this as we go through the book of
Hebrews chapter eight and on through, what the Bible calls
the new covenant is the establishment in time of what God had already
purposed and enacted in His sovereign will before time. And it's called
new because it's new in time. It's the old, old story. In other words, salvation is
really not new in God's purpose and way of dealing with His people.
It's old, it's eternal. The everlasting, the eternal
covenant. but it's new in its manifestation
and in its fulfillment in time when Christ came. The old covenant
in time, you see, was before the new covenant. In other words,
the old covenant given to the Hebrew children on Mount Sinai
through Moses after God had delivered them from Egypt, that old covenant
was established 1,500 years before Christ actually
came in time. And in that sense, the old covenant
is older than the new. But the new covenant is the establishment
in time of the everlasting covenant of grace made before time. Now
what Hebrews 8 is saying, he starts out talking about this
is the sum that Christ is such a great, a marvelous, successful
high priest that did the work of a high priest to bring his
people before the very presence of God, which the old covenant
high priest could not do. Christ is the sacrifice, the
substitute, the surety, the Lamb of God. And his blood cleanses
his people from all sin. In other words, his blood is
the death that satisfied the sin debt. the justice of God. The blood of bulls and goats
couldn't do that. The blood of physical lambs could not do that.
And Christ as our altar, our high priest, our altar, our sacrifice
is the complete propitiation for the sins of all who believe
in Him. That word propitiation, you might
not be familiar with it. Some of you might. It's actually
stated in the English version three times in the New Testament.
It comes in other forms too. It goes back to the mercy seat
in the tabernacle, which pictured Christ. And it's a substitutionary
sacrifice, death, that brought satisfaction to the justice of
God. So all for whom Christ died,
their sin debt is paid. and righteousness is established
for them. And that's what it's all about.
Well, here in Hebrews chapter eight, he talks about Moses,
how God commanded Moses to make the tabernacle, that tent, which
housed the Ark of the Covenant, the mercy seat. And that was
all a picture of Christ who is the mercy seat of his people.
He says in verse five, It says, who serve unto the example and
shadow of heavenly things. That earthly tabernacle, that
earthly priesthood, was a shadow of something far better. It was a picture, a type. And
he says, as Moses, verse five of Hebrews eight, as Moses was
admonished or commanded of God when he was about to make the
tabernacle, and here's what God told him, for see, saith he,
that thou make all things according to the pattern showed thee to
thee in the mount. That is what God showed him in
Mount Sinai. See, God gave Moses more than
just the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai. He also gave him instructions
on building the tabernacle. He gave him instructions on the
priesthood, on the sacrifices, all of that. But now here's the
key. Now look at verse six. This is
where I wanted to go to when we talk about something better.
All that that Moses got, it was glorious. It was something special. But as we compare it with what
believers have in Christ, even those believers under the old
covenant, as they had it by promise, It's not even to be compared
with Christ. Look at verse six. But now hath
he obtained a more excellent ministry. Who is the he there? That's Christ. By how much also
he, Christ, is the mediator of a better covenant, a better testament,
which was established upon better promises. Something better. And one of the reasons that the
writer of Hebrews is making the point, as he's inspired by the
Holy Spirit, is because Jewish believers, that's why it's called
the book of Hebrews, Hebrew believers, were being coaxed and enticed
to forsake Christ and go back under the law of Moses, which
had been perverted. The unbelieving Jews perverted
the law of Moses. Why was the law given? It was
given to show sinners their need of salvation by grace. It was given to show them the
impossibility of being saved, of being made righteous, of being
justified, of being forgiven based on their works. And that's
why the Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter three called it a schoolmaster
to lead them unto Christ. That law was never given as a
way of salvation. I've heard people say in dispensationalism
and other false views of the scripture that God was trying
to save people by the law and that failed and so therefore
he came up with a better way. Oh no, oh no. The law entered that sin might
abound to show us the sinfulness of sin. So when we talk about
the law, we're not talking about a way of salvation by the works
of man. Salvation has never been by works. Even Israel under the old covenant,
they were never commanded to seek salvation by their works.
