God has always shown love for mankind. From the very beginning, He desired to give only good things, but man chose to go his own way. People who see 'Old Covenant vs New Covenant' as a dramatic shift usually don't give enough emphasis to God's unconditional love. At first, God provided animal sacrifice as atonement for sin. Later, He provided His own son as the way to salvation.
The 'old' agreement was initiated by God. He called Abram to leave Haran and go to an unknown land. The Lord promised to make Abram into 'a great nation' and to make him a 'blessing' to all people. Abram took his wife and all he owned and headed out on the basis of these promises.
The actual covenant is made in Genesis chapter 15, when Abram falls into a dream and the Lord makes a prophetic statement about the future of Abram's descendants. There is a symbolic ceremony with dead animals and a blazing torch, signifying God's affirmation of His promises to give the land 'from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates' to the descendants of Abram.
The law of Moses, which many feel is part of the first agreement, really comes centuries later. It is a complex system of rules that structure the life of the chosen people. We have similar regulations today, in that they shape our society. For instance, drivers own their automobiles but must operate them according to the rules of the road.
The intent of the Lord has always been to establish relationship with His creation. Adam and Eve were given much but chose to take the only thing they were forbidden. The law of Moses included God's provision of a way for man to atone for sin by sacrificing animals.
It was never the Father's intent to institute only the first agreement. The Old Testament is full of prophecy that foretells the coming of a messiah. The New Covenant is contained in the sacrificial blood of Jesus, which paid for sin once and for all. No longer would regular animal sacrifices be required; belief in Jesus Christ and repentance of sin are what is needed to enter into the eternal life of God's kingdom.
The old and new covenants are different, but the intent of God does not change. He wants relationship with man, but He cannot exist with sin. God's love is unconditional and everlasting, but He retains the right of judgement and the right to define the way to salvation. He requires men and women to accept responsibility for personal sin and accept the sacrifice that atones for it. This preserves justice, another attribute of God.
The heart of a man or a woman has always been key to having a father-child relationship with the Lord. No sacrifice, whether of an animal or the willing one made by Jesus Christ, is acceptable unless true repentance and surrender exists on the side of man.
The 'old' agreement was initiated by God. He called Abram to leave Haran and go to an unknown land. The Lord promised to make Abram into 'a great nation' and to make him a 'blessing' to all people. Abram took his wife and all he owned and headed out on the basis of these promises.
The actual covenant is made in Genesis chapter 15, when Abram falls into a dream and the Lord makes a prophetic statement about the future of Abram's descendants. There is a symbolic ceremony with dead animals and a blazing torch, signifying God's affirmation of His promises to give the land 'from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates' to the descendants of Abram.
The law of Moses, which many feel is part of the first agreement, really comes centuries later. It is a complex system of rules that structure the life of the chosen people. We have similar regulations today, in that they shape our society. For instance, drivers own their automobiles but must operate them according to the rules of the road.
The intent of the Lord has always been to establish relationship with His creation. Adam and Eve were given much but chose to take the only thing they were forbidden. The law of Moses included God's provision of a way for man to atone for sin by sacrificing animals.
It was never the Father's intent to institute only the first agreement. The Old Testament is full of prophecy that foretells the coming of a messiah. The New Covenant is contained in the sacrificial blood of Jesus, which paid for sin once and for all. No longer would regular animal sacrifices be required; belief in Jesus Christ and repentance of sin are what is needed to enter into the eternal life of God's kingdom.
The old and new covenants are different, but the intent of God does not change. He wants relationship with man, but He cannot exist with sin. God's love is unconditional and everlasting, but He retains the right of judgement and the right to define the way to salvation. He requires men and women to accept responsibility for personal sin and accept the sacrifice that atones for it. This preserves justice, another attribute of God.
The heart of a man or a woman has always been key to having a father-child relationship with the Lord. No sacrifice, whether of an animal or the willing one made by Jesus Christ, is acceptable unless true repentance and surrender exists on the side of man.
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