Christian Education, Leadership & 21st Century Culture

The research has thus far shown that Christian education encompasses more than just the study and delivery of information aimed at spiritual formation. It should intentionally inform all areas pertaining to ecclesia – worship, evangelism, edification, fellowship, ministry and prayer. It is unwise to ignore the educational trends of the culture and society. If the Body of Christ is to stem the tide of decades of secularism in Education, then the way forward must include a reconsideration of Christian pedagogy intentionally driven through Christian community.

Trevor Cooling (2015) recommends exploring two models: First, an awareness of the modernist model which pushes hard knowledge and “treats Christian belief as at best unnecessary clutter and at worst as irrational and even toxic” (p. 21). Second is the postmodern model which promotes the subjective – maintaining that “knowledge is simply a construction of the human mind and there is no objective truth in education” (p.21).

The Divine Agenda

Throughout the ages, God has been moving mankind toward an intended end, one with an eschatological hope. Ever since the Fall of mankind (Gen. 3), the story of mankind has been one of God revealing himself to man, with the intention to reconcile them back to himself (2 Cor. 5:19). What he (God) has, is a divine agenda (Howell, p.300). The Fall necessitated a rescue plan (Gen. 3:16), predetermined before time began and realized in the sacrifice of God’s Son for mankind (Jn. 3:16), a once for all sacrifice (Heb. 10:1-18) that would grant mankind the gift of eternal life and justification for the stain of sin.

With this in mind, leaders who are servants of the King, embrace the high calling to proclaim the saving truth of the Gospel (1 Cor. 15) and with a willing heart, seek to fulfill the Great Commission mandate to reach, teach and make disciples (Mat. 28:19-20). This is the praxis of theology and leadership realized. Howell (2016) uses Paul as an example leader who, having internalized the divine agenda of God for his people regularly “reaffirmed the mission’s core value and message, and contextualized the message” in order to avoid “mission ambiguity, mission drift, and mission confusion” (p. 301). Paul’s modus operandi is a reminder of whose mission it is – God’s. It is his mission, his people, and while there may be benefits along the way for his under-shepherds, the mission remains one of self-sacrifice, with seasons of suffering.

The Goal Of Christianity

"Christianity in essence is concerned with the transformation of character and conduct

rather than with the reformation of societal structures. Its primary focus is on the individual ethics within the Christian community rather than on corporate ethics within society at large; on interpersonal relationships rather than on societal reformation through institutional change. The principal change sought is in the individual, and the secondary in society, through transformed individuals."

Murray J. Harris, Slave of Christ, (Downers Grove, IL: Inter Varsity Press, 1999), 67-8. 

Abortion: The Pro-Life & Pro-Choice Positions.

At the heart of the Abortion issue is the question of Personhood (of the Fetus). At what point in the process of gestation can we say the fetus is a ‘person’?  Currently, the supreme court has endorsed 24 – 26 weeks as the point at which the fetus is able to live on its own (viability). The issue with this is being able to reliably measure viability as it varies based on place and available technology. There are a few more proposed ways to determine personhood (the decisive moment):
•Determining the moment when the brain develops or the point at which the brain of the fetus begins to function:
•Determining Sentinence – the point where the fetus is capable of experiencing sensations, especially pain
•Determining Quickening – the first time the mother feels the fetus moving inside her womb
•Determining the appearance of Humanness of the fetus – the point at which the fetus begins to resemble a baby
•Birth as the decisive moment
•Implantation – the point at which the embryo establishes its presence in the womb by signals
•The point of conception as the decisive moment

The Abortion Issue - How Should Christians Respond?

Ethics & Worldview: Abortion 

Let's begin with a video that features both sides of the debate:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMEZi345niw

New York State has approved legislation to legalize abortion up through the third trimester. The governor gladly lit up the New York skies in a pink celebration.

