Transformative Power of Christ's Atonement and New Covenant
Summary
The atonement of Christ on the cross is a profound event with far-reaching consequences. It fundamentally altered God's relationship with sinful humanity, not by changing God's eternal nature, but by transforming how He interacts with us. The atonement also had a purifying effect on heaven itself, cleansing it from the taint of sin introduced by Satan's fall. This purification was necessary for the heavenly sanctuary to be rendered perfect and without blemish.
Another significant outcome of the cross is the ratification of the New Covenant. This covenant, foretold in the Old Testament and fulfilled through Christ's sacrifice, establishes a new relationship between God and humanity. It is a covenant sealed by the blood of Jesus, offering better promises and a more excellent ministry than the old covenant. The New Covenant brings with it the forgiveness of sins, not just temporarily covering them as the old sacrifices did, but removing them once and for all.
The blessings of the New Covenant are manifold. They include the forgiveness of sins, a new way of approaching God with boldness, and the assurance of salvation. We are no longer under the law but under grace, meaning that while we still uphold the moral law, our salvation is not dependent on our ability to keep it. Instead, Christ has fulfilled the law on our behalf, and we live under the grace that empowers us to follow God's commands from the heart.
Moreover, the New Covenant guarantees our perseverance in faith. Christ, our eternal high priest, intercedes for us continually, ensuring that we are saved to the uttermost. This assurance is not just about the beginning of our faith journey but extends to its completion, as Christ will present us blameless before God.
In light of these truths, we are called to live with the assurance of our salvation, approaching God with a holy boldness, confident in the work of Christ on our behalf. This is not a license to sin but a call to live in the freedom and power of the Spirit, who writes God's law on our hearts and enables us to live in a way that pleases Him.
Key Takeaways:
- The atonement on the cross changed God's relationship with humanity, not by altering His eternal nature, but by transforming His interaction with us, offering a new covenant through Christ's sacrifice. [00:10]
- The New Covenant, ratified by Christ's blood, offers complete forgiveness of sins, unlike the old covenant, which only temporarily covered sins. This forgiveness is once and for all, removing the need for repeated sacrifices. [16:14]
- Under the New Covenant, we are no longer under the law but under grace. This means that while we uphold the moral law, our salvation is not dependent on our ability to keep it, as Christ has fulfilled the law on our behalf. [23:34]
- The New Covenant guarantees our perseverance in faith, with Christ as our eternal high priest who intercedes for us continually, ensuring our salvation to the uttermost. [32:16]
- We are called to live with the assurance of our salvation, approaching God with a holy boldness, confident in the work of Christ on our behalf, and empowered by the Spirit to live in a way that pleases Him. [21:14]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:10] - Introduction to the Atonement
- [00:25] - God's Relationship with Humanity
- [01:14] - Purification of Heaven
- [02:48] - Ratification of the New Covenant
- [03:21] - Scriptural Basis for the New Covenant
- [06:48] - Jesus' Foretelling of the New Covenant
- [08:14] - Old Testament Covenants
- [11:00] - The Principle of Blood Ratification
- [13:23] - Blessings of the New Covenant
- [15:00] - Forgiveness of Sins
- [19:29] - New Access to God
- [23:34] - Under Grace, Not Law
- [31:25] - Assurance of Salvation
- [36:51] - Eternal Security in Christ
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Hebrews 9:23-28
2. Hebrews 10:15-18
3. Jeremiah 31:31-34
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Observation Questions:
1. According to Hebrews 9:23-28, what was necessary for the purification of the heavenly things, and how does this relate to the atonement of Christ? [01:31]
2. In Hebrews 10:15-18, what does the passage say about the New Covenant and the forgiveness of sins? How is this different from the old covenant? [16:14]
3. How does Jeremiah 31:31-34 describe the New Covenant, and what are the key promises included in it? [12:11]
4. What role does Jesus play in the New Covenant according to Hebrews 7:25, and how does this assure believers of their salvation? [32:16]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the purification of heaven mentioned in Hebrews 9:23-28 enhance our understanding of the cosmic impact of sin and the atonement? [01:31]
