old covenant

The Old is Good Enough (Luke 5:39)

December 7, 2017 // 17 Comments

Here’s a verse that perplexes some folk: No one, after drinking old wine wishes for new; for he says, “The old is good enough.” (Luke 5:39) If the new wine is the new covenant, why would anyone prefer the old? People go with the law only because they haven’t tried grace right? The new covenant is better [...]

When did the Old Covenant End?

February 16, 2017 // 76 Comments

The Bible is made up of two documents: the Old Testament and the New Testament. These documents roughly equate to two covenants: the old covenant and the new covenant. I say roughly because the old covenant did not begin in Genesis 1 and the new covenant did not begin in Matthew 1. A covenant is a binding [...]

What Makes the New Covenant New?

April 29, 2015 // 65 Comments

There’s a classic scene in The Simpsons where 8-year-old Lisa is offered a large check. Monty Burns has made a $120 million from an idea that Lisa gave him and he wishes to give her a ten percent share. But the money represents ill-gotten gains from harvesting the sea, so Lisa says no. Lisa later apologizes to [...]

The Number One Verse on the Old Covenant

April 5, 2015 // 24 Comments

Some time ago I published a list of the top 12 verses on the new covenant. It seems only fair that I also give some air-time to the number one verse on the old covenant. Here it is: “It is finished” (Joh 19:30). What is finished? That old rule-keeping order that demanded perfection from you without lifting a [...]

The Greatest Law Preacher

January 14, 2012 // 105 Comments

“Don’t stray too far from the red letters,” is a piece of advice often given to new preachers. It means, stay close to the teachings of Jesus and you can’t go wrong. It sounds good, but it’s actually bad advice. Everything Jesus said was good and wonderful, but not everything He said was meant for you. [...]

Are We Completely Forgiven?

October 26, 2011 // 18 Comments

Read the Bible indiscriminately and you’ll get a mixed message. You’ll take on board laws that were never meant for you and you’ll end up confused and lukewarm. You’ll fall from grace and cut yourself off from Christ. The best way to read the Bible is through the lens of Jesus and his finished work. When [...]

Old vs. New

October 11, 2011 // 8 Comments

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