"Thus Israel learned the hard way the futility of relying on human organizations."
--The Watchtower January 1, 1996, page 9

THE NEW COVENANT

Was it meant to produce an organization of cookie-cutter "Christians"?

ALMIGHTY God brought Israel into a covenant relationship with himself as a nation. He dealt with the people through representatives: first Moses, then priests and kings. A closer relationship with the people seemed too frightening to them:
When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die."--Exodus 20:18-19 NIV (bolded for emphasis)
So, Israel functioned as a national organization, with God leading the nation through priests, prophets, and kings. But God desired a closer relationship with the people. So he told them of a New Covenant, with these words:
"The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant . . . I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. . . . No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, `Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."--Jeremiah 31:31-34 NIV
Christ introduced this New Covenant relationship first with Israel and then opened it to include people of other nationalities.

Instead of thundering from the mountaintop, God made himself known through his Son who "became flesh and made his dwelling among us." (John 1:14 NIV) Individuals brought into the New Covenant would all know God personally through the Son:

Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'?"--John 14:8-9 NIV
Christ and his apostles explained that each one brought into the New Covenant would have a mysterious personal relationship with the Son of God by receiving his Spirit:

". . . this mystery, which is Christ in you" --Colossians 1:27 NIV

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?"--2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV

It was very simple. Those who received Christ were in the New Covenant--all those who received his Spirit into their hearts, as the Scripture said. They knew God personally and intimately through the Spirit of his Son dwelling in their hearts. However, from the beginning of the New Covenant arrangement, there have been some who have perverted it and tried to create an organization reminiscent of the Old Covenant:

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-7, NIV).

God, however, did not call Christians to be slaves of men:

"Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.' So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir."--Galatians 4:6-7 NIV
So, those who have Christ's Spirit dwelling in their hearts are free children of God with no need for a controlling organization:
"As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit--just as it has taught you, remain in him."--1 John 2:27 NIV

[called by God to adoption as His free children]

[back] - - - - - - - - - - [forward]

Page design by Webshowplace