02/19/21 CHRISTIANS LIVE IN NEW TESTAMENT REVELATION

02/19/21 CHRISTIANS LIVE IN NEW TESTAMENT REVELATION

When Divine directives differ between Old and New Testaments, Christians follow New Testament. Remember, the Old Testament is the SHADOW (foreshadowing) of God's redemptive plan and the New Testament is the SUBSTANCE (fulfilling) of God's redemptive plan. As someone said, the New is in the Old concealed, the Old is in the New revealed.

In the Old Testament God reveals...
His nature and work;
His creation (the universe, the world and mankind);
Adam's nature, sin and fall;
Mankind's origin, corruption, rebellion;
God's plan of salvation, promise of His Son;
Foundation for salvation (through a nation, a tribe, a family and a Man);
God's laws for Israel (sacrificial, civil, dietary, priestly, celebratory and governmental).
God's designation and instructions for His earthly kingdom (Israel)

In the New Testament God clearly reveals...
His plan of salvation;
His Son (nature and redemptive work);
His Holy Spirit (nature and work);
His Church (origin, nature, purpose, instructions).

There is much more. But with this in mind, we see that God gave civil and governmental laws for Israel as a kingdom in the Old Testament, but He gave different directives in the New Testament for civil and governmental actions.

Jesus is not establishing a kingdom of this world (though His kingdom rule is in this world). His kingdom is a spiritual kingdom and Christians are ruled by spiritual realities, we fight a spiritual (not a fleshly) fight.
In the Old Testament God instructed Israel to fight God's enemies and defend God's kingdom through physical warfare.
In the New Testament God instructs the Church to love our enemies and do good to them; to give our lives rather than to take the lives of our enemies.

Many who call themselves Christians have actually adopted the Roman Catholic view and the Reformed view of the Church living by Old Testament, Levitical, kingdom laws, but God calls, directs and enables Christians to live by the Law of Love, the Royal Law, the Law of Liberty.
Remember,
John 1:14-17 (vss. 14-16 is foundation of vs. 17)
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that comes after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

The New Testament makes it clear that Christians are not violent or vindictive. Our beliefs concerning Christians and violence must be based on New Testament revelation, rather than Old Testament laws since we are part of God's Church (the Body, Bride, Building of God). Christians, the children of God, are "peacemakers." Don't confuse Biblical peacemaking, non-violence with popular "pacifism," since they are not the same.

If you do not know the New Testament argument for Christian non-violence, peacemaking, then you need to learn it and live it.