Blood Covenant - Part 7 — Bob Phillips

This is tape number seven in the 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 the series or to the tapes out of sequence can lead to a misunderstanding of the nature, the intent, and the importance of the series.

The New Covenant and the Fear of the Lord

Hebrews chapter eight. We've been discussing covenant all week long and we've talked about several aspects of covenant and tonight we're going to talk about a takeoff from where we were last night. But if you weren't here last night, if you'll follow through, I believe the word will speak to your heart and I don't believe you'll have any trouble following it.

Then we're going to talk about the aspect of covenant that's necessary to walk with him, walk in covenant, and that's walking in the fear of the Lord. And we want to understand what the fear of the Lord is and know what God means when he says we're to walk in the fear of the Lord.

But I want to begin in Hebrews chapter eight, verse six. But now he, speaking of Jesus, but now he has been, he has obtained a more excellent ministry by as much as he, Jesus, is also the mediator of a better covenant which has been enacted on better promises.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. For finding fault with them, he says, behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will effect a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.

Not like the covenant which I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant. We saw that last night, did we not?

They didn't continue in God's covenant. We saw why God gave the law and why it was necessary to give that law. They didn't continue in his covenant and I did not care for them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant.

Now we're talking about the covenant that he's made with us. Now notice what he says. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws into their minds and I will write them upon their, what?

Upon their hearts and I will be their God and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach everyone his fellow citizen and everyone his brother, saying, know the Lord for all shall know me from the least to the greatest of them.

Jeremiah's Prophecy of a Heart That Knows God

Now he was describing this covenant that we're talking about. I want you to turn with me to another scripture where we see the description of this covenant in Jeremiah. Now we just read it in the New Testament.

We're going to go to the Old Testament and read the prophecy of this covenant. Jeremiah 24. Jeremiah chapter 24. I want to urge you to go through the scriptures with me. I want you to read the scriptures with me.

Look at them as we're going through them. Because as you go through them and look at them with your eyes, it'll get in your heart. Because what you see, you're going to have a greater effect on you than just what you sit and listen to.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? And it's a way to keep your mind from drifting. I don't know if you know this or not, but Satan's after the Word as soon as it's sewn in your heart. Did you know that?

That's what Mark 4 says. And that's why you'll catch yourself drifting away. And your eyes will be looking around, be watching somebody or drifting off, or your mind will be running off thinking of something.

And only you can control that because God's not going to do that for you. And you have to make a decision. I'm saying this because the Lord's telling me to say this tonight at this particular point. Because I think that some of you may be having the Word stolen from you and really don't know what we just read in Hebrews 8.

And you have to make that decision. But I want to tell you something, that there's a message that God wants you to hear tonight that's very important for you to hear. And you have to make the decision to hear it.

God's not going to make you hear it, and you're just wasting your time if you're not going to hear it. Are you hearing what I'm saying? I'm saying that to you kindly, but I want you to know that it's important for you to read along with me so that you can see what God has to say.

We're looking at God's Word, His Word to us. Now, Jeremiah chapter 24. Jeremiah 24. This is a prophecy of the Scriptures we just read about in this covenant. Verse 7. And I will give them a heart. What kind of heart's God going to give us?

A heart to do what? Everybody say it. A heart to know Him. I will give them a heart to know me. Now, I want you to understand what God's saying. Now, don't let this just pass by without recognizing what God's saying to you.

God says that in this new covenant, I'm going to put a new heart in you, and this new heart is going to be capable of knowing me. Now, I don't care what you think you know about God or how much you think you don't know about God.

God says, I've given you a heart in this covenant capable of having an intimate communion and knowledge of me. And don't say it doesn't include you because He says from the greatest to the least of them, I'm giving them a heart to know me.

You can know God. I desire that you know God personally and that you don't just have what we call a personal relationship, but you have a personal communing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. And He says you can have it because He's given you a heart capable of having that relationship.

Now, how many of you see that in the Word? Is that what God said? All right, now notice. He said, and I will give them a heart to know me, for I am the Lord, and they will be my people, and I will be their God.

But now I want you to notice something, and this is an important qualification because if you don't have this, you're not going to know Him. For they will return to me with how much of their heart? How much of their heart?

Their whole heart, every bit of it. If you have a divided heart, you're not going to know God. You're not going to have a relationship with God. You're not going to have an intimate knowledge of Him. You may be able to talk about an experience you've had, but now you know whether or not you know God.

You know if you know Him. Now, not because somebody told you you know Him because you were baptized. Not because somebody told you you know Him. I'm talking about because you commune with Him, you talk to Him, and He talks to you.

