Blood Covenant - Part 11 — Bob Phillips

This is tape number 11 in a series we urge you to listen to all the tapes in the series in numerical order. So that the whole teaching can be received and understood. Listening to a part of this series or to the tapes out of sequence can lead to a Misunderstanding of the nature the intent and the importance of this series.

Genesis chapter 2 we're going back to Genesis. We've been we started in Genesis and now we're back to Genesis and So I want you to turn with me to Genesis chapter 2. Now we've been talking about various aspects of the covenant with God.

We started out talking about the blood covenant in general. We talked about the heart necessary to make covenant with God. We talked about the relationship of law and grace in the covenant we talked about we we've gone over and and we've seen the work of the covenant of peace and now we're going to look tonight at the Holy Spirit in the Covenant and the role of the Holy Spirit in the covenant and we're going to start with Genesis because there's something I want you to see in Genesis chapter 2.

We have in the book of Genesis a covenant that God made with Adam. Now we talked about covenant all week and we've seen an important aspect of covenant. Starting with the covenant that God made with Abraham and here's what we've seen.

We have seen in the Word of God that God the Father made covenant with God the Son we discussed what it meant to make covenant in the Old Testament where an animal was cut in two and the pieces were laid one half here and one half here and they walk through the pieces and I'm Not going to go into detail on that.

But we've seen that instead of Abraham walking through the pieces the Lord Jesus Christ Walked through those pieces for him made covenant with God the Father and we become joint heirs of that covenant.

And that's why he always refers to it as his covenant. God always says my covenant. He doesn't say you're in my covenant. He says my covenant. It's his covenant. Are you with me? All right now we Didn't go through all the covenants of the Bible.

But in Genesis we have a covenant that God the Father Entered into with a man and and the man was Adam now the word covenant is not used in those chapters. But all of the elements of a covenant are there now with what we've learned this week.

Let's see if we can see the elements of the covenant there in Genesis. Chapter 2 was where we'll start. First of all, here's the first element of a covenant. There are two parties. There are two contracting parties to make the covenant and I just mentioned who they are.

God and man. God and Adam, are you with me? So there are the two contracting parties now. We mentioned this week that there were conditions to every covenant. Are you have you remembered we said that there are conditions to every covenant?

So in Genesis chapter 2 verse 16 and part of verse 17, we're going to see the conditions of this covenant. That was made and here's what it was Genesis 2 16 and the Lord God what's that word? Commanded the Lord God commanded the man saying from any tree of the garden you may eat freely.

Now I want you to notice that he had said in verse 9 and out of the ground. The Lord God calls to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food. The tree of life also in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil now He says clearly that there was every tree that was there was pleasing to the sight.

Is that what he said? Every one of them and two trees were especially pleasing to the sight the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life. Now God said you can eat from any tree of the garden.

But of the one tree you may not eat now does that sound to you like a condition of the covenant? Well, that was part of the conditions of the covenant. Now he also had a penalty or a curse of broken covenant and we've been seeing that all week.

Have we not both the Old Testament and the New Testament? We've been saying that there is a penalty and there is a curse for breaking covenants. Now, let's see what it was in Genesis 17 to 17. He said you may freely any of the trees but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat now.

Here's the curse if breaking the penalty and the penalty for in the day that you eat from it. What did he say was going to happen? You shall surely die now we could go into a lot of things about that, but that's not our subject tonight.

So we're not trying to let me ask you a question. Did they eat of that tree? But was God faithful in fulfilling the conditions and the penalty of the covenant. He absolutely was. God means what he says and so they did die now did they die physically?

No, they died spiritually and they were separated from God and we saw Monday night when we started this picture of what happens when you Break covenant with God it destroys sin enters and it destroys Your love Relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

It destroys your love relationship with God. That's what sin does. That's why we ought to hate sin because sin of every form and type greed selfishness Idolatry, whatever it is. It destroys your love Relationship with God.

Are you with me now? It's not a matter of just getting caught or not getting caught. It's not a matter of what you can get away with once you can't get away with if you love God with your whole heart.

You understand that that's an enemy because it destroys that love relationship. All right now Notice this not only was there a penalty you shall surely die. But there was a reward or a blessing of keeping the covenant.

Look with me at chapter 1 of Genesis. Chapter 1 of Genesis here was the reward or blessing of keeping the covenant verse 27. Chapter 1 and God created man in his own image the image of God. He created him male and female.

He created them now. I said Monday night what that meant that God intended that man live the life the same life that God lives as Much as was possible for a human created being to live it. Are you hearing what I'm saying?

