Has The Church Replaced Israel?

All right, does everybody have a handout? Y 'all seem to like the handouts the last time that I was here. So as you know, we've been fielding questions through email. So the members of 12 Five have been sending in questions on Wednesday nights.

And so there's kind of three questions that I want us to tackle this evening. I thought I could kind of roll it all into one session. And so the first and biggest question is, has or did the church replace Israel?

So did y 'all see the Instagram out there? That's what I tried to draw everybody in with, with this very hotly loaded, controversial question. Okay, and so we're gonna talk about the relationship between Israel and the church, what that looks like.

I want us to also talk about the old covenant law and how it relates to the life of a Christian. And then on the back of your handout, I want us to kind of answer this question. How is the new covenant better than the old covenant?

And then this is where we're gonna all be mad at each other as we're working through the first question, but we're gonna end well. We're gonna end with saying, you know what? The new covenant is the covenant of grace and praise God that Jesus cannot fail in his high priestly ministry.

Okay, sound good? So as I was thinking about this question, has the church replaced Israel? Now, what I'm about to express is my view, okay? You can say, Jeremiah, I do not hold that view and we can still be brothers, we can high five, we can continue to sharpen one another.

So I don't want us to treat this as, well, if you disagree with me, you're wrong and we have no fellowship. In fact, my prayer is that this is one of those topics that we can continue to sharpen one another, right?

Sound good? Are we all on the same team in that? So as I was thinking about this topic, did the church replace Israel? It could be like asking this question. So you can look on your handout. It's like asking, did Isaac replace Ishmael?

Okay, so this is dipping back into your Old Testament memory, right? So I want you to be thinking about the two sons, Isaac, Ishmael, which one is older, which one was the child of promise, which one was the child of a bond slave, okay?

And so this is actually going to help relate back to the question. And so kind of from the initial premise that I'm operating from is Isaac and Ishmael are two different sons. And so the second son did not replace the first.

They're just two different sons with two different missions and there was only one son of promise, okay? So you're like scratching your head, how does that relate back to the first question? I'm glad you asked.

And the best way to begin this conversation is see these two bullet points? I want us to define, well, who is the church? What does that mean? And who is Israel? That's the dicey one, who is Israel, okay?

So I thought one of the best ways to start defining the church is turn with me to Galatians chapter one. Galatians chapter one, I want us to begin defining what is the church, okay? And so church comes from the Greek word ekklesia and its core is the called out ones, called out how?

Okay, so in Galatians chapter one, verse two, this letter is written to all the brothers who are with me, Paul says, to the churches of Galatia. So I want to submit to you, the church are the called out ones by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

That make sense so far? These are the called out ones. And so you are called out by the only gospel of grace. So in Galatians one, look with me at verse six. Paul says, I'm astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel.

Not that there's actually another gospel, but a said gospel that cannot actually save. Paul goes on in verse seven to say, not that there is another one, but there are some who are troubling you, trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preach to you, let him be accursed. So we see a few important phrases here, but this is the gospel according to the grace of Christ.

You'll hear me all the time refer to the true gospels, the gospel of grace, not a gospel of your works, but one that is grace. And since it's of grace, it can only be received by faith. Okay, so let me ask a question.

How are we defining the church?

What does that mean? Called out ones. Called out ones, called out how, right?

Does someone know the five solas of the Reformation? Someone help me out.

Wesley. Sola Dei or Gloria. Right. Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fidei, Sola Scriptus.

Yes, so these are the five alones of the Reformation that stand in contrast to what Romans stood for. We say, well, we stand on God's word alone as the ultimate authority in the Christian's life. We are saved by God's grace alone, nothing by our merit or our actions or our accomplishments.

In fact, we are justified by faith alone apart from works. And this is all in the context of in Christ alone. He's our sole mediator, not praying to Mary or any other saints or whatever. And then God gets all the glory alone.

So these are the called out ones. Now look with me at Galatians 2 16. This is more specific on how we are called out. Yet we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but through faith in Jesus Christ, right?

You see a little bit of the Sola Fidei, faith alone and Christ alone. So we have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of law, because by works of the law, no one will be justified.

So we are defining what it means to be the church, the called out ones. So look with me now at Galatians 3 verse seven. Paul says, know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. I'm wanting to press on a principle of continuity from Old Testament to New Testament to say that the church has always been those that have put their faith alone and Christ alone.