I remember as a little boy going, I would ask God. I couldn't understand it. I, from the time I was real small, I wanted to have a relationship with God. I wanted to know Him. I'd talk to God. I'd get alone.

I'd be out playing, and I'd just talk away to God. Then one day it dawned on me. It dawned on me that God wasn't talking back to me. And I didn't understand that as a little boy because every friend that I had talked back to me.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? Every one of them. And you know what I did? I went and asked my parents why God didn't talk back to me. And they said, well, God just, He doesn't really just talk to you because they didn't really know God at that time.

They didn't know Him. And so I asked the preacher, and I asked my Sunday school teacher, why won't God talk with me? I didn't get one answer why God wouldn't talk to me except don't expect Him to talk to you.

God doesn't say anything to you. I want you to know something. I found out He does. I found out He does talk to you. I found out He not only talks to you through His Word, but I found out He talks to my mind.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? He wants to know me and to know you in an intimate communion. No, I've not heard a loud, booming voice, but I've had an inner knowing sometimes that's just as strong as I'm speaking to you tonight.

And no, it's God. Are you hearing what I'm saying? I want to grow to hear and discern His voice even more clearly than I am tonight. Do you? That ought to be the desire of your heart. And God says, I give you a heart capable of doing it.

But the stipulation is I must have your whole heart. If I don't have your whole heart, you're not going to hear me and you're not going to know me. Are you with me? I say, are you with me? Okay. Now, I want you to notice.

He says that we're to know Him with our whole heart. Now, turn with me to some chapters close to that. Jeremiah, chapter 32. Jeremiah, chapter 32. Now, before we read in Jeremiah 32, I want to explain something to you.

We're talking about a God who's going to make covenant with you. Now, when you come to God, God says this. He says, I'm going to give you a new heart and a new spirit. How many of you remember reading that in Ezekiel?

A new heart and a new spirit. Now, here's what happens. Of course, God's not talking about this pumper here, is He? No, He's not talking about that at all. He's talking about a work that He's going to do on the inner man.

And here's what God says. God says, when you make me Lord and you come to me with your whole heart, unreservedly, you give me all of your being. You no longer live for yourself, but you've made a choice to live for me.

And when you do that, you're giving me your whole heart. Now, here's what God says. God says, when you do that, He, God, is going to deposit something in that heart. Now, listen to me very carefully, because every person that's born again gets this deposit in the heart.

Now, yes, He does deposit the Holy Spirit. He does deposit the Holy Spirit in your heart. But God also deposits something else in your heart. If you've been born again, you had it the moment you accepted Jesus.

It came as a part of His Lordship. Here's what it is. Look with me at Jeremiah 32. Again, here's a prophecy of what He's going to do and what's going to take place. Jeremiah 32, verse 38. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

And I will give them how many hearts? How many hearts? I'll give them one heart and how many ways? One way. Isn't that interesting? I'll give them one heart and one way. I wonder what that means to all of us that got different interpretations for everything.

Somebody's wrong. I'll give them one heart and one way that they may... What's that one heart and one way going to do for them? That they may fear me how often? Always. For their own good and for the good of their children after them.

Isn't that a strange way to talk about fear? God says, I'm going to put the fear of me in them for their own good. How many of you see that? Is that what it says? I say, is that what your Bible says? Now, God does this.

Now, listen to me. Let's go on. And I, for their own good and for the good of their children after them, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good.

And I will put the fear of me. Where is he going to put it? In their hearts so that they will not turn away from me. And I will rejoice over them to do them good. And, now look at this. I will faithfully plant them in this land.

Now, look what God says. With all my heart and with all my soul. Now, that's good news. God says, when you give me all of your heart, I'm going to give you a new heart. It's going to be one heart and there's going to be one way.

And I'm going to put the fear of me inside you. Now, this fear is not like the fear of the world. It's different from the fear of the world because we see that the fear of the world in 1 John 4, 18 causes torment.

How many of you know the fear of the world causes torment? The fear that comes from the world is a tormenting fear. The fear of the unknown is a tormenting fear. The fear of failing is a tormenting fear.

The fear of being rejected is a tormenting fear. The fear of not being accepted is a tormenting fear. The fear of what's going to happen tomorrow is a tormenting fear. The fear of death is a tormenting fear.

The fear of danger is a tormenting fear. The fear of not being loved is a tormenting fear. All of those are not the kind of fear that God's talking about. It's a different kind of fear. It's not one where you'll be afraid of God or afraid to approach God, but it's something different than that.

We're going to see what it is tonight. But I want you to know this you may not have felt it or known it that when you were born again God gave you a new heart and he put that fear of him inside your heart.

