Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: kamphau@oktext.sbc.com (Mark Kamphaus) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: OT vs NT Message-ID: Date: 8 Aug 90 07:29:44 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Southwestern Bell Tele. Co. - Advanced Technology Lab - St. Louis Lines: 55 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In gross@dg-rtp.dg.com (Gene Gross) writes: # I got into a discussion the other day about whether or not the Old # Covenant (a.k.a. Old Testament) was still in effect today, in whole or # in part. I maintain that it is not. Here are my thoughts on this. # # Is there more than one way to God? Put another way, is the Old Covenant # finished and replaced by a New Covenant? Or does the Old Covenant run # parallel to the New Covenant? Those seem to be the two positions that I # can identify. To illustrate them graphically: # # A. Parallel: # |---Old Covenant------------|----------------------------| # |---New Covenant-------------| # # # B. Successive: # |---Old Covenant------------|---New Covenant-------------| # [rest of article deleted as well as comments by clh] I believe both A and B are true in this manner: A. addresses the covenant through the history of the earth. at one point there was only the Old Covenant (ie, LAW). The LAW was given to convict of SIN, and Death was its punishment. Those who did not live by the LAW are considered to be under SIN and will be dealt with by God's wrath. Jesus came and fulfilled the LAW. That is He lived without SIN. As the punishment for SIN is Death, the reward for SINlessness is eternal life. Jesus therefore recieved the Reward of eternal life. The New Covenant is the agreement or manner in which We can become part of Jesus. When we accept Jesus, we accept His death as our own. In this way, we also fulfil the requirement that the punishment for our sin is death. B. shows the transformation of the old into the new. The person becomes a new being in Christ and is no longer under the Law, not because it is done away with but because through our death we have fulfilled the LAW. In Christ, we are under Grace and as there is no LAW; we are no longer under SIN but under Liberty. Nahum 1 provides a clear illustration to the duality of God. Sin will be dealt with, either through Grace or through Wrath. Only those who have accepted Jesus are under grace of the New Covenant. The Law of the OT is still in effect to convict those who have not accepted Him of their sins. At the time a person becomes a Christian, then the LAW is fulfilled *for that person.* And, being fulfilled, it no longer has power over the person. The LAW must be fulfilled, it is not annulled. The point I make is there is either LAW/SIN or GRACE/LIBERTY. No one can live without sinning under the LAW and the only way to Grace is through the acceptance of Jesus. mark