What is the New Covenant?

Let’s get straight to the point. What is the new covenant?

It seems this is a topic that has confused people for quite some time. And I believe it is one that unfortunately sends people down the path of sin. Growing up in the institutional church, I had been told that the new covenant was a “covenant of grace,” whereas the old covenant was one of “law and works.” I had been taught that the new covenant provided grace that we did not have beforehand.

Mainstream Christian covenant teaching:

• Old covenant = law and works
• New covenant = grace

Sounds good, right? Who doesn’t want grace in their lives, especially if we desire the flesh? But as I began to dive deeper and search the Scriptures, I realized there were some things missing from this doctrine. The first was that these statements went against the Words of the prophets. The prophet Jeremiah says the following:

“For this is the covenant I shall make with the house of Israel after those days, declares Yahuah: I shall put my Torah in their inward parts, and write it on their hearts. And I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.” – Jeremiah 31:33

Jeremiah is the first to speak of this new covenant. And it involves the law being written on our hearts. Ezekiel elaborates on this concept and what it means when we receive a new heart.

“And I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. And I shall take the heart of stone out of your flesh and I shall give you a heart of flesh, and put My Spirit within you. And I shall cause you to walk in My laws and guard My right-rulings and shall do them.” – Ezekiel 36:26-27

The new covenant, according to the Prophets, does not do away with His Torah (laws/commandments) but rather giving us a heart to do them.

The writer of the Book of Hebrews becomes our third witness of this new covenant. What does he have to say about the matter? He quotes the longest passage from the Prophets. He spends five verses (Hebrews 8:8-12) quoting Jeremiah to show us what the new covenant is. And then he does it again two chapters later.

“This is the covenant that I shall make with them after those days, says Yahuah, giving MY LAWS into their hearts and in their minds I shall write them.” – Hebrews 10:16

So, the new covenant is in some ways like the first covenant. Yahuah’s law is still present. The thing that has changed is where the law is placed. Whereas the first covenant had the law written on stone, the new covenant has the law written on our hearts.

So then do we have grace? Absolutely!

But grace is not a New Testament concept. Grace is woven throughout the entirety of Scripture. Grace has always been part of the Most High’s character. It wasn’t added to His attributes at the death of the Messiah Yahusha (Jesus). In fact, we see it as far back as Genesis 6.

“And Noah found GRACE in the eyes of Yahuah.” – Genesis 6:8

Grace comes from the Hebrew word, Chen (Strongs H2580). And it means to have favor or kindness towards someone.

We learn in the Proverbs (also Old Testament) that grace is present as well:

“He certainly scoffs the scoffers, but gives GRACE to the humble.” – Proverbs 3:34

Everyone who lived during the writing of the Old Testament Scriptures sinned. And everyone who sought Yahuah and returned to His ways (Torah/law) was given grace. It is a wonderful attribute that has been part of Yahuah’s nature since the beginning. It is nothing new. And it is something that you and I need just as much as those who lived before Yahusha.

Paul admits that we have grace in his letter to the Romans. He claims that sin (transgression of the law) did reign in death, but grace would reign through righteousness to everlasting life through the Messiah! But he cautions us not to use that grace to be disobedient to Yahuah.

“What, then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin, to let grace increase? LET IT NOT BE! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” – Romans 6:1-2

Paul uses the Greek word, Charis (Strongs H5485). And it is translated into the English as grace, favor, or kindness. Grace is always present in the life of a believer. But it is not an excuse to live in sin by disregarding the law of Yahuah.

So why is this important?

As believers, we must recognize the importance of Yahuah’s Torah (instruction/law/commandments). The new covenant still recognizes it. The new covenant doesn’t do away with the law, it just places it on our hearts so that we are expected to do it naturally. Is it now ok to murder? Is it ok to commit adultery? How about not honoring your mother and father? Or do we just get rid of some of those commandments that sound too Hebrew? You know, like the Sabbath, feast days, and eating instructions?

Before we do that, we should look at a straightforward statement from our Messiah.

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete. For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one yod or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.” – Matthew 5:17-18

All is not done. The Torah (instructions of the Most High) still reigns in the life of a believer!

“Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and your Torah is truth.” – Psalms 119:142

The new covenant does not give you the right to sin, which according to Scripture, is the transgression of the law (1 John 3:4). But it does give us a new High Priest who can forgive us when we sin if we humble ourselves and repent. This is not a new concept to “New Testament believers.” Grace has always been part of the Father’s attributes and I am so very thankful for that! And thankful for the High Priest Yahusha who can cover our transgressions!