It may seem unusual to suggest that we wouldn't follow all of the Bible as a standard for our rule and practice. And that's why this question that we have before us is an important one: "Is the Old Testament binding on the Christian?"

Transcript

I'd like to look at this question together. Is the Old Testament binding on the Christian? And this is a question that's a, sometimes what I refer to as second principles lesson. We think about the first principles: that's the message of the gospel and the need for us to be saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.
The first principles include our understanding of the fact that the Bible is inspired by God and that we have an obligation to follow it. And that we will be judged on the basis of our works at the end of our lives.
But if we accept that the Bible is the inspired word of God very soon this question that's before us arises. Because as we're looking in our Bibles, it's divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament. And we read a lot of things in the Old Testament. We can read a lot of things in the New Testament. There's a lot of differences between the two. And so the question is: "Is the whole Bible something that, that we should be following as our guide for life or only part?"
And it may seem unusual to suggest that we wouldn't follow all of the Bible as a standard for our rule and practice. And that's why this question that we have before us is an important one: is the Old Testament binding on the Christian?

Understanding the Two Major Covenants

We do see that there are two major covenants recorded in our Bibles. The Old Covenant which is found in the Old Testament, is a covenant that God made with the Jewish people. And the New Covenant is the covenant that God made through Jesus Christ with all mankind and is available as a way of being right with God ever since the cross of Jesus Christ, until Jesus comes back.

Reason 1: Delivered from the Law

We're going to actually see eight different reasons that we see in scripture that the Old Testament is not binding on the Christian. And the first is that we're told that we've died to and been discharged from the law in Romans 7:1.
The Apostle Paul says, "Do you not know brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then if while her husband lives she, if she marries another man, she'll be called an adulteress.
But if her husband dies, she is free from that law so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another. Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ that you may be married to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.
But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by so that we should serve in the newness of the spirit and not in the oldness of the letter."
Here we're told we've been delivered from the law. We've been discharged from the law. The situation is like a marriage contract between a man and a woman. If either party dies, the other party is released, because of that death. In this case, we died to the law because Jesus died on the cross putting to the end of the old covenant as we'll see further in our study. And because of that, we've been delivered from any obligation to that law.
To use another illustration. If if someone is serving in the military, but then he's discharged, he's no longer under orders with regard to the military service

Reason 2: No Longer Under the Old Testament

Also the Old Testament is not binding on the Christian because we are no longer under it. That's how it's described in Galatians 3:16.
Here we're told, "To Abraham and to his seed where the promise is made. He does not say, 'and to seeds' as of many, but as of one, and to your seed, who is Christ. And this I say that the law which was 430 years later cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect.
For if the inheritance of the law, it is no longer a promise. But God gave it to Abraham by promise. What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made. And it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator."
So Paul here is arguing with these Christians, some were being told you have to go back and follow the old law because the old is better, right? But Paul is actually saying if you want to go back to the oldest, it's not the covenant, it's the promise that was made to Abraham.
The old covenant was based on that promise, but the promise was the primary thing, and is the promise that God made to Abraham that all nations would be blessed to aede that was partially fulfilled through the Old Covenant and the nation of Israel, and now is being fully fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who was the seed through whom not just one nation, but all nations of the earth would be blessed.
And so as he goes on to say a little later in that same chapter, "Before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore, the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ that we may be justified by faith, but after the faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."
And that Old Covenant was that tutor to bring us to Christ. We are no longer under it.

Reason 3: Nailed to the Cross

A third reason that the Old Testament is not binding on the Christian is because it has been nailed to the cross. We read about this in Colossians 2:13, where Paul tells us, "You being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him. Having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.
And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross, having disarmed the principalities and powers He made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them in it. So let no one judge you in regard to food or drink or regard to festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance is of Christ."
What was it that Jesus nailed to the cross? It says that Jesus nailed the handwriting of requirements to the cross. And if we're wondering what those were, he lists several of them later in just a few verses later when he says, since these requirements have been nailed to the cross, don't let anyone judge you with regard to food or drink. Dietary laws were present in the old covenant. "Festivals and new moons", these were requirements of the old covenant. But we're not to let anyone judge us with regard to these things in Christ. And "Sabbaths." One of the 10 commandments, was to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
But because Jesus nailed those requirements to the cross we're not to let anyone judge us with regard to those things. Those were shadows. And the reality is Christ.

Reason 4: Abolished in Christ

Another reason why the Old Testament is not binding on the Christian is because it has been abolished. We can read about this in Ephesians 2:13, where Paul again says, "Now in Christ, you who once were far off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. He Himself is our peace who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity --that is-- the law of commandments, contained in ordinances so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity."
What was abolished? It was the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that old covenant that had been made on Mount Sinai between God and the children of Israel.

