Chad Mansbridge wrote a really cool little book called, “He Qualifies Us” in which he says, “Under the Abrahamic Covenant; God’s promises become your right and inheritance, because of your Pedigree. Under the Mosaic Law Covenant; God’s promises are your right and inheritance, because of your Performance. But under the New Covenant Agreement, through the Gospel of Jesus; God’s promised blessings are your right and inheritance purely because of your Position.”
I think this is a great way to see these different covenants. Our identity in Christ is different from these covenants because it takes the focus off of self. So many times we try to find our identity through our performance and our pedigree. Yet in this new covenant it is about Christ pedigree and Christ’s performance. What is our part in this new covenant? Faith, our part is to believe in what Christ has done for us.
Paul told the church in Colossae, “12 giving thanks[d] to the Father, who has qualified you[e] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:11-14).
What was Paul writing to the church in Colossae? He was telling thing to give thanks that God has qualified us to share in the inheritance. How did those under the Abrahamic Covenant receive their blessings? By their pedigree, they were blessed because of their family. Now we are in a new covenant where we are born again! We have been made sons and daughters of God. That what it means to be born again to be born of the Spirit.
Nicodemus a prominent Pharisee came to Jesus in the night with some questions. As they talked Jesus explained saying, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit…” (John 3:3-7). Before we were saved, we were spiritually dead. Now that we have been saved, we have been made alive!
Too many times we subconsciously disqualify ourselves. We say things like, “I’m not eloquent enough. I’m not good enough. I’m not worthy.” Yet continually through the Scriptures we discover that it is less about me and more about Christ. It is about Jesus’ perfect pedigree and performance. Now because of the Cross we are qualified to receive God’s blessings!
