I was on vacation and talking to a friend, and was told a remarkable thing. He told me about one study he went to where the study leader for that time asked " How many are under the Ten Commandments?" Well, kind of a weird question right? The group thought so also, trick question? Nope.
The study leader said, "Not me" (can almost imagine some gasps and intake of breaths) Plainly, he said that no one who calls themself a Christian is under the Ten Commandments. That is the old covenant.
We have those saying either, "hey the old testament is still good , we go by it" or" No, forget the old testament, it's just stories now" Well, really the old testament is not obsolete, but the old covenant is obsolete. No longer do we go by the old covenant. If we are truly Christians, not Jews. Hebrews 8: 13 "By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear."
Hey, David and Samuel and Elijah, Israel, these are our history, these are what we learn from. Go through Leviticus and tell me that we still go by it. :) Heck, I don't understand half the stuff they had to do, much less do it.
The point made at the study was, we are not the Israelites of old, under the regulations and rules/laws. We do not have to sacrifice lambs,or doves, or do the things of the old covenant. Am I allowed to murder or steal? No. Heck it is deeper than that now, I can't get mad at my brother or become envious or jealous. But I'm not under the old covenant. Hm, sounds like "well you still can't kill or steal , that's ten commandments stuff."
Let me try and um, this is how I think of it, hope it makes sense. When you get a new operating system (like windows), you get a "new operating system" there are still programs and applications from older systems or similar systems (notepad, calculator, etc, solitaire :) ) , yet it has more and/or upgraded, it is different. The speed needed, schemes, or how it was designed. It is N e w . The old is no longer valid. Can you go by it, yeah, but it's either new or old.
Make some sense? I hope so . The new covenant is based on Christ as the lamb that was sacrificed, ONCE and for ALL. While it also contains not murdering and stealing, actually it goes it goes a step further, it's more.....Do not stay angry, don't be envious, jealous, etc. It's totally new. The more we think of the similarities, the more we turn from it. This happens in religion, "little tweaks" turn to a new religion, which in turn get "tweaked" some more til it is nothing like before.
What's the point. I mean, when my friend told me the question I was thinking "yeah, still got 10 commandments, I grew up learning them, gotta obey them." No, this is NEW. Need to stop using the old as law. we use the New, not the old. The analogy " Can't train an old dog new tricks" , was a problem then and seems to resonate now, Old is no longer valid covenant, it's not pick and choose what I want from old. New covenant wipes slate clean, let go of the old. Get away from it as rule, and hold onto it as reference/learning as it is now. So, we live by the new covenant.
What that means? -To learn from, is not doing it. I don't have to touch a hot stove not to do it. I saw someone do it (learned) now I go even further, put on a glove or turn off the stove, or look before reaching. That is how in some sense we are now. We learn from the old testament and covenant, yet it's rules and laws are not what we are under. Thank GOD We live by the New covenant. So , I can gladly say I'm not under the old covenant, I'm under the new. That is SO Awesome and it is what I have to go by.
I have no idea who or if anyone reads this but if you do, then, if this made no sense, missed something, you want to add something, or you disagree, please leave a comment. I pray we learn and understand more what this all means.
Peace, Love, Joy, Happiness, Blessings.....:)
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