Reason 5: Obsolete and Taken Away

Another reason the Old Testament is not binding on the Christian is because it's obsolete and been taken away.
This is the language of the book of Hebrews. Six times in this letter, the law of Moses is referred to as the first covenant in contrast to the second covenant. And so we can read in, for example, in Hebrews 8:6, "but now He has obtained a more excellent ministry in as much as He also is the Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would've been found for a second. But finding fault with them, He said, 'Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,'" (quoting from the prophet Jeremiah), "'not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day, which I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt because they didn't continue in my covenant. And I disregarded them', says the Lord. 'For this is the covenant that I will make with them. I will write my laws on their mind and write them on their hearts. I will be their God. They shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor and none of them, his brother saying, "Know, the Lord," For they shall all know Me from the least of them to the greatest I'll be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.'" And so what is becoming old is obsolete and ready to vanish away."
He uses similar language in Hebrews 10:9,, where he says, "He takes away the first, that He might establish the second."
So the old covenant is obsolete. It served its purpose but now it is being taken away so that the new covenant can take its place.

Reason 6: Change in Priesthood

Another reason why a Christian is not bound to the old covenant is that the priesthood has changed. We can read about this in Hebrews 7:11. We're told, "If perfection were through the Levitical priesthood, (for under it, the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek and not be called according to the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken, belongs to another tribe of which no man has officiated from the altar."
The person who was saying we need to follow the old covenant because that's where God's true priest was anointed and set in place to make sacrifices. The book of Hebrew says, wait a second! There was actually a priesthood that existed before that of the law of Moses. And that's the priesthood that Jesus is a part of. But Jesus can't be part of Levitical priesthood because he's from the tribe of Judah.
And so he says, "It's evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke. Nothing concerning priesthood, where it's evident that our Lord arose from Judah. And it's far more evident that if in the likeness of Melek there arises another priest who has come not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.
Therefore, He testifies, 'You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.".

Reason 7: Fulfilled by Jesus

Another reason why the Old Testament is not binding on Christians is because it has been fulfilled. What Jesus said in Matthew chapter five in the sermon on the mount, in verse 17, He said, " Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, 'til heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law until all is fulfilled."
Jesus is saying, I didn't come to destroy it. He said, heaven and earth is a lot more likely to pass away than for one jot or one tittle from the Old Law.
Then it must still be standing. No, because when Jesus died on the cross, one of His last statements in John 19:30 is, "'It is finished.' And bowing his head, He gave up His spirit." When He made that statement, --It is finished-- that meant that He had completed everything that needed to be fulfilled. Now that it was finished, it (the Old Covenant) could pass away having been fulfilled and having fulfilled its purpose.
Yes, Jesus did not come to destroy the law. He came to make sure that every single requirement of the Old Law and every promise made through the Law and the Prophets was completely fulfilled to the last degree. And He confirmed that had happened with His dying breath.

Reason 8: Limited Scope of the Old Covenant

Another reason that the Old Testament is not binding on the Christian, is that the Old Covenant was always limited in scope. If you think about it, the only people that God made the Old Covenant with was a portion of Abraham's descendants and a few who voluntarily joined them.
Was Abraham subject to the Old Covenant, the covenant that was made on Mount Sinai? No. It didn't come into affect until hundreds of years after he died. Neither was Isaac or Jacob or any of Jacob's 12 sons. They were not under the Old Covenant that was given on Mount Sinai. Moses was at least the fourth generation of the descendant of Levi.
And it was only in his generation that God led the children of Israel out of Egypt and made a covenant with them there at Mount Sinai. All the rest of Abraham's descendants were never part of the covenant that God made at Mount Sinai unless they later voluntarily joined.
This includes Ishmael who was Abraham's son by the handmaiden Hagar. This includes his six other children by his second wife, Keturah, and all of their descendants. These are descendants of Abraham who were never part of the Old Covenant, the law of Moses.
And in addition to that. All the other nations besides Abraham's descendants were never under the law of Moses either. And the reality is that no one alive today has ever been subject to the Old Covenant. And the vast majority of people alive today have never even had an ancestor who was ever subject to the Old Covenant.
Who are those people that, that don't have an ancestor that was ever subject to the Old Covenant? They're the people that are referred to in the Bible as Gentiles. That word literally just means nations, because God chose one nation to make that covenant with. The others were not part of that covenant. But God wanted to provide salvation for all mankind. He wanted to provide in the through that Seed of Abraham blessing for all mankind.
How was He going to do that? We find out how he did it in Ephesians chapter two, where Paul makes this contrast between the Gentiles and the Jews and their condition before God. Ephesians 2:11: "Therefore, remember that you, once gentiles in the flesh --who are called uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, made in the flesh by hands-- that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For He Himself is our peace who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace. And that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
And He came and preached peace to you who are far off, and to those who are near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."
God did want to give hope and a peace and a spiritual heritage to all mankind, not just the descendants of Abraham. And He did not do that by making them all Jews.
And He did not do that by putting them all in subjection to the Old Covenant.. He did that by breaking down the middle wall of separation, abolishing in Jesus' flesh the law of commandments contained in ordinances and creating out of all the various nations and peoples and tribes and tongues one new nation, one new people, one new tribe and family.
And He brought them all near, not by the law of Moses, but by the blood of Christ. That's the teaching of this passage of scripture.
And let's continue reading in verse 19 and following, he says, "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."
So we've seen these eight reasons why Christians are not subject to the old covenant .
But we may have some questions about that.