And so God really in saying that it's more than just creating some kind of a theological image. What he's saying is I Want this created being to live my life as much as is possible. For a created being to live my life to be like me.

And so that was one of the blessings of covenant is that they were in the image and likeness of God. You think God's happy? I Say you think God's happy. Well, I believe he is and so he intended for God for men's welfare and not for his calamity.

We've already seen that in Jeremiah 29 now. He also said as a part of the blessing verse 28 and God what do you do with them? He blessed them and God said to them be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and Rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.

That's quite a promise. Did you know that that man literally was to rule over? Every living creature on the face of the earth. That was part of the blessings of the covenant that God had given him. He must have had a tremendous mind.

Also because he was able to name all of those animals given names all those animals. So his mental capabilities must have been just enormous. And so God had all of this there as a part of the blessings of walking in covenant with him.

That would have continued right on through had covenant not been broken. Are you with me? Alright, he also said Verse 29 then God said behold. I've given you every plant yielding seed. That's on the surface of all the earth and every tree which has fruit yielding seed.

He says I've given it to you. It'll be food for you. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to everything that moves on The earth which has life. I have given every green plant for food.

And it was so and God saw all that he had made and behold. It was very good and there was evening and there was morning and the sixth day. So we're saying that that was the blessings of the covenant right now.

Covenant Signs, Seals, and Inheritance

There's another element of covenant. That's here. And here's what it is. Every covenant has a divine seal or a pledge of that covenants. Are you with me every one of them? Let's just think about it for a moment with Noah.

What was the pledge of covenant that God made? It was a rainbow. God gave Noah the sign or pledge of a rainbow so that when he saw the rainbow. He knew that God's covenant had been made with him. And he also knew that there would never again be this flood or destruction of the earth.

That was the surety of an outward sign that he gave him. He also gave Abraham a pledge. What pledge did he give him? Circumcision. He gave him the pledge of circumcision and we won't read it, but you can you can look at Romans 4 Verses 9 to 11 and you'll see very clearly that God says that even though Abraham was not circumcised God gave him the sign of circumcision to be passed on through the descendants that the covenant was real now.

Notice this. God never intended. He never intended for the focus to be on the outward sign. But the inward reality of what he wanted to do you see the children of Israel for example. They focused only on the outward sign on the pledge and they never got into the inheritance.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? All they concentrated on was that outward sign that outward thing and here's what happened to them. They walked in the rebellion and stubbornness of their own heart. Trusting in the outward sign of circumcision and you know what the end result was.

They never entered into the inheritance of the covenant, which was the land of Canaan. Are you hearing what I'm saying? There's a lot of people doing that today trusting in something outward and They never entered the inheritance of the covenant.

All right in the Garden of Eden. There was also a sign of the covenant. It was the tree of life. You see the tree of life was standing there In order to be a sign so that all they had to do as Adam looked at the tree of life.

He knew he knew that that was a sign of covenant for him and that tree of life was a seal or a pledge. Of his inheritance. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Right now let's come to the New Covenant and Let's see.

We're seeing that every covenant has a sign or a pledge of the inheritance. Now turn with me to Ephesians chapter 1 and we're going to see what the sign or the pledge of the God's inheritance is for us in the New Covenant.

Ephesians chapter 1 he very clearly spells it out doesn't leave any doubt about it. He tells us what in this new covenant the sign or pledge is going to be now. Listen understand what a sign or pledge is a sign or a pledge is a sign a seal of Assurity that everything God said Will come to pass and be offered in the Covenant.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? All right. Now, let's see what it was Ephesians chapter 1 the New Covenant seal or pledge verse 13. In him that is Jesus. You also after listening to the message of the truth the gospel of your salvation.

Having also believed you were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of Promise. Now, how many of you see that he were sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise. What was the seal of the New Covenant the Holy Spirit?

I want you to notice this. He is called the Holy Spirit of promise. Let me tell you why he's called that God never intended now. Listen to me carefully. God never intended for man to focus only on an experience with the Holy Spirit.

That's not why he was given. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Yes, there's an experience with the Holy Spirit. Yes, I do believe in a baptism of the Holy Spirit. I believe that you receive the Holy Spirit when you're born again.

And I believe there's a further outpouring of the Holy Spirit a baptism of the Holy Spirit. I'll show you why I believe that. But now listen to me. Here's where we've missed it. We've gotten into theological debates and arguments over the Holy Spirit.

Because we have lost sight of the fact that the Holy Spirit was a seal or a pledge of the Covenant. He is a person but he is a seal or pledge of the Covenant. He is called the Holy Spirit of promise. Why would he be called the Holy Spirit of promise?

