NEW WINESKINS REQUIRE NEW WINE

The Mosaic Covenant is no longer a functional covenant and the Old Testament Law is not applicable to New Testament believers – absolutely none of it. The Law in post-cross time serves three purposes: The Law is a reflection of the character of the lawgiver, the Law is a prefigurement of Christ and His work, and the Law judges the unsaved world of sin. The “new and better covenant” has new and better commandments to regulate the Christian life on the road to eternity with God. All New Testament doctrine must be based on New Testament writings, one wouldn’t use a California Roadmap to travel Missouri... new wineskins require new wine. Any theological principles or precepts drawn from the Old Testament must be filtered through the cross, the new covenant teachings, which will either accept them, modify them, or reject them. The Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed, and the New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed; clear types and shadows of the new in the old should serve as substantiating information in support of New Testament doctrine.

Endnote One: Note: Nine of the “Ten Commandments” from the O.T. Law were reintroduced – most in modified form -- in the New Testament as part of the 1050 N.T. commandments that embody the Grace Covenant. Matthew 5:27-28 is an example:  “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Here Jesus modifies a legal tenet into a matter of the heart. The only one of the Ten Commandments not reintroduced as New Covenant commandments is “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy”, since we observe the first day of the week, Sunday, the day our Lord arose from the dead.

Endnote Two: Matthew 5:18 Has often been misunderstood: “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Jesus is speaking here. In the verse immediately preceding, verse 17, Jesus states He came to fulfill the Law.  Every “jot and tittle” of the whole Law  -- the contract or covenant at Sinia– was fulfilled, ended, and abolished in Christ and “done away” by Him when He made the New Covenant. The Law is abolished for all who are in Christ – all New Covenant believers -- but the Law still judges the unsaved world of sin. The laws and commandments of the New Covenant are just as binding as those were in the Old Covenant. There are over 1,050 commands in the New Covenant, plus many other teachings not expressed in the form of commandments.  Following are some supporting scriptures: 2 Cor. 3:6-15; Acts 15:5-29; Gal. 3:19-25, 4::21-31, 5:1-5, 18; Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14-17; Heb. 7:11-28, 8:6-13, 9:1-22, 10:1-18; Rom. 10:4  

USE THE RIGHT ROADMAP

“GOD, WHO AT VARIOUS TIMES AND IN VARIOUS WAYS SPOKE...”

History, as it relates to divine revelation, is divided into two time periods in which God spoke to mankind. In pre-cross BC time God revealed Himself through the Old Testament scriptures defining and recording His covenant, the Mosaic Covenant of the Law, with His chosen people Israel. In post-cross AD time God revealed His Son through New Testament scriptures defining His Covenant of Grace for both Jews and Gentiles... whosoever will. The primary reason God spoke forth two books was to define these two uniquely different covenants which together form a relational continuum over time between God and mankind. The Law ultimately points to Jesus, its true purpose to point beyond itself to the teaching, person and work of the Savior. The cross is forever the signature of Jesus, the Line of Demarcation between Old Testament and New Testament, the Law and Grace... animal sacrifice and a Body (Heb. 10:5). Christ fulfilled the righteous requirements of the Law through His teachings, sinless life and sacrificial death, satisfying the legal judgment against mankind and making possible our reconciliation to God as our Father. In a greater sense Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament by bringing to pass the messianic predictions completing its partial revelation with Himself, and by providing the true interpretation of its moral precepts. As the Preincarnate Word of God Jesus preexisted in the beginning with God... then He became flesh, and His words -- the new covenant of Grace -- will never ever perish or cease to be...

(Heb. 1:1-3)

THE PREINCARNATE WORD OF GOD... SPOKE

THE THREE ESSENTIALS OF ANSWERED PRAYER

“So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.” This passage, taken here from the Amplified Bible, demonstrates the Greek present imperative/present participle: A command to do something in the future involving continuous or repeated action. These verbs, Ask, Seek, and Knock, are commands: we are to Ask, to Seek and to Knock, whenever and as often as the need arises. And, we are to be shamelessly persistent and passionately insistent in our Asking, Seeking, and Knocking – obstinately tenacious... doggedly relentless... expecting an answer! This fact is further substantiated by the Unjust Judge Parable and A Friend Comes at Midnight Parable. Our petitions to our Father are not meant to be passive or restrained... rather passionate and unrestrained. Receiving, Finding and Opening Doors are the fruit of our persistence – which is simply our faith demonstrated over time -- and, God owns time. Remember we are talking to our loving Daddy... who loves giving us good gifts!!! 

Scripture qualifies our petitions relative to content: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will ...  we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” God’s will for New Covenant believers... Gracers, is the New Testament... the New Will, since “Testament” is translated from the Greek word diatheke and literally means will, a qualitatively new divine ordering establishing the terms and conditions of a religious inheritance for God’s “whosoever will.” God only hears prayers that are in agreement with His Word which filters all heaven bound petitions: These prayers He hears... These prayers He answers!

And, scripture qualifies our petitions relative to purpose: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” This verse is a prayer road block called Self-centered love. Our prayers become purposeful... carrying the scent of God’s heart, when we really “love your neighbor as yourself” – love others as we love our Self. Loving others involves sharing their concerns and praying for their needs with the same passion we reserve for our own life issues and needs. 

When we petition God for the right things for the right purpose with shameless persistence and passion insistence, God hears and answers. Prayer is, after all, simply finding out what God wants to do, than asking Him to do it. As a child before a loving and generous Father of great substance we Ask, Seek, and Knock, realizing He will only give things that bring His children into closer relationship with Himself... things that release the implanted DNA of His Beloved Son... things that transform His children for Kingdom living... things that provide substance for Kingdom ministry... things that accord with His purposeful will... things that are good in light of eternity. This kind of prayer will make us rich toward God laying up treasure in heaven.

PRAYER:

FINDING OUT WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO

THAN ASKING HIM TO DO IT

(Lk. 11:9-10, 18:1-6, 11:5-8; 1John 5:14-15; James 4:3; Matt. 22:39)