And so that verse kind of reemphasizes that. We know then that it is those of faith, the time of Abraham and even the churches of Galatia, the churches today, those of faith, we are sons and daughters of Abraham, spiritual offspring.

Okay? This is what it means when we define the church. Look with me at the closing verses in Galatians 3 in verse 28. So it is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is no male or female, for you are all one in Christ by faith.

Doesn't matter if you're a male, female, Jew, Gentile, it's always by faith alone and Christ alone. That is how you are spiritual sons and daughters of Abraham in verse 29. And if you are Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring and heirs according to the promise.

So the church are the children of faith, those of the promise. Okay? So we've still not defined Israel. I want us to define, continue to define the church. Now I want you to see, this is essentially how I understand Paul, how he is defining the church.

So this leads us into Galatians chapter four. So this will actually be on your handout. And this right here will help us answer the question, has the church replaced Israel? Well, the church are the called out ones by grace alone, through faith alone and Christ alone.

And I still want defining Israel to kind of hang out there for a moment. So look with me at verse 21. Tell me, Paul says, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman.

So I want to pause. Who are we talking about? Who are the two sons and who are the mothers? Okay, Ishmael and Isaac. So raise your hand. Tell me some more of what you remember about these two sons. Anybody.

Could not have a child. And so she gave her bond servant woman to her husband. And then he had a child with her, which would be Ishmael, because they were not patient and could not wait on the Lord for Isaac.

Was that wise of Sarah saying, hey, here's a maiden, right? And she was mad about it too. It was her idea and she was mad about it, right? Now to make things more complicated, she was past the age of childbearing and she was barren.

Like she couldn't have kids. So the point is Abraham and Sarah took matters into their own hands because God said, I will bless your offspring as multitude of the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.

You will actually bear children. And that was kind of unthinkable, but God made a promise, okay? And so there was going to be a child that carried that promise. Now I want you to think about this. Sarah recommended that Hagar be with Abraham.

And so they had a child, not of the promise, not of faith, but by the flesh and their own works and their own planning, okay? Now they had Ishmael first. So that did not nullify the promise of God. This makes sense because I want us to think about when we talk about Isaac and Ishmael, there was no son replacing the other one.

In fact, they made poor decisions. They took matters in their own hands, right? And Sarah got mad about it. And yet God still said, still going to honor my promise through you, okay? So

Aspect to that, that we often don't realize or think about, only God can create a life.

So Abraham and Sarah were taking matters into their own hands. Right. And they produced another child. But God created that life. God created life, but they were not trusting in the promise of God. He said that, I'll provide.

So that's, but that's what we're wanting to hang on to as we answer the question, does the church replace Israel? It's similar. And Paul's about to make this case. It's similar to asking the question, did Isaac replace Ishmael?

And the answer is no. Because even though they took matters into their own hands and they had a child of a bond slave, that's not the child of promise, right? I guess what I was trying to point out is,.

God knew about all of that and it was his plan to do that, to do so.

That's a great point. God is sovereign even in the midst of our disobedience. Okay. So look with me at, we'll look at verse 22 again. For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman.

So who's the slave woman? Hagar. Hagar. And which son was hers? Ishmael. Ishmael. And one by a free woman. Who was that? Sarah. And her son was? Isaac. Okay, verse 23. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh.

I'm gonna pause. Think about this. Ishmael, they took matters into their own hands. They're the ones that produced them. That was not the child of promise. While the son of the free woman, Sarah, was born through promise.

And to Ms. Brenda's point, God is sovereign even in light of man's disobedience. God's promises are sure and true. Ishmael, or Isaac, did not replace Ishmael. Verse 24. Now this may be interpreted allegorically.

So this is what's super interesting. As Paul is saying, I'm giving you an analogy, an illustration. It's like, I want you to think about two different sons and we're about to relate this to the covenants, okay?

This is why I can't tell you for how many years, I guess I just skipped over this passage of scripture. Or I read it and I'm like, I don't know, right? So I want to show you how this directly is about to be tied back into the church and Israel.

Verse 24. Now this may be interpreted allegorically. These women are two covenants. Now let me pause. Any takers out there, what covenants do you think this is referring to? We're about to develop more of the context, but this is covenants plural.

Any thoughts out there?

One's the Mosaic covenant, one's the covenant of Abraham.