Because He's not something apart from Jesus. He's not something to experience apart from Jesus. He's the experience with Jesus. Are you hearing what I'm saying. And here's what he means. He is the agent whereby all that is in the Covenant is supplied to those who are in Christ.

He is the agent of Making sure that all of the elements all of the conditions of the Covenant are ours. Are you with me? It's through the Holy Spirit. I say are you with me? All right. Now I want you to see something since he is the pledge of the Covenant.

The New Covenant Promise in Ezekiel

I want you to go back with me to Ezekiel chapter 36 and we're going to see something. Ezekiel chapter 36. We're talking about our Covenant with God. Ezekiel chapter 36. Again, I want to reiterate what I've been saying to you all week.

You absolutely cannot live the Christian life. God never called you to live the Christian life. We say that but God never asked you to live the Christian life. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Because there's no such thing as a Christian life as we have really labeled it.

It's the life of God that he wants you to live. Are you with me? God wants you to live his life. Now, here's what it means. It means that he is going to live his life through you and he does that by means of the Holy Spirit.

But he cannot live through you. When you are living for your self. Are you hearing what I'm saying? All right now Ezekiel 36 is a prophecy of The Holy Spirit and the new covenant now notice what he says.

Ezekiel chapter 36 verse 22 therefore Say to the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord God it's not for your sake Oh house of Israel that I'm about to ask but for my holy name which you have profaned among the nations where you went and I will vindicate the holiness of my great name which has been profaned among the nations which you have profaned in their midst.

Then the nations will know that I am the Lord declares the Lord God when I prove myself Holy among you in their sight. Now notice this here is how God's going to prove himself holy in this new covenant verse 24.

For I will take you from the nations who could we say he'll take you from the world. I'll take you from the world the nations gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle no notice this.

Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from how much of your filthiness. All your filthiness and from how many of your idols all your eyes. So it sounds to me like God doesn't intend for us to keep any idols or any filthiness in this life that he wants to live Through us.

Is that what it seems to you? All right. Now, I want you to drop down with me to verse 28 and and we're going to come back. A verse 29. Moreover, I will save you from how much of your uncleanliness from all your uncleanness and I will call for the grain and multiply and I will not bring a famine on you and I will multiply The fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, you know, it sort of sounds to me like he's restoring something that he'd promised Adam.

So sound that way to you. Now this life is better Than the one Adam had this covenant is better than the one Adam had. We will see why but it sort of sounds to me like God's intention was to restore man back to his image and let man enjoy the Benefits of covenant that he'd originally planned.

Are you following what I'm saying? All right now notice this. Here's what he says. Verse 30. I'll multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field that you may not receive again the disgrace of famine among The nations.

Now, here's what it's going to happen to us when he does this. Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good and you will watch Loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations.

It sounds to me like God is going to do something to us in such a way That not only will all of our idols be removed all of our filthiness We want to put off from us, but we will literally loathe Ourselves when we sin and will not want to walk in that direction.

Now, are you hearing what I'm saying? Now, how's he going to do that? I want you to see what he says. Let's go back to verse 25. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you and you'll be clean and I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols moreover.

Here's what he's going to do. I'll give you one a New heart and what's he going to do put a new spirit within you? I'll remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Now we as I said, I'm not sure if it says it there, but I know in Jeremiah He says I'm going to take the stony heart in your heart Out and give you a heart of flesh.

In other words God says I'm going to take that hardness toward me out of your heart. I won't deal with the hardness. Is that what he's saying? I want I want to take that hardness out. I'm gonna give you a heart that's pliant and Subject to me and here's what else he's here's the other thing.

He's going to do now notice this. Not only will it give us a new heart a new spirit verse 27, and I will put my spirit. Where's he going to put him? Within you. I'll put my spirit within you and And cause you to walk in my statutes and you will be careful to observe my ordinances.

Now we're going to see something we're going to understand that verse and what he's saying. There are people who assume this. They just assume they say well, they take that verse and say well God said he's going to give us his spirit and he's gonna put it he's gonna cause us to walk that way.

And so they just go walk in the stubbornness and rebellion to own heart and say well. But God said he'd cause us to walk in his statutes. That's not what it says. It says he's going to remove all the items all the abominations all the filthiness all the unfinished.

And then he's gonna put his spirit within you and his spirit will cause you to walk in his statutes now. Here's what that means. God did not exclude obedience in the new covenant. He didn't substitute something for obedience.

What he did in the new covenant was he did something that he had never done with any other Covenants. Now we've already seen that the covenant God intended for us to have was a covenant of the heart not of the law.

