Lesson 4: Terms and Conditions of the New Covenant

Lesson 4: The Terms and Conditions of your New Covenant in Christ

CONGRATULATIONS on becoming a child of God! You have entered into a covenant relationship with God through the blood of Christ. 

As Christians, there are a few ways to understand your relationship with God, but the most complete way, is to understand and accept that you are in a covenant relationship with God through Christ. A covenant has three primary parts:

1. Offer
2. Terms and conditions
3. Acceptance 

Since most people enter into even the most serious covenant without fully knowing and understanding all the terms and conditions, we reserved our study of the terms and conditions of our covenant with God for lesson four. 

So in lesson three, we looked at God’s offer and blessings. In lesson two, we revised what we did to accept God’s offer. And in this lesson , lesson 4, we will begin our study of the terms and conditions of the covenant we have in and with Christ. 

Every covenant has terms and conditions, and they are called many things, depending on their purpose. In the Bible, terms and conditions are called laws, and their individual parts are called law, commandment, ordinance, stature, tradition among other titles. But sometimes a single command is called a law. 

Laws are not bad, they are not designed to be against you. They are designed to guide you towards the good, keep you on the right path and steer you away from danger. 

Well, at least I am certain that the laws of God are as “perfect,” and “sweet” just as David says they are (Psalm 19:7-10). Man’s laws are not always free of bias, they are not always sweet, and perfect. So it is important not to equate God’s laws with the laws of man. 

God’s laws are also not from man, but from, well, God Himself. So you really should not try to pick and choose which ones to live and worship by. Because all of God’s laws are a part of scriptures. And even the ones we do not understand or like, are given for our good. 

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  

In later studies, we will talk about what it means to be inspired by God. For now, since you are new in Christ, this lesson assumes that you know enough about the Bible to have accepted it as the word of God. And that God exists, loves you and called you and the whole world to believe, repent, confess and be baptized.  

But the Bible has many laws from Genesis to Revelations. And it can get really confusing and contradictory if you try to keep all of them. Getting confused is a good sign that you need to take time to learn the laws of your covenant. Which is why we are having this study, because not all the laws in the Bible are for us today. The Bible is divided into three religious periods: 

1. The Patriarchal Period covers the period from Adam to the day Moses received the Law of Moses from God (Genesis to Moses). It is called Patriarchal, because throughout Genesis, God spoke to various men and women, but most to the head of families like Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, and finally Moses (a good summary verse is Hebrews 1:1-2). 
2.  The Mosaic Period covers the period from when God gave Moses the law that bears his name, the Law of Moses. (Exodus 19:1-8 to Deuteronomy). This law was given literally and only to the physical nation of Israel. They alone were punished for not keeping it, or blessed for keeping it (Exodus 19:1-5, Exodus 20:1, Deuteronomy 4:1-10; 5:1-5). This law lasted until Jesus came, and ended properly when He rose from the tomb, and the Holy Spirit came in Acts chapter 2. (Luke 16:16–the law and the prophets were until John…”). 
3. The Christian Period. This period started officially when the Holy Spirit came and empowered the Apostles to establish the church, give both the oral and written laws for the church of Christ, and organize the church as a body with leaders and ministries and a system for worshiping God.  In other studies, we will take a closer look at the Christian period and the transitions that the Holy Spirit and the Apostles led the church through. The entire world is now living in the Christian Period. And it will last until Jesus returns to Judge the world (Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:1, 1 Timothy 4:1). See also my book: Shadows of Christianity.

The world should be grateful. Because thanks to Jesus, we do not need to even try and worship or live by the law of Moses, because:

1. It was never given to all nations. As  I pointed out earlier, it was given only to the Jews. This includes even the “Ten Commandments.” Not even Jews need to keep the law of Moses any longer, because it was taken away when that first covenant ended at the cross of Jesus. 
2. The promises that came with the law of Moses were not for all nations. 
3. The new covenant in Christ has its own law, and its own promises and blessings (see lesson 3). 
4. The New law is called among other names, the Apostles’ Doctrine (Acts 2:42). Just like how the law of Moses got its name from the person to whom and through whom God gave it, so it is with the law of the New Covenant. It bears the name of the Apostles, just as it bears the name of Christ (Galatians 6:2). 

So where are the laws of Christ or the Apostles’ doctrines found? They are found from The book of Acts 2 to the book of The Revelations of Jesus Christ. Because

• That was when the Holy Spirit came and started teaching them what they needed to teach (Matthew 28:19-20). 
• That was when the Holy Spirit came and started the fulfillment of the promise and prophecy of Jesus (John 16:13). 

What about the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? Are they not a part of the Apostles’ Doctrine?  Those books are generally called the history of the life of Jesus. As you read them, you will notice that Jesus taught the disciples some things that they would only practice in worship and for salvation, after Acts chapter 2. Things that He would explain to them later after Acts chapter 2, through the Holy Spirit. Things that made no sense to practice before Jesus died and rose again. Because those things were related to his blood, death, burial and resurrection. For example:

• Baptism for the remission of sins and to receive the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8, Matthew 28:19-20). Christian immersion or baptism would not make much sense before the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, because we are saved by His blood, and baptism represents his blood (Titus 2:5, Hebrews 10:22, Revelations 1:5 his death, burial and resurrection (Romans 6:1-7, 1 Peter 3:21). So when John and later the disciples of Jesus were baptized before He was crucified, it was to prepare people for the real baptism to come. That is why even those who were baptized by John were later baptized to become Christians (Acts 19:1-5).  
• The Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. When Jesus had the rehearsal for the Lord’s Supper in Matthew 26:26-28, it would not have made any sense or have any spiritual significance, until after his body was broken by the lashes, punches, thorns,  nails, and the spear that was thrust into his side (Matthew 27:27-31, John 19:34). Why? Because the fruit of the vine represents his shed blood and the bread represents his broken flesh or body. But after the Church was established in Acts chapter 2, the Apostles made it apart of the Apostles’ Doctrine to gather on the first day of every week to partake of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, 1 Corinthians 1:1-2).  

As new disciples of Christ, it is important for you to:

• Gather with the church, and not just any church, but the Church you were baptized into and added to by Christ (Acts 2:47). So that you can learn how to worship God in spirit and truth, until you enjoy worshiping God the way He commands. 
•  Attend and participate in regular scheduled Bible classes at your congregation of the Lord’s Church, so that you can learn to observe all the things that Jesus taught the Apostles to teach you. 
• Read Acts to Revelation often, so that you can see how the church lived and worshiped.
• Read the Gospels often, so that you can grow in love and faith like Jesus, as you learn about Jesus. 

In Lesson 5, we will begin to look at the specific church and worship laws from the Apostles’ Doctrine, the new law of your new covenant in Jesus Christ.

(c) Richard Nepaul 2023

Lesson 5