They were commanded to seek salvation in the coming Messiah because
they were such sinners and we are too. But let's look at this,
verse six. He hath obtained a more excellent
ministry. The ministry of the gospel. Over
in the book of 2 Corinthians chapter three, the apostle Paul
shows a vast contrast between the law and the gospel. And he
says, he's talking to the Corinthians here. Look at verse one of 2
Corinthians chapter three. He says, do we begin again to
commend ourselves or need we as some others epistles of commendation
to you or letters of commendation from you? Paul's talking about
what he's doing there. He's answering false preachers
who had accused him of being a fake, being a false apostle. And they brought letters of commendation. They had their credentials. Paul's simply saying, when it
comes to my relationship with you, the Corinthian church, do
I need all that? Do I need letters of commendation
and credentials? Well, he says in verse two of
2 Corinthians 3, you are our epistle, our letter of commendation,
written in our hearts, known and read of all men. Now, what
he's talking about is the power of God in their salvation through
his preaching. I preached the gospel to you
and God empowered that to your salvation. That's all you need. Sinners have been brought to
faith in Christ and repentance of dead works. Sinners have been
brought to be submitted to Christ as their righteousness and to
live by the grace of God. He says in verse 3 of 2 Corinthians
3, For as much as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle of
Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, all right? In other words, not like a letter
of, a letter of commendation means nothing. What really means,
son, look, he says, but with the spirit of the living God,
it's the power of the Holy Spirit in the new birth. That really
means something here. Do you believe it? I've preached
the gospel and a letter written by man with ink doesn't mean
anything. But the Holy Spirit's work in the heart, circumcision
of the heart, conviction. You've been convinced of sin,
of righteousness, and of judgment. And he says, not in tables of
stone. Now, what is that referring to?
That's referring to like the 10 commandments. Generally speaking
of the law, but in fleshy tables of the heart. You see, the law
could give out commandments, but it could not change the heart.
The law could give out prohibitions. Thou shalt not, thou shalt not.
But it could not give the desire, the right motives. You see, only
the Holy Spirit can bring a sinner to be humble before God, to be
convinced of sin and of righteousness and of judgment, and to look
to Christ for all salvation. for the forgiveness of sin, for
all righteousness. Only the Holy Spirit can set
the motive of grace, gratitude, and love within a sinner's heart. That's the new heart. Well, Paul
writes in 2 Corinthians 3, 4, he says, and such trust have
we through Christ to God were, verse five, not that we are sufficient
of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency
is of God. Now, true preachers preach the
gospel. I'm preaching the gospel to you
today, but I can't bring you to believe it. I'm gonna try
to persuade you, but I can't give you a new heart. I can't
change your heart. I can't give you faith to believe
it. I can't bring you to repentance. I'm not sufficient for that.
My sufficiency is of God, and only God the Holy Spirit can
give you the new heart. You must be born again, Christ
told Nicodemus, or you cannot see, or you cannot enter the
kingdom of God. Do you have eyes to see the glory
of God in Christ? Do you have ears to hear? Christ
said several times in his teachings, he said, let he that hath an
ear to hear, let him hear. I can't give you the spiritual
ear, You can hear what I'm saying, and you may be able to understand
mentally what I'm saying, but you can't believe it and love
it and live by it unless the Spirit of God changes you. So our sufficiency is of God.
In verse six of 2 Corinthians 3, listen to this now. He says,
who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament, a new covenant. That's the gospel. Not of the
latter. but of the Spirit. This is a
ministry of the Spirit. For the letter killeth, but the
Spirit giveth life. You see again, the law can expose
the spiritual deadness of those who are under it, but only the
Spirit of God can give life. The law can't do that. The law
kills. Why? Because the law reveals
what I am by nature, a sinner who deserves nothing but death
and condemnation. That's all the law can do. But
when the Spirit of God comes and convicts me of my sin, what
does he do? He drives me to Christ, who is
my life. You see, this is the issue of
righteousness. that I talk about so much. This
is a more excellent ministry because it's a ministry of righteousness.
And let me read on, I'll show you this. Verse 7 of 2 Corinthians
3. But if the ministration of death,
that's the law, written and engraved 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, You see that? You remember when Moses, you
read about Moses coming down out of the mountain and he had
an effulgence of light shining from his face. They had to put
a veil because they couldn't look at it. That was a physical
manifestation of the glory of God. He said, which glory was
to be done away that was not lasting. Verse eight, how shall
not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? As glorious
as all that whole event was, Moses going up to the mount,
receiving the law, coming back down with the veil, having to
put a veil on his face, as glorious as that was, it was temporary,
and it's not even to be compared to the glory of a sinner who
has been made alive by the Spirit to believe in Christ. That's
more glorious, you see. You see, he says, verse eight,
how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
Is this something better? Verse nine, for if the ministration
of condemnation be glory, that's what he calls the law, the ministration
of condemnation because the law reveals sin that deserves condemnation. Much more does the ministration
of righteousness exceed in glory. Now, back over in Hebrews chapter
eight, a more excellent ministry because it's the ministration
of righteousness. You see, the law could show the
standard of righteousness, but it could not make a sinner righteous. How is a sinner made righteous
before God? That's what it takes. Let me
tell you something, to be saved, to be accepted, to be blessed
of God, to enter heaven's glory, you must be righteous. How are
you going to be righteous? Some people say, well, I'll do
the best I can to keep the law. You'll fall short. You'll fail.