Not living in that state, I wonder… would I have known about this if the same law was proposed in Florida?  Would I care, and would I even do something about it? How did we get to the place where the crowd shouts for joy with the signing of this legislation into law? All for a political advantage? The self-centeredness of our politicians is over the top. What of the baby involved? Who speaks for this baby? Why is the conversation just about the “woman’s right”? A contributor to the 8pm news program on Fox was adamant today that “we will not let men tell us what to do with our bodies.” Wow! Again, who speaks for the baby? Think of the little kid who’s been kicking and moving in mommy’s womb, only to have his or her life taken at 39-41 weeks… This is crazy! Nothing but infanticide. People, we need responsible government; not identity politics bent self-centered people who have personal agendas.

The Attitude Of The Christian Apologist

Every human being is made in the image of God, and worthy of respect (Gen. 1:27). This is worthy of consideration before engaging any and all interlocutors. The Christian apologist in faithfully executing the discipline of apologetics is called to both defend and commend the Gospel (2 Cor. 10:5; 2 Tim. 2:25; Tit. 1:9; Jude 3; Phil. 2:5-11), in a manner worthy of the Lord he or she represents (1 Pet. 3:15). Whether the apologist is engaged in responsive or proactive methods, the making of such defense will be key towards moving the interlocutor closer to a relationship with Christ. It surely “is not about you; it is about them.”[1] Having prayerfully prepared, skillfully considering the audience, the context, the quality of arguments, along with the all-important reliance upon the Holy Spirit, the Christian apologist is better equipped to both commend and defend the faith in a grace-full attitude worthy of a Christ-spirit-filled ambassador that brings glory to His name.

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[1] James K. Belby, Thinking About Christian Apologetics: What It Is And Why We Do It, (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011), 176-7.

“What Did Jesus Say About Homosexuality?”

The debate surrounding marriage is as old as Moses (Deut. 24). Homosexuality as well has had  historic implications since Old Testament times (Gen. 19; Lev. 18:22, 20:13). Michael Brown contributes to the debate with a biblical response to the homosexual agenda in light of the institution of marriage (Gen. 3:18-24; Mat. 19:8; Deut. 24) and the argument of silence that supposedly supports tolerance of homosexual relationships in light of Matthew 19:11-12. If this were the times of the apostle Paul, he would say that any claim that the Bible favors homosexuality is not only false doctrine, but the discipline of homosexual theology is biblically incompatible.

Globalization & Missions: Getting The Message Out

Globalization in the twenty first century guarantees that neighborhoods Christians seek to communicate the gospel will be a blend of cultures. If the message of the gospel is to be effectively presented, fulfilling Christ’s mandate to go to the nations (Mat.24:14, 28:19; Lk. 24:47), then leadership must seek to have “some insight into how culture shapes the thoughts and behaviors of the people” within those communities.[1] The call to witness is not just for some far away country; globalization has brought the world next door. It will require greater effort; Livermore calls it “a disciplined effort to better understand cultural differences.”[2] What is valued in the American culture may be of a lesser value or even offensive to another culture. It would be wise to have at least a beginning understanding of the worldview of the target audience as “worldviews provide a system of beliefs reflected in values and behavior.”[3] While the Christian believes without a shadow of a doubt that there is only one God (Deut. 4:35,39; 6:4) and all else is false (and worthy of condemnation), there is a benefit to understanding the religion of those hearing the gospel. A good step in small-talk is finding common ground that leads to a more receptive audience.

It would not be uncommon for proclaimers of the gospel to have a cocooning mentality, yet this may very well be one of the core impediments of reaching outside the four walls of the church. Because the church is in the people business, “leaders must be both global and local in understanding and serving customers” (in this case, those to whom the gospel is proclaimed).[4] What works at home may not work in India or Africa. Although the gospel is a universal message, others may already have presuppositions about this gospel. For example, it may be seen as a “western religion” or “the white man’s religion.” History has shown that on numerous occasions, the western world has indeed imported its Christian worldview without consideration for indigenous peoples. That said, if the gospel is to be effectively proclaimed to the nations, the church ‘should be acutely aware that people have tastes, behaviors and assumptions that are not only different, but in conflict with one another.”[5] It is not enough to hit folks in the head with the Bible; the proclaimer of God’s word may wish to meet the listener at their point of need with an eye towards Christ’s kingdom (Mat. 6:33).

