New Covenant: The Fullness of Grace

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New Covenant: The Fullness of Grace

Preview — New Covenant by Timothy E. The Fullness of Grace by Timothy E. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: And how does Christ dwell in us?

New Covenant Quotes by Timothy E. Pickering

Through the Holy Spirit. And WHEN did this become possible? When the Comforter came in Acts 2. Jesus could not dwell in people through the Holy Spirit before He ascended to heaven.

The Bible says so. And consequently, we had better believe so. And yet there are millions of Christians who believe that the disciples were indwelt by Christ through the Holy Spirit prior to Acts 2. They believe that Acts 2 some a second blessing on top of that — a greater fullness. I have known Christians who have actually assumed — without checking out the Bible — that the disciples of Jesus, not to mention all of the Old Testament saints, were born again.

Christ could not dwell in anyone before Acts 2. Thus, there could be NO new birth before Acts 2, because we are born again through Christ in us. The New Covenant was ushered into the experience of people starting in Acts 2. This is as certain as the Covenants themselves. And Acts 2 was NOT a second blessing. The Baptism of John. The disciples usually pray for them, lay hands upon them, and they receive the Holy Spirit. What is going on here?

Those who believe that Acts 2 was a second blessing often point to these occurrences as proof that Acts 2 was a second blessing. This would mean that receiving the Holy Spirit on top of that — as a second blessing — could not equal receiving Christ all over again, but would have to be a SECOND blessing in addition to Christ. Well, we have already quoted John That ought to be enough. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

See a Problem?

Can we see that? The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. It is simply a baptism that indicated that a person had relinquished their old life — through repentance. In fact, these people had come under the fullness of the Old Covenant. John the Baptist was the last Old Testament prophet. In fact, he embodied the Old Covenant. His ministry was to make a path in the wilderness for the Lord, which is exactly what the Old Covenant did.

John brought to fullness everything God provided under the Old Covenant. His baptism symbolized salvation under the Old Covenant, which was a legal salvation, based in faith in the future Savior. That was possible only through the New Covenant, and the baptism with the Holy Spirit. There is perhaps no clearer a statement to this effect than the one that Jesus made about John: Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: John was the greatest of all ever born of woman — of all those ever born into this world through natural birth.

Thus, John could not have been born again. He was saved under the Old Covenant, indeed, was the full embodiment of it. John will be in heaven, as will all the OT saints. But the, "this life experience," of salvation was not the same for those under the Old Covenant as it was for those under the New.

They were all saved by the same Jesus, and the same Blood. That was possible only once the New Covenant came to pass. Now, the conclusion here is inescapable. Neither were the disciples of Christ, and neither were any of those people in the book of Acts who said that they had received only, "the baptism of John.

It was not a second blessing any more than what the disciples received in Acts 2 was a second blessing. John the Baptist brought the fullness of the Old Covenant, and provided a salvation under that Old Covenant. Jesus brought the fullness of the New Covenant, and provided a salvation under the New Covenant.

New Covenant Quotes

The change of Covenants was made possible through the Redemption of Jesus Christ — culminating with His ascension. When those disciples received the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, it was the first time anyone had been born again. The Coming of the Spirit. And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: The disciples, before Acts 2, did not have Christ in them, did not have the Holy Spirit in them, and were not born again.

None of that was possible, and Jesus said so, until Jesus ascended. He said, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto Me. There was merely a legal salvation. Sure, the Holy Spirit did lots of powerful things through people in the OT, and even through the disciples themselves during the ministry of Jesus.

• Selected Poems & Free Writes;
• UNDER GRACE (NEW COVENANT), WE ARE IN A “BLESSED ZONE”?
• Ruth: The Bridegrooms Love for the Church Revealed (Spiritled Woman Studies);
• Theosophy.

But the power that Jesus was talking about was not the same. To become, "witnesses unto Me.