Now for those of you who knew I can't go into all that. But it was a covenant God intended from the very beginning that man had his heart dealt with not be under law. Have we seen that all right, but now I want you to notice this.

God's going to do something different that he's never done before. He's going to take his spirit and he's going to put that spirit within you. He's not going to do away with the necessity of obedience.

We're going to see that in a moment, but he is going to give you all the means Necessary to live this life. He's calling you to live. So what he's doing is he's not excluding Obedience as a necessity in covenant.

He's not doing that but he's giving you the means of being obedient in Christ. Are you with me now turn with me to 2nd Corinthians and we're gonna see where he puts that spirit. 2nd Corinthians. 2nd Corinthians chapter 1.

He said he's gonna put it within us. Let's find out where he put it. Let's find out where he put the Spirit of God the Holy Spirit. 2nd Corinthians Chapter 1. We're talking about the Holy Spirit in the Covenant.

2nd Corinthians chapter 1 verse 21. Now he who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God Who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit and where did he give us the Spirit? In our hearts as a what as a pledge.

Now, we see that word again. He was given as a Holy Spirit of promise as a seal and a pledge. Now, what's he talking about? Well, you see here's what he's saying. He's saying I am promising you something.

We're going to see in a moment what God promises us. He said I promise you something and to show you that I'm serious about my promise. I'm giving you my Holy Spirit to make everything that I said possible.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? All right, he's not only saying it he is giving us a pledge or a seal or a promise and The means to carry out the promise of everything he said now. What was the promise he gave us the promise was that he would do this.

The promise was that he would cleanse us from all our filthiness all our idols all our Abominations and he would be our God and we would be his people. Are you hearing what I'm saying? And so he says I'm giving you the Holy Spirit as a pledge.

To do this now, where's he gonna put it? He's gonna put it in our hearts. What have we been seeing all week with all the sin that Israel did with all the rebellion that we find in the Bible? What have we been saying was the major problem they had?

They have a heart problem. Is that right? And so now God's not only going to just give him one brand new heart. He's gonna do something with that heart. He is going to give him a new heart and he is also going to put his spirit Inside that heart to control Man's heart.

Are you with me? Now notice this. But understand this it's just a pledge and it's just a promise. We have a part in carrying it out we don't see them. Turn with me to Isaiah chapter 11. Isaiah chapter 11 and let's see a description of that spirit.

That was on Jesus. Isaiah Chapter 11. Is it the same spirit? The spirit that was on Jesus. Is it the same spirit that he puts within us? Well, obviously it is because Romans chapter 8 verse 11 says if the same spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwell in You then that spirit will quicken your mortal body unto life.

So is it the same spirit? Well, he says it is it's the same spirit the same spirit that rested on Jesus is the spirit that rests on us. The same spirit that indwell Jesus is the spirit that indwells us now.

Let's see what that spirit was and how it affected Jesus. Isaiah chapter 11 Verse 1. Then a shoot will spring forth from the stem of Jesse and a branch from his roots and what's going to happen? Will bear fruit and the spirit of the Lord will rest on him.

Now look at the description of this spirit the spirit of wisdom and Understanding the spirit of counsel and strength by the way, what did we find out wisdom and understanding loss? We found out that wisdom was the fear of the Lord and Understanding was to depart from evil and so it's this spirit now.

Did we read when we talked about the fear of the Lord that God says come my children come to me. I'll teach you the fear of the Lord. How do you think he's going to teach you the fear of the Lord by the spirit of wisdom and understanding?

Are you with me now? You remember what the spirit of the Lord produced some of the things it produced produced health to your body long life. Deliverance from evil it produced All those things and all the benefits and we walk in the fear of the Lord it produced the benefits of the covenant.

Amen, is that what we saw? All right now notice this. The spirit of wisdom and understanding this it's not all gonna be that's gonna be a spirit of counsel and strength. Now does that sound like covenant to you have we've been discussing the fact that whenever you make covenant with a covenant partner.

There's an exchange. It takes place an exchange of life. Did we talk about the fact that God? Exchanged just your strength called weakness for his strength called power and He also promises to give us counsel and wisdom because everything he has belongs to you everything you have belongs to him.

Amen. All right. So there's that exchange of strength again and a spirit of knowledge and what else he gonna give us and the fear of the Lord. All right. Now look at this and he will delight in the reason why am I saying he's going to give us because we just said that.

The same spirit that was on Jesus and in Jesus is the one that lives in us. Is that right now? Look what he's what he's gonna say. Here's what he does. What's that gonna cause us to do. He will delight.