God's Authority to Change Laws

Is it really possible for God to change His laws? If we think about God as being perfect and in some very important senses, He does not change. Isn't the case that any change to His laws would be a kind of a contradiction of His nature or a violation of His character?
The reality is that God's nature does not in any way prevent him from holding different people accountable to different standards and from changing the standards that He has given. And we can know that for certain by observing human history, because God has changed his laws in past times.
We see several instances of this in the early part of human history.
With regard to dietary laws, if we read carefully, Genesis chapter one, we see that God told human beings, I have given you the plants to eat. And guess what? I have given the plants to eat for the animals as well. So all the living creatures, both human beings and all the animals at the beginning were eating vegetable matter. Plants, the green herbs, the fruits and vegetables-- that was their food.
That changed at the flood. We don't know at what point animals started eating other animals, but we do know in Genesis chapter nine that when most, excuse me, when Noah came off the ark, that God gave mankind some additional food choices. And this is what we read in Genesis 9:2-3 .
" The fear of you and the dread of you shall be on every beast of the earth, on every bird of the air, on all that move on the earth and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hand every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs."
Previously he had given them green herbs to eat. Now he's saying, now I'm giving you all animals with apparently without any restrictions to eat. And of course, we know when the old Covenant came along at Mount Sinai in Leviticus chapter 11 the children of Israel were limited to only eating clean animals, and they were forbidden to eating unclean animals.
But if we're looking, we see that this is actually two different changes in dietary laws. Did this violate God's character for him to say initially? My intention is not for animals to be killing animals and human beings to be killing animals, but for them all to be eating vegetables for their sustenance and then to change to, okay, human beings are now permitted to eat animals?
That was not a violation of His character. It was a reflection of changing circumstances and what was best at those given times. And in giving additional restrictions under the Old Covenant to the Israelites would only eat clean animals. That gave them an advantage in many ways, from a health standpoint compared to the nation's around them and also set them apart, which was part of His purpose. But that wasn't a violation of his character to set a certain people apart by changing their dietary laws. It was a reflection of His character.
Similarly, the criminal justice system changed in the early generations of human history. If we remember the first murder that was committed by Cain, he killed his brother Abel. What was the punishment? He was banished from human society and a mark was actually said on him. Not a mark saying, if you see this man kill him. It was a mark saying, if you see this man, don't kill him. Otherwise you'll be held accountable for being guilty of murder.
However, God's order for dealing with murder changed; again after the flood. This is what God said to Noah in Genesis 9:5. "Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every living thing I'll require it. And from the hand of man, and from the hand of every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed. For in the image of God He made man."
And so this change about the proper punishment for murder, is that a violation of God's character, that the criminal justice code has changed? No. And it wasn't when it changed again under the law of Moses. The natural application of this principle which is --if man sheds blood by man, his blood shall be shed-- was the avenger of blood system that we see present in Hebrew society. God actually regulated that system of the avenger of blood to integrate it into society of cities, villages, elders, and high priests. And so there's additional regulations about that system of justice that you read about when you get to the old covenant.
There were changes in the divorce laws in the early generations of human history. The divorce laws of the Old Testament were altered from what they had been from the beginning in order to make allowances for the hardness of their hearts according to Jesus. In Matthew chapter 19:3, where "the Pharisees testing Him said, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wine for just any reason?' He answered and said to them, 'Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female? "And for this reason a man also shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. And the two shall become one flesh." So then there are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.'"
And so they're asking Him, how should we practice divorce? Jesus said from the beginning, it wasn't that way. God is the one who joined them together and human beings should not be separating them. And they had a follow-up question. A very natural one. "Why then did Moses command them to give a certificate of divorce and to put her away?"
And Jesus gives an explanation. " Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not so."
The Old Covenant was a change in the regulations about divorce. And Jesus actually in the next verse says under the New Covenant we're going to have something much more in line with what was from the beginning, which was no divorce except for one exception.
We actually see in the early generations of human history even the name of God changed. The name that God's people prayed to and worshiped in the time of the patriarchs was changed in Moses' day from God Almighty to Yahweh. We read this in Exodus 6:3. "I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but by My name, Yahweh, I was not known to them."
This wasn't a violation of God's character. God was providing greater revelation of who He was to these later generations by letting [Moses] know this new way of describing Him and name by which He could be called. And so it's not a violation of God's character for Him to change the laws by which he holds human beings accountable.

