There are two covenants or agreements in the Bible that God has made with man. There is an Old Testament and a New Testament--(the word testament means covenant). What are these two agreements, what are their differences and similarities and what does it mean to you and I?

Both covenants consist of a similar process--we could put it simply that they both have two parts that produce a result--

1. The Law: All the commandments and laws that God gave to Moses--over 3,000 in number....Purpose: to prove that we are all sinners and fall short of GodŐs perfection--"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20)

2. The Sacrifice: An animal sacrifice in which blood was spilled. Purpose: Blood was spilled to forgive and cleanse the sins of the people for a period of time, needing to be done continually in order to be effective--"Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings." (Leviticus 23:19)

The Result: The glory of God was able to dwell in the tabernacle that was built by the Israelites--"And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory." (Exodus 29:43)

1. The Law: All the commandments and laws that God gave to Moses--over 3,000 in number, plus 1,000 or more commands that Jesus added....Purpose: to prove that we are all sinners and fall short of GodŐs perfection--"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20)

2. The Sacrifice: Jesus blood sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. Purpose: To forgive the sin of all people for all time forever and purchase the free gift of eternal life and healing for our mind body and soul-- "And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood," (Revelation 1:5)--"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." (Hebrews 9:12)--"Whosoever eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:54)

The Result: The glory of God can now live inside of the tabernacle of a believers heart-- "He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." (John 6:56)--"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1Corinthians 3:16)

As we can clearly see, both covenants have the law in common. The laws of God will always stand--but they always stand in their purpose--to prove that we are all sinners, that we all fall short of Gods perfection--"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23). Nowhere in the Bible does it say (as is so often mistakenly thought) that we can enter into eternal life strictly by our obedience to the law. We all need a sacrifice to cleanse the sin that the law reveals in us.

However, the Old Covenant had an imperfect sacrifice, and produced and imperfect result. The Old Covenant sacrifice of animals needed to be done repeatedly by high priests who needed in fact to cleanse themselves of their own sin--"Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself." (Hebrews 7:27). "Jesus, the High priest who was without sin, offered Himself up as the sacrifice and the mediator of the New Covenant--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." (Hebrews 8:6) "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." (Hebrews 9:15)

The New Covenant is called a better covenant. Why? Because it is to all people--it is obtained by a perfect sacrifice--it removes us from the curse of the law--"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:" (Galatians 3:13)--It produces the results of complete forgiveness of sin--and the promise of eternal life (which includes healing for our body mind and soul)--"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) --"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." (1 Peter 2:24). The result of the New Covenant is that the presence of God will dwell in the tabernacle (the heart) of every believer who receives Jesus.--Jesus dwells inside the heart of the believer as well as the Holy Spirit and power.

"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore" (Hebrews 7:25-28)

"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 brake, although I was an 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, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: 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." (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

How can someone receive this New Covenant? --"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10).

Ask Jesus to be your Savior.

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