It was there from the very beginning. You know what that fear did how many of you can remember when you first got saved. Do you remember those thoughts? Having just given your heart to Jesus of never wanting to displease him in anything ever again.

How many of you remember? See that was the fear of the Lord that was placed inside you. You wanted to love him and you wanted to know him if you truly got born again. If you just came and joined the club.

Or if you just came and put your name on a roster or became a member of something then you didn't have that but if you Genuinely gave your heart to Jesus. There was something deposited on the inside of you that did not want to displease God.

It didn't want to lose God and whatever else you wanted to have that relationship with God above everything else in the whole world. Are you with me? All right, that was the fear of the Lord. That was the operation of that new heart that he gave you and that was the fear of the Lord.

That was deposited within you. It's a fear based on love. Are you with me? I'm gonna explain that as we go but just follow along with me and he says notice some things about this thing this fear. He says that this fear comes from one heart in one way and he says it's for their good.

This is a fear that's not for bad, but it's a fear that's for your good. How many of you see that and here's what it does notice what it says verse 40. Let's read it again, but I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

In other words, this fear is necessary for covenant to be made. Are you with me? He's gonna put this fear inside you so that God can make covenant with you. Are you how many of you see that? Are you with me?

And then notice what he says? I'll make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good and I will put the fear of me in their hearts. Now. Here's why he does it so that They will not turn away from me how many of you see that.

You see God puts the fear of him in you so that you won't turn away from him because what he wants to do in Covenant is to do good to you. Is that what he's saying? Now here's what that means. You see when you walk in covenant with God God with a whole heart God can fulfill all the conditions of the covenant.

Well, we've been reading some tremendous blessings from covenant this week. I mean look what he did for the nation of Israel. Look what he did for the children of Israel just through covenant. Remember we saw last night.

They were in bondage to Pharaoh. They cried out to God and God says I heard their cry and Remembered my covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob what they do for them. He delivered them out of their bondage.

He provided healing for them. He provided that their shoes didn't wear out their clothes didn't wear out. He provided when they needed water they got water when they needed food they got food and God promises through covenant to supply every want and Need that you have.

Are you with me? All right. Now that's God's covenant with you to do you good now. May I just say to you that that's pretty strong in itself. But it even goes further than that. Not only does God promise to meet your needs and to always be there never to forsake you never to leave you.

He promises to take care of your physical your financial your spiritual and every other needs you've got. He promises to be a guard over your Household he promises we're gonna see some things he promises.

He promises to even give you a long life and satisfy you with it by covenant. Now, that's what he says. That's just what he said. God promised it to you. He said it now listen. Not only does he do those things, but he also Puts his robe of righteousness on you takes it.

We've already seen that this week. He puts his robe of righteousness on you. He exchanges robes. He takes his rope your robe of sin. He puts it on Jesus and it says that he makes you righteous justice.

He is righteous. Is that what we've seen so you become something in covenant that you couldn't become on your own. Which is the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus? Not only does he do that through covenant.

But he also promises that he will exchange strength and we saw that this way that when you're weak His strength is exchanged for your strength and I hear this is the way I explained that to you. God takes your strength called weakness and he exchanges it for his strength called power and so he takes all your weaknesses and Encloses it in his power and gives you the grace and the ability to do his word.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? He says things like I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthened with me. What's he saying? He's saying I got a covenant partner and even though I'm weak I can do all things through him who strengthens me because he's gonna exchange strength with me.

Isaiah said it when he said that he that you'll not grow weary or tired but if you'll call on the Lord and exchange strength with him says you'll mount up with wings as eagles wings and And you'll run and not grow weary.

But that's pretty good exchange isn't it? Not only does he do that to do you good? But we also saw he does something else. When you make covenant with someone all of your debts become their debts and all of your liabilities become their liabilities.

And we saw in Colossians chapter 2 that he nailed the certificate of debt Consisting of decrees against you having nailed it to the cross and put it out of the way and so here's what happened. He just exchanged debts and liabilities.

You got all of his debts and liabilities. He got all of your debts and liabilities. Good thing about that is he didn't have him. So he took all of yours. Are you with me? Not only that but we saw something else he does.

We also saw that he takes his name and he puts it in your name so that you and him are perfectly Identified together and that's why in the Bible you read statements like he who joins himself to the Lord becomes one Spirit with the Lord.

What he's talking about Covenants, that's why he was baptized. Jesus was baptized. Indicating that I am perfectly identifying myself with you. And so when we're baptized we're saying I have to death and identifying myself with you also God and we now are walking.

