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New vs. Old...Remind Me of the Difference
One thing we're not quite hearing enough these days from gospel preachers and teachers is the reminder that there are two covenants: an Old and a New, and to be careful of the difference. If we don't keep it straight, then we get this hybrid belief system that blends the two. And it's dangerous because it starts luring Christians back into everything from national judgment and punishment, to Old Testament style Prophets and prophesying (which doesn't work, and ends up misleading Christians with sensationalism and superstition), to Jewish practices and beliefs (really, just Judaism, which is obsolete, or "done away with", according to God.) We've got to be very careful not to disgrace the cross of Jesus Christ by slipping backward to pre-Savior, for EVERYTHING CHANGED AT THE CROSS. God purchased the human race. His wrath was satisfied at the cross! And the Old style is no longer valid. The Old Testament is absolutely true, and parts of it have passed through the cross, but in Bible reading, we've got to know which parts. For some of it, God is greatly pleased to have left it behind at the birth of Jesus. The only way to know that is to understand the New Testament first and better! The Old Testament should not be emphasized (maybe not even read) until you have developed a good pair of New Testament "reading glasses". Read the New Testament about 3-5 times more than you read the Old. Why? Because New is better. And NEW is the only "running vehicle" that we have today! The Old Testament car is broken and out of gas. The New Testament car is shiny and powerful! It's all about Redemption. The Old testament gives us a vague sketch of Truth. The four gospels give us a colored picture of the Truth. But the letters of Paul give us an x-ray of the Truth. If you don't get out of the Old Testament, you'll remain under the curse of the law. If you get through the gospels, you'll know that Jesus is the door to salvation and you'll find your purpose as a Christian. But if you don't get through the book of Acts, you won't understand the Holy Spirit and the power of God, so it'll be tough to fulfill that purpose. And if you never get through the letters of Paul, you won't understand the why's behind anything. For not until the New Testament letters do we learn that "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law", which means "no more immediate sin penalty". Only in the New Testament do we discover the strategy of our enemy the devil and the authority we've been given over him. And not until the letters do we learn about our new nature, righteousness, grace, the blood covenant, the reality of Church Life, sanctification, the end times and defined future for all believers. And everything else! God's sincere desire was to give His people a New Covenant, which He did through Christ. So, know your whole Bible. But RIDE IN A NEW TESTAMENT CAR! -- Chas
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