Scripture: "For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and their sins will I remember no more."—HEB. viii. 12.
Chsist is called in this Epistle the Mediator of a better covenant, enacted upon better promises (viii. 6). In Him the two parts of the covenant find their complete fulfilment. First of all, He came to atone for sin, so that its power over man was destroyed, and free access to God's presence and favour was secured. And with that came the fuller blessing, the new heart, freed from the power of sin, with God's Holy Spirit breathing into it the delight in God's law, and the power to obey it.
These two parts of the covenant may never be separated. And yet, alas, how many there are who put their trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sin, and yet never think of claiming the fulness of the promise—the new heart cleansed from sin, with the Holy Spirit breathing in it such love and delight in God's law, and such power to obey, that they have access to the full blessing of the new covenant, being God's people and knowing Him as their God.
Jesus Christ is "the Mediator of the new covenant," with the forgiveness of sin in the power of His blood, and the law written in the heart in the power of His Spirit. Oh that we could understand that just as surely as the complete pardon of sin is assured, the complete fulfilment of the promises, "I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me"; "I will cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep them," may be expected too.
But remember what God said to Abraham: "I am God Al¬mighty ... is anything too hard for the Lord?" He spoke that word to Jeremiah too in regard to the new covenant. It needs strong, whole-hearted desire for a life wholly given up to Him. It means to set aside all our preconceived opinions, and in faith to believe in the mighty power of God. It means a surrender to Jesus Christ as the Mediator of the new covenant, a willingness to accept our place with Him, crucified to the world and to sin and to self; it means a readiness to follow Him at any cost. In one word, it means a simple, whole-hearted acceptance of Christ as Lord and Master, heart and life wholly His. God hath said it, and will do it. "I the Lord have spoken it, and I will perform it."