No longer live for ourselves. The good thing about you not living for yourself. Is that God doesn't live for himself either. When you live for him, he lives for you. Are you hearing what I'm saying? Because that's what he meant here when he said you give me all of your hearts and I'll rejoice over you with all of my.

To do you good? That's pretty good covenant, isn't it? All right now I Want you to notice things those in exchange. We also talked about one other thing. That was necessary for you to give God your whole heart.

That was this. All of your enemies become your covenant partners enemies, but all of his enemies become your enemies. Which means you hate the things he hates you love the things he loves. Which means he hates the things you hate love the things you love.

Are you hearing what I'm saying? Now that's a good thing because it means he mentioned we saw some enemies. We saw the enemy was the lust of the flesh the lust the eyes the boastful pride of life the powers of darkness and all that.

They all that they believe in and all that they are living for yourself pride ego. God hates it. It's his enemy loving the world all forms of it. God hates it now I'm not talking about loving various things.

But I'm talking about I'm talking about a love. For the world in the lust the eyes the lust the flesh the boastful private life where the world's got half your heart and God Supposedly got half of it.

You understand what I'm saying? God says you're my enemy. Because you've made covenant with my enemy. Are you doing what I'm saying? But when you make when you make sin your enemy listen to this when you make sin your enemy God then comes in covenant to do battle with what you declared as an enemy and he comes to do battle with the strongholds.

And the sins and the temptations that are trying to bind you and hold you. That's why the word says the battle is not yours it is the Lord's. Are you hearing what I'm saying? I say you're hearing what I'm saying.

All right. Now he says he makes that covenant with you to do you good the matter of fact if you read in Deuteronomy 28 he says that I'll do you so good that the blessings will literally overtake you and Bypass you.

You'll be the head not the tail. I'll command the blessings to be toward you. God says if you'll put me first place and everything and Diligently obey my word and listen to me. That's what he promises.

Covenant Blessings and Imputed Righteousness

Now who wouldn't want a covenant like that? We turn with you to Romans 3. Romans chapter 3. We could have gone all night just talking about the things that God's got in covenant. We weren't even able to begin to cover the things that God has for us in covenant.

Let me just put it this way all that he has is yours and all that you have is his. If you're in covenant because covenant means I no longer live for myself, but I live for the one I'm in covenant with.

Are you with me? I say are you with me? All right. Romans chapter 3. But I want you to notice something. He said that he was going to put the fear of him in that heart. That's born again. Is that what we saw?

I say is that what we saw right now? Let's look at something in Romans chapter 3. Notice this verse 9. Romans 3 what then are we better than they not at all for we have already Charged both Jews and Greeks.

Well, we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin as it is written. There's none righteous not even one. There's none who understands God. There's none who seeks for God. All have turned aside together.

They have become useless. There is none who does good now. Don't talk about a good man because there's none who does good. Is that what your Bible says? I say is that what your Bible says? All right. Now notice what there's not even one.

Their throat is an open grave and with their tongues. They keep deceiving. The poison of asks is under their lips. Well, you see, you know what he's describing he's describing what comes out of their mouth.

Because see when your hearts in rebellion to God, this is what's going to come out of your mouth. What does he mean the poison of asks is under their lips whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

Let me ask you a question. You think slander is like a poison? What about criticism? Is that like a poison? What about selfishness? Is that like a poison? See when you're living for yourself your hearts living for yourself.

It's like a poison. One of the worst things about a poison is it not only affects the person who's infected, but it's contagious. It can get on to a whole family it can get into a whole household. It can get on friends.

You know one of those one of the one of the crimes that I believe that will be held accountable for is whenever you go To a third party. You've been offended by somebody and you go to a third party who doesn't know anything about it and you speak for poison.

And it gets inside their heart and they don't even know but they love you. So they're offended and they get hurt more than you got hurt because you know what usually happens you usually forget about it.

But you know what that poison stays right there. And then they go and they tell another person and they get poisoned and they tell another person they get poisoned. You know where it all started from this.

Poison and venom that came out of your own mouth. Are you hearing what I'm saying? You just poisoned about six people. All right now notice this not only does poison come out of their lips their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

Their feet are swift. To shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their paths. You know what that means it means their feet are real quick to criticize and condemn and live for itself anything that crosses their paths.

Then they're gonna live for themselves and not only that but the feet are quick to run to sin. Now here's the whole problem the whole problem he sums up right here in the next two verses. And the path of peace.

Have they not known and there is no fear of God before their eyes. How many of you see that when there's no fear of God before their eyes? They've got misery no peace and they're quick to sin. Are you hearing what I'm saying?

