Questions for Littles: Who witnesses to us (v15)? What did He say the Lord would make with us (v16)? What would He put on our hearts? What would He write on our minds? What would He not remember anymore (v17)? What does our forgiveness mean will no longer happen (v18)?In this week’s sermon text, we were reminded of the end of chapter eight: that it was always God’s plan to replace the ministry of the priests on earth with the ministry of Christ in glory.
You see, it’s not just a matter of the logic of vv11-14. That logic said, “those sacrifices that had to be repeated continually weren’t doing the job, but the sacrifice that only had to be done once must have been perfectly effective.”
No, in addition to the logic of vv11-14, we know that the Lord intended for Christ to replace the old covenant and its priesthood, because God Himself told us so. “But the Holy Spirit also bears witness…”
It is like the old story of Babe Ruth calling his shot. We know that it’s on purpose because He told us in advance what He was going to do… and then He did it!
But He doesn’t just testify that there will be a new covenant. He tells us two very important things about that new covenant.
The first is that the new covenant time would be the time in which there would be widespread love for God’s word from the heart. God is sanctifying us, making us holy.
The second is that the new covenant time would be the time of greater certainty about God’s forgiveness. Just as God “called the shot” about writing His law on our hearts, so also He has “called the shot” about completely forgiving our sins.
Can there be anything more reliable than whatever God has said? Oh, dear struggling believer, your sin troubles you so much precisely because God’s law is written on your heart. Don’t you see that this is evidence that you have been forgiven?
Which of your sins bothers you the most? Who made it bother you so much?Suggested Songs: ARP51A “God, Be Merciful to Me” or HB276 “There Is a Fountain”
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