The gospel is in no way esoteric. It is universal in appeal, content and power to save. What makes the difference is the employment of fully functioning gifts of the Spirit under the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The Father already promised empowerment (Mat.28:18,20), but he also expects the church to be organized for effectiveness (Acts 6:2-7). There will be challenges working with individuals and teams of people, especially culturally diverse teams. Without compromising orthodoxy, Livermore suggests making an effort to (1) understanding how a family system works, (2) understanding culture, language patterns and non-verbal behaviors, (3) “slowing down long enough to observe the hearer” while drawing on cultural intelligence to resolve issues, and (4) “looking internally at biases and assumptions and then making conscious decisions to address them.”[6] This is where intercultural communication truly becomes effective. Proclaimers of the gospel who work regularly with culturally diverse ministry partners will “reap rewards from acquiring the awareness, knowledge and skills of flexible intercultural communication. This will be needed to solve problems, manage conflicts and forge new visions at home and abroad.”[7] Bottom line is that the effective spread of the unchanging gospel to the nations (“diverse contexts and cultures”) will require both a learning/developing to function across diverse cultures (CQ) and “developing a creative mindset to see things from different angles without rigid pre-judgment.” [8]

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[1]  David Livermore, Leading With Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret To Success, (United States: AMACOM, 2015), 67.

[2]  Ibid., 67-8.

[3]  Lloyd E. Kwast, Understanding Culture, 399, accessed September 6, 2018, https://learn.liberty.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-24419510-dt-content-rid-297477156_1/courses/GLST650_B02_201840/GLST650_LUO_8WK_DEV_ImportedContent_20180129105511/GLST650_M2_Understanding_Culture_by_Lloyd_E._Kwast.pdf

[4] Livermore, Cultural Intelligence, 16.

[5] Ibid., 14.

[6]  Ibid., 29-30.

[7]  Stella Ting-Toomey and Leeva C. Chung, Understanding Intercultural Communication, (New York: Oxford Press, 2012), 6-7.

[8]  Ibid., 5.

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Written by Kevin A. Hall.

The Multicultural Mission Field

It is unfortunate that the church is seen as organized religion, packaging the gospel as determined by its target groups. But then again, this is not a new phenomenon. When Jesus came on the scene he not only denounced the religious class as hypocrites (Mat.23:13), he appealed to Isaiah as an authoritative reference (Mat.15:7; Isa.29:13).  His plan to reach the nations beginning with his immediate circle would be a radical and incarnational approach that raised more than a few eyebrows. As master communicator, Jesus made adjustments to his teaching style opting to use parables to communicate truths to those who wished to listen and as a source of judgment for those who rejected his message (Mat.13:10-17). Even Jesus then, believed it was necessary to make adjustments to the method of delivery in order to be more effective and relevant. While he made adjustments, he did not compromise his message, delivering his message with noticeable authority (Mat.7:29; Mk. 1:22). In many cases, this is what is lacking in the present proclamation of the gospel; many come in his name, with many titles, but are lacking spiritual authority.

Cultivating A Christian Worldview- Our Nine Year Old Girl

My nine-year-old (she tells me soon to be 10) does not instinctively gravitate towards anything “church/God”. I have to wonder what my mom would say about me when I was 9/10 years old. I have been observing her for a few months now, and notice that if given the opportunity, she will not: sing church songs, worship, read her Bible, pray, act friendly towards others. However, as I have observed over this summer, she will: watch as many hours of videos as she can, she knows all the (worldly) songs and dance moves, can repeat the coolest things to say, can identify all the kid celebrities, will play all day. C’mon, you say…give her a break! She’s only nine years old. True. Again, at my age, I cannot remember what I was like at her age. I am sure I was no saint, and I did much the same things as she did. At nine, I was in Primary school and in love with the prettiest girl in the school (Kim), thought we'd get married too…funny thing I am married to another  beautiful girl named Kim. I was on top of stuff, knew all the songs (it was the Michael Jackson era). I was very engaged in school and did a lot of stuff with friends and family. But church… can’t say. I lived with my grandmother who had a more subdued approach to "training in the Way." 

