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Are we to preach the whole Bible, or preach Jesus through the Bible? Should we preach everything we read, or are we called to preach the Gospel of Christ? We learn much from the Old Testament, but should we preach as if we are still under the old covenant? We see Jesus in the Old Testament through types, images, and shadows, but we have been called to preach Him through the whole Bible. We are not to preach as if the old covenant was still in force. Preaching the Word wrong will have a major impact on our lives. There is a major difference between Old Testament law and New Testament grace.
In the Old Testament, God repeatedly told the children of Israel that He would curse those who did not obey the law, and His punishment would extend to the third and fourth generations (Exodus 34:7; Exodus 20:5; Numbers 14:18). All these Scriptures were written before Jesus went to the cross.
After the cross, everything changed. God promises us He will remember our sins no more if we accept His Son. ***Hebrews 8:12 (KJV) states: For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.*** ***And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more (Hebrews 10:17).***
Hebrews makes the connection between Christ’s sacrifice and the new covenant. Here again we see a close connection between the forgiveness of sins and the ability to know God. The new covenant and new sacrifice brought forgiveness in a better way than the Levitical system could provide. With sins forgiven, Christians can now enter the real presence of God. The guilt that remained under the old covenant has been permanently removed.
God will remember our sins no more. Christ forgives completely, so there is no need to confess our past sins repeatedly. As believers, we can be confident that the sins we confess and renounce are forgiven and forgotten.
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