From Obedience to Faith: Understanding Covenants and Blessings

Devotional

Day 1: The Shift from Law to Faith

Under the Old Covenant, blessings were tied to obedience to the law, as seen in Deuteronomy 27 and 28. This covenant was specific to Israel, where adherence to the law determined whether they received blessings or curses. However, the New Covenant, established through Jesus Christ, shifts the basis for blessing from obedience to faith. Galatians 3:13-14 explains that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, allowing the blessings of Abraham to come upon the Gentiles through faith. This means that believers are blessed not because of their adherence to the law but because of their faith in Jesus, who bore the curse on their behalf. This shift highlights the grace and mercy of God, who provides blessings through faith rather than works. [04:07]

Galatians 3:23-25 (ESV): "Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian."

Reflection: In what areas of your life are you still trying to earn God's favor through your own efforts, and how can you shift your mindset to one of faith and trust in Jesus' finished work?

Day 2: Recognizing Different Types of Blessings

Divine blessings are directly appointed by God, while consequential blessings are natural outcomes of living according to God's order. Divine blessings are those that God bestows upon us out of His grace and mercy, independent of our actions. Consequential blessings, on the other hand, are the natural results of living in alignment with God's design, much like maintaining a vehicle according to the manufacturer's instructions leads to its optimal performance. Recognizing this distinction helps us appreciate the different ways God blesses us and encourages us to live according to His principles, not to earn His favor, but to experience the fullness of life He intends for us. [11:06]

Proverbs 3:9-10 (ESV): "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine."

Reflection: Can you identify a specific area in your life where you have experienced a consequential blessing as a result of living according to God's principles? How can you continue to align your life with His design?

Day 3: Faith as the Foundation of Blessing

Under the New Covenant, blessings are received through faith, not earned by obedience. This emphasizes the grace of God and the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice. Faith is not a means to earn blessings but a way to receive what God has already provided through Jesus. This understanding liberates us from striving to earn God's favor and allows us to rest in the assurance that our blessings are secured through our faith in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 further emphasizes that believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, highlighting the abundance of blessings available through faith. [09:14]

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV): "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you relied on faith rather than your own efforts to receive a blessing from God. How did this experience strengthen your trust in Him?

Day 4: The Liberating Role of Faith

Faith is not a means to earn blessings but a way to receive what God has already provided through Jesus. This understanding liberates us from striving to earn God's favor and allows us to rest in the assurance that our blessings are secured through our faith in Christ. Embracing this truth means living in the freedom and grace provided by Jesus, trusting in His finished work on the cross, and receiving blessings through faith. This perspective shifts our focus from our own efforts to the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice, freeing us from the burden of trying to earn God's favor. [12:00]

Romans 4:4-5 (ESV): "Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness."

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself striving to earn God's favor? How can you shift your focus to trusting in the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice?

Day 5: Embracing the New Covenant Life

Living in the New Covenant means embracing the freedom and grace provided by Jesus, trusting in His finished work on the cross, and receiving blessings through faith. This involves moving away from the mindset of earning blessings through obedience, which is an Old Covenant perspective, and instead, embracing the New Covenant approach of receiving blessings through faith. By doing so, we live in the assurance that our relationship with God is based on His grace and mercy, not our own efforts. This understanding transforms our lives, allowing us to experience the fullness of God's blessings and live in the freedom He intends for us. [12:16]

2 Corinthians 3:6 (ESV): "Who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

Reflection: How can you actively embrace the freedom and grace of the New Covenant in your daily life? What changes might you need to make to fully live in this truth?

Sermon Summary

In today's session, we explored the profound differences between the Old and New Covenants, particularly focusing on the basis of divine blessing. Under the Old Covenant, blessings were contingent upon obedience to the law, as outlined in Deuteronomy 27 and 28. God promised Israel that obedience would lead to blessings, while disobedience would result in curses. This covenant was specific to Israel and was a significant part of their relationship with God at that time.

