Today, I want to talk about a fundamental – or basic principle – of discipleship. You may have heard in the past of the Faith ABCs: Accept, Believe, Confess. But I’d like to talk about a different faith ABC. A Better Covenant.

A lot of what we were taught in our early Christian walk was taught to us in error. Many of us – at least I know this from my walk – were introduced to Salvation by Grace through faith but, then, we were discipled in the law. I’ve talked before about how I – and this is a common experience with other believers – got saved and was then given a Bible with a Ten Commandments bookmark. In other words, now that you are saved by Grace, it’s time to get discipled by the law. The problem with that is it creates what I call a schizophrenic Saint – one minute in the Grace of God; the next, in the law.

As the old saying goes, you can’t have it both ways. James said “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” And, if you’re double-minded, the Scripture goes on to say, “the double-minded man can expect to receive nothing from God.”

Before we get started, it’s important to understand what a Covenant is. Unlike a contract, where two parties agree to some terms, a Covenant is a contract or binding agreement whereby the greater party promises something to a lesser. Like God obligating Himself to do something for us.

This is what Scripture has to say about the better Covenant:

But as it now is, He [Christ] has acquired a [priestly] ministry which is as much superior and more excellent [than the old] as the covenant (the agreement) of which He is the Mediator (the Arbiter, Agent) is superior and more excellent, [because] it is enacted and rests upon more important (sublimer, higher, and nobler) promises. For if that first covenant had been without defect, there would have been no room for another one or an attempt to institute another one. (Hebrews 8:6-7 AMP)

Here’s one thing we need to understand, though, that there were actually THREE Covenants, not two.

First Covenant

The first Covenant was Promise

The Covenant of Promise began with Noah after the flood, which was first written in the sky (Genesis 9:9-12) and consummated with Abram (Abraham) when it was written in blood (Genesis 15:8-11). The Covenant of Promise remained in effect until the Hebrews came up out of Egypt. Why did it change? Because the Israelites forgot and forsook the first covenant

Second Covenant

God wanted to speak to His people. He wanted to have the same relationship with them He had in the Garden! Check out what He told Moses:

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people:for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:5-6)

The people told Moses, “All that the Lord commands, we will do.” But that was not what was in their hearts.

And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes, And be ready against the third day:for the third day the Lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. (Exodus 19:10-11) 

And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking:and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die. (Exodus 20:18-19) 

The Israelites handled the external preparation but not the internal. God was prepared to meet with them and speak with them directly but the Israelites hearts were hardened.