The Covenant Of Grace

This morning for our Bible study, I would encourage you to turn to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 31, and I will begin reading at verse 31. Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt which my covenant they break, although I was a husband unto them, saith the Lord. But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord.

I will put my law in their inward parts, that is, in their heart. I will write it on their heart, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, every man his brother, saying, Know For they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

Now God declares unto us in these verses the promise of the covenant of grace. God declares the promise of salvation based solely upon the blessed covenant, the everlasting made certain and sure through the priestly work of the Lord Jesus Christ, through that blood sacrifice he gave. We read in the book of Hebrews the law made nothing perfect but bringing in of a better hope did That is Christ by which we draw nigh unto God.

Now why is this called a new covenant? And why is this new covenant necessary? Well, the covenant of law and work was never given to save. That mosaic covenant was never given to save. It was given to reveal sin. It was given to expose, constrain, and condemn, and to drive the sinner to Christ. The law was given that the offense might abound. The covenant of law and works was typical, it was a shadow, and it was temporary.

The covenant of grace in Christ is reality and eternal, the blood of the everlasting covenant. The covenant of law and works says this due, it was conditioned upon the sinner. The covenant of grace in Christ stands upon his merit, the merit of his sacrifice and the merit of his righteousness.

The covenant of law never made any righteous. The covenant of grace in Christ provides all righteousness. He is our righteousness. The covenant of law never put away sin. We read in the book of Hebrews chapter 10, it's impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. The covenant of grace always puts away sin.

He appeared once in the end of the age. That is the Lord Jesus Christ. to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." So you see the necessity of this new covenant confirmed, established, provided in Christ. Someone, a hymn writer years ago, in making a comparison between the law and the gospel, wrote this, "'Run, run,' the law demands, but gives me neither feet nor hands. The gospel bids a sweeter song. It bids me fly. and give me wings."

The Lord Jesus Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believe it. He established righteousness for us. He said in Matthew chapter 5, he said, I didn't come to destroy the law, I came to honor it, to fulfill it, and in doing so establish that covenant, everlasting covenant of grace through his merit, through his sacrifice, through his righteousness that is sure and steadfast to all of God's elect. This covenant of grace was conditioned upon the performance of Christ, and he satisfied every aspect of it on our behalf. Now, I want to bring you five thoughts from these verses here in Jeremiah chapter 31. The first one is this. He says, I will make, in verse 31 of Jeremiah 31, I will make and establish and reveal a new covenant.

This covenant of grace in Christ is new, not because it's newly conceived, it's the eternal covenant, but rather because it's newly revealed and replaces the old covenant. It's always new and fresh, it will never grow old, it will never give way to another. Nothing will ever replace this covenant of grace. It provides and promises all things new to God's covenant people. We read in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1, He says, I'll give them eternal life.

You have to be quick until we're dead. We have new spiritual life. We have a new spiritual nature through this covenant. He said, if any man's in Christ, he's a new creature. Old things are passed away and behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5, 17. We also have a new spiritual heart. He said, I'll take away that old stony heart and give them a heart of flesh. to give us a new nature, a new heart, to speak with a new tongue seasoned with grace. In the book of Revelation we read about to give them a white stone and in that stone a new name.

We sing about the covenant of grace with a new song unto him who loved us and washed us from our sin in his own blood and we shall enjoy the new Jerusalem. You see, this covenant of grace provides and promises all things new through Christ. New spiritual life, new nature, a new heart, a new tongue, a new name, a new song, a new city.

It's a blessed hope, a blessed promise to you who believe. Now, secondly, the new covenant of grace in Christ reveals that salvation is a heart work, an inward work. God who hath begun a good work in you. Salvation is a revelation of the greatness, the goodness, and the glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give us the light and the knowledge of the glory of God that shines in the face of Jesus Christ.

He said, I'll put my law, my principle, I'll write it in their hearts. You see, it's an inward work. It's a revelation to the heart. I'll put my law, and that's his principle of love and standard of grace in their inward parts. James calls it the perfect principle of liberty. He said it's a royal principle of love. Our Lord said in John 13, By this shall all men know that you're my disciples, that you love one another.

Now, here's the third thought about this new covenant of grace in Christ Jesus. New covenant. It is certain and sure. He said, I will be their God. Jeremiah 31 verse 33, I will be their God and they shall be my people. We read in the book of Romans chapter 4 verse 16, it is of faith that it might be by grace that the promise would be sure to all of God's covenant people. God is God and the Savior of his covenant people. He's loved them with an everlasting love. He's chosen them with an everlasting determination. He's made us a peculiar people. We're called kings and priests under God.

