the Kingdom: what it is - part 15

the essence of the Kingdom

For almost four months we have been studying the Kingdom.  This morning will be our final message in our sermon series the Kingdom: what it is.  Hopefully now you have a better understanding of the Kingdom of God, the kingdom of Heaven, the community or territory over which Christ reigns as King - a restored, renewed, regenerated, reunited Kingdom of Israel under the reign of a descendant of David who is also Jehovah our righteousness.  This morning we bring this series to a close as we discuss the essence of the Kingdom.  What is the Kingdom about?  If we were to summarize the Kingdom in a few words or in a brief statement, how would we frame that?  Paul does an excellent job of summarizing the essence of the Kingdom in Romans 14:17. 

Go ahead and turn there in your Bibles.  As you do, I want to work our way up to this summary statement with some broad general themes.  Last week I mentioned that at times it is easier to describe something by way of comparison or contrast.  We did that with our King by contrasting Jesus to the kings of the old order.  This morning, I’d like to begin our discussion of the essence of the Kingdom by first looking at the essence of the Old Order.  If we were to sum up the Old Order we could do so in terms of 5 main things: descent from Abraham, circumcision, Torah, Temple, and The Land.  We find the same grand themes in the Kingdom, but we find that they take on a new form.  While those things in the Old Order were very outward, physical and ceremonial, the very same elements in the Kingdom are inward, spiritual and heavenly. 

In the Old order the citizens were flesh and blood descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but in the Kingdom the citizens are children of Abraham by faith.  The citizens of the Kingdom are defined by grace, not race.

The circumcision in the Old Order was an outward, physical, fleshly circumcision, but circumcision in the Kingdom is circumcision of the heart by the Spirit done by Christ, not according to the written code.

Speaking of the Written Code, the Law of the Old Order (aka Torah) was an outward list of 600+ commands by which Israel was to live.  But in the Kingdom, citizens are not under the Law of Moses, but the royal law of love is written upon the heart by the Spirit of God.

In the Old Order, the Temple was the locus for worship.  It contained the Holy of Holies, the Most Holy Place, where God’s presence dwelt.  In the Kingdom, the Temple is not made up of literal bricks, stones and wood, but of living stones joined together, which the apostles and prophets as the foundation, Christ Jesus himself as the Chief cornerstone, a spiritual dwelling in which God’s spirit dwells among his people.

Finally the Land was a geographic territory where God’s people were to dwell, a special plot of Land that God set aside for his people to dwell in His presence.  The Kingdom is the community or territory over which Christ reigns as King.  The territory of the Kingdom is not limited by geographical boundaries.

So in terms of comparison to the Old Order, the Kingdom retains the same markers of Children of Abraham, circumcision, law, temple, and land, but they take on a new form and a new significance.

That is the broad panoramic look at the essence of the kingdom in terms of the themes and markers from of Old. Paul, however, gives us a more direct and more precise statement on the essence of the kingdom.

In Romans 14, Paul is encouraging the Romans with direction in light of some of the conflicts in the first century church.  Remember that the Kingdom belongs to Israel.  So naturally, Israel who had been identified by these five markers of race, circumcision, law, land and temple are thinking in these terms.  A large part of their Law was dietary restrictions.  God gave them a list of foods that were clean and a list of foods that were unclean.  The mentality that carried over from the Old Order was: you are what you eat.  You eat what is unclean, you are unclean.  Jews who were coming to faith in Jesus were still clinging to the idea that being a good citizen in God’s covenant community was a matter of eating and drinking. 

Look at what Paul says in Romans 14:17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

The essence of the Kingdom, is righteousness, peace and joy in the holy spirit.  If we were to sum it all up and identify what the kingdom is all about, we can do that very succinctly in these terms.  The essence of the kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  I’d like to expand on those three elements.  Before we do that, I’d like to point out the connection with the Holy Spirit.  The essence of the kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.

REGENERATION

You may recall in our study of the prophecies of the Kingdom that the Kingdom would be a time of regeneration, that God would regenerate Israel, sprinkle them with clean water, give them a new heart, and put his Spirit in them to move them to obedience, writing His law on their hearts and minds.  We see in Paul’s statement that the Holy Spirit is an active agent in the hearts of God’s people in the Kingdom.  The essence of the Kingdom is directly related to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Paul says in Galatians 5:22-23 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  We see that the list of fruit produced by the Spirit in a citizen of the Kingdom includes, but is not limited to righteousness, peace, and joy.  Here, Paul uses goodness and not righteousness.  He uses different words, but conveys the same idea.  The essence of the Kingdom is righteousness, peace and joy and those things are cultivated by the Spirit.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these 3 elements.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

Let’s begin with righteousness.  The kingdom is a Kingdom of righteousness; our King reigns in righteousness.  The kingdom is not an evil age, but the age of righteousness.  Citizens in the Kingdom should be characterized by righteousness. 