Using One's Life Story In Ministry

Life Story & Ministry

     A life story “gives definition to the experiences of the past.”[1] God uses a lifetime of unfolding events, circumstances and relationships in the life of a preacher/teacher, to mold him or her into a tool for  spiritual development (personally and corporately).[2]It is interesting how God is never surprised by the path taken by any of his children. “He is never captive and will write his story in and through his instruments regardless of the circumstances.”[3] Since part of the role of encourager in chief (the preacher/teacher) will be to create and promote a community in which life stories can be freely and [4]

safely expressed (catalyst for change), then it is important that he or she is fully aware of his or her own story. The preacher becomes that catalyst for change after coming to an understanding of how he or she fits into God’s big picture. Before Peter the fisherman became the apostle Peter, bishop of the New Testament church, his Lord told him, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). His life story became his catalyst for change under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Peter’s influence and ministry after his last personal encounter with Jesus (John 21:15-18) set the pace for the latter half of his life, to the benefit of all of Christendom. All of his past was fuel for his future, and the same principle holds true for the preacher/teacher. It is “the preacher’s story, intersecting God’s story, for the purpose of God’s ongoing story.”

Perspectives On A Biblical Account Of Creation

In Support Of A Literal Six-Day Creation

The Bible testifies of itself that God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). “By Creation we mean that free act of God by which in the beginning he made, without the use of preexisting materials, the whole visible and invisible universe.”^[1] God affirms he completed this miraculous work in 6 days (Exodus 20:11, 31:17, Nehemiah 9:6; Isaiah 45:12), proclaiming his work “very good” (Genesis 1:31), resting on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2), then declaring “This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created…” (Genesis 2:4).   Given that the Bible is both inerrant and infallible, we can trust the biblical creation narrative (Titus 1:2; 1 John 3:20; John 17:17; Romans 3:4). That said, “we can resist all attempts to add millions of years anywhere in or before Genesis 1,” and accept this biblical account as literal evidence.^[2]

Can We Engage Our World Through Christian Apologetics?

Apologetics & The Present Culture

Our generation does not embrace the Christian worldview as wholeheartedly compared to recent generations. As early as the 1960’s, Craig suggests that a contributing factor was the rise of atheist philosophers (Craig, 94). As the context of the question suggests “the atheists are striking back vigorously since the 9/11 attacks”. Apologist and author Ravi Zacharias has painted a vivid picture of the decline of our culture over the last few generation: He states that it is commonplace in our society that Christianity is attacked. “It is rampant” he says. “Unbelievers once revered the church, and its teachings, but today they scorn them. Films such as the Da Vinci Code and organizations such as The Jesus Seminar attack the credibility of Jesus and the Bible”. It is to this decline in a God-influence that Apologetics plays a very important role.

I really believe that at the heart of all this is the strategy of the enemy of God to win the hearts and minds of men, women, boys and girls. It is an attempt to suppress the reality of God and give license to all that the mind of men can conceive. The Bible states that the will of God is that men (the just) shall live by Faith (Romans 1:17). The Bible also describes the strategy of the enemy as a great exchange – God has revealed Himself to mankind, but their hearts became dark, they became fools (saying there is no God), leading to the exchanging of “the truth of God for a lie” (Romans 1: 18-25). Apologetics is needed to combat this rampant wave of attacks from the atheists, agnostics and secularists in our society who wish to silence the voice of absolute truth.

For My Friend Who No Longer Believes In God (Hypothetical)

I Have Lost My Faith In God!

A Letter To My Friend

Dear Lloyd,

                    How are you my friend? Hoping this letter finds you in peace today. I am so happy that you reached out to me with your concern. This is significant. Actually, this is major – a big deal! For your concern deals with life and death. Still, you’ve come a long way and I hope to encourage you on this Faith journey.

I see you have concerns about the existence of God – that you see no evidence to support your Faith. I am sorry to hear that. I pray by the end of this letter to have given you just a bit of information that may help you with the answers you seek. I know you are a reasonable person, so let’s see where the evidence leads. I know you have read the Bible before and in it you’ll find proof of God’s existence, but I’d like to address your concerns from a different angle.

