Two Covenants
By John McCoury
Roan Mountain, Tennessee
“Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:4-6)
It is important to understand the meaning of the word covenant. According to Paul, there are two covenants at work in human life.
One is the New Covenant, which can be described as nothing coming from me, everything from God. This is in direct contrast to the Old Covenant, which could be described as everything coming from me and nothing coming from God.
The root idea of a covenant, both in Paul’s day and ours, is an agreement that forms the basis upon which all further relationships rest. If two people go into business together, they form a partnership with carefully spelled-out terms to provide a framework for their work.
Marriage is also a type of covenant in which a man and a woman agree to share all they have and stick together against all obstacles until death. Nations sign treaties to determine the conditions under which they will work together.
All these examples are forms of covenants, showing how fundamental and essential they are to human endeavors.
The Most Fundamental Covenant
But the most fundamental covenant of all is the one that forms the basis of human life itself. We may not often think of it this way, but no activity is possible without an underlying covenant.
We could not talk, sing, walk, think, or breathe without the arrangement God made with humanity. This covenant provides us with the life and energy we need to perform God’s will.
We are dependent creatures, constantly supplied by God the Creator.
Two Ways to Live
Paul declares that this fundamental arrangement comes to us in one of two ways.
- The old way is tied to the Old Testament law of Moses — the written code, the letter which kills.
- The new way, through Jesus Christ, is life-giving, marked by success, integrity, and a testimony of God’s reality.
“The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Corinthians 3:6)
Through the New Covenant, Paul found himself qualified to live as God intended. By discovering this for ourselves, we too can live as God intends.
A Prayer for the New Covenant
I thank you, heavenly Father, for this glimpse anew at what this new basis of life is, called the New Covenant. Teach me to live, depending on you to empower me to live as you intended. Amen.
Living the New Covenant
On any given day, you must choose to live according to the Old or New Covenant.
How can you remind yourself today to live in dependence on Christ in you?
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John McCoury is the pastor of Evergreen Freewill Baptist Church in Roan Mountain, Tennessee, and the chaplain at Roan Highlands Nursing Center. You can read more good Christian news from John HERE.
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