As we saw a few weeks ago, Jesus said that unless one’s righteousness exceeded that of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law they would certainly not enter the Kingdom of heaven.  That only those who do the will of his father would enter the kingdom.  We see that righteousness is certainly a crucial component of the kingdom.  

Those who are in Christ have been declared righteous.  That is what is meant by the term we see in the NT justification.  Because of our faith in Christ we are declared righteous by God.  So our position before God is one of righteousness and that is secure.  There is no sin we have ever committed or will ever commit that the blood of Jesus didn’t atone for.  So God sees us as righteous and that position before God won’t change.  We have been forgiven and there is no condemnation for those in Christ.  But that doesn’t mean that we should take advantage of God’s grace and live a life of sin. 

In addition to being declared righteous and having a position of righteousness, we find exhortation after exhortation for God’s people to walk in righteousness, to live a life characterized by righteousness.

One story that illustrates this reality is in John 8.  Jesus came preaching that the kingdom of heaven was near.  His preaching and teaching and his interaction with others reflected the coming Kingdom.  There was a tension in his life and teaching that on one hand seemed to go against the law but on the other hand seemed to be right in line with it.  He healed a leper by touching him (against the Law) and then told him to go to the priests and do what the Law commanded.  In the SOM a recurring phrase is you have heard that it was said (in the Law) but I say to you… The teachers of the Law and Pharisees wanted to use this tension as a trap. 

John 8:1ff ¹ but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

² At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³ The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”  (Mr. you have heard that it was said…but I say to you…)

⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

 ¹⁰ Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

¹¹ “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and live a life of sin.”

NOOO!  He says, “Go and LEAVE your life of sin.”

Jesus’ response here reflects the ways of the Kingdom he came to establish.  He had been preaching and teaching in ways that seemed to render the OC obsolete and so the teachers of the Law tried to trap him.  If he says stone her according to the Law, what about all his teaching about grace and forgiveness that seems to be at the heart of his code for the coming Kingdom?  But if he says let her go, he isn’t following the Law and we can charge him on those grounds.  But Jesus answers in the most magnificent way possible.

Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.  They all left because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Jesus responds: I don’t condemn you; Go now and leave your life of sin.  You are free from the penalty of sin but that doesn’t mean you are free to walk in sin.  The essence of the Kingdom is righteousness.  Citizens of the Kingdom are to walk in righteousness.  Like this woman, Jesus does not condemn us, but we are to go and leave sin behind.

Andy Stanley puts it in these terms: there is the IDEAL and there’s the REAL.  Ideally God’s people should be perfect as their heavenly father is perfect; that is the IDEAL.  Clearly impossible.  That’s where the REAL comes in.  The reality is that everyone will fall short of perfection every day.  But the fact that the IDEAL is not always the REALITY, shouldn’t cause us to say, “Let’s not even try.” 

That’s like somebody who goes on a diet and then after a week does amazing with strict adherence, but then they slip up and eat a candy bar in a moment of weakness, so they say, “It’s no use.  I might as well just eat candy for breakfast lunch and dinner.”  The better response would be, “well, let’s get back on track and move forward in the right direction.”  Citizens of the Kingdom should have the same mentality: “Let’s pursue righteousness and when we fall short, let’s get back on track and move forward in the right direction.”

The amazing thing about it is that we are called to live in righteousness but we aren’t condemned when we fall short.  When we fall short we don’t face an angry mob holding stones; we don’t face a fiery pit of hell.  There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.    But just because we are free from the penalty of sin doesn’t mean we are free to then walk in sin.  I don’t condemn you, says Jesus, but go and leave your life of sin.  Walk in righteousness but when you fall short, you don’t face condemnation.

The essence of the Kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.  We have just discussed righteousness.  Let’s take a look at peace.

