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The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Eighteen)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Old Covenant served as a schoolmaster to the ancient Israelites, reflecting God's intention in His dealings with them. It was not His purpose at that time to save those people, but rather to produce a historical record for the Church of God to understand His actions more clearly and apply them appropriately to our lives. As Deuteronomy 29:4 reveals, the Lord had not given them a heart to perceive, eyes to see, or ears to hear, indicating their carnal nature. Consequently, God provided a carnal approach through the Old Covenant, akin to a schoolmaster guiding through strict, external rules. This approach, characterized by the letter of the law, is contrasted with the life-giving Spirit under the New Covenant. As II Corinthians 3:5-9 explains, the Old Covenant's administration, described as the ministration of death, was glorious yet temporary, unable to provide life. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life, showing a shift from a rigid, carnal enforcement to a spiritual application that vitalizes and transforms. Under the Old Covenant, God did not promise His Holy Spirit, forgiveness of sin, access to His presence, or eternal life, which are now available through the New Covenant. The change in administration, not the abolition of laws, is central to this transition. Jesus Christ raised the civil law from its mere carnal application to the nation of Israel to a spiritual application for the church, drawn from all mankind. The Old Covenant's administration and enforcement were set aside because the church lacks civil authority over the state, unlike the Old Covenant system. However, the laws themselves remain, now ministered with the opportunity to impart life through teaching and administering God's Word, empowered by the Spirit.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Seventeen)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Law (including the judgments, ordinances, and statutes), far from being done away, shows us our faults and outlines the way of mercy and love—how to live.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Seven)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe New Covenant, which writes God's law onto the heart, in no way does away with any aspect of the law. Works do not justify us, they sanctify us.
What Was the Law 'Added Because of Transgressions'?
'Ready Answer' by Earl L. HennSome think Galatians 3:19 means that God's law has been done away, but critical misunderstandings have led people astray on this verse.
Hebrews (Part Eight)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughJesus Christ's priesthood is superior to the Aaronic priesthood because Christ tenure is eternal rather than temporal, guaranteeing both continuity and quality.
Hebrews (Part Nine)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughAfter the change from the Aaronic to the Melchizedek priesthood, it was also necessary to change the Covenant. The flaw was not the law, but the heart.
Hebrews (Part Ten)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughEverything about the Priesthood of Christ is superior to the Levitical system, which only served as a type of the access to God that Jesus would fulfill.
God's Merciful Course Correction
Sermonette by David F. MaasBecause of Israel's sinful heart, God has made a course correction, namely crafting a new and improved Covenant with a lengthy heart transplant operation.
The Day of Atonement and Israel's Future
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeThe cleansing of Joshua's filthy robes in Zechariah 3 is a future application of the cleansing in Leviticus 16, when Jesus Christ cleanses Israel in the future.
A Millennium of Preparation
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod has been preparing His plan from before the foundation of the world, and life's complexity and symbiosis reveal a super-competent Designer and Planner.
The Pentecost Witness
Article by David C. GrabbePentecost is known for its stupendous signs, particularly in Acts 2. Yet it teaches us of another witness: our own display of Christ's way of life in us.
John (Part Twenty-Five)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughEternal life is to know God, seeking Him to imitate Him, living as He does, and developing an intimate relationship with Him. This brings an abundant life.
Clothing, Wineskins, and Wine
'Ready Answer' by David C. GrabbeThe Parable of the Cloth and the Wineskins concludes a much longer narrative. The context and reveals deeper meanings and applications of the parable.