Anchor Devotional
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A Needed New Covenant
“‘This is the covenant I will make with … Israel,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.’”
Jeremiah 31:33
Have you heard the biblical terms “Old Covenant” and “New Covenant”? The old covenant brought us the Ten Commandments, God’s beautiful and perfect instructions for godly living in this world. The new covenant emphasizes His grace and forgiveness, offering a restored relationship with Him through faith in Jesus.
But where does Scripture tell us why the new covenant was needed? Contrasting the new with the old, Hebrews 8:6-7 says, “The covenant of which he [Jesus] is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises. If there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.” The deficiency wasn’t in God or in His law; it was in the people. God’s law was a righteous standard, and when broken, it could not itself be the instrument of mercy.
Adequate completion of the law’s requirements could never be our salvation. We fall short continually. However, the prospect of being granted new hearts as forgiven persons is there for us. The gospel of the new covenant is what each of us needs.
Written by Tim McCracken, Regional Director for Metanoia Prison Ministries, San Joaquin Valley, CA, reminding many brothers in Christ of God’s covenant with them.
SCRIPTURE FOCUS
Leviticus 11-12
INSIGHT
Psalm 51
THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Luke 15
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