Yes, one is the Mosaic covenant. So thank Mount Sinai. Old covenant. And then you got the new covenant. Now this is what's really groundbreaking to me, is your Bible is divided into two testaments. Old Testament, New Testament.

Now that Testament is a will and really is a covenant that God made with man. And so what we're about to really continue to develop is all of redemptive history, which even our scriptures are divided up into.

Okay, so this is talking about the old Mosaic covenant and the new covenant. And listen, the new covenant that is exclusively the covenant of grace. It's really, really important as we're gonna continue to develop.

Verse 24 again. Paul says, we're interpreting this allegorically. These women are two covenants. So Hagar represents which covenant? Mount Zion. And another theological term that we talk about for the Mosaic covenant is we here at 12 .5 call this the covenant of works.

Okay, and the reason why we call it a covenant of works is when you have conditions, a list of commands, well, you have to work to obey or disobey, right? And so when you think about what God told Adam in the garden where there were conditions, don't do this, do this.

If you obey, blessing, if you disobey, curses or punishment, right? And so what we're gonna see is there is a covenant of grace that is totally night and day different than the Mosaic covenant, the Sinaitic covenant, the covenant of works is not the same as the covenant of grace.

In fact, grace and works don't mix, right? If you did, then you've abolished the gospel of grace and understanding the works of the Mosaic law, right? Grace and works are different. That's why when we talk about these five souls, we're saved by grace alone, through faith alone and Christ alone, not by your own works, okay?

So these are the two covenants in view, covenant of works, covenant of grace. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery she is Hagar, okay? So think about the imagery of the children enslaved at Egypt, they were enslaved.

And so when you have children of the flesh enslaved, you're enslaved to sin. When you're under the covenant of works that you can't fulfill, you are enslaved, right? Jesus said, he who sins is a slave to sin.

So in this analogy, that's what Hagar represents. This is Mount Sinai, okay? So verse 25, now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia. She corresponds to the present Jerusalem. Okay, now let's define our other word.

Did the church replace Israel? And I would say no, because that's like asking, well, did Isaac replace Ishmael? No, they're different sons and only one is the son of promise. So let's define Israel as the nation of Israel.

Those that are of flesh, those stiff-necked individuals that constantly were rebelling against God and he would have to raise up judges, kings, and they would repent and be restored, okay? So now the two categories that we're asking about, did the called out ones of faith replace the nation of Israel, okay?

This is what Paul is getting into and what I'm suggesting is no. The nation of Israel served many purposes of God. They were under the covenant of works and they failed. When you look back to Galatians chapter three, the whole point of the law was to look at it as a mirror and realize that you are a sinner in need of saving grace and an amazing savior who cannot fail, okay?

So I would argue, no, the church does not replace, the called out ones of faith do not replace the nation of Israel, different purposes, okay? So look at me at verse 25 again. Now, Hagar is Mount Sinai, the Sinaitic mosaic covenant in Arabia.

She corresponds to the present Jerusalem, the nation of Israel, for she is in slavery with her children, okay? They're bound in sin to this covenant of works that they cannot fulfill and will be held accountable to on the day of judgment.

Verse 26, but the Jerusalem above is free and she is our mother. So I wanna pause. I wanna submit to you now, we're talking about the church, the called out ones by grace alone through faith alone. This is the heavenly Jerusalem from above.

When we talk about being born again, it means to be literally born from above, okay? Two different children, one doesn't replace the other. We got the nation of Israel. They are not being replaced by the children of promise, okay?

So the Jerusalem that's from above, this is the church. She is our mother. Let's keep reading. For it is written from the prophet Isaiah, rejoice, O barren one, who does not bear, break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor.

For the children of the desolate, one will be more than those of the one who has a husband. I think the context of this verse from Isaiah is when the people, the nation of Israel were enslaved, there was a remnant and God is saying, you're gonna be restored.

So I'm wanting you to think about this principle. The church has always been the called out ones by faith. Now we're gonna get into on the backside, how you have believers in the Old Testament and you still have believers in the New Testament.

They were just under a time where the Mosaic law was present, but they were saved by the new covenant. In some sense, the saints of old, they were a part of heavenly Jerusalem by promise, okay? So it'd be safe to say.

Yes, so this is the direction we're headed, okay? Because we could say that no, the church doesn't replace the nation of Israel, but the called out ones today are the fulfillment of the believers of Israel in the old covenant.