PEACE

The Kingdom is the antitype of Solomon's reign which was a time of unprecedented peace for God’s people. It makes sense that the kingdom is characterized by peace. Additionally our ruler is the very prince of peace! As goes the ruler so goes the nation. I mentioned that in kings and chronicles we read of the kings doing evil in the eyes of the Lord and they led God's people into sin. Generally speaking people follow the leader. I have read quite a bit recently about the Holocaust. A lot of the Germans who participated in the acts were simply following their leader. Even if they felt like what they were doing was wrong, their thinking was this was decreed by our leader and we were simply following orders. People follow the leader, the ruler. As goes the ruler so goes the people. Our ruler is the prince of peace and if we follow Jesus, we follow him to a place of peace.

In the kingdom we have peace with God, with others and within.

PEACE WITH GOD

In the Kingdom, we are at peace with God, reconciled to him through Jesus blood.  The Bible paints a picture of man being an enemy of God, by nature, objects of His wrath.  But for citizens of the Kingdom, we are reconciled to Him and at peace with Him.  The punishment that brought us PEACE was upon Jesus and by his wounds we are healed.

PEACE WITH OTHERS

We are called to live at peace with others.

Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

Prov 16:7 When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

We all probably interact on a daily basis with a variety of people.  Some of those people may have buttons and we shouldn’t push them.  Some people are volatile and are just ready to explode at the press of the button.  And we know how to press those buttons.  Let’s not press those buttons.  Let’s be peace makers not conflict creators.

We probably know other people who are like a beehive or a hornet’s nest.  And one poke will stir up the hive and the whole swarm is ready to sting.  Let’s not poke the hive.  Let’s be peace makers not conflict creators.

Some people are just ready to start drama; they live for it.  Jerry Springer here we come.  We know the words that will get the gossip chain going.  We know the words that will start a slander fest.  Let’s not get caught up in that.  Let’s not be contentious, but let’s be people who seek peace and pursue it.

Sometimes it’s hard to avoid drama; people just want to drag you into it.  What do you do?  As far as it depends on you, do your best to live at peace with everyone and live even at peace with your enemies; make peace as a peacemaker.

Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God.  In other words, the citizens of the Kingdom are peacemakers.  The essence of the Kingdom is peace.  Not only peace with God and peace with others, but

PEACE WITHIN

I spent twenty years of my life not knowing Jesus as Lord; you could say that I hadn’t entered into the Kingdom.  Speaking strictly from personal experience here, life outside of kingdom for me wasn’t peaceful.  There was a constant state of unrest within me.  I was never satisfied or content; I needed the next fix, the next high, the next level, the next big thing.  Nothing was ever enough; I always wanted more.  I was not at peace.  There was a constant warring within my soul. 

But once I came to faith in Christ, I found that life in the Kingdom was one of peace within my heart and soul.  I was finally satisfied.  I was finally content.  My soul finally had rest.  I had finally found peace within.

PRAYER

But that doesn’t mean that life in the Kingdom is always automatically going to yield peace within.  There are times that as citizens of the Kingdom we become anxious.  There is a remedy for anxiety and a highway to the place of peace.  The vehicle is prayer.  Phil 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving present your requests before God and the peace of God which transcends understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

We are handing our troubles, our anxieties, our concerns over to our King and saying I trust you with these.  They are making me anxious.  You are the prince of peace and I am a citizen in the kingdom – the kingdom whose essence is peace, but in my soul I lack peace right now because of this, so I ask you to please handle it.  That release brings peace.

The essence of the Kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.  We have looked at righteousness and peace.  Let’s look at joy.

JOY

The Kingdom is the gospel, the good news.  When we get good news what do we do?  We rejoice.  Good news brings joy to the soul.  We don’t complain, whine, or mope when we get good news; we’re not gloomy.  We rejoice.  Good news!  God has rescued his people out of slavery.  Emancipation is an occasion to rejoice.  God has rescued his people from slavery to sin and death and given them freedom.  Since God’s people have been rescued, joy is the appropriate response in the heart of believers in the kingdom, daily.

We should rejoice in who our king is.  Last week we celebrated King Jesus and that was only the tip of the iceberg.  The better we get to know Jesus, the more we will realize that we have much to rejoice in just in our King and who he is.

We should rejoice in the fact that we get to know him and dwell in his presence. 

We should rejoice in the fact that we have been reconciled to God and we have been forgiven. 

We should rejoice in God’s grace.

We have so many reasons to rejoice.  But we don’t always experience joy on a practical level.  Why is that? 

WITH SO MANY REASONS TO HAVE JOY, WHY AT TIMES DO WE LACK JOY?