Without a doubt, one of the best-known arguments for the existence of God is that of the “Moral Argument”. Over your many years of life, I am sure you realize that something inside of you differentiates between good and evil, right and wrong. This is called Objective Morals. These are “values we hold dear that guide our lives” (Craig, 172). If we start here, whether or not you agree, there are some things that are just wrong, and it is so “independent of what people think or perceive” (Craig, 173). Take robbing a store – If you decide to do this, already you know that such an act is wrong. While there are written laws on the books that punish such an act (confirming that robbing a store is wrong), your conscience will tell you “Lloyd, this is wrong”. Tied up in this Moral Argument are moral duties and moral values. Moral duties are concerned with that which is right or wrong, while moral values concern that which is good and bad (Craig, 172). During the time in which you had Faith, you surely can remember an internal compass guiding your behavior. You relied on that which was greater than you for discernment. That internal compass is God.

Here’s what philosophers call an ontological foundation in support of the existence of God through the existence of moral values:

Defending The Faith

In Defense Of The Christian Faith

Brothers and Sisters, we are called to defend the faith. It is not enough to gather in our Christian circles, having Christian fellowship, and calling for a separation from the world. We are called to engage in apologetics of the Christian faith. The Bible calls us to action. Consider the following biblical texts:

^15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…”                      

                                                                                                                                  (1 Peter 3:15)

 ^7 “It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel”

                                                                                                                                  (Philippians 1:7)

So Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and made his defense:

² “I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am going to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews,³ especially because you are familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently”

                                                                                                                                   (Acts 26:1-2)

I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— ² I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, ⁶ being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

                                                                                                                           (2 Corinthians 10:1-5)
2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead...17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there...8 And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God...23 When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in great numbers. And he expounded the matter to them from morning till evening, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets. 24 And some were convinced by what he said, while others disbelieved.
                                                                                     (Acts 17:2-3,17; 19:8; 28:23-24)

(Written by Kevin A. Hall      10.21.17)

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Christians Living In Two Worlds

The Sacred-Secular Split

Ever asked yourself the question after engaging someone “I thought they were Christians?”

It is common among believers to operate one way in the world and another within church circles. It’s almost like changing into one set of clothes for work and another to go to the gym. I recall dealing with this issue at work – one of the biggest challenge of my adult life came at the hands of a Christian brother who does missionary work. Because I was his boss, he was required to sit down and talk it through (otherwise, this would not happen). I remember taking him to MacDonald’s for lunch (had to do this in a public space as he was notorious for twisting words and giving alternate facts. I said toward the end “You’re a Christian, right?”. He said “Yes, and I apologize for all this”. Then I asked “What were you thinking? I was only looking out for you and your staff”. He said “I don’t know. I guess I just got caught up.” One thing is for sure, If I had a dollar for every time I was disappointed with a Christian hire, I’d have a good sum in the bank. The root of this bent toward two different worldviews, is referred to as “The Sacred-Secular Split”. We will unpack this further at a later date. For now, I’d like to give an overview.

Free Will - Why It Matters

The Issue of Free Will

(Written by Kevin Hall  09.11.17)

If you peel away the layers of these worldviews outside of Christianity, one will find evidence of one main strategy – Explain away Creator God. They wish to “deny the Creator and to expropriate His divine power’ (174), many making this their life’s goal. Men like Francis Crick stated forcefully that “his goal was to explain away the origin of life and consciousness by reducing them into physical -chemical causes” (174). 

You see, if God is discredited as “first cause” or a “personal God”, then free will becomes a false idea

 which is denied, discredited, suppressed and is incoherent.

 With the Creator God and His truth denied, then mankind is free to live according to his own truth. Truth becomes relative – men become reduced to states lower than the creator intended. They become labeled as robots and machines who cannot be held accountable for their actions. The Apostle Paul said, “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Romans 1:21).

Notice there is a definite strategy to deny God and to do so for selfish reasons. 

Reductionism At Work In Christianity

Along The Way – Reductionism and its effects on human nature?

(Written by Kevin A. Hall    08.25.17)

Whenever we try to explain away something that is true by dismissing or diminishing its existence, we are practicing Reductionism. Reductionism is defined as a means of “reducing a phenomenon from a higher or more complex level of reality to a lower, simpler, less complex level” (45). A main strategy of pushing this idea is to discredit that phenomenon. Reductionism happens every day all around us. 