However, under the New Covenant, established through Jesus Christ, the basis for blessing shifts from obedience to faith. Galatians 3:13-14 explains that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, allowing the blessings of Abraham to come upon the Gentiles through faith. This means that believers are blessed not because of their adherence to the law but because of their faith in Jesus, who bore the curse on their behalf. Ephesians 1:3 further emphasizes that believers are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, highlighting the abundance of blessings available through faith.

It's crucial to distinguish between divine blessing, which is directly appointed by God, and consequential blessing, which naturally follows obedience to God's order. While divine blessings are given by God, consequential blessings are the natural outcomes of living according to God's design, much like maintaining a vehicle according to the manufacturer's instructions leads to its optimal performance.

For believers today, it's essential to move away from the mindset of earning blessings through obedience, which is an Old Covenant perspective. Instead, we should embrace the New Covenant approach of receiving blessings through faith, understanding that faith doesn't earn blessings but receives what God freely gives.

Key Takeaways

1. Understanding Covenants: The Old Covenant was based on obedience, while the New Covenant is based on faith in Jesus Christ. This shift highlights the grace and mercy of God, who provides blessings through faith rather than works. [04:07]
2. **Divine vs. Consequential Blessings:** Divine blessings are directly appointed by God, while consequential blessings are natural outcomes of living according to God's order. Recognizing this distinction helps us appreciate the different ways God blesses us. [11:06]
3. Faith as the Basis for Blessing: Under the New Covenant, blessings are received through faith, not earned by obedience. This emphasizes the grace of God and the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice. [09:14]
4. The Role of Faith: Faith is not a means to earn blessings but a way to receive what God has already provided through Jesus. This understanding liberates us from striving to earn God's favor. [12:00]
5. Living in the New Covenant: Embracing the New Covenant means living in the freedom and grace provided by Jesus, trusting in His finished work on the cross, and receiving blessings through faith. [12:16]
** [12:16]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:08] - Introduction from Tennessee
[01:23] - Format of the Q&A Session
[02:01] - Lead Question: Basis of Blessing
[03:23] - Proverbs 10:6 and Old Covenant Blessings
[04:07] - Different Covenants, Same Salvation
[05:19] - Old Covenant: Obedience and Blessing
[06:15] - New Covenant: Faith and Blessing
[07:27] - Ephesians 1:3 and Spiritual Blessings
[09:14] - Divine Blessing vs. Consequential Blessing
[11:06] - Understanding Consequential Blessing
[12:00] - Receiving Blessings by Faith
[12:16] - Transition to Live Questions
[12:43] - Difference Between Jewish and Hebrew
[15:25] - The Kaduri Prophecy
[16:17] - Laodicea and Spiritual Lukewarmness
[22:28] - Power of United Prayer
[28:20] - Seeking Guidance from Pastors
[49:12] - Sabbath: Fulfilled, Not Abolished
[52:00] - Addressing Abuse in Marriage
[56:04] - Closing Remarks and Gratitude

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:

Deuteronomy 27-28
Galatians 3:13-14
Ephesians 1:3

Observation Questions:

According to Deuteronomy 27-28, what were the conditions for receiving blessings under the Old Covenant? How did this relate to the Israelites' obedience or disobedience? [05:32]
In Galatians 3:13-14, how does Paul describe the shift in the basis for blessings from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant? What role does Jesus play in this shift? [06:28]
Ephesians 1:3 mentions "every spiritual blessing in Christ." What does this imply about the nature and source of blessings for believers under the New Covenant? [07:11]
The sermon mentioned a distinction between divine and consequential blessings. Can you identify examples of each from the sermon? [09:50]

Interpretation Questions:

How does the shift from obedience to faith as the basis for blessings under the New Covenant reflect the grace and mercy of God? [06:15]
What might be the implications of viewing faith as a means to receive rather than earn blessings? How does this perspective change one's relationship with God? [09:14]
The sermon emphasized the importance of distinguishing between divine and consequential blessings. Why is this distinction significant for believers today? [11:06]
How does understanding the New Covenant as a covenant of faith rather than works impact the way believers live out their faith daily? [12:00]

Application Questions:

