Originally Posted by
Sojourner
There you go again, JGIG. Ever thought of running for office? lol.
It's really not all that complicated. Scripture states it plainly. It even mentions it verbatim TWICE in scripture (Heb 8 AND Jer 31), just so you don't try to wriggle your way around it (which you alway seem to try to do anyway).
LET'S SAY IT ALL TOGETHER NOW:
Heb 8:8,10 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;
... 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 on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
The New Covenant is His LAW written on the hearts and minds of his people.
Yes, context is key. Hebrews is quoting Jeremiah. The new covenant is Torah on our heart.
And the covenant is with the House of Israel and the House of Judah.
Which house are you in?
The New Covenant is not a re-hash of the Old Covenant. You're right - Hebrews 8 (and Hebrews 10) quote from Jeremiah 31 - and quote from quite a bit more of it than you posted.
Was the New Covenant promised to Israel and Judah? Yes. But so was redemption promised to all mankind after the Fall, and the Scriptures are clear that Gentiles who believe on Christ are grafted into Him in the way of faith, and as such partake in Abraham's blessing.
1 Corinthians 1:20
20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.
It's not a matter who you are or what law you follow (Mosaic, Buddhist, Islamic, Hindu, etc., etc.), it always boils down to the Covenant to which you belong.
Are you in First Adam or are you in Second Adam?
Romans 5 tells us that sin and death comes to all because of the sin of one man, 'First Adam'.
Romans 5 also tells us that Righteousness and Life come as a free gift to those who put their faith and trust in the 'Second Adam', Christ Jesus.
Imputed sin seems unfair - why should we suffer for the sin of one man? Don't feel like that gets you off the hook - God gave the Law so that sin would increase (which is a whole other discussion - if you are after a reduction of sin in your life, why do you put yourself back under that which was given to increase sin in the world - it actually stirs up sin!) - so that every mouth would be shut - we are all without excuse, as all have sinned.
Imputed sin, unfair though it may seem, opens the door to imputed Righteousness - equally unfair, but in our favor. And there is nothing that we can do to improve upon or to maintain the Gift of Christ's perfect Righteousness. When the Gift is received, forgiveness is given, Righteousness is imputed, and the Holy Spirit is given - New Life in/through/because of the Work of Christ!
The New Covenant is the Covenant in which this happens:
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
The New Covenant is God providing rest for us through the Work of Christ. There is nothing that you can do to add to the Gift of Righteousness that is in Christ; there is nothing that you can do to take away from the Gift of Righteousness that is in Christ - it is a perfect righteousness.
The Laws of God after the Cross are these:
1 John 3:19-24
19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
That is the Law of the New Covenant: Believe on the One He has sent (also in John 6:28-29 from the mouth of Christ Himself) and love one another.
Even that New Covenant Law, as I posted earlier, is something that we can rest in, because if we are in Christ, indwelt by His Spirit (Ephesians 1), and if we are led by the Spirit, we are not under the Law (Galatians 5) and bear the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5). The first of those Fruits? Love 
. Again, even the commands of the New Covenant are fulfilled by Christ; believe on He Who God has sent (Christ Jesus), and love one another. If we have His Spirit, we will love - it's something that those alive in Christ just do.
If you choose to live under/in the Old Covenant (that which was given to actually increase transgression, stir up sin, and show mankind how he/she constantly falls short), that is certainly your choice.
I choose to rest in Christ and in His New Covenant .
Blessings,
-JGIG