SIN

A minister once said that a Christian loses nothing by his sin…except his joy.  And that is a great loss.  Sometimes sin keeps us from having fullness of joy.  Sin will destroy our joy.

At times if we lack joy, there may be sin in our life that may need to be removed.  We can identify that by examining our hearts and examining the Scriptures.  The exhortations we find in Scripture are not there to rob us of joy and make us miserable.  The exhortations we find are for our joy.  God used his servants to communicate through the writings of scripture what is good, and fitting, and beneficial for his people. 

No exhortation from the scriptures is to harm God’s people, but to benefit and bless them.  Nowhere, I believe, in the God inspired Scriptures is there an exhortation that will harm his people.  God’s instruction is always for the benefit of his people, for their joy.  We will do well to walk according to them.  James, Peter, John and James were all inspired to write things to benefit God’s people.  Yes, we will need to apply the rules of hermeneutics.  Titus 3:12.  Nicopolis, disappointed when don’t find Paul there.  But finding those eternal precepts and abiding by them – those precepts that pertain to righteousness are for the good of God’s people, for our joy.  Walking in them will cultivate joy.  To choose to walk contrary to them and to walk in sin is to destroy our joy.

When we walk in sin we lose nothing…except our joy.

MINDSET

Sin will destroy joy but a lack of joy isn’t always a direct result of sin.  Sometimes it is our mindset that keeps us from joy.  Where is our mind?  What is on our mind?  What are we thinking about?  As a man thinks so he is.  If one is dwelling on the things above, heavenly things, it’s hard not to have joy.  If we are thinking about that which is noble, pure, right, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy it’s hard not to have joy.  When we are seeing the positive points, beholding the silver lining, looking on the bright side, it’s hard not to be full of joy.

If we are dwelling on the negative or thinking only ill thoughts, that will sap our joy.

Think about it: when are you the happiest?  Is it when you are dwelling on the negative?  When you are thinking ooh I can’t believe her.  I am so angry with her?  Is it when you are holding on to bitterness?  When you are unforgiving or ungracious?  Is it when you are nitpicking and faultfinding?  Is that when we are the happiest? 

Or are we the most happy when we are reconciled to others?  When we are seeing the good in them?  When expressing charity and love towards others?  Being gracious?  When we get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander along with every form of malice?  When we are kind and compassionate towards one another forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave us? 

Our mindset, what we are thinking about has a lot to do with our level of joy.  Having a mindset of love towards others will cultivate joy.

CIRCUMSTANCES

Finally, our outward circumstances can dictate our level of joy. 

If we are hungry or thirsty or tired, it’s easy to be grumpy.  But as children of God we have bread that is unseen, the bread of life. We have living water welling up to eternal life within us.  We have a banqueting table at which we get to dine with our king consuming heavenly delicacies.  So our soul is nourished spiritually even in terrible outward circumstances.  As believers, when we are walking in an awareness of our spiritual circumstances, it will be easier to walk in joy even when outward earthly circumstances aren’t the greatest. 

Though we are not of this world, we dwell in this world and our circumstances in this world will at times have a tendency to dictate our outlook and thus affect our joy, but as believers our citizenship is in heaven and in the heavenly realms we have much that should cause us to rejoice and walk in joy.

PERCEPTION

I was once told: Perception is reality.  I understand what is meant by that, but I’d alter it to be more accurate: One’s perception can create for him his own reality.  What is our perception?  Do we see through heavenly lenses or earthly lenses?  If earthly, then crummy earthly circumstances will be easily followed with gloomy countenance a lack of joy.  But if heavenly lenses, even in the midst of the worst earthly circumstances, we can walk in joy.  If you don’t believe me, read Paul’s letter to the Philippians which he wrote from jail cell…JOY!

For us, the reality is we have a king who came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom.  Through him, we get to call God father.  We get to have a relationship with the God of the universe.  That is a perspective that should always give us a reason to rejoice.

IN CONCLUSION

Let’s be people who walk in righteousness, people who recognize the real, but strive for the ideal motivated by our love for God. 

Let’s be people of peace, peacemakers, not conflict creators.  People who seek peace and pursue it, who do our best to live at peace with everyone, even our enemies, people who have peace within and who cultivate peace and fight anxiety by trusting God through prayer. 