Reflect on your current mindset regarding blessings. Do you find yourself trying to earn God's blessings through obedience, or are you resting in the faith-based blessings of the New Covenant? How can you shift your perspective if needed? [12:00]
Consider a time when you experienced a consequential blessing as a result of living according to God's design. How did this experience reinforce your understanding of God's order? [11:06]
In what ways can you actively embrace the freedom and grace provided by Jesus in the New Covenant? Identify one specific area of your life where you can apply this understanding. [12:16]
How can you cultivate a deeper faith that receives God's blessings rather than striving to earn them? What practical steps can you take this week to strengthen your faith? [09:14]
Think about a situation where you might have confused divine blessings with consequential blessings. How can you better recognize and appreciate the different ways God blesses you? [11:06]
Identify one area in your life where you feel burdened by the need to earn God's favor. How can you release this burden and trust in the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice? [12:00]
How can you encourage others in your community to understand and live out the principles of the New Covenant? What role can you play in helping others embrace faith-based blessings? [12:16]

Sermon Clips

"Under the old covenant, the mosaic covenant that God made with Israel, He specifically promised Israel that they would be divinely blessed for their obedience and divinely cursed for their disobedience. Again, if you want the clearest expression of that, look at Deuteronomy chapters 27 and 28." [08:23]

"Under the new covenant, the covenant that was enacted by Jesus in His sacrifice at the cross, and of course the resurrection being a natural result, an inevitable result of the crucifixion, under the new covenant Jesus bore the divine curse in our place and we are divinely blessed in Jesus." [08:49]

"Faith doesn't earn anything. Faith simply receives what God gives. So we see that there's a different basis for blessing comparing the old covenant and the new covenant. Now, if you noticed in my explanation, I used the phrase divine blessing because I want to be careful and note something here." [09:29]

"Divine blessing is blessing that's particularly appointed by God. It wouldn't have happened otherwise unless God had appointed it. Now, we know that God is ultimately the father of every blessing. I'm not trying to separate consequential blessing from the work of God. It is God's work; it's just God working in a different way than what we would call divine blessing." [11:19]

"Stop trying to earn and deserve blessing from God. That's old covenant thinking. That's mosaic covenant thinking. We do not gain blessing under the new covenant by earning and deserving. We gain blessing under the new covenant by believing and receiving, and that's a very important distinction to make." [12:09]

"Paul believed that God answers prayer and that it was important to have people pray for you. Now, why is it? I don't know if I can give a reason why other than to say this: there seems to be a principle in God's kingdom, the more God's people unite on something, the more effective it is in His kingdom." [24:02]

"There is some way in the spirit that I don't think I can fully explain, but it's just true. There's some way in the spiritual realm that the power of our prayers is not doubled; it's increased 10 times or 20 times. So this is the consequence of getting God's people together in agreement for prayer." [25:13]

"To worship in spirit means that you are concerned with spiritual realities, not so much with places or outward sacrifices, cleansings, and trappings. In other words, it's not just all about the ceremony and the material things. There's a true spiritual dynamic to your worship." [41:30]

"To worship in truth means you are worshiping according to the whole counsel of God's word, especially in light of New Testament revelation. It also means that you come to God in truth, not in pretense or in a mere display of spirituality." [41:50]

"Everything Jesus was, everything Jesus did pleased His Father. You know, we talk about sin according to Romans chapter three, being sinning or falling short of the glory of God. Jesus not once in any way ever fell short of the glory of God. Everything about God the Son, His thoughts, His actions, His motives, all of it pleased God the Father." [33:57]

"Yes, it's fulfilled. We don't describe the sabbath as being abolished. No, it's fulfilled in Jesus Christ. That's the very clear teaching of the New Testament. We don't keep the sabbath as ancient Israel did, but not because God has destroyed the sabbath, but rather instead because God has fulfilled the sabbath in Jesus Christ." [49:12]

"Our overall general Christian experience should even in the difficult times be marked by a wonderful sense of peace and rest in joy in Jesus Christ. I pray that you would have that in your life." [51:37]

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