My point is the true Israel of God, that's the church. That's the called out ones by faith. And that's the distinction that Paul makes is there's a present Jerusalem, nation of Israel, and then there's a heavenly Jerusalem that resides in heaven, our membership by faith.

Can you say that again? You were saying the called out ones of today or the contemporary?

The called out ones today are the heavenly Jerusalem. And that's back in verse 26. But the Jerusalem above is free. She is our mother. And so this idea of being from above, these are the ones that have been born again.

These are the ones that are trusting in Christ by faith alone. So this helps us answer the question, the church, the called out ones by faith do not replace national rebellious Israel. Rebellious national Israel, they are not God's people.

God's people are those of faith. They are the children of promise as we're gonna see Paul kind of continues to develop that thought. And so what I also wanna talk about is it's more accurate to say that the called out ones of faith, the church, are the fulfillment of the true Israel God.

The present Jerusalem is where Paul wrote that. Right. Right, so when Paul wrote that, think about the principle of continuity even from Old Testament, before 780 and after 780. Present Jerusalem is the rebellious national people.

Yeah, that's what I was wanting to bring out because it's not the present Israel today. Sure. It was the present Jerusalem when Paul wrote that. Here's what's interesting about present Jerusalem today is they are still rebellious against God.

And you know how I know that? They reject Jesus as their Messiah. They are in a sense the present Israel as a nation that's still rebellious. But it's true, like he wrote this before like the judgment of the destruction of the temple.

And what's being contrasted is a present Jerusalem, earthly, fleshly Jerusalem, with the Jerusalem that's from above. And we're starting to see the Jerusalem that's from above is the church. What he was just saying, think about Paul in the first century saying this Jerusalem.

He's talking about the nation of Israel. And I'm saying there is a principle that's true from the Old Testament time, you still had a nation of Israel of sorts. And Paul said this in the first century.

And I'm saying by application, it's still true today. There is a present Jerusalem that's rebellious against God. And my point is they are of Hagar. They are not the children of promise. The children of promise are those that look to Christ alone by faith.

So then I got Hagar's children, the Arabs.

Right, but here's the principle, that rebel against God. And they are not the children of promise. I get that, but they're not part of Jerusalem. They are part of, well, they're a part of the present Jerusalem, the fleshly Israel that's rebellious against God.

And here's the point that Paul's making. They are not the children of promise. Those are believers by faith alone.

I get that, but I don't get calling Hagar's children true Israel.

Hagar's children, the takeaway is they're not the children of promise. It's an allegory. It's an allegory. He says it's an allegory. So let's go ahead and continue. We got a lot of ground to take. Verse 28.

So we're talking about the church. We're defining the church. And we also defined Israel as present Jerusalem, rebellious nation of Israel. And they don't replace one another. They're just different. So now he goes back in verse 28.

He says to the called out ones by faith, the church. Now you brothers, like Isaac, are children of the promise. So this is good news. Believers, they inherit the promises of God. Not a rebellious nation, fleshly people.

The Jerusalem that's heavenly and from above that's been born again, they are the children of promise. That's his point. Verse 29. But just as at that time, he who was born according to the flesh, so this would be who?

Of the two sons. Which son is born of the flesh? Ishmael. But just as at that time, he was born according to the flesh, persecuted him, Isaac, who was born according to the spirit. So also it is now. Now, what Paul means there is Isaac is the child of promise, right?

Of divine favor, just like all believers that are born again. Those who are born again, they are the church. And as we're about to see here in a moment, they are the true Israel of God, not the fleshly rebellious nation, but they are part of the heavenly Jerusalem.

So verse 30. But what does the scripture say? Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit the son of the free woman. So there was a context back in Genesis 21.

There was, like we were talking about earlier, there was not a strong relationship between Ishmael and Isaac, right? Or Hagar and Sarah. There was animosity, and the child that was born of the flesh, right?

Which was who? Sarah eventually said, you gotta go, okay? Now, what's wild here is the application that Paul is using in this allegory. Those that are adding works to the gospel of grace are cast out and are not saved.

They are not children of the promise. I just want to make sure I'm understanding.

So Paul is saying, you're saying, we're interpreting this allegorically. It's not an actual allegory, because it's not fiction, right?

Oh yeah, so there's a narrative of all these stories that actually took place. So he's saying, take this story that we all know that's true, and I want to make a case about the covenants. Comparing and contrasting.

