Old vs. New Covenant: Understanding God’s Redemption Plan

The transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant is one of the most profound shifts in biblical history. Why was a New Covenant necessary? How does it transform our relationship with God? Let's unpack Jeremiah 31:31-34, exploring how Jesus's Last Supper fulfilled prophecy and established a better covenant for believers.

https://youtu.be/04ZpwaZQnHI

Table of contents* Lasting Change Must Begin with the Heart* The Heart’s Importance* The Old Covenant Didn’t Change the Heart* The Old Covenant Reveals Our Sinfulness* The Most Important Verses in the Old Testament* Six Ways the New Covenant Is Not Like the Old Covenant* Unlike the Old Covenant, Under the New Covenant, God Does the Work* Second, Unlike the Old Covenant, Under the New Covenant, the Focus Is Inward* Third, Unlike the Old Covenant, Under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit Teaches Us* Fourth, Unlike the Old Covenant, Under the New Covenant, Christ is the Only Mediator* Fifth, Unlike the Old Covenant, Under the New Covenant, We Become the Priests, Temple, and Sacrifices* Sixth, Unlike the Old Covenant, Under the New Covenant, Sin Is Forgiven* So you say, “If animal sacrifices didn’t forgive or take away sins, what was their purpose?” The word atone means cover . Sacrifices under the Old Covenant atoned for, or covered sin, until it could be forgiven through Christ’s sacrifice.* Footnotes

The Brennan Center for Justice is a nonpartisan law and policy institute. They published an article titled Prison and Jail Reform. Here’s a surprising part of the second sentence of the article: “Prisons often provide little to no effective rehabilitation.” This is an astonishing admission from a secular research institute about the ineffectiveness of our prison system!

Why don’t prisons work? There is a saying that the heart of every problem is the problem of the heart. Prisons don’t work because they don’t deal with people’s hearts.

Lasting Change Must Begin with the Heart

If punishment could change people’s hearts, we could provide prison sentences long enough for inmates to return to society as model citizens when released. The best example in Scripture of punishment not changing the heart: