Title: Those Who Keep the New Commandments
Contents
The new commandment given through Jesus Christ is a commandment to be kept in the world of sojourners by new men who will inherit the Father's kingdom with Christ, and a beautiful law to be kept with Christ Jesus forever. This is not the law of works of the law given through Moses, but the law of grace and truth, that is, faith that came from Jesus Christ. Therefore, the new commandment is a law that the old man can never keep. The old man has only the old commandments.
The Bible clearly testifies to this. It is written, “You have heard that it was said to the old people, ‘You shall not murder, but whoever murders will be condemned; but I say to you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be judged, and whoever calls raga against his brother will be held in the council. and those who call them fools will be thrown into the fire of hell” (Matthew 5:21-22).
To the old man he spoke the old commandment, and to the new man he spoke the new commandment as the Son. Therefore, there is one who belongs to Moses, and another belongs to Jesus Christ. Those who belong to Moses are physical, and those who belong to Jesus Christ are spiritual. It is the same as it is written, “It is sown in a natural body, and it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:44).
The old commandment and the old law, which were given through Moses to the old people of the flesh, are the law that kills;
Therefore, the Bible calls the ministry of Moses the ministry of condemnation. It is written, “For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, the ministry of righteousness abounds in glory” (2 Corinthians 3:9), and also, “Has then what is good become death to me? made me to die because of the commandment, so that I might become very sinful in sin” (Romans 7:13).
God gave the old man the law of condemnation and the new man the law of righteousness. The commandments and laws given to the old man cannot be kept by the fleshly man. It is as it is written, “Therefore, by the works of the law no flesh has to be justified before him, by the law the knowledge of sin is” (Romans 3:20).
Therefore, the Bible says, “As it is written, There is none righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God; all have turned aside, one thing has become useless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are an open tomb, and with their tongue they practice deceit; A viper has poison, and his mouth is full of curses and venom, and his feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and trouble are in their way, and they have not known the way of peace, and there is no fear of God before their eyes. We know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be closed and the whole world may be brought under the judgment of God” (Romans 3:10-19). What the law says is what it says to those under the law. This is, as it is written, “that every mouth might be closed and the whole world might be brought under the judgment of God.
Therefore, the new commandment is a commandment given to the new man. If the new commandment is given as a commandment that cannot be kept, no one will dwell in the new heavens and new earth. For the kingdom is a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Many people ask, “How can those who cannot keep the old commandment keep the new commandment? He said that the new commandment is a law that only Jesus can keep, and that faith was counted as righteousness if we simply believed in Jesus.”
no. You can never become one with Christ through the imaginary faith of the old man. Faith is the substance of what is hoped for. The faith given to the new man is a perfect faith, a faith working through love, a real faith. Because of faith, we can keep the new commandments. It is as it is written, “If we have become united in the likeness of his death, then we shall also be united in his resurrection” (Romans 6:5).
The new commandment God gave through Jesus Christ, as it is written, “I give you a new commandment, love one another, as I have loved you, so you also love one another” (John 13:34). If we want to love one another as the Lord has loved us, we can never have the same kind of love unless we have the heart of Christ. The heart of Christ is embraced only by the new person.
Therefore, “as it is written, eye has not seen, nor ear has heard, nor the heart of man has conceived of all that God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, who cannot lie, speaks to us now. Those who hear this voice will come to life. “He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him” (John 14:21). Therefore, anyone who says he loves Jesus without keeping the new commandment is a liar.
Those of Christ Jesus, raised with Christ Jesus, are not the old, but the new. New people have the testimony, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). So we can walk in a new life and keep the new commandments. This is because you have the mind of Christ in you. Therefore, the new commandment kept by the holy brothers who have been called together from heaven is the law of faith and the doctrine of faith. The new commandment is kept by a new person. Thank you Lord.
little brother kim yoon-goo