He said, I will be their God and they shall be my people. God's elect are his special, peculiar, distinct, chosen people, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. He said, all that the Father had given me, John 6, 37, they'll come to me. God's elect are such a glorious, chosen, peculiar, purchased people unto the Lord in such a sense as others never will be. We're predestinated and chosen to be conformed to the image of Christ. I will be their God and they shall be my people. It's based upon, not man's will, But salvation is based upon God's determination. I will, and they shall. Now, fourthly, here's the fourth thought.

God's covenant people are taught of God. In verse 34, Jeremiah 31, and they shall teach no more. Every man his neighbor, every man his brother, saying, Do you know the Lord? For they shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them, saith the Lord. God's covenant people are taught of God.

Our Lord said in John 6, verse 44, No man can come to Me except the Father which sent Me. Draw him, and all those who have heard and learned of the Father are coming. Our Lord said, They are coming to Me. All who are born of God, by the Spirit of God, they are taught of God. By the revelation of the Word of God to the heart, they are taught to the Word, and by the Spirit of God to look to Christ.

Looking unto Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith, they are taught to come to Christ. He said, Come unto me. Not to the front of the church, not to the baptistry. Salvation is in Christ. They are taught to come to Christ. He said in Matthew 11, 28, Come unto me. Come unto me, all you who are labored and heavy laden. I will give you rest. They are taught to have no confidence in the flesh.

Paul describes those believers in Philippians 3 are those who are truly born of God, having no confidence in the flesh, they worship God, they rejoice in Christ Jesus, and they have no confidence in the flesh. They're taught to trust Christ. You see, they're all taught of God. They're taught to rest in the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is our refuge from sin. He's our hiding place. And they know whom they have believed. Saving faith is not ignorant. They're born of God and they're taught of God. Listen to the apostle in 2 Timothy 1.12. He said, I know whom I have believed. Faith is not ignorant. Faith is born of truth. And this truth of the faith that's true and sent of God and it's a gift of God has a single eye to Christ. I know whom I have believed and I'm persuaded he's able to keep that which I've committed unto him. God's covenant people are taught of God.

This covenant is certain and sure. You see, this is a glorious covenant, is it not? The new covenant of grace ratified with the blood of Christ. He said, this is the covenant I will make with those people in that day, and this is that day. Fifthly, here is the fifth promise of this covenant of grace. This new and everlasting covenant of grace reveals full and complete and eternal redemption from sin.

Our great high priest, and that's what he's called throughout the book of Hebrews, our great high priest, not with the blood of bulls and goats, but with his own blood, he obtained eternal redemption for us with his own sacrifice. God bought us with his own blood. We're not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ.

Think of it now. Listen to what it says here in Jeremiah 31, verse 34. He said, I will forgive their iniquity based upon that covenant of grace, based upon the sacrifice of Christ. I will remember their sin no more. Think of it. What a blessed promise of this covenant. God remembers the sin of his covenant people no more. Why?

The blood of Christ has put away our sin. All of the sin of God's elect, all kinds of sin, original, actual, Before conversion and after conversion, John said, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. We read in the book of Psalms, Psalm 103, separate as far as the east is from the west. In the book of Hebrews, chapter 10, verse 17, God said their sin and their iniquity will I remember no more. How can this be?

Because the blood of Christ covers our sin. The blood of Christ puts away the sin of God's people, and God said the blood of Christ is sufficient and enough. Payment for our debt puts away all our sin. They do not exist. He said they're cast behind my back, wherever that is, behind the back of God.

They're cast into the depths of the sea, Micah 7.20. And here's the reason why. Because of that covenant sacrifice. God said, when I see the blood, The blood on the altar, the blood on the mercy seat is before the Lord. And God said, when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. Their sin and their iniquity will I remember no more.

Now, my friend, are you resting in this covenant of grace? Or are you going about to establish your own righteousness? Are you going about to rest under the covenant of works? That's a cursed place to rest in Galatians 3. Paul wrote, Cursed is every man that rests under that law of works, that mosaic law. Blessed is the man who rests in the covenant of grace. Christ was made a curse for us. He redeemed us from the curse of the law. That's what happened at Calvary, a sacrifice for sin. He put away our sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Now I pray the Lord will give you grace to understand these things and to consider this scripture found in Jeremiah 31 and think about that blessed covenant of grace in and by and through and established in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Covenant Of Grace

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