Comparing and contrasting, because you gotta think the audience, especially the Jewish audience, would understand these stories very well. And he's saying, take Sarah and Hagar. They're like the covenants, the covenant of works at Mount Sinai, and the covenant that's promised to come, covenant of grace that has a perfect mediator, the new covenant.

I just want to make sure. Oh yeah. Somebody could just say it's an allegory. Right, Paul's point is saying, let's take an illustration to talk about the covenants, and who is the children of promise? And his point is, the physical offspring of Abraham, they are not the children of promise.

It's those who are born from above, and have put their faith in Christ, they are the children of promise. So, great clarity. So before we turn the page, I want us to make sure, this is what I'm trying to say, we have to define the church, which are who?

The called out ones, by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. And then, who is Israel? The present Jerusalem. This is the nation of Israel, ethnic Israel, fleshly Israel. Now look with me in Galatians chapter six, at verse 15.

This will give us a new definition for Israel, to complicate things a little bit. Okay, Paul says, for neither circumcision, which are the fleshly ethnic nation of Israel, right? For neither circumcision counts for anything.

It's important, God gave the command, but it doesn't count for anything in terms of salvation. Because we already read earlier, it doesn't matter if you're male or woman, Gentile, Jew, if you're in Christ, then you can be saved.

You can have your sins forgiven. So neither circumcision counts for anything, to salvation, or uncircumcision, but a new creation. Doesn't that sound like born again language, right? All things are brand new.

If you're in Christ, then your heart has been changed from a heart of stone, and you've been given a living heart, one that trusts in Christ. That's what counts, being born again, trusting in Christ alone.

Verse 16, and as for all who walk by this rule, by faith, trusting in Christ, who have been born again, a new creation, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel of God. So the Israel of God, the heavenly Jerusalem, who is that?

Okay, so I heard a lot of good answers out there. But the Israel of God is the church, the called out ones, they're the heavenly Jerusalem that's been born again. And that's existed from Old Testament into New Testament.

Okay, so does it make sense of what I'm putting forward here? That's why I wanted to have handouts again. Did the church replace Israel? No, right? The church are the called out ones by faith. They are the children of promise.

The nation of Israel, they served a purpose in God's plan of redemption. And we see them fail, we see them fail. We see in 1 Corinthians 10 and Romans 15, all the things that were written about the nation of Israel was for our learning, don't do that, right?

And if you're trusting in Christ, you've been born again, we live our life. And this relates to one of the questions about God's law is we can now fulfill the law. We are free to live to the glory of God.

And when we do disobey, when we do fall into sin, we have a perfect mediator who we can go to, who we can run to, we can confess our sins, knowing that he is perfectly just to save. Okay, so we got through some of the hard part.

But before we flip over the page, any questions?

How does, does the Abrahamic covenant fit in here?

Because you're asking about it. It does, the Abrahamic covenant, we'll break this down real quick, contains an unconditional promise and conditions of works. Mainly be circumcised, you don't do it, you're gonna die.

Okay, and so what's neat is those conditions are fulfilled in the culmination of the Mosaic covenant. Covenant of works, you don't wanna try to do that. You don't wanna try to earn your way to God because you're gonna fail, okay?

So there was an aspect to the Abrahamic covenant of do this and blessing, don't do this, death. There was an element to that. But God also promised an offspring, singular, Galatians talks about of Abraham.

Oh yeah, he's gonna fulfill all this to the T, perfectly. So this does relate to the Abrahamic covenant. The Abrahamic covenant is not the new covenant. Abraham was saved by the promised new covenant, but those are different covenants.

As we're gonna see here in a moment, this is what separates us from Presbyterians, okay? Presbyterians see the Mosaic covenant as a covenant of grace. There's actually internal dispute about that. And we say, no, no, no, that's a covenant of death and condemnation that we're about to look at.

And we're gonna say exclusively the new covenant is the covenant of grace that saves to the uttermost. And the members of the new covenant are the elect. It's the heavenly Jerusalem, it's the church, the called out ones by faith.

Any other questions?

Is it safe to say that's because Israel has never got the promise? 100%. Can you relate that answer to did the church replace Israel?

Right, because the church or the called out ones by God, they're the children of promise, not the nation of Israel. Okay, so Israel was never. The promises that we see in scripture, especially of salvation and the new heavens and the new earth, what Abraham looked to, that was a promise not to the physical nation, ethnic Israel, that's been a promise for believers.

So that's why the church doesn't replace Israel.

