A New Year in the New Covenant

It’s January 1, in many ways a fresh start. There are new commitments made for the year ahead so as to take steps to improve one’s life or maybe family life…I for one have thought about what 2022 might look like by way of making one or two resolutions.

New beginnings are valuable; a truly new beginning might be called priceless. A new beginning can be had in a number of ways: new job, new relationship, new week. However, each one of those can quickly become tainted, losing the freshness it once possessed: tension with a co-worker, trust shaken with that friend or spouse, or a mistake on Tuesday. Well there is always another chance, another week, another…(fill in the blank).

Again I say, a truly new beginning is truly priceless. By new beginning I mean one that cannot be ruined nor does it come to an end. There are few things which could rightly be described in that way. One we can name, and we will consider is life in the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-34; Heb. 8:8-12; Matt. 26:28). Life in the New Covenant is life in Christ (Eph. 1:3-4), a life flowing from the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Rom. 3:24), and lasting eternally.

The New Life that God gives to the redeemed is often referred to as eternal (Jhn. 3:16), and so it is, but the scriptures also speak of the quality of life.

Quantity and Quality

The everlasting quantity of the New Life is a blessed truth indeed, but so is the holy quality. Brethren, God has not only given you life that goes beyond the grave and on into eternity, but a new quality of life which begins now. A life that the Father prunes (Jhn. 15:1-5), the Son intercedes on behalf of (Heb. 7:22-25), and the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). We will look more at the three part keeping and guarding of the saints by the triune God later, but for now we ought to rejoice in the confidence that the scriptures give us that this New Life in the New Covenant, which God established, will never fail nor end. Paul wrote,

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 1:6

We will look at the work of the triune God later, for now we will look at the quality of life we have been set up in and called to.

From Christmas to New Years

Maybe a few weeks ago you read or heard these words from Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist:

“being delivered from the hand of our enemies,  might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 

Luke 1:74-75

As Zechariah praises God for what He is about to do by the birth, life, and death of the Messiah he alludes to the promise of a New Covenant. Throughout the Old Testament this covenant was promised by prophecy and exemplified in stories. Explicitly we read from the prophet Jeremiah,

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Jeremiah 31:31-34

According to Hebrews 8:8-12 and Jesus words at the Last Supper (Matt. 26:28) the work spoken of by Jeremiah has begun in the earthly ministry of Christ and goes on unto completion at his coming. God began a new work of creating New Life in his people by the sacrificial work of Christ at Calvary. This effect spoken of by Jeremiah is spoken of all across the Old Testament in various ways. In Ezekiel’s wording he speaks of how the people will be careful to obey God’s commands.

It is to such writings that Zechariah was referring when he praised God (Luke 1:68-79). In that, as seen above, he notes that the result will be living in “holiness and righteousness”. This is the quality of life in the New Covenant, a quality God is working out (Jhn. 15:1-5; Heb. 7:22-25; Gal. 5:22-23).

What does this life of holiness and righteousness look like? What did Zechariah have in mind as he alluded back to the prophets’ words?

I’m glad you asked because our brother Paul embarked to unpack this in the latter half of his book to the Ephesians.

Paul on the New Covenant Life

Ephesians 1-3 roughly cuts the book in half, and in that half Paul unpacks how God worked to bring about the redemption connected to the New Covenant. Then in chapters 4-6 he begins to call the church to live out the new quality of life they have been given. Paul has the same ideas in mind as Zechariah did, only he elaborates:

“…put off your old self,  which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24

“Do you see what I see” ( a little post-Christmas humor)…both Zechariah and Paul speak of life which comes from God as a life marked by righteousness and holiness. Then Paul goes on to show what it looks like. In this he will call us to live as a church community centered on the word, controlling anger, caring from others by our labor, and considering how our words effect the brethren.

“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Ephesians 4:25

The neighbor in our verse is referring to those we fellowship with in our local congregations, for Paul is teaching about how a church ought to function and live.

In the community of believers we are to “speak the truth” with each other. This is not referring to the hearing of the Sunday sermon or mid-week Bible study. This is in contrast to falsehood, this is a love of the truth manifest in honesty. We are to allow ourselves to be open with the brethren “for we are members one of another.” We are the body of Christ.