2. What does the complete forgiveness of sins under the New Covenant imply about the nature of God's grace and our relationship with Him? [16:14]
3. In what ways does the New Covenant, as described in Jeremiah 31:31-34, transform the believer's approach to God's law? [12:11]
4. How does the continuous intercession of Christ as our high priest, as mentioned in Hebrews 7:25, provide assurance and security in the believer's faith journey? [32:16]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on the idea that the atonement of Christ has changed God's interaction with humanity. How does this understanding affect your daily relationship with God? [00:10]
2. The New Covenant offers complete forgiveness of sins. How does this assurance of forgiveness impact your view of past mistakes and your approach to future challenges? [16:14]
3. Under the New Covenant, we are called to live under grace rather than the law. How can you ensure that your actions are motivated by grace rather than obligation? [23:34]
4. Consider the role of Christ as your eternal high priest who intercedes for you. How does this truth influence your confidence in prayer and your perseverance in faith? [32:16]
5. The sermon calls us to approach God with holy boldness. What practical steps can you take to cultivate a bold and confident approach to God in your spiritual life? [21:14]
6. How can you actively live out the freedom and power of the Spirit in your daily life, ensuring that your actions align with God's law written on your heart? [28:41]
7. Reflect on a time when you struggled with assurance of salvation. How can the truths of the New Covenant help you find peace and confidence in your faith journey? [34:26]
Devotional
Day 1: Transformation Through Atonement
The atonement of Christ on the cross is a transformative event that redefined God's interaction with humanity. It did not change God's eternal nature but altered the way He relates to us, offering a new covenant through Christ's sacrifice. This new relationship is marked by grace and forgiveness, allowing us to approach God with confidence and boldness. The atonement also had a purifying effect on heaven, cleansing it from the taint of sin introduced by Satan's fall, ensuring that the heavenly sanctuary is perfect and without blemish. [00:10]
Hebrews 9:23-24 (ESV): "Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf."
Reflection: How does understanding the transformative power of Christ's atonement change the way you approach God in your daily life?
Day 2: Complete Forgiveness in the New Covenant
The New Covenant, ratified by Christ's blood, offers complete forgiveness of sins, unlike the old covenant, which only temporarily covered sins. This forgiveness is once and for all, removing the need for repeated sacrifices. Through Christ's sacrifice, we are offered a new relationship with God, one that is based on grace and not on our ability to uphold the law. This covenant brings with it the assurance of salvation and the promise of eternal life. [16:14]
Hebrews 10:16-18 (ESV): "This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds, then he adds, I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more. Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin."
Reflection: In what ways can you embrace the complete forgiveness offered by the New Covenant in your interactions with others today?
Day 3: Living Under Grace, Not Law
Under the New Covenant, we are no longer under the law but under grace. This means that while we uphold the moral law, our salvation is not dependent on our ability to keep it, as Christ has fulfilled the law on our behalf. Living under grace empowers us to follow God's commands from the heart, not out of obligation but out of love and gratitude for what Christ has done. This grace allows us to live in freedom, knowing that our salvation is secure in Christ. [23:34]
Romans 6:14 (ESV): "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."
Reflection: How can you live more fully under grace today, allowing it to transform your actions and attitudes?
Day 4: Assurance of Perseverance in Faith
The New Covenant guarantees our perseverance in faith, with Christ as our eternal high priest who intercedes for us continually, ensuring our salvation to the uttermost. This assurance is not just about the beginning of our faith journey but extends to its completion, as Christ will present us blameless before God. We can live with confidence, knowing that our faith is secure in Christ and that He is faithful to complete the work He has begun in us. [32:16]
Hebrews 7:25 (ESV): "Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them."