Let’s be joyous people who recognize that a believer loses nothing by his sin…except his joy and therefore strive to walk according to the eternal precepts of Scripture which are for our good and for our joy.  Since our mentality has much to do with our joy, let’s be people who think on things above, and whose perception is through the heavenly lenses, keeping at the forefront of our minds the multitude of reasons we have for rejoicing.

The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.  May God cultivate those virtues in us and cause us to be a people who walk in accordance with the essence of the Kingdom.   www.ncfgeorgetown.com  preterist fellowship, preterist church Austin tx, Church in Georgetown, Texas. Reformed church Georgetown, Texas Preterist church Georgetown Texas. Pastor David Boone. Associate pastor Jesse Gutierrez, Sermon audio mp3 sermon download Full Preterism. Covenant Eschatology. New Covenant Fellowship Georgetown. Page House 10:00 am Loving God. Loving Others. Realized eschatology fulfilled eschatology  Preterist church Austin Texas.  Bible church Austin Texas Second coming of Jesus Christ churches in Austin area. Churches in Georgetown TX

You can watch sermon videos or listen to sermon audio .mp3 at www.ncfgeorgetown.com/media.html

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the Kingdom: what it is - part 12

Freedom from what?

The word “freedom” has become very popular in church sermons these days, in worship song lyrics, and even on merchandise marketed to Christians, but alas I fear the Biblical meaning of the word may be all but lost on us 21^st century Americans.

I know personally I’ve been attending church since I was 8yrs old and have heard the word used in various ways for all these years.

But just like a double rainbow, the question we must ask is what DOES IT MEAN?!?!

^

I propose to you that the freedom in the Kingdom of the New Covenant is from the penalty of sin, which is death.

What is sin?

A healthy 1^st question is  what is “sin”?

A working definition of sin is simply, doing that which God has forbidden, and death is the consequence of sin.

Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death...”

Please turn in your bibles to Genesis 2:15

We’re going to take a look at the historic account of how sin and death came to be.

Gen 2:15-17

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

In Verse 17 God’s command is clear “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” making SIN: disobedience to that command, and death occurring “when you eat from it.”

I’ll paraphrase Genesis 3-5, which records the series of events after God gave Adam the command:

-The serpent questioned then lied to Eve and told her that if she ate of the tree she would surely not die, but that she would become like God knowing good and evil.

-Eve ate

-Adam ate

-Lord curses Adam, Eve and the serpent

-Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden.

-Lastly once outside of the Garden Adam and Eve had several children and Adam died at the age of 930.

So based on what happened in the Garden of Eden:

1.)    When was Adam to die if he sinned?

2.)    What was the “death” that Romans 5 says, “came to all men” through Adam?

To address the first question: When was Adam to die if he sinned?

Genesis 2:17 in the NIV says, ““WHEN” you eat from it you will certainly die.”

I believe here the translation fails to communicate the timing correctly, so let’s consider some more precise and literal translations.

The NASB translation renders verse 17

17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the DAY that you eat from it you will surely die.”

Let’s see how the good ole Young’s Literal Translation renders verse 17

17 and of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou dost not eat of it, for in the DAY of thine eating of it -- dying thou dost die.'

That may seem a bit redundant redundant, but the point is clear, on the day Adam ate of the fruit he would die.

But did Adam die physically on that day? No.

Not according to Scripture at least as Genesis 5 records that he and eve after exiled from the garden had several kids and adam lived to be 930 years old.

--

--

So… what happened that DAY? What day you ask?

 The day he ate of the fruit from the tree of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Let’s turn to Genesis 3:23

3 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken.

I propose to you then that the death of Adam was a “spiritual death”  as Genesis 5 records Adam physically living and having physical children far after the day that he was removed from the garden.

^

-Spiritual death is thus Biblically defined as: Separation from God due to sin.

^

-The Death of Adam in Garden of Eden was manifested by his “exile from the God’s presence.”

Romans 5:12 says, “sin entered the world through one man (referring to Adam) and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”

So this death, this chasm if you will, remained for some time between God and man.

 “14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam

Romans 5:14

So time passed…

Eventually through the messenger of Moses, God delivered Israel his chosen people from Egyptian captivity and gave them a covenant through which they could be restored to God. This covenant is called the “Torah”,  or “The Law of Moses” or “The Law” for short. This covenant God formed with Israel was a conditional covenant that was similar to the covenant He made with Adam; simply put, Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.

-               Adam was given 1 command, if he obeyed he could stay in the garden and in God’s lush paradise enjoying His presence, but if he disobeyed he was to be exiled from the garden.