I say he will delight. He will delight in the fear of the Lord and he'll not judge. But what is I see nor make a decision about what his ears here, but with what? Righteousness. He'll judge the poor and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth and he'll strike the earth with the rod of his Mouth of the breath of his lips.

He'll slay the wicked. Also righteousness will be the belt about his loins and faithfulness the belt about his waist. Now turn with me to Ephesians again. Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. If as I've been saying to you all week I'm a teacher and so therefore I use a lot of scripture as you as you know by now and.

And I want you to go through the scripture with me so that you see it for yourself. And you're able to it's a whole lot better to see it in the word. Then just have me quote it to you and tell it to you.

Have you found that out this way? It's a whole lot better for you to see it than you need just to say it for you. Okay, now notice now here here we are. Ephesians chapter 1. Paul is praying a prayer and look what he prays for them.

He's praying for the Christians at Ephesus and he says in verse 16 Ephesians 1. I do not cease giving thanks for you while making mention of you in my prayers that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of glory may give you a spirit of Wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him.

Is that what we read about over there? He's going to give him a spirit of wisdom and a spirit of revelation now I want you to remember something we found out in Psalm 25. Not only does this spirit of wisdom and revelation come but it will cause us to delight in The fear of the Lord now is that what we read in Isaiah 11 now?

What's the benefit of that. Here's the benefit of that we saw in Psalm 25. Good and upright is the Lord. He instructs sinners in the way and he says he keeps his loving-kindness. For those who keep his covenant but we also saw that the secret of the Lord is with those who fear him and He will make them to know his covenant.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? So this spirit of wisdom and understanding. We'll delight in the fear of the Lord and for those who fear him. They not only have the angels of God in camping around about them in Psalm 34, but he's gonna make his covenant known to us.

Through this spirit. Are you with me? I say you with me. We've been seeing some pretty good things about the covenant. Haven't we now look what he says. Here's what's gonna happen. Here's what he's gonna do through the spirit.

Verse 18. I pray that the eyes of your want heart. Did you know your heart had eyes that the eyes of your heart? What would that mean eyes of your heart? As before your hearts drawn to are you with me?

But the eyes of your heart the inner man may be what? Enlightened now, that's what the Spirit of God is going to do. He's going to enlighten the inner man and what's he going to be able to show us when he enlightens us so that you may Know what's the hope of his calling?

What are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints and what is the surpassing. Look at this the surpassing greatness of his power. Toward us who believe these are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might which he brought about in Christ when he raised Him from the dead and sitting at his right hand in the heavenly places.

So this Holy Spirit is going to enlighten our eyes that we might see Jesus and not only will we see Jesus, but we'll see the hope of his calling which was holiness and we'll see. We'll understand the riches of the inheritance that he has for us in Christ Jesus.

Spiritual Blindness and the Deceitfulness of Sin

Now you understand what I'm saying? But I want you to know that all of this is dependent upon the Holy Spirit being able to live his life through us. So now let me tell you what the reverse of that means.

The reverse of that means that when we decide to live for ourselves and let our hearts go after the lust of the flesh the Lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. We can't see as we ought because the Holy Spirit can't live his life through us and therefore he cannot Enlighten us and show us the covenant.

Are you understanding what I'm saying? Now the Word of God tells us that there's an opposite and counteracting work. Other and against the one we just saw. Turn with me to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4. Now, I'm sure you know.

As you're going through these things that I'm building up to something as we've done all week. We start out laying a foundation and then when we get that foundation laid then we begin to build. On the foundation you've laid so we're laying a foundation to see and understand what God's saying about this Holy Spirit in the covenant.

Now we just saw that the Holy Spirit will enlighten us that our eyes of our heart may be open to see Jesus and To know the hope of his calling and all the inheritance that he has for us in the covenant.

Is that what we saw? All right. Now look at a counteracting work. 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 verse 3 and. Even if our gospel is veiled it is veiled to those who are what? Perishing in whose case the God of this world who is the God of this world?

Satan and what's he done? He's blinded the minds of the who of the unbelieving. Now just in case I want you to. I want you to turn there with me. We read it this week, but just in case you think he's only talking about the world.

Let me read again to you Hebrews chapter 3 because we need to be alerted to the fact that he's not just talking about the world here and so just because. And I don't want you to turn here because I want to read it to you.

Why don't you just listen to me when I say this? But Christ was faithful as a son over his house. Whose house we are but he puts another word in there if we're his house. Yeah, we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope for how long?

Firm until the end and he says. Therefore as just as the Holy Spirit says today if you hear his voice do not Harden your heart. We've seen how you harden your heart. How do you do that you become stiff-necked and you refuse to obey his voice every time you do that a hardness?