Reflection: What steps can you take today to deepen your trust in Christ's intercession and assurance of your faith journey?
Day 5: Living with Holy Boldness
We are called to live with the assurance of our salvation, approaching God with a holy boldness, confident in the work of Christ on our behalf. This is not a license to sin but a call to live in the freedom and power of the Spirit, who writes God's law on our hearts and enables us to live in a way that pleases Him. Our boldness is rooted in the confidence that Christ's sacrifice has made us right with God, empowering us to live out our faith with courage and conviction. [21:14]
Hebrews 4:16 (ESV): "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Reflection: How can you approach God with holy boldness today, and what impact might this have on your relationship with Him and others?
Quotes
"The atonement on the cross changed God's relationship to sinful mankind. It made no difference to the ultimate and eternal being of God, for God never changes. He is the father of Lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning. It affected a change in God's relationship to sinful men, and it was a change that he himself had brought to pass." [00:00:36]
"Sin in some inscrutable way even affected heaven when Satan fell. He fell from heaven, from the very presence of God, and in a way that we cannot fully understand, we are here taught and elsewhere in Scripture that in a sense Even Heaven itself needs to be cleansed from this effect of sin, and the blood of Jesus Christ avails in that respect." [00:02:18]
"God made a New Covenant with men, and that Covenant was ratified by the blood of Jesus Christ shed upon the cross. There are a number of statements, especially in this epistle to the Hebrews, that state that quite clearly. Let me remind you of some of them in Hebrews chapter 6:22 you read this by so much was Jesus made assurity of a better Covenant." [00:03:11]
"All the blessings that we enjoy as Christian people rarely come to us because of what happened on the cross. The cross is the most crucial event in history. It is from the cross that every benefit ultimately comes. Now then, what are these benefits? If you like, we can say that they are the blessings of the New Covenant." [00:14:45]
"Our sins are forgiven once and for all. Now did you notice that as we read the 10th chapter of this epistle to the Hebrews at the beginning? It's the thing he wants to emphasize. He starts off by saying for the law having a shadow of things to come and not the very image of the things can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect." [00:16:09]
"Let us draw near with a True Heart in full Assurance of Faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. In other words, as we saw there in that summary of this New Covenant in the 8th chapter, there is nothing more wonderful about it than this, that it enables us to come into the presence of God with a holy boldness." [00:19:30]
"We are no longer under law but under grace. Now we go, of course, to St Paul for that, to the epistle to the Romans in chapter 6, where he has given his greatest exposition of this. I'm picking out verse 14 for sin, as Paul shall not have dominion over you. Why? Well, here's the answer: for ye are not under the law but under grace." [00:23:33]
"Christ has kept the law for us. He's honored it, as we've already seen, so we are now in this new relationship. He has delivered us from the law and the curse of the law in order that we may live the law and keep the law. Look how Paul puts it in the 8th chapter of this epistle to the Romans: for what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." [00:26:21]
"This New Covenant that has been ratified also guarantees our continuance in this life. Now, this is the wonderful statement that's made in chapter 7:25. The author is contrasting the old priests with this perfect high priest, this unique priest after the order of Melchizedek, and there is nothing more wonderful about him than this: they truly were many priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death." [00:31:25]
"He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. He's always there. He'll never fail, and that's the kind of high priest I need, for we fall into sin, and we need to go back, and we need to confess, and we need further cleansing, and I have this Blessed assurance that he will never fail." [00:32:30]
"Our Lord seated there at the right hand of God has completed the work that was necessary, and that he will sit there until the final consummation. Listen to him putting this a little bit earlier on. He says every priest endeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins, but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God." [00:35:19]
"Because of our relationship to him, it means that our Eternal future and Glory are guaranteed and certain. Nothing and no one shall be able to separate us from him. No man can pluck them out of my hand. We belong to this Shepherd, and no thief and no enemy can ever take us from him." [00:36:51]
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