-               OC Israel was given over 600 laws in the Torah and if they obeyed them God would bless them and they would stay in the land He gave them where His presence dwelt, but if they disobeyed they would be cursed and driven out of that land; separated from God.

In the list of blessings in Deuteronomy 28:8 the Lord said to Old Covenant Israel that if they fully obey Torah,

“ The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land He is giving you.”

So we clearly see that Israel under the Old Covenant was BLESSED if they were in the “land” that God had given them.

Conversely, if Old Covenant Israel SINNED (ie disobeyed the Commands of God) Deuteronomy 28:36-41 declared to them,

36 The Lord will drive you and the king you set over you to a nation unknown to you or your ancestors.

There you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone.

37 You will become a thing of horror, a byword and an object of ridicule among all the peoples where the Lord will drive you.

^

Old Covenant Israel experienced spiritual death when they were banished from the Land into exile, away from the presence of God.  They needed forgiveness of sin because if Adam couldn’t obey 1 command how would they ALL obey 600+? But seriously…

^

But God made a provision in the Law, a sacrificial system through which the covenant community could seek remission of their sins.

The second part of Hebrews 9:22 says, “without shedding of blood is no remission.”

Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines remission as:

·         to release from the guilt or penalty of

·         to cancel or refrain from inflicting

·         to give relief from

·         to restore.

The sacrificial or remission system had 4 key components:

a mediator, a medium, a priesthood, and a meeting place.

A mediator

In the Old Covenant the Lord ordained Aaron the brother of Moses to be the High Priest and decreed that only men born of his bloodline could succeed him in this position. The High Priest’s role was to make sacrifices on behalf of the nation of Israel to atone for the sins of the people or to die trying. The high priest was the only one in the entire nation of Israel who could enter the Holy of Holies to stand before the Ark of the Covenant to make sacrifices before God for the people.

A medium

In the Law God prescribed the following list of animals to be used in sacrifices to atone for sin: oxen, sheep, goats, turtledoves, or young pigeons.

These animals were to be “without blemish” or in perfect health, and at specific ages were to be slaughtered their blood, flesh, and fat were all to attempt to cancel their sins before God.

The Priesthood

In the Old Covenant God elected the Levites, one of the 12 tribes of Israel to be priests as a full-time vocation. Their role in the covenant community was to attend to the furnishings of the tabernacle, construct and de-construct the tabernacle when the Israelites moved about, and serve as mediators between God and Israel.  The Levites were given as a gift from God to Aaron the High priest to serve as assistants in the work of atoning for the sins of the entire covenant community. They were also decreed to make their tents around the tabernacle so that even in their resting they were always in the presence of God.

The Meeting place

The Lord designed the tabernacle to be His mobile sanctuary always amidst the Israelites as they traveled, “that He may dwell among them” (Exodus 25:8)

It was where all sacrifices were made for all of Israel. Everything inside of the Tabernacle was holy and had to be ceremonially cleansed with water and animal blood. The tabernacle was only to be maintained by Levites.

The tabernacle was off-limits to the rest of the 11 tribes of Israel and anyone that came into the tabernacle that wasn’t either a high priest or a Levite would perish because of their sin.

The tabernacle housed the holy of holies where the Ark of the Covenant was contained behind the veil. The Ark of the Covenant held the 10 commandments, Aaron’s rod, and a jar of manna as its contents; it was the literal physical symbol and testament to God’s relationship with Israel.

Upon the Ark of the Covenant was the mercy seat from which Numbers 7:89 says that God spoke to Moses from.

Later in history after Israel settled in the land God had given them, King David decided that that God’s house, the tabernacle, should be as nice as his home was and thought up a beautiful and permanent residence, or temple for God where the tabernacle would be housed which His son Solomon later had built.

God setup a system under the Old Covenant to remit the sins of Israel.

Though this system was setup it was not perfect, nor was it truly sufficient as we see the nation of Israel plagued with spiritual death from the time of Moses to Jesus.

Was there freedom from the penalty from sin in the Law? No.

Hebrews 10:1-3

1The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it (the Law) can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2If it could, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, 4because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Galatians 4 states that Old Covenant Israel was enslaved to the Law.

Furthermore, Galatians 3:10 says, “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law."

Israel cried out to the Lord under the burden of the OC.

Isaiah 64:5-9

5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right,

who remember your ways.

But when we continued to sin against them,

you were angry.

