Re: It's all about behavior. Look up the word.

As you know, at Christ's death, the new covenant replaced the old one. The new covenant is better and very different from the old one. Like I've said before, it is important to understand and remember that we have a new covenant now. We can't live by the old one. It is obselete. I know you also know that the old testament was under the old covenant. But it's not as understood that some of the new covenant was under the old convenant. Christ lived by the old covenant while He was on earth. But when He died, that's when new covenant took effect. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. But His covenants with His people have not stayed the same, and the new covenant is better. I don't believe you understand what all the new covenant means and how it has changed from the old one. Under the old covenant there was the written Law on the tablets of stone, along with all of the Levitical laws. Now, under the new covenant, the laws have been written on our hearts, we have the Spirit of God living in us, we have become new creations under the new covenant (all this of course applies to believers, not non-believers). The old covenant was a covenant of do good, make the right choices, be blessed; do bad, make the wrong choice, receive cursings. Under the new covenant, it doesn't work this way. As a believer under the new convenant, you will be disciplined if you do bad and make wrong choices, but God will never curse you, never me angry with you, never leave you, and He will guide you out of sin into His love, He will sanctify you, and complete the work He has started. Christ's death was what brought this new covenant about, His death is what saved us and gave us life.




2 Corinthians 3:6
6He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant–not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.


(The letter here is referring to the Law, right? The letter, or law, killed us. But the Spirit has given us life. And if we have the Spirit in us, we will have good works, for the Spirit is what produces the fruits OF the Spirit. The OF here is an important word. These good works, or fruits OF the Spirit do not come from self effort, but from Him. If we trust in Him, these fruits will naturally flow in our lives from His power, His righteousness working in us. And again, this leaves us nothing to boast of. It is all His work. But it will result in us making good choices, so that if we get prideful, we will give ourselves the credit, but in our humility, we will realize it's His work in us, and praise Him forever for that.

Hebrews 9:15
15For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance–now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.

This is just one of so many that assure eternal life for the believer in Christ. The eternal inheritance is promised this scripture said.




2 Corinthians 3:7-18 (This is very good to explain what has happened in the new covenant verses the old one)

7Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was,
8will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
9If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!
10For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory.
11And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.
14But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.
15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.
16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord the veil is taken away.
17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect† the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever–increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.



Hebrews 8: 6-13


6But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises.
7For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.
8But God found fault with the people and said†:
“The time is coming, declares the Lord,
when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.
9It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
10This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
11No 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.
12For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.Ӡ
13By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.

Chapter 3 of Galatians but really the whole book deals with this whole subject too.




I've got to end this discussion for now because I'm getting ready to go on a trip. But it's been good discussing this as always! :)