Living under the New Covenant:
Freedom from the Old Covenant
which is shed for you." Luke 22:20
Introduction
Because Christ fulfilled all of the promises and symbols of the Mosaic Law, it is no longer in effect (Matt 5:17-18; Heb 9:19-26). Believers are no longer under obligation to obey the Mosaic Law (Rom 7:6). Instead, we are under the everlasting law of God - the law of Christ (Rom 6:16-17; 7:22-23, 25; 8:2, 7; 1 Cor 9:21). As predicted in Jeremiah 31:31-34, the Old Covenant has been replaced by the New Covenant (Lu 22:20; Heb 8:13). However, some Christians still retain some concepts from the Old Covenant. When abrogated Old Covenant concepts are carried over into New Covenant life, believers are caused to stumble and nonbelievers are confused. Some Old Covenant concepts that mistakenly are retained by some believers include the altar, sacred places, the priesthood, the tithe, and the sabbath.
The Altar / Sacrifice
In the Old Testament, the altar was a special, specific, designated, and physical place in the tabernacle and later in the temple where worship was done through the offering of sacrifices to God. Being part of the Mosaic system of worship, these sacrifices symbolized that the atoning death of Jesus Christ would be the sacrifice for the covering of sins.
In His sacrificial and substitutionary death, Jesus fulfilled that which the sacrifices at the altar in the tabernacle and temple symbolized. Since the death of Jesus Christ is the effectual sacrifice for sins, symbolic sacrifices at a physical altar are now useless. Jesus said there is no longer a special physical place where people are to worship God; instead, believers are to worship God in spirit and in truth (Jn 4:23-24).
Sacred Places
Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers and the effect of the Word of God in their character and lives, God dwells in believers (1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:19-20; 2 Cor 6:16-18; Eph 2:19-22). God does not dwell in buildings or any other physical places. Just as there are no physical altars, there is no longer a physical tabernacle or temple. Even in Old Testament times, the tabernacle and the temple were only symbols of the presence of God. God is spirit - He cannot be contained in anything physical. A building cannot contain God (1 Kin 8:27-30; 2 Chr 2:6; 6:18-21).
The Holy Spirit resides (indwells) all believers (1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:19-20; 2 Cor 6:16-18; Eph 2:19-22). Thus, a 'church building' is not a sacred place where God resides; neither is it a special place where one is in closer or better contact with God. Believers are sanctified (made holy; separated from the world) by Christ, but a building cannot be sanctified. No part of a building, including a room where people meet to have religious services, is sanctified. Thus, there are no rooms which are 'Sanctuaries.' There are no special places in a 'church building' that have greater spiritual power than any other.
Since the death of Christ, there are no true physical altars. Therefore, it is now not possible for a person to 'pray at an altar.' Likewise, there is not some kind of spiritual benefit for a person to 'come to the altar' or 'come to the front.' Instead, it is a detriment to true worship, because it detracts one's focus toward God by putting an erroneous emphasis on a certain part of a room. In addition, to have persons 'come to the front to kneel and pray' dilutes the purity and effectiveness of prayer by drawing attention to the spirituality of the person(s) at 'the front' (Matt 6:5-6).
Because there is not any special spiritual power at the front of a building, there is not any spiritual value in 'coming to the front' to be saved. In addition, a person cannot 'go' to any physical place to be saved. There is nothing a person can 'do' to be saved. Salvation is a free gift from God through faith (Titus 3:5; Eph 3:8-10). Salvation is received whenever a person repents from sin and self and believes in Christ - no matter the physical location of the person. To have a person go to a certain place to be saved, is to add a work (a journey) to faith (Eph 2:8-9). The same applies to the 'raising of the hand' and any other physical action.
The claim that these are ways in which a person can obey Christ, Who said, "confess Me before men" (Matt 10:32-33; Lu 12:8-9) is a misrepresentation of the passages. In saying this, Jesus was not referring to how to be saved (justification); He was referring to what is characteristic of a believer: a believer confesses Jesus Christ as Lord through actions and words. It is the opposite of what is characteristic of an unbeliever: an unbeliever denies Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus was not referring to a single 'confession' of Him; He was saying a person must live a life that proclaims the truth of Jesus Christ as one's Lord. Neither Jesus or the apostles are recorded as having a person 'raise one's hand' or 'come to the front.' The Biblical instructions about how to be saved do not include these acts.
Likewise, Paul's treatise in Romans 10 does not support the currently popular method of having people 'come to the front' to be saved. In Romans 10:10, confession with the mouth is unto salvation, i.e. it results in sanctification and the final salvation from eternal damnation. Notice in the same verse that the person is justified (accounted righteous with God) through belief. Works (including confession with the mouth) come after justification and regeneration and are the result of 'being saved'.
(See notes on 'calling on the Lord' and baptism.)
Theological concepts and evangelistic practices that erroneously attribute special status to certain places or are contrary to the gospel of Christ and to the New Covenant should be rejected.
