9.40 Wrapping up on the Tabernacle

Today, let us take stock on where we are in this series. This series focuses on what has changed since the cross. We talked about many practical aspects of living under the New Covenant. We talked about being born again, receiving the gift of righteousness, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, etc. These are things that we may sometimes take for granted but Israel did not experience them under the Old Covenant.

Then we started talking about how we read the Bible differently in the New Covenant – with unveiled hearts. We read everything with the revelation of Christ. We used the book of Hebrews as an example of reading the Old Testament with the higher revelation of Christ. Hebrews compares Jesus to the prophets, to the angels, to Moses, to Joshua, to the Levitical priests, etc. Everything was good in the Old but Jesus stands out above them all in the New.

Then we started talking about the Tabernacle of Moses, and explained how it points to the Christian experience in Christ. Today, we want to wrap up on the Tabernacle of Moses. Thereafter, we will finish the book of Hebrews before continuing on other aspects of how things have changed after the cross.

From the shadow of the tabernacle, we see the true substance in Christ. We get to experience Christ under the New. The following are the many important aspects of New Covenant living.

1) Salvation – Jesus the Lamb of God
2) Sanctification – Jesus our sanctification
3) Spirit-filled living – Jesus the baptizer in the Holy Spirit
4) Word-based living – Jesus the bread of life (feeding on Jesus through the Word)
5) Prayer & Worship – Jesus our High Priest (believers are priests)
6) The believer’s authority – Jesus the Lamb upon the throne (believers are kings)

The way we approach these Christian disciplines have all changed. It is no longer about what we do; it is about what He has done. Salvation is not through our works; we are justified by faith apart from works of the law. We do good works not to be saved; we do them because we are saved.

Sanctification is not through our actions – be it good works, rituals or ceremonies. It is through a person – Jesus. Today we do righteous works not to get righteous; we do them because Jesus has made us righteous.

The Holy Spirit comes not because we have earned the right to have Him. Many Charismatics feel that way. But the Holy Spirit has come because Jesus purchased our righteousness, and poured down the Holy Spirit. He comes to help us live right. The same goes for prayer, worship, etc. It is all about experiencing the person of Christ.