Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Talk about the old and new covenants may be perplexing to someone who honestly wonders what it's all about, what's the difference?
Nicodemus comes to Jesus "by night" (old covenant people love the dark) with some old covenant flattery ("we know You are a teacher come from God") and gets a stark new covenant response: "The son of man must be lifted up so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:1-15).
The fear-laden jailer in Philippi asks an old covenant question, "What must I do to be saved?" and gets a new covenant answer: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved" (Acts 16:30, 31). (No obeying the law? "Believe" and there will be no end to your law-obedience.)
The 23rd psalm is probably the most new-covenant chapter in the entire Bible. Nothing about "the law"? Not a word about "doing" anything except following where the Good Shepherd "leads"? The Shepherd psalm is the "Come unto Me and I will give you rest" idea (cf. Matt. 11:28-30).
The Lord who is your Shepherd is the special name for the "our Father which art in heaven" who loves to hear us cry, "Abba, Father!" when we are in distress (Matt. 6:9; Rom. 8:15, 16). The very fact that your perplexed heart cries out those words is proof that He has "adopted" you into the family of God (a 23rd psalm idea). Read Romans 8 carefully, to see who you are.
The new covenant truth: you are not a "wolf" to be shot down; you are a "lamb" (a prodigal son) who has gone astray. That same Lord is the "father" who welcomes the prodigal home and puts the best robe on him (Luke 15:22). Flee where you wish but you can't escape that new covenant love that pursues you (Psalm 139:9-12).
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: June 15, 2007.
Copyright © 2014 by "Dial Daily Bread."
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/dailybread/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to:dailybread@1888message.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are available via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
