Session 6: New Covenant

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Covenant Summary

• Noah — promise of Jesus; God will not end His story.
• Abraham — mission of Jesus; God will bless the nations through one nation.
• Moses — need for Jesus; God reveals our need for Him through the Law.
• David — identity of Jesus; God will set up a righteous king who will reign righteously.
• New — heart of Jesus; He implants his heart into ours.

Spiritual State of Israel (Jeremiah’s Context)

Jeremiah 2:5-13 — Entered the promised land → broken cisterns → idolatry. What are examples of broken cisterns in the modern world?

Jeremiah 7:1-15 — Faulty temple theology: dependence on temple for deliverance. The first temple, upon being built, was filled with the glory of the Lord. Israel relied on an encounter with the Lord from the past to excuse themselves from living holy today.

We use spiritual institutions to quell our guilty conscience. We misuse God’s gifts as justification for our sinful patterns. The Israelites wrongly applied God’s promises as safety nets. His promises are meant to give us courage to walk in faithful obedience.

• “I attend church so that means I’m right with God.”
• “I go to lifegroup so my prayerlessness and apathy are excused.”

When we truly let God’s word into our hearts, it will start convicting and cutting us from the inside out. When I pray, I cannot run away from the reality of my ongoing sin. When I read the word, I’m astonished by the gap between where God has called me and where I’m at right now.

“The human heart is a perpetual idol factory.” — John Calvin

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Verses 31-32 — What’s New?

The greatest problem with the Mosaic covenant is always human disobedience. God’s instruction is merciful and gracious, yet it is forgotten, spurned and rejected by all but the few.

Verse 33 — Written on the Heart

Under Moses, the law was written only on stone and on a scroll. They were not internalized. What Yahweh is now doing is putting His instruction within them and writing it on their mind.

What’s more important than how long you’re in the Word is how long the Word is in you.

This new covenant cannot be rejected by covenant members. Living in ongoing sin is a sign you are not under the new covenant.

Verse 34 — Forgiveness

First step in receiving forgiveness in the new covenant is recognizing it is sin. Wickedness.

Confess in Greek combines the words “same” and “word.” Confession isn’t informing God of your sins. It is coming alongside God and condemning it the same way God does.

Forgiveness grants us confidence and the courage to obey God. Even when I sin on my best day, God has provided the avenue of forgiveness and restoration.

“Forgiveness is more than a characteristic of the new covenant; it is the very basis of the astonishing workings of God. Divine forgiveness makes possible inner transformation, intimacy with God, and an inclusive community that delights in faithful living.”

Confidence in the Lord’s mercy inspires trust — and another word for trust is faith. This is why faith is necessary under the new covenant.

We are as intimate with the Lord as we want to be.