The Covenant of Bondage (Concluded)

Notes

1. The Jews were trying, by their own works, to establish their own righteousness, and like all others who trust in morality for justification, they were too proud to acknowledge their own helplessness, and to submit to receiving righteousness by simple faith in Jesus, and so they stumbled. In this illustration we have the same fact; namely, man seeking justification by his own works, and man seeking to provide his own salvation.

2. In Cain and Abel we have the first recorded illustration of the two covenants. Both brought an offering. One, a tiller of the soil, brought the fruits of his labor. The other brought an offering in faith. The results show that while man's work left Cain in bondage of sin, faith gave Abel liberty. And so it is to-day; the child of bondage hated the child of liberty and slew him. Would you know why? Read 1 John 3:12.

3. If one seek to be justified by works, he must be able to show that he never has sinned, for just one sin would condemn him.

4. Many think the old covenant of bondage passed away at the cross. The death of Jesus provides for its passing away, but it only passes away with the individual when the Spirit of God enters the heart by faith. Then the covenant of liberty takes its place. So the ministration of death, or condemnation of the law in 2 Cor. 3:7. This passes away when the sinner accepts Christ. The veil of unbelief is taken from the heart and the heart turns to the Lord (verses 14-16); then comes liberty. Too many expressions in the Scripture are placed at the death of Christ, when in reality they are matters of Christian experience, applying at all times in the world's history where faith is found, so that Abel, Abraham, and the psalmist before the death of Christ could walk at liberty by faith equally with Paul, John, and the Christian of to-day; hence, a Jew and a Gentile before the cross, if both came into Christ Jesus, would be just as fully and completely one as two such persons in Christ are to-day.