1 John 3:16


"By this we perceive the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

Sunday 21 February 2010

Ezekiel 36

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean: from all your filthiness and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and you shall keep My judgements and do them. (Ezek 36:25-27).

It repeatedly says “I will”. Every aspect of this is something that God said He will do. It not once says we will do it. Every passage and promise under the law is conditional. But the New promise does not say, “The man who does these things shall live by them”. It says, “I will cause you to keep My statutes.”. This is the distinction between the Old and New Covenants. God performs the New Himself.

This text from Ezekiel finishes with “I will…cause you to walk in my statutes”. God causes us to walk in His ways. “He works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” How does He cause us to keep His statutes? By writing His law upon our heart, by birthing into us His new nature, by raising us up into Christ and by putting His Spirit within us.

And the Redeemer shall come to Zion and to them that turn from transgression in Jacob, says the Lord. As for Me, this is My covenant with them, says the Lord; My Spirit that is upon You (Christ) and My words which I have put in Your mouth, shall not depart out of Your mouth, nor out of the mouth of Your seed (the church), nor out of the mouth of Your seed's seed (from all generations), says the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. (Is 59:20-21).

The New Covenant is entirely of Him. It does not leave us with any credit of our own. God is righteous because of who He is. He does not meet conditions to become righteous. We cannot meet the law’s conditions to come to the required level. In the New Covenant He brings us into Himself through Christ, who met the conditions for us.

This promise in Is 59:20-21 is made to Christ and those in Him. “Unto Abraham and his seed (Christ) were the promises made.” (Gal 3:16). Is 59:20-21 through Isaiah 60 to 66, is the Holy Spirit speaking to Jesus Christ and us in Him. “I and the children You have given Me are made for signs and for wonders…” (Heb 2:13, Is 8:18). God keeps us to fulfil His promise to Christ.

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