Can anyone explain to me how professing Christian believers can possibly miss crystal clear explanations like these?
"For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory." (2 Cor. 3:9-11)
"Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. ... In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." (Heb. 8:6-7, 13)
The Old Covenant (consisting of the Law, the Covenant, and the Priesthood) was like a candle; it gives off light, but its light pales in comparison to when you turn on a light bulb. The New Covenant is that light bulb. Jesus fulfilled everything in the Old Covenant (in that it all pointed to Him), put it aside because it was "weak and useless" (Heb. 7:18) and "made nothing perfect" (Heb. 7:19), and established the unbreakable, effective, and eternal New Covenant. The Old Covenant was our babysitter, pointing us to Jesus. Since it accomplished its intended purpose, it has been made obsolete.
There are more passages we could look at that convey this fact, but these are probably the clearest. The Ten Commandments belong to the Law, which is part of the Old Covenant. They have no place in the life of the Christian. The Christian has one Royal Law, which fulfills the Law: "Love one another just as I have loved you" (John 13:34). This love is to be extended to our neighbours (Mark 12:31) and our enemies (Matt. 5:43-48). "This is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Christ Jesus and love one another" (1 John 3:23).
In Matthew 12, Jesus re-interprets the Sabbath command (see verses 6, 8, and 12). The Lord of the Sabbath has brought Sabbath rest for those who trust Him today (Matt. 1:28-30). John was right when he said that Jesus' "commands are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3). Some believe there are five (5) laws to the New Covenant:
- the Law of Faith (Rom. 3:27; 2 Cor. 5),
- the Law of the Spirit of Life (Rom. 8:2),
- the Law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2),
- the Law of Liberty (James2:12), and
- the Law of Righteousness (Rom. 9:31).
This may be, but there are two (2) clear commands given us under the New Covenant:
- believe in the name of Jesus (1 John 3:23), and
- love one another just as He loved us (John 13:34; 1 John 3:23).
The New Covenant is radically new, "not like the [previous] covenant" (Jer. 31:32; Heb. 8:9). If you do not understand the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, it is about time you studied it out and realized precisely what Jesus did for you on your behalf in your stead. The New Covenant is eternal. There will never be another covenant. This one accomplishes everything the previous one failed to, because it was all accomplished by Jesus. Take the time to read the book of Hebrews and get a grasp of what Jesus did. The book of Hebrews is probably the most Christ-centric of all the epistles. Read it to correct some glaring flaws in whatever particular theological system you prescribe to so that you can conform your beliefs better to Scripture.