The Sabbath and New Covenant in Christ (Luke 5:33-6:11)

“And no man puts new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish” (Luke 5:37).

Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath, the truth of the gospel, and the One that we follow, only.

First, the old covenant is done away, and we have the new  - “But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.  No man also having drunk old wine immediately desires new: for he says, The old is better” (Luke 5:38-39).  We are new creations in Christ, walking in newness of life, by the work Christ fulfilled for us.  He PUT AWAY the sins of the old covenant and brought in the blessings of the new - “And for this cause, He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might received the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator” (Heb 9:15-16).  We are not in two covenants or some mixture, but Christ is all, has fulfilled all, gets all the glory, and He is everything in right worship. God has put everything in the Son,  but you can't have Him and the law. You can't have Christ and any other way; it is Christ alone and Christ always, or it isn't God.

Secondly, the Lord rules the Sabbath, so that we follow Him and not Moses,  “And He said to them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath” (Luke 6:5).  We are not under the law but under the law to Christ, so that obeying the Son is sufficient (1 Cor 9:20-21). The law of Christ is love.  All along, the spirit of the law was intended, and the spirit is exalted by the worship of God in Christ. By faith, we trust His sacrifice and effort, and by love, we show the holiness revealed in God.

We are Christ's, belonging to Him.

Thirdly, some are angered by the mercies of Christ  - “Then Jesus said unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? To save life, or to destroy it?  And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth your hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other. And they were filled with madness; and communed with one another what they might do to Jesus” (Luke 6:9-11).  They want their religion and won't let go of their toys . They want their way of doing things, but they don't want God's way of doing things, whereby He shows mercy to sinners, so we can love.

It is not enough to love; it must be love FLOWING from the cross. It isn't enough to say “God is love”; it must be the love that is on God's terms by redemption accomplished for souls chosen beforehand - “Herein was the love of God manifested in us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10).  It is not enough to be religious. Christ comes saying, “True religion is ME and being like Me”, and when men get upset because they'd rather have their way, it is because you're killing their hopes.

So many hate election because they feel insecure, like they may perish. But, the door is for all, and it's WIDE open - “God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities” (Acts 3:26). He won't cast you out. We should never fear grace, mercy, or any of the commands of God because He FREELY gives grace to obey. God is good, and His way is amazing grace.  He will save all who want saving on His terms.

Finally, don't be duped out of salvation by your religion. Don't hold to the law; hold to Christ.  Worship God rightly, and enjoy the mercies of the Savior, who makes you merciful too.

"Able Ministers of the New Covenant" (2 Cor 3-4:2)

The message of God’s glory is the saving message of the gospel.  The law is His glory to condemn the sinner, demanding PERFECTION equal to His character. But, in the GOSPEL, He sets forth Christ crucified for sinners, so that He gives us life eternal, perpetually cleansing and pardoning us, being faithful in love, in spite of our sins.

Paul commends himself to the Corinthians, not by letters of their approval, but by the fact they know Christ through his teaching.  He is God’s instrument in the new covenant, used to preach Christ in love.  He, like all God-sent preachers is graced by God, so that he is the “able minister of the new covenant” -  “Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you?  You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men;  clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.  And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,  who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (vs1-6)

The law’s glory is done away.  It is good to tell men of God’s standard and promise them wrath for not repenting, but the gospel’s glory is so far greater than the law, that it is like the sun to the moon, so that once risen, the other cannot be seen - “But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.  For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels.  For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.” (vs7-11)

We approach God and live with Him, not by what I deserve by my promises and merit, but by what God has promised and Christ has earned for me.  And, this gospel of a “top down” God saving sinners is so hopeful that we use great plainness of speech.  If we tried to manipulate men and hide the truth, it wouldn’t help. But, we openly preach mercy to sinners because God uses mercy preached to bestow mercy and change people, manifestly revealing them as His, approved of and saved by Christ - “Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech: and not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished” (vs12-13).

The law’s glory is hidden by preachers, and Satan strives to assure men they aren’t as bad as scripture says… that God can be appeased by their best efforts. Yet, this VEILING of the law’s glory only shuts the door, so that people can’t trust Christ. As long as you think yourself anything more than hell-deserving and helpless, you will not turn to Christ.  But, when you do turn, then He will receive you, no matter the past -  “But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.  But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. “ (vs13-16)

The gospel’s glory isn’t merely God, but it is also God revealing Himself in a changing way, so that as we see Him gracious in Christ, we’re changed into His likeness.  As we see Him GIVING us eternal life, we become gracious people. As He FREELY forgives, just by  receiving the GIFT of eternal life, we become forgivers and lovers of men - “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.   But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.   Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.  But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Cor 3:17-4:2)

The gospel’s glory is Jesus Christ Himself who saves us by the Spirit, conforming us into His wonderful image.  We’re made faithful, manifesting ourselves as of God by what and how we preach, by the impact of holiness visible.

Which covenant are you under?  Are you under the gospel that gives you life, makes you righteous, and blesses you repeatedly and eternally?  Or, are you under the law, cursed of God, with no way out except the Savior?

Law and Gospel: Holiness by the Spirit of God (W. Huntington)

The people had now an opportunity of trying both Sinai and Zion; many ran to and fro, and knowledge was increased. Some found it as I had done, the more law the more bondage, and the more gospel the more love. It served also to separate between servants and sons: some cleaved to the citizens of Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage, which Christ calls citizens of this country, who feed with husks; and some cleaved to the citizens of Zion, on which mountain the feast of fat things is promised, and where God promises to destroy the face of the covering cast over all nations, and to swallow up death in victory. Never, I think, had Moses more disciples than at that time: but pulpit and press proclaimed little else but the law; but, as those who preached it knew not what they said, so those that published it knew not what they wrote, for not one that I read had ever experienced the application of it; and I knew that I was at a point in this, namely, that I retained the whole morality of the law, by enforcing holiness by the Spirit of God. The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us by the faith of Christ, and love to God and the brotherhood, by the love of God shed abroad in the heart; and all beside these is death.

"God the Guardian of the Poor and the Bank of Faith", Letter 2