Partaking of the Divine Nature Through Covenant Promises

All right turn with me to 2nd Peter. I want you to see what God promises in this coven. 2nd Peter look what God said. God said we don't have to live like that. 2nd Peter chapter 1. Turn with me carefully quickly.

2nd Peter chapter 1. I don't care how carefully you turn just quickly. 2nd Peter chapter 1 verse 1. Simon Peter a bond servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now I just want you to notice here some of the things that God gives you by entering into covenant with him. I believe you don't think it's pretty good. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

You know the the deeper you walk in covenant knowledge now. He said he gave you a heart to know him. Is that what he said. And the more you know him the more grace and peace is multiplied to you. Can I tell you that's a whole lot better than addition or especially than subtraction?

He multiplies grace and peace now all of us could use more peace. And I said last night that grace is not just unmerited favor grace is the power That comes from God to do his work. We saw that in the world.

Did we not I say did we not all right? Now notice this he gives us grace and peace in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord verse 3. Seeing that his divine power now, let's see if this sounds pretty good has granted to us how much?

Everything pertaining to life and godliness through the true knowledge of him who called us now. Can I ask you a question? Can you think anything he didn't cover in that statement? He said I have given you Everything pertaining to life.

In other words Everything that you need in this covenant is found that you're going to need pertaining to life and godliness. Is that what he said? I'd say is that what he said? All right now notice what he said.

Everything pertaining to life and godliness and what's this supposed to do verse 4 for by these that is these promises He has granted to us his precious and magnificent promises in order that by them you might become partakers of what kind of a nature a Divine nature having escaped the corruption that's in the world by lust now.

Here's what he's saying now. Listen to me carefully. He's saying that in this covenant I have given you everything you need to live not one thing that can possibly be needed is Not contained in this walk that I have for you everything you need for life is there and everything you need for Godliness is contained in this covenant.

Not only that but by the promises contained in this covenant you can escape the corruption That's in the world by lust through these promises. Now. Is that what he said and Have a divine nature. Now is that what he said.

I said that what he said, all right turn with me now I want you to see a condition that's necessary turn with me to 2nd Corinthians chapter 7. 2nd Corinthians chapter 7. 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 that he say these promises contained in the covenant would do all of that for us.

You're not talking to me. Is that what he said? All right. 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1 therefore Having these promises beloved. Let us what are we supposed to do since we have these promises? Let us cleanse ourselves from how much defilement of the flesh from all the defilement of the flesh and spirit.

Perfecting holiness and how are we going to perfect holiness? In the fear of God now, here's what he's saying. Now. Listen to me. God says I've made covenant with you. In that covenant I have given you everything you need.

We just read it pertaining to life and godliness. I God had done it. I've covered every base for you. I've covered every physical need. I've covered every spiritual need. I've covered every material need whatever you need for life and godliness.

It's contained in my covenant and I've given you promises to show you where it is. And not only that but in this covenant I give you through these promises a divine nature. So you can escape the corruption that's in the world through lust.

Your job is to cleanse yourself. But the only way that you're going to link up to the promises and Cleanse yourself from all the farm of flesh and spirit is if you walk in the fear of God. Are you hearing what I'm saying that that's what he's saying the people we just read about in Romans 3.

They didn't walk with everything pertaining to life and godliness. They had no godliness and what was missing was what? The fear of God was missing before their eyes. Now, how many of you saw that? Turn with me to Psalm 36.

The Fear of God Guards the Heart Against Sin

Psalm 36. We're laying a foundation for something and going somewhere now in Psalm 36. I read this song the other night, but I only read a portion of it and I want to read the rest of it tonight. Not the whole song but a portion of this song.

Psalm 36 verse 1. Now listen to me carefully. Transgression speaks to the ungodly and where does it speak to him? Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart. Now listen to me this new heart that we saw that God's gonna put within you when You get born again.

What's going to be put in that heart? The fear of God. What happens if the fear of God is missing? Transgression is going to speak to your heart. It's what says it right here. Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart.

There is no fear of God before his eyes. Are you saying that so do you understand that if we remove the fear of God from before your eyes? Your heart will be more bent and leaning towards sin. Are you with me?

You know what's happened today? We have developed a whole series of theologies and doctrines and traditions of men and Commandments of men that do the very thing we're talking about right here. They take the fear of God out from before the eyes of the people and It's peace and safety.

Everything's all right. You can live with Bitterness. You can live with criticism. You can live with resentment. Your heart still serve on the most important committee in the whole church. I mean you can hate your next-door neighbor literally hate him and let everybody at church know.