The Promised Prophet Like Moses

And when it comes to the law of Moses itself it's pretty clear actually that a very important part of the Old Covenant was a promise that would require all faithful Jews to obey someone else other than Moses. That may sound very strange because Moses is the one who gave them the the covenant at Sinai.
But let's read together. Deuteronomy 18:15. It says, "Yahweh, your God, will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers. You shall listen to him. This is according to all that you asked of Yahweh, your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of Yahweh my God. Let me not see this great fire anymore or I will die.' And Yahweh said to me, 'They have spoken well, I will raise up a prophet from among their brothers like you. And I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And it shall be that who, whoever will not listen to my words, which he will speak in my name, I will require it of him.'"
Let's think about this passage of scripture together. God reminds them of that time at Mount Sinai when he was giving what we're referring to in this lesson as the Old Covenant, the law of Moses. First, God spoke to them directly from the mountain, but the presence of God, his awesomeness, his holiness was so intimidating and frightening that they felt like they were going to die just hearing the voice of God.
And so they begged Moses, and begged God, please don't speak to us directly. Moses. you go and hear whatever God has to say to us and come and tell us. And that's how Moses ended up being this mediator between God and men. He received the living oracles from God. He delivered to them, to the children of Israel at the base of the mountain.
And that was a good plan. God said, I'm going to comply with that request for me to tell them directly would practically kill them, if not completely kill them, just out of fear because of how awesome God was.
But He said their need to know my will is going to continue even beyond that.
And so there is a prophecy that there will be another prophet that God will raise up. Now, think about it because it says a prophet like you, that is Moses. A prophet like me, he says, in what way was Moses unique among the prophets? There were many prophets in the Old Testament. But he was unique because it was through him the entire Old Covenant was revealed to Israel. All the later prophets were not like Moses.
They were just repeating what Moses had said, confirming the Old Covenant and urging the people to understand and follow it. This promised prophet, like Moses was authorized to do what only Moses had done before, which was to reveal a new covenant from God to mankind.
And when he did. what was every faithful Israelite to do when this new prophet came? It says, "I will put my words in [his] mouth and it will be that whoever does not listen to my words, which he shall speak in my name, I'll require of him."
And so when this prophet came, instead of following Moses, they were to follow the instructions of this new prophet with his new covenant, just as faithfully as they had followed Moses.
And that is exactly who Jesus was, and that is what He did.
In the New Testament there were some that thought John, maybe John the Baptist was that promised prophet, but John denied that in John chapter one. There were several during Jesus earthly ministry who thought maybe Jesus was the prophet or even declared it confidently. And it really does seem like they were nearly as eager for this prophet to come as they were for the Messiah to come. And Jesus definitely did not deny that He was that prophet.
In fact, his apostles and evangelists in the Book of Acts affirmed that He was that prophet and warned all Jews that they must follow this prophet like they would've followed Moses.
This is what Peter said in Acts 3: 19. This is the second gospel sermon, which is recorded in Acts chapter three, after the healing of the lame man. He told these Jews at that time, "Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren, him you shall hear in all things, whatever he says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.'"
One of the primary arguments for following Jesus was that He had been raised from the dead. That's a pretty good reason to follow somebody. But in the Second Gospel sermon, Peter said there's another really important reason that you need to follow Jesus.
It's not just that he, was approved by God, but He is the prophet promised in Deuteronomy chapter 18. And what God said in Deuteronomy chapter 18 is, when that prophet comes in order for you to be a faithful Israelite, you must hear His words and do what He says. And in the Old Testament, it said, otherwise, I God will require it of you.
And Peter here in quoting this passage says, "whoever does not obey that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people."
Stephen brought the same message to the Sanhedrin in Acts chapter seven where we read there in verse 37. "This is that Moses," as he's recounting their Israelite history, "who said to the children of Israel, 'the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren, him, you shall hear.'" Again, quoting from Deuteronomy chapter 18. "This is he," referring to Moses again, "who in the congregation, in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts, they turned back to Egypt."
In this sermon to the Jewish leaders of his day, Stephen is reminding them that the prophet was coming. He's affirming that Jesus was that prophet. He's saying that by rejecting Jesus they're making the same mistake that their fathers did. In rejecting Moses, Moses had brought the living oracles that he had received from God down from the mountain and given it to the children of Israel when the Old Covenant was established.
And now Jesus had come down from heaven with the living oracles to establish His New Covenant, not just for one nation, but for all nations. And so he urges them not to reject that prophet, not to reject that New Covenant.
I really appreciate the comments that John made in the morning message this morning. He was drawing several parallels between Jesus and Moses as the law giver in the way in which they're similar. That was a fulfillment of the prophecy that Jesus was in fact, the prophet who was to come.
So with all that in mind is it, is the Old Testament binding on the Christian? No, it definitely is not.