The Priesthood
In Old Testament times, the people needed a priest to mediate between them and God. However, the Lord Jesus Christ, as our high priest, has represented us in mediation with God by dying so that our sins can be forgiven. He remains our mediator (Heb 9:11-15; 10:10-14, 19-22; 1 Tim 2:5-6). Since we are now made right with God through Christ, all believers are made priests to offer spiritual sacrifices of service, thanksgiving, obedience, and praise to God (1 Pet 2:5-10).
The Tithe
Currently, it is common for churches to teach and impose the tithe as a requirement upon members. Though the tithe was clearly and inseparably linked with the Mosaic Covenant and had a purpose only within that system, many churches claim the tithe is a Christian duty. They rely on tithes from members in order to provide large sums of money necessary to maintain their goals, methods, programs, organizational/leadership structure, and dependence on buildings and other physical things (much of which is not Biblically-based).
Under the Mosaic Law, there was more than one tithe. There were at least three, so the Israelites were required to pay more than ten percent. The tithes provided the funds to support the Aaronic and Levitical priests and their work and the supplies pertaining to the temple and the sacrifices (Gen 28:22; Lev 27:30 ; Num 18:21; Deut 14:22-29; Num 18:21-28; Neh 10:34-39; Mal 3:8-10). As has already been shown in this article, the temple, the sacrifices, and the priesthood are no longer in effect, because Jesus Christ fulfilled that which they symbolized. Since the tithes were for the purpose of funding these things, they, along with the things they financed, are also no longer in effect. When Jesus died and rose from death, the Mosaic Law, including the tithes, was abrogated.
The fact that Jesus encouraged the tithe (Matt 23:23; Lu 11:42) is incorrectly used by some as evidence that Christians are required to tithe. However, that was during the time when the Mosaic Law was still in effect; it was before Christ's death and resurrection. When Jesus died as the Sacrificial Lamb and thus fulfilled the Mosaic Law, He gave us a new covenant that replaced the Law. The new covenant does not require the giving of tithes. Therefore, to require Christians to give a tithe is legalism.
Since Christ's death and resurrection, there are no examples, no instructions, and no injunctions to tithe. Instead, the New Testament contains examples and instructions to take care of the poor and to support those who preach/teach the gospel and oversee the growth of believers. Instead of dictating an amount or proportion, the New Testament instructs believers to give willingly, generously, purposefully, wisely, and secretively (1 Cor 16:1-2; 2 Cor 9:6-8; Matt 6:1-4.).
The Sabbath
Under the Mosaic Law, the Sabbath was the seventh day of the week in which the Israelites, the nation God chose in which to reveal and deliver His salvation, were to rest from occupational pursuits in order to consecrate the day for worship of God. The day and the activities of the day were a symbol of the work of salvation God would perform through the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. The nation of Israel symbolically pointed to the forgiveness for sin provided by Christ.
Christ's fulfillment of the Mosaic Law includes the fulfillment of the Sabbath. Since the mandatory Sabbath observances included sacrifices in the land of Israel in the tabernacle or temple by Aaronic priests, it is now impossible to observe the Mosaic Sabbath.
Since the resurrection and ascension of Christ, believers now commemorate the raising of Christ from death by meeting together for worship on the first day of the week. This was a practice started by the early church (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2). It is not a replacement for the Mosaic Sabbath. To confuse it with the Sabbath is to detract from its original purpose to celebrate the victory of Christ over death and the resurrection to new life. Therefore, other than the necessity and privilege of resting (trusting) spiritually in Christ's provision for sin (Heb 4:3, 9-11), there is no such thing as a 'Christian sabbath' (Col 2:16-17).
Conclusion
Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Law by dying on the cross as the Sacrificial Lamb. His death and resurrection also gave us a new covenant. The new covenant provides us righteousness with God as a gift through faith. We cannot and do not have to work for forgiveness for sin.
The Mosaic observances were only a shadow of the real. Jesus is the real. The new covenant provides us with the blessings and inheritance of the Lord Jesus Christ. To regress into subjection to the Law causes needless loss. Being freed from the Law, believers are empowered to live in love for Christ and others.
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Notes
1. In Romans 10:13, 'call on the name of the Lord' refers to sanctification and the final salvation. Notice in verse 14 that the person has already believed (and thus been justified). In the Bible, to 'call upon the Lord' is to believe in God, serve Him, and worship Him (Acts 9:14; Zephaniah 3:9; Genesis 12:8; 13:4; 21:33; 26:25). Though it includes prayer to God, to 'call upon the Lord' is not the same as repeating 'the prayer.' Thus, Romans 10:13 does not support the popular salvation-by-prayer method of evangelism.
In the New Testament, the public act that is designed to be a one-time testimony of a person's repentance, conversion, and salvation is 'baptism' (Acts 2:38; Rom 6). Baptism is the Biblically-provided opportunity for the new believer to verbally announce one's own new faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
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