Identifying The New Testament Church, Part 11
Covenant Conditions
A. Matt. 28:18?20. Jesus told the apostles, to teach and baptize
all believers and then teach those
baptized believers to observe all the commands He had taught the
apostles. Those commands
are the Covenant Conditions that enable mankind to be in Covenant
Relationship with God.
There are several Covenant Conditions that must be met for salvation
to be a reality. The Bible says that all of the conditions are
necessary for salvation. That means that not any one of the conditions,
by itself, is sufficient for the process of salvation to be complete.
If any one of the conditions is omitted then the Covenant Conditions
have not been met.
a. FAITH is the first Covenant Condition and is described in Rom.
10:17; Jno. 3:18,
He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does
not believe is condemned
already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God. 8:24,
If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your
sins." REPENTANCE is also a
Covenant Condition and Jesus spoke about it in Mk. 1:15, ..the
kingdom of God is at
hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." Lk. 13:3, ...unless
you repent you will all
likewise perish. Repentance means to turn away from sin
and turn toward God. When
you repent you no longer walk in rebellion to God but walk in
Covenant Relationship
with Him. Acts 5:31; 11:18; Rom. 2:4; 2 Tim. 2:25; Eph. 2:8. CONFESSION
is
another Covenant Condition the apostle Paul talked about in Rom.
10:9?10. That
scripture states that both confession and belief (faith) are Covenant
Conditions.
(A) Now I know that a lot of people stop right here and say that
they have fulfilled all
the Covenant Conditions and therefore they are saved at this point.
There is only
one problem with that conclusion. It's just not true. They have
left out one of the
primary Covenant Conditions. They have left out the New Testament
Covenant Seal.
(1) In the Old Testament God commanded a Covenant Seal and it
was a very
important part of the Covenant Condition. If a man did not have
that Covenant
Seal he was rejected by God. That seal was the Jewish ritual of
circumcision and God's word speaks plainly about this important
Covenant Condition in Gen. 17:10?14. For the Jew circumcision
was the outward sign that he had received the Covenant Seal for
fellowship with God. It was not a suggestion; It was not an option.
It was a mandatory requirement for Covenant Fellowship and God
said, if you didn't have it you had no fellowship with Him.
(2) This Covenant Sign was so important God commanded that no
uncircumcised person could eat of the Covenant Meal which was
the Passover meal, Ex.12:43?44.
The New Covenant established by Christ has a Covenant Seal. It
is described as spiritual circumcision in Rom. 2:28?29. This Spiritual
Circumcision which is the New Testament Covenant Seal is given
when we are buried in the waters of BAPTISM Col. 2:11?12. Without
the physical Covenant Seal of physical circumcision one was not
a Jew and never considered by God to be a Covenant Child. The
point being: Without the Covenant Seal youre not a part
of God's Covenant Household.
Christ is the Covenant Representative for humanity. Whatever happens
to our Covenant Representative happens to us. Romans 6:3?6, explains
it this way: When we are baptized and receive the cutting off
of sin we are purified and now become a proper receptacle for
the Holy Spirit. Now we can receive the indwelling Holy Spirit
of God, Acts 2:38. Now the Holy Spirit becomes our Seal, 2 Cor.
1:21?23; Eph. 1:13?14; Eph. 4:30?31.
(2) Spiritual Circumcision which is the Covenant Seal, is where
we DIE with Christ; Where we are BURIED with Christ; Where we
are RAISED with Christ to walk in newness of life never to die
again, just like Him.
(1) Here is where you enter into Covenant Oath and Covenant Life
and Covenant
Relationship with God in Christ Jesus, Gal. 3:27. You are in Christ
and whatever
happens to Him happens to you. In Him God has pledged to be your
provider,
protector and your salvation. Now that I have the Covenant Seal
I may sit down
with God and partake of the Covenant Meal He has so graciously
provided through
Jesus Christ my Covenant Representative. "And he took bread,
and gave thanks,
and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which
is given for you:
this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper,
saying, This cup
is the New Covenant in my blood, which is shed for you......For
as often as you eat
this bread, and drink this cup, you do proclaim the Lord's death
till he come... Lk.
22:19?20; 1 Cor. 11:26?27.
(a) The apostle Paul summed it all up in these words, "For
you are all the
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as
have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there
is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for
you are all one in
Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's
seed, and heirs
according to the promise." Gal. 3:26?29.
(1) That scripture says that you receive the Covenant Seal and
Promise when you are baptized into Christ Jesus. That's the promise,
as stated in Joel 2:28?32 and fulfilled in Acts 2:16?24, 32?39.
Baptism in water for the forgiveness of sins, the Covenant Seal
of Spiritual Circumcision, is not an option, its not even
a suggestion. It is the command of God!
(2) Acts 20:32.
Spur - 07/07/2002 am
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