(4) The comparison of Old and New Testaments

The sacrifice and the cross

The sacrifice of the Old Testament was the thing to kill the beast without blemishes devour instead of the sinner. In the days of the Old Testament priests offer sacrifices. The Old Testament sacraments were given to God continually and repeatedly to eliminate sin.

The cross of the New Testament era was a sacrifice to redeem all sinner for the repentant only one time. Redemption is that God pay a price and buy a sinner for Satan. Redemption is that God pays to Satan the price of Jesus' blood and buy the repentant. The Old Testament sacrifice is for forgiveness of sins, but the New Testament cross is a shedding of blood to buy the repentant. So God cleanses the sins of those who belong to him.

『Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.』(Hebrews 9:25-26)

The Law of the old Testament and the Law of the Holy Spirit

The law of God is like a jail that holds sinners. This law is called the law of sin and death. The law is a command of God who judges if Israel does not obey many laws. The law is the one God gave to the Israelites to make them cognize that human beings are sinners who can not but be judged. So the law means teacher that lead to Christ for repentance to return to God through sacrifice. But the Bible says that few repentance.

The law of the Spirit applies to those who are guided by the Holy Spirit. God bought those who repented and were associated with Jesus Christ who was died on the cross from Satan. Let them to be born again by the Holy Spirit and be God's people. Those who obey the law of the Holy Spirit are unrelated to the law of sin and death. So God does not ask the sins of those who follow the Holy Spirit. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.(Romans 8:1-2)

Those who follow God in the flesh are applied by the law of sin and death, and those who follow the Spirit by the law of the Holy Spirit.『For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.』(Romans 8:5)

The covenant

The first covenant between God and man was contrated in the garden of Eden.『But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.』(Genesis 2:17) They must eat the fruit of the tree of life, and keep spiritual being. God had brought them out of the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve broke the covenant. God made a new covenant.

『And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.』(Genesis 3:15), God destroyed the people except the eight by the flood because the people were corrupt again. God made a covenant with Abraham. He said he would give the promised land and promised seed. So, God say to Abraham obey.

Circumcision means the promise that have a descendant of the salvation. The descendants of the promise is Jesus Christ. The last is a covenant of blood through the cross of Jesus Christ.『Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.』(Luke 22:20) The covenant is contracted between  both parties. If one side do not keep, he will be died. The covenant of Jesus' blood has the meaning of redemption.

God will buy those who repent with the price of blood of Jesus, so that they may be God's people, they must obey to God. God tells his people to be died with Jesus on the cross. This is baptism.『Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.』(Romans 6:4),『Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.』(Romans 6:6) oldself is the evil that desire to be like God.

 

The worship

The worship is the respect of the mind to give self to God. In Old Testament times, sacrifice was offered by the death of animals in worship. The death of an animal is same as the death of a sinner. In the New Testament times, Jesus Christ was died on the cross. So sinners believe that they are died together on the cross.

『I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.』(Galatians 2:20) The worship is the determination of the mind to confirm that Jesus was died with the cross and move to a new life.

『Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.』(Romans 6:4) The worship is the ritual an extension of baptism, is an extension of the sacrament.

『I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.』(Romans 12:1) Man that born again was one that born with a spiritual body. The Bible says that the flesh from parents should be sacred. This is meaning of the self-cross. This is the man to be dead to the world. 『But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.』 (Galatians 6:14)

Circumcision and the baptism

Circumcision is a ceremony to cut a part of the body. Circumcision means the faith to take off the fresh and receiving promise of the seed from God. Israelites circumcised in eighth day after they were born in the Old Testament. But they forgot all the meanings contained in the circumcision, and did not recognize the Messiah.

Baptism is the ceremony that is dies in water and is born again by the Holy Spirit. So they go into and out of the water, or they consume water. They believe that the former is dead and the be newborn through this ritual. So they gain the life associated with Jesus Christ who was died on the cross. Every day they act as the life of self-denial. Only the repentant lives as this life because the repentance is the life of the self-denial. They turn to the word of God from the love of the world.

Circumcision and the baptism have the same meaning. Circumcision and the baptism are the death of the oldself and the be born again. Circumcision is the belief that it will be so in the future. But baptism is the faith to believe that to be happened such a thing now. They believe that they were born with the spiritual body, not a state of the mind.

water and wine

『When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom』(John 2:9)

Jesus is invited to a wedding banquet. Those who were invited to the wedding banquet drank wine. However, wine was lacking in the wedding banquet. So Jesus let the servants of the marriage feast to bring water into the six large jars. Jewish washed the hands with water in six large jars. Jesus changed the water to wine in an instant. The water of the jars disappeared and the wine of the jars appeared. Can you believe this miracle?

Water means washing sin. Wine symbolizes the blood of Jesus. Blood is life. So drinking wine in sacrament means that the life of Jesus comes into the person to drink wine. He who has drunk the blood of Jesus turns into a new life in Jesus Christ.

It is salvation, not to wash away sin but to be a new life in Christ. The bread means the body of Jesus. Eating bread and drinking wine in sacrament is the ceremony to be one with Jesus Christ. In order to be one with Jesus Christ, one must be die with Jesus on the cross. The sacrament has the same meaning as baptism.『Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.』(Romans 6:4)

 

The parable of the ten virgins

『Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.』(Matthew) 25:1-13)

The ten virgins are people who believe in God. But there are two kinds of people as five wise and five foolish virgins in the church. This parable represents those who obey the law of the Old Testament and those who obey the law of Holy Spirit. The oil of the lamp represents Holy Spirit. One who follows the law of the Old Testament begins with the Holy Spirit but becomes the flesh to can not be saved.

『For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.』 (Romans 7:2-4)

Old Testament Law was applied to Israelites while a person is alive. The Bible describes the Old Testament law as a husband. So the Bible says that the people of Israel are bound by the the Old Testament law. If the husband is alive, double action that the wife goes to another man is fornication. If the sinner did not died by the Old Testament law, Sinners can not receive Holy Spirit. The Old Testament law does not die. But, a sinner must be die. A sinner must be die on the cross with Jesus in order to go to Christ. The Old Testament law like as the husband released the sinner when a sinner was die under the law of the Old Testament. So a sinner can go to Christ after come out of prison. A sinner born again as a free person. The repentance represents the death of a carnal mind. The Old Testament law and the Holy Spirit can not be together. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

『But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.』(Romans 7:6) 『What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?』(Romans 6:1-2)

Baptism has the following meanings: The sinner was died by the law of the Old Testament (the law of sin and death). Baptism means the facts to die with Jesus. God recognizes that the person who repents are dead with Jesus.

『For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.』(Romans 7:15-17) The law of the Old Testament is like a husband who never let go of sinners. There is a time when the Old Testament law thinks that sinners are good. It is time for the sinner to die on the cross with Jesus. Only a sinner who realizes that he can not escape if he is caught in the law of the Old Testament, dies on the cross. So then the Old Testament law handed the sinner to be died over to Holy Spirit.『Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.』 (Romans 3:19) A sinner who does not repent will be judged by God. A sinner is judged by the law of sin and death. Everyone is a sinner in the sight of God.