So when we're talking about heavenly Jerusalem, is that the same thing as the spiritual church? Yes, absolutely.

So I'm just kind of going back on it, but you say that there were so many of them who were in the church and so many of them were called out.

Yes, so Romans chapter nine says not all of ethnic Israel are of the Israel of God, the remnant who are believers that exist amongst unbelievers. That's a great point. I'll take yours first. No, I know, but you go ahead, Ron.

I don't have. Okay, all right, I understand. We'll talk about that kind of toward the end because it does relate to the covenants, okay? So I hope we're on the same page on what I'm trying to convey is the church doesn't replace national Israel.

The church are the children of promise, okay? And so there's a lot of dispute about that. This does relate to eschatology. Which we're gonna hold off on a little bit because I wanna transition to a really good point of application, which is the question on the back.

How is the new covenant better than the old covenant? Now, these are the two covenants that we were talking about. There's a covenant that's at Mount Sinai. That's really huge where I want us to go, okay?

And that is a covenant of works. And the new covenant is the covenant of grace, no works, right? There's no conditions in the new covenant. They are the called out ones by God. I would argue faith is not even a condition because faith is not something you can muster up on your own.

Faith is a gift, okay? So I'll turn with me to Hebrews chapter 11. And this was another question that was sent in. And this was a really good time to bring this up. So Hebrews, look at the last couple of verses of Hebrews chapter 11.

All of these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, okay? Let's talk a little bit about the context of Hebrews chapter 11. This is the great chapter of faith, the heroes of the faith, right?

I want you to understand, they, by faith, were looking forward to the promise of the coming Messiah who would restore all things and make all things new and bring heaven to earth, okay? So all of these, all the heroes of faith, though commended through their faith, right?

The just shall live by faith. They did not receive what was promised. So if you look back at verse 13 in this chapter, right? All of these died in faith. They were justified by faith. Remember, that's what counts.

That's the heavenly Jerusalem. This is the assembly from heaven, the church. All of these died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on earth for people who speak, thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

If they had been thinking of a land from which they had gone out, they would have had an opportunity to return. But as it is, they, Abraham, they desired a better country that is a heavenly one. So what I'm wanting you to think about is when God promised Abraham a land, he said back in, I believe it's Genesis 17, that it's going to be an everlasting possession.

So Abraham looked around and said, oh yeah, this ain't the promise. All this world is cursed by sin and is perishing and Christ will return and make all things new. Abraham was looking for a heavenly home.

So my point is all the Old Testament saints, they didn't get to see the fruition of all of that, right? But they tasted of it by faith. They trusted in the promises of God, but they didn't receive it on this side of eternity, right?

So look at verse 40. Since God had provided something better for us, okay? So I want you to think about this. The saints of old, the hall of faith, they are the church, they're the called out ones by faith, but we today as New Testament Christians, we have something better than the saints of old, okay?

We have the Holy Spirit, we have God's word. Christ has already come and told us, oh yeah, I'm coming back. We have tasted better realities than the saints of old. They were just, they were saved the same way we were, justified by faith alone in Christ alone, but they saw types and shadows of it in the future, right?

They still lived with the guardrails of the old covenant, right? They did not get to live in the time of the new covenant, right? And so which mountain represented the covenant of works? Sinai, okay. So I want to illustrate this, right?

So verse 40 says, since God had provided something better for us as Christians that apart from us, they should be made, they should not be made perfect, okay? So you got to think, we are saved the same way as Old Testament saints.

They were looking forward to Christ and they were saved by that promise. And we are looking back to what Christ accomplished. And what the writer of Hebrews is saying is we have something better than what they had.

So look with me at Hebrews chapter 12, starting in verse 18. Think about Mount Sinai, and we're going to compare Mount Sinai with a better mountain, okay? So hold that thought. Verse 18 of Hebrews chapter 12.

For if you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and a sound of the trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them.

For they could not endure the order that was given. If even a beast touches the mountain, Mount Sinai, it shall be stoned. Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I tremble with fear. Okay, so this is Exodus 19 language, right?

God has made a covenant with the nation of Israel and they said, we will do this, right? God is holy. This mountain is covered with smoke. Now I want you to think about something. If anyone touched Mount Sinai, they would die.

This is the covenant of works. This is not a covenant of grace. If you touch the mountain, you would die. And the more I thought about this is I was saying, this could not be a covenant of grace anyway.