God's Stunning New Agreement

How to test if Gospel truth is being proclaimed where you worship.

“(Your) former troubles are forgotten,
Because they are hidden from My sight!

I (YHWH) will also rejoice… and be glad in My people;
And there will no longer be heard in My people,
The voice of weeping and the sound of crying.

It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer.”

Isaiah 65:16, 19, 24.

God’s New Agreement with the world is fulfilled through the gift of His Son.

During this holiday season, you must ask yourself a very important question.

“How do I know the Gospel truth is being proclaimed where I worship?”

To be religious, even religiously Christian, is not the same thing as believing and resting in the Good News of God’s New Agreement with sinners.

TEST QUESTION: “When I listen to the Scriptures being taught, is the emphasis more on what I do for GOD, or is it more on what GOD has done for sinners?

In Isaiah 65, for the first time in the Hebrew Scriptures (e.g. “The Old Testament), we have a clear description of the difference between the Old Covenant (God’s Conditional Agreement with Israel) and the New Covenant (God’s unconditional agreement with the world).

The principles of the Old Covenant with Israel are listed clearly in Deuteronomy 28.

“There are blessings if Israel obeys God, and there are curses if Israel disobeys God.”

The Old Covenant Blessings and Curses for Israel looked like this:

Blessings for Obeying God (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)

1. Exaltation: Israel will be set high above all nations.

2. Fruitfulness: Blessings in the city, fields, children, livestock, and crops.

3. Protection: Enemies will be defeated and scattered.

4. Prosperity: Abundant food, wealth, and resources.

5. Success: Blessings on work and undertakings.

6. Leadership: Israel will lead, not follow; they will lend to nations and not borrow.

7. Spiritual Favor: The people will remain holy, set apart by God.

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Curses for Disobeying God (Deuteronomy 28:15-68)

1. Failure: Curses in the city, fields, children, livestock, and crops.

2. Poverty: Drought, famine, and financial ruin.

3. Defeat: Enemies will overpower and oppress Israel.

4. Disease: Plagues, boils, fevers, and other afflictions.

5. Displacement: Exile, captivity, and loss of land.

6. Oppression: Harsh rule by foreigners; labor for others' gain.

7. Family Loss: Children taken away; marriages destroyed.

8. Fear: Constant anxiety, confusion, and despair.

9. Servitude: Becoming a byword and a servant to other nations.

10. Exile and Despair: Scattered among nations, living in dread without rest.

ISRAEL, THE NATION, FAILED

Israel failed Covenant conditions and were sent to Babylonian Captivity in 586 BC.

THE NEW ISRAEL IS JESUS THE ANOINTED ONE

I have taught the Scriptures for decades. I believe with all my heart that the sacred Scriptures present Jesus as the true Israel. Jesus, the Anointed One (the Messiah) fulfills the role and mission originally assigned to Israel, with key parallels between His life and the nation’s history. Here is a concise list of these parallels:

1. Miraculous Birth: Just as Israel's existence began through a miraculous promise to Abraham and Sarah, Jesus was born of a miraculous virgin birth.

2. Descent to Egypt: Israel went to Egypt during famine and later became enslaved; Jesus, as a child, fled to Egypt to escape Herod’s persecution, fulfilling Hosea 11:1 ("Out of Egypt I called my son").

3. Baptism and the Red Sea: Israel passed through the Red Sea during their exodus, symbolizing baptism. Similarly, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, marking the beginning of His public ministry.

4. Wilderness Testing: Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness, tested and often failing. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, was tested by Satan, and succeeded.

5. Law Fulfillment: Israel received the Law at Sinai but often failed to uphold it. Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law and lived in complete obedience to God’s will.

6. Covenant Representation: Israel was called to be a light to the nations but faltered in its mission. Jesus, as the true servant of God, perfectly embodied this calling, bringing salvation to all nations.

7. Sacrificial Role: Israel’s identity was tied to the sacrificial system in the temple. Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice, fulfilling and surpassing the temple rituals.

8. Twelve Tribes and Apostles: Israel had twelve tribes as its foundation. Jesus chose twelve apostles, symbolizing the reconstitution of God's people through Him.

9. Exile and Restoration: Israel experienced exile due to sin and awaited restoration. Jesus took upon Himself the punishment of sin (exile from God’s presence on the cross) and brought ultimate restoration through His resurrection.

10. God’s Firstborn Son: In Exodus 4:22, Israel is called God’s "firstborn son." Jesus is the eternal Firstborn, the perfect Son who fulfills this identity.

These parallels emphasize that Jesus embodies and completes the mission and identity of Israel, positioning Him as the true representative and fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.

Is Your Church Old Covenant or New Covenant?

You must ask yourself: “Am I attending a church that emphasizes the commitment and work of Christ, or am I attending a church that emphasizes my commitment and work for Christ?”

A comparison of Old Covenant churches to New Covenant churches follows:

1. Old Covenant Churches:

   • Emphasize adherence to rules, laws, and rituals as a means of pleasing God or earning favor.

   • Often stress external behaviors, moral performance, and institutional authority.

   • Create a sense of guilt and obligation, often positioning God as distant or demanding.

   • Encourage a transactional relationship with God, centered on works-based righteousness.

2. New Covenant Churches:

   • Focus on the grace, freedom, and transformative power of Christ’s finished work.

   • Highlight God’s unconditional love, forgiveness, and relational intimacy.

   • Emphasize inner transformation through the Holy Spirit, rather than external conformity.

   • Promote faith as resting in Christ’s sufficiency, with good works flowing naturally from a heart changed by grace.

I believe the New Covenant approach aligns with the message of the Gospel, fostering a spirit of joy and freedom in believers, while the Old Covenant mindset can lead to legalism and spiritual burnout.

Trust the Person and work of Jesus the Anointed One (Christ) and LIVE.

I mean, really live!

Know that your past failures are “hidden from God.” Know that everything in your life is ultimately a blessing (“because of God”). Rejoice that God has entered into a New Agreement with sinners from around the world.

“Trust my Son and live!”

That’s the meaning of Christmas. That’s also the test for true Gospel preaching.

Wade and Rachelle Burleson at First Baptist Church, Stillwater, OK (12.08.2024).