Better Promises

"Better Promises" - The new covenant is better because it is established on Better Promises.

What are Better Promises?

The old covenant was based on the law. It was a conditional covenant. It was a copy of the original heavenly covenant - a pre-existing arrangement. You cannot copy that which did not already exist.

The old covenant, established on the law, was limited by man. We could never be fully released from sin of our own accord so we would never be fully in God. Man could not experience the fullness of God because the old covenant relied upon man.

Weaknesses in the Old Covenant:

·   Had sinful man as high priest.

·   Required continual shedding of blood for sin.

·   Could not experience continual communion with God.

The Old Covenant would never remove the impediment (sin) to what ultimately was the purpose of the covenant - communion with God. Because of its conditional nature it relied too much on man to accomplish it.

The New Covenant made the old covenant obsolete. It did not eliminate its parts or its weaknesses - we still live with humans, the law and sin daily. But it removed the weakest link - its reliance on man to fulfill the covenant.

Ultimate Strength of New Covenant:

·   Sanctification - once and for all.

·   Blood shed 1 time - the blood of Jesus.

·   A perfect High Priest in Jesus Christ.

·   Everlasting Life.

·   A Tabernacle in Heaven.

Man’s responsibility was removed and Jesus, the son of God, entered as the fulfiller of the Covenant.

So in the garden, God kicked Adam and Eve out after they sinned.  This was done in order to seal the covenant. A copy, the Old Covenant, was established and set upon the law. This covenant was made, was tried and was found failing. Then the Promise was given. The New Covenant, the genuine covenant, was established. God and man were reunited in communion - forever - through Jesus Christ.

Question - So why do the Old Covenant in the first place? This was necessary to show that man cannot reach God. The big question in Satan’s fall is “can anyone be like God?” We say of course not. However, it has been thousands of years of seeing the failure of creation to remove even the simplest of things - sin - that has shown us that we cannot be as great as the One who created us. The basis for Pride is removed. No one can say or think “I will be like God!” None can do what God himself has done.

Hebrews 8:6