How then can we be saved?

6All of us have become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;

we all shrivel up like a leaf,

and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

7No one calls on your name

or strives to lay hold of you;

for you have hidden your face from us

and made us waste away because of our sins.

8Yet, O Lord, you are our Father.

We are the clay, you are the potter;

we are all the work of your hand.

9Do not be angry beyond measure, O Lord;

do not remember our sins forever.

So Israel under the Law even with the use of the OC sacrificial system was still cursed, enslaved, and spiritually dead…  I’ve got to say it’s lookin’ bleak.

THANKFULLY! WE’RE NOT UNDER THE LAW!

Romans 10:4

Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

The Kingdom was good news to the 1^st century Israelites because they were being freed from the burden of their sins!

God brought in His NEW sacrificial system in the New Covenant of the Kingdom!

The same 4 sacrificial system elements are not only present but are truly PERFECTED in the Kingdom!

^

A mediator

-Jesus Christ, the Messiah, God in the flesh is our TRUE High Priest and mediator of the New covenant.

Hebrews chapters 4,5,7, and 8 all identify Christ as our TRUE High Priest.

Hebrews  10:11-14

11 (Speaking of the Old Covenant sacrificial system) Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

12But when this priest (speaking of Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

^

A medium

Jesus at the Last supper gave bread and wine to the disciples and told them to eat and drink his body and blood of the New Covenant broken and poured out for their sins.

Hebrews 10:10

10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Jesus was the Passover lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. Through his broken body, spilled blood, and death on the cross He appeased God, completing the law, and made a way for us believers to have eternal life.

John 6:29

Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

John 3:36

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

^

Look no further for a priesthood or a meeting place for in the NC they are the same.

The CHURCH is the new priesthood as well as the tabernacle of God with Jesus our cornerstone, the apostles as the foundation, we are living stones making up the temple of God as Ephesians 2 and 1 peter 2 tell us!

We are the kingdom NOT built with human hands, a kingdom that will not be handed over to another, that will reign forever. Daniel 8:44

Now in the Kingdom, the tabernacle of God IS His people so we are not constrained to 1 location, for all who believe there is no longer a boundary dividing unclean and holy. God is with us and His spirit indwells us and we ALL have been made holy, clean, and free of sin. No longer is there a need for the OC ark for the law is engraved on our hearts and minds. All believers are priests called to care for the tabernacle, which is the church.

Good stuff right? So the work has been completed in Christ, we’ve been brought near to God through Christ, free to approach God and draw near to the throne of Grace with confidence because of Jesus’ perfect complete Kingdom in the New Covenant.

And there’s the word. Free. Freedom.

Recall what I said at the beginning, “freedom in the Kingdom of the New Covenant is from the penalty of sin, which is death.

So after everything we’ve covered, what does this freedom entitle us to?

-Peace with God through Jesus.

-Eternal communion with God as we’ve been restored to Him through the work of Christ not our human effort or the blood of animals.

-Adoption as children of God and fellow heirs with Christ of the Kingdom.

So that is where we are in redemptive history.

Redeemed, sanctified, justified, glorified and hopefully satisfied…..

One might is ask, “Now that we’ve been freed from the penalty of sin, and Christ has conquered the Law, does sin even matter anymore?”

Are we free to sin since there is no penalty?

Sin will never change, God will always hate it, it will always require punishment, it will always produce spiritual death keeping people from God unless that person is a believer in Jesus Christ.

Let me reiterate, God still hates sin, God will ALWAYS hate sin!

It is the evil that separates God from His creation

A Christian should be mindful that though they are redeemed that if they chose to sin now in the present they are willfully adding to the burden Christ bore in his body on the Christ. They are adding to the lashes, evil, and abomination that Jesus was crushed under.  When a Christian flirts with sin they are betraying their God who gave Himself, His own body and blood to redeem them.

Do not romanticize evil Christian; you would betray your King for your own selfish temporal trifles, lusts, or urges? Be righteous! You are a HOLY priesthood, be Holy for God is Holy!

Galatians 5:13

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Exhortation

I speak to you now, those of you who have eyes to see, and ears to hear, to those of who have purchased wine and milk without money, to those of you who believe that Jesus is the Christ, that have conquered spiritual death and have been born again.

My dear brothers and sisters…. You are free.

-Free from separation from God because of your sin

-Free from His wrath and judgment

-Free to go with confidence to do the good which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Romans 6:11-14

11 “…count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

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