     We may be practicing it in some form and not realize it. When people cannot explain something, they use the “debunk or discredit strategy”. We “put things in a box and dismiss it” (45), when things are difficult or we are opposed to it.

I will go as far as to say this plays out every day in the battle of God against the liberals. First, God is dismissed (there is no God [ultimate reality]; hence no one to give account to). Now that we no longer have the highest form of deity, we must replace Him with something else. We cannot make another God; therefore, we move to create other gods. The first one is the idea that man is his own god (a lower reality). Next, we make up gods, as many as we can imagine; we worship them, we create religions around these gods, we create philosophies to support our beliefs, our media and institutions are filled with people who can support and create stories to support these positions, and before you know it our lies become truths. Don’t forget, we have also made it clear “there is no such thing as absolute truth”.

Postmodernism and the Church

Along the Way – Is Postmodernism Affecting Us?

(Written by Kevin A. Hall   08.25.17)

Most of Western society has been affected by the Postmodern Bug. In fact, much of what we see going on right now and is being played out in the media is a direct result of Post-modern influence. Look at our colleges and universities. Listen to the language on the streets. Watch the attitudes in protests. Look at the trend in our churches. Listen to the songs being played in our time. Away with the old! There is no God! There is no absolute truth! Truth is whatever I say it is! 

Everything is moral! There are no rules! We have no real value! You have the right to believe what you believe! There is no heaven nor hell! We will all have a chance to live life over again when we are reincarnated!  Everything is relative!

These are just some of the beliefs of the postmodern generation. God has been thrown out, so there is no absolute source of truth. We order our own destiny, they say. We are our own gods. As a result, the postmodern “frames reality by naming aspects at his or her whim” (R. Zacharias; page 20). Nothing is sacred any longer and everything is viewed from the lens of the sensual. This would seem like Postmoderns are not interested in the gospel at all. I used to think that way. But after becoming exposed to what Postmodernism is and how it affects our lives, I truly believe that behind all the façade is a hurting generation that is seeking an answer to life and is dying for a new “metanarrative." Christianity is the only solution, but we must frame this story into a manner in which they can receive it. 

Covenant Theology

 Covenant Theology

(Written by Kevin A. Hall  04.2017)

One thing is clear, the Lord made covenants with man throughout history. We can call them reminders of God’s gracious promises. The first time I notice the word being used is during the time of Noah where God declared “I will establish my Covenant with you, and you shall go into the ark – you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you” … We call this the Noahic covenant. Ketcherside states that God has chosen to relate to man on the basis of covenants. 

In the case of the Nohaic covenant, we see the God – man stipulations: God sets the conditions; He gives the terms; He signs the covenant. 

This approach is repeated throughout human history in a series of other covenants -The Abrahamic, the Mosaic, the Davidic and the New Covenant.

The Mosaic covenant is called the First covenant. It is also called the Covenant of Law or the Mosaic Law. Deuteronomy 4:11-13 attests to that. There is enough evidence to support the argument that the Law is not simply the first 39 books of the Bible.  One example is reference to Jeremiah 31:31 which proves that the people had already broken the First Covenant and 31:32 which states that the first covenant was made when “God took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt.

The Law was considered faulty (Hebrews 8:7). We could not be justified by it (Galatians 3:10). The Law itself was not weak, but man was as he was, was not able to keep it perfectly (Romans 8:1-3). The Law itself could not give life, nor could it effect the forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 10:4).  Man was aware that he needed something more. Even though “he went away from the worship services having met its requirements, he was conscious that it could not fully meet the needs (Reese, 150). Therefore, the Lord sought a more excellent way. This was prophesied in Jeremiah 31:31-34. The benefits of this New Covenant would include (1) The Forgiveness of sins; (2) Direct and personal access to Almighty God; (3) Reconciliation – God makes the promise that He will be our God as we become His people; (4) The Ministry of the Indwelling Holy Spirit that will govern us from the inside. This is the source of our Christian Liberty.