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December 12

A Better Covenant

Text: Jeremiah 31:31-34

The old way. Animal sacrifices. A lot of them. It is said that “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin”. That is certainly true. The shedding of an unblemished animal did provide a temporary covering, a band-aid, if you will. God revealed His grace in that. But it was never enough. A new sin. A new sacrifice was needed. Thankfully, Jeremiah told us there was a day coming that would change everything. 

“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)

Wow. Remembering sin no more. Is that only a divine response or can it be a human response also? With a new heart, new desires, new empowerment I believe this can be our response as well. Now to be clear, the power to forgive and remove the effects of sin—well, that is only a God thing. But the desire to forgive, the desire to choose to not keep a record of past sins, this is granted to us through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. 

That baby’s sacrifice was going to secure for us a new covenant, a better covenant. I don’t miss the old days. Neither should you. Freedom is found in the new covenant. Jump in. All you need is to repent and believe in Jesus. Christmas is coming.