PERSEVERANCE WORKS EXPERIENCE There are a number of things that are unique about the New Covenant. That is another way of saying it is, indeed, "new." This is an effective covenant, accomplishing the objective God had before He made the world. His intent was to have a people for Himself--individuals bearing Divine traits, willingly working with Him in the fulfillment of Divine purpose. The Desire of God and the Need of Man Fulfilled This covenant fulfills the desire of God and the need of man. It gratifies both the Lord and those included in the covenant. It satisfies the requirement of Divine justice, and allows the free conferment of mercy upon the people. How gloriously unique it is! It frees both God and man! It frees God to lavish His grace upon us, and do it justly. It frees us from guilt of, and consequent enslavement to, sin and death! Why Law is Required When men are dominated by sin, they must be ruled by Law. The Law is made for the lawless (1 Tim 1:9). Law presumes recalcitrance on the part of the people. That is another way of saying the people under Law are not basically inclined toward the Lord. Their fundamental desire is to please themselves. That is what sin does to people; it makes them self-centered and ungodly, or ungodlike. The New Covenant Is Unique The New Covenant presumes the reconciliation of the people. It begins with the remission of sins, and announces the identity of the people with God. This identity is not a mere formality--as with Israel of old. They were God's people because of their relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was a group identity, not an individual one. But it is not so in the New Covenant! Here, the association of the individual with God is very real and personal. We have been "joined to the Lord," and are "one spirit" with Him (1 Cor 6:17). -- Tomorrow:
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; AND PATIENCE EXPERIENCE; and experience, hope" (Rom 5:1-4, KJV). " . . . and perseverance, proven character . . . " (NASB). " . . . perseverance, character . . . " (NIV). "And steadfastness, approvedness; and approvedness, hope" (ASV).
Our subject unveils another refreshing aspect of the New Covenant. It confirms "The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day" (Prov 4:18, NIV). In the New Covenant, the primary matter is not restraining a basically sinful nature. Rather, it involves culturing a basically godly nature--the "new man." Let no one suppose that we no longer confront the sinful nature, or "flesh." It still is within us, and must be crucified and mortified (Gal 5:24; Col 3:5). For the New Covenant person, however, the real "I" lives by faith in Christ (Gal 2:20). It serves the law of God (Rom 7:25), and does not have a desire to sin (Rom 7:17).
The theme of this series of devotions addresses perseverance, or continuance in the faith, from a New Covenant perspective. We will show that true character is developed in the crucible of perseverance, or faithfulness under trial.