Christians should be honest with each other regarding the condition of our soul: is there sin, need for strength, need for prayer. There should be transparency in connection to our lives: the ups, the downs, the pains, the joys. How else can we rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep (Rom. 12:15)?

What brother or sister in Christ can you be completely open with? Is there pride holding you back from such honesty which may reveal sin in your heart or habits which need to be confessed? Honesty and transparency is the best way for it is the way God designed his New Covenant people to live. To resist and pursue what seems a better path is to short circuit the work God is doing in you. Humble yourself in prayer if there is difficulty in this.

If God has blessed you with healthy community, then praise the Lord and enjoy it.

What else does the New Covenant life look like?

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”

Ephesians 4:26-27

What a surprise that Paul would allow for anger, even command it as a part of the New Life that God has brought us into. But it is not free and untethered anger. Let us examine this.

• This is an anger that is detached from sin: “Be angry and do not sin…” This is not an anger experienced because you were hurt or offended, for that would be selfish, and thus sin. This is a righteous anger that ignites only when God has been offended or dishonored. The anger due to your friend’s lie is not founded on their dishonor toward you but their dishonor toward God. This is a righteous anger.
• This righteous anger is not long lasting but short: “do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Even anger handled righteously is not to go on-and-on. It is to be bridled and temporary. The Christian ought not to be marked as an “angry person”. Let righteous anger have its effect to address what is unholy amid God’s people, but let that be the end.

The world has such a different view on anger, as well as honesty about our true condition as mentioned above. The world does not promote honesty, and anger is a right if you are hurt or offended. The life God brings us into is one that grows in contrast to the ways of the world. As God powerfully molds us into the image of Jesus (Rom. 8:29) we will increase in our desire to be transparent where the world says to put on a strong front. We will harness righteous anger where society says to express your angry feelings freely.

So also with the next two qualities named by Paul.

“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”

Ephesians 4:28

The world’s way is certainly different than what Paul is laying down here as he describes the righteous and holy life God has called us into and equips us for.

This gets into the nitty-gritty of life. God has a plan for how we should work. He has expectations for how we think about it.

• The member of the church community should have a reputation of being a good worker. The work that is pursued and done should be both good work and work well done. A church ought to be made up of men and women who have reputations as the best employees at their job. A part of following Jesus is laboring in the work he has given our hands to do. In that, because work is provided by God we ought to engage in it with the best of attitude and determination since it is a blessing.
• The end goal is not toys, retirement, or a fun weekend after pay day. We labor so that we may assist any who have need in our faith community. We get to pay day and ask ourselves: How can I be of help to the brethren who are in need? I wonder if the deacons know of anyone who might need assistance at this time (Medical bills…job loss…you name it). The Christian does not go to work so that he and his family may alone benefit on pay day, but that the others to whom he is members with (Eph. 4:25) may be blessed by his good work.

Finally, we come to the final trait for our time here.

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Ephesians 4:29

God commands his New Covenant people with regard to their honesty, anger, and generosity toward fellow heirs of life, and now this extends to the tongue.

Paul’s writing here is not vague but very particular.

• We are to put off talk that would corrupt or corrode the body. That gossip that feels good and empowering must be repented of, turned out and away from. That fiery tongue that torches and cuts the heart of your brethren must be cut out (Matt. 5:29-30). We must take steps to restrain the tongue that may corrode the edifice that is the church for whom Christ died.
• Yet, the good speech that Paul calls us to is not general but “only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion.” This calls for consideration. We are not to merely aim for words that don’t corrode the body of Christ, but words that construct, build up. We ask ourselves: Will these words benefit? Is this story going to lead to the benefit of those who hear it? Is this the time to say this or maybe later in private? The believer is careful with what comes out of his lips to ensure it is constructive and not corrupting.

Conclusion

How does this strike you? Are you provoked to pursue such New Covenant living this year? Will you put these matters to prayer? As we will see later, we are to remember that it is God who works these things in us so that we know progress will be had. This new year in the New Covenant does not rise or fall with you, but is in the hands of Him who maintains all things. Will you seek Him, asking Him to continue such work in your heart.

May 2022 be a year in which God leads you to love humble honesty with brethren from your congregation, to only ever enter into anger that is only righteous and restrained, to seek to serve the needy at church by way of your own labors, and to use your tongue in service to God as a tool for building up His church.