Covenant Widows

When Jesus died his blood sealed what he called a "new covenant," which we celebrate every time we participate in the Eucharist, or holy communion. He took our sins on himself so that we could be forgiven. His death and resurrection have opened up a new way of living.

Throughout chapters six and seven of Romans Paul implicitly compares and contrasts the old and new covenants. The old covenant was the law that God had given to Moses. It showed the way for the Jews to live, but it could never save from the power of sin. The new covenant gives life. We participate “in Christ,” and receive the power of the Spirit. When we place our faith in Christ and his finished work we not only receive a new master, we have been released from the old covenant in order to live under the new one (v 4).

God sets us free from the old covenant so that we can experience the superiority of the new covenant: “we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” (v 6).

The Christian does not live by keeping rules. The Holy Spirit transforms us to be like Jesus Christ, in all of his love. The "rules" of the Old Testament are still there, to be sure, to guide us. But, as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), under the Spirit we are to go beyond what Moses taught. Impossible? He is there, in our lives, to make it happen.

Respond in Prayer

Heavenly Father, Thank you that Christ has released me from the realm of sin, death and the power of the Law to condemn so that I can now serve him in righteousness through the Spirit. Help me to keep moving forward in the way of new life in Christ and the Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Wayne Baxter