Rejoicing in the New Covenant

And we're gonna end by making a few quick observations for reasons to rejoice that the Old Covenant is not binding on the Christian. One is that if we really think about it, we cannot keep both the Old and New Covenants. The rules require some things in one place that are forbidden in the other.
For example, religious circumcision is commanded in the Old Testament, but condemned in the New Testament.
And we can say the same thing about Sabbath. And, in the Old Testament in Numbers there is an individual who broke the Sabbath. They really weren't sure how to handle that situation. Numbers chapter 15. And God revealed to Moses that , that person who broke the Sabbath should be stoned.
Compare that with the passage that we read a moment ago from Colossians chapter two, which tells us distinctly, "Do not let anyone judge you with regard to a new moon festival or Sabbath, or in food or in drink."
That's, those are contradictory regulations. We can't keep both when the regulations are requiring two opposite things. And so we can't keep both the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.
And another reason we should rejoice that the Old Covenant is not binding, is that we can't keep the Old Covenant. We tried, but one of its purposes actually is to bring all under condemnation. Because it's the law that lets us know what's right and wrong. And what do we find out? Not only what is right and wrong, but we find out that we're wrong because we fail to keep it.
And James two, verse 10, gives us the principle. If you fail in one part, you're guilty of all. And we cannot keep the old covenant in a way that will allow us to be righteous before God because we have sinned.
Another reason we should rejoice that we're not bound by the Old Covenant is because the Old Covenant cannot forgive sins.
There was forgiveness of sins available under the Old Covenant through the offering of animal sacrifices. But the New Testament makes very clear that those sacrifices were pointing forward to the ultimate sacrifice for sin. If that sacrifice had not occurred, there would've been no possibility of forgiveness under the Old Covenant.
And so when God forgave sins under the Old Testament, in response to animal sacrifices, He was really saying, I'm going to cover you until I pay the ultimate price or sin with the blood of My Son.
To understand that further, let's look just at Hebrews 10 verse one, which tells us, "the law, having the shadow of the good things to come and not the very image of the things can never with these same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect... .For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sin."
. Finally, another reason to rejoice that we're not under the Old Covenant is that the New Covenant, the covenant of Jesus Christ is in every way better.
It has a better hope. It has a more excellent ministry. It's founded on better promises. It has a greater or more perfect tabernacle. It has a better priest to it. It has a better sacrifice. It is in every possible way, a better covenant. Hebrews 8:6. "But now He," that is, Jesus, "has obtained a more excellent ministry in as much as He is also a mediator of a better covenant, which is established on better promises."

Conclusion: Unity in Christ

I hope this lesson has been helpful to you. We will end by looking at Galatians chapter three. In that passage of scripture Paul made the point that you may want me to go back to the Old Covenant and say older is better. But then he said, oh, no, actually, what is, even before the Old Covenant was the promise made to Abraham, and that really is what is being fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Old Covenant was just part of God fulfilling His promise to Abraham.
Then He said, as we read earlier, "Therefore, the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ that we may be justified by faith, but after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor."
We're no longer under that Old Covenant. How do we become right with God if it's not by being born an Israelite or being circumcised into the Old Covenant?
Verse 26: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There's neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise."
All mankind can have the spiritual heritage that God desires for us to enjoy, as well as no longer being slaves to sin and guilty before God. We can be sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, and when we are baptized into Christ and put on Christ, Now in God's eyes it makes no difference whether you are Jew or Gentile, or whether you're male or female, or whether you are slave or free. All can be in full fellowship with God through Jesus Christ. And what a wonderful blessing that is!