Even your best is not good enough. Some people say, well, I'll join
the church. I'll walk the aisle. I'll pray
the prayer, the sinner's prayer, and I'll get baptized. Won't
work. How can a sinner be made righteous
before God? It's only by God's grace through
the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ. Grace reigns through
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ. And so righteousness
can only be found in Christ. That's the imputed righteousness
of Christ that you hear me talk about on this program quite a
bit. It's a right, my sins were charged to Christ, my debt charged
to him. His righteousness, his merits
are charged to me. That's justification. God declaring
me not guilty. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? Now that's a more excellent ministry
than the law. And so he says in verse six of
Hebrews eight, by how much also he is the mediator of a better
covenant. That's a better covenant than the old covenant. This new
covenant provides righteousness for sinners. the imputed righteousness
of Christ. And that righteousness of Christ
imputed is the ground of my justification being made right with God, and
it's the source of spiritual life, the new birth. That's better. And he says, which it was established
upon better promises. Now, the promises of the old
covenant, they were all conditioned. on Israel's obedience. What happened? Well, we're gonna see later on
in Hebrews chapter eight, they failed, they broke the covenant.
But the promises of God's blessings and salvation in the new covenant
are all conditioned on Jesus Christ, who did not fail. You see, they're not conditioned
on me, because if it were, there'd be a failure. Even at my best,
2 Corinthians 1.20 says this, all the promises of God are in
him, in Christ, yea, and in him, amen. In other words, they're
sure and certain. That's why Christ is called the
surety of the covenant. That's why old King David on
his deathbed said that although my house be not right with God,
He's made a covenant with me that's ordered and sure in all
things. And this is all my salvation
and all my hope, all my desire. It's all in Christ. That's why
it's better promises. The old covenant promises were
earthly, temporal. They had the promise of an earthly
land based upon their obedience, but they failed and they lost
the land. But the promises of the new covenant
are eternal. It's a heavenly Jerusalem, a
spiritual land. It's eternal life and glory based
upon the merits, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
better. The promises of the old covenant
had to do with temporal blessings that would not last. But the
promises of the New Covenant are better, because they're eternal
blessings that last forever and ever and ever. Ephesians 1-3,
blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus. That's better. You see, this
is something better. This new covenant. This is gospel.
This is the everlasting covenant of grace. This is eternal life
and glory wherein God's people will be glorified and inhabit
the new heavens and the new earth and live forever with Him in
the light of His glory that will never cease. You see, in 2 Corinthians
3, we talked about that glory that's to be done away. Over
here in Hebrews 8, in verse 13, he talks about a new covenant
that he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth
old is ready to vanish away. The new covenant, the gospel
promises, salvation by the grace of God through the righteousness
of Christ will never decay. will never grow old, will never
vanish away, and Peter called it an eternal incorruptible inheritance. Think about that. Something better,
isn't it? That's why it is deadly for sinners
to seek salvation by their works under the law. That's why it's
deadly for people to believe that salvation is conditioned
on themselves in some way, at some stage, to some degree. Salvation
is all conditioned on Christ. And He alone met and fulfilled
all the conditions and the requirements and the stipulations. You sum
that up in this phrase, the righteousness of God. And it's His righteousness
imputed. Sinners by the Holy Spirit, sinners
who are given life, spiritual life, receive Christ by faith
and submit to His righteousness, Romans 10, 4, for Christ is the
end, the fulfillment, the perfection, the completion, the finishing
of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. And that's the gospel promise.
That's the something better, you see, that we need. Don't
hang on to yourself and to your works and to the law. Look to
Christ. Live life looking unto Jesus,
the author and finisher of our faith. There's no other way.
There's nothing better, never has been, there is not now, nor
will there ever be anything better than this salvation promise of
God in the new covenant in Christ. Hope you'll join us next week
for another message from God's Word. We are glad you could join us
for another edition of Reign of Grace. This program is brought
to you by Reign of Grace Media Ministries, an outreach ministry
of Eager Avenue Grace Church in Albany, Georgia. To receive
a copy of today's program or to learn more about Reign of
Grace Media Ministries or Eager Avenue Grace Church, write us
at 1102 Eager Drive. Albany, Georgia, 31707. Contact
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at www.TheLetterRofGrace.com. Thank you again for listening
today, and may the Lord be with you.