THE REVEALED FAITH
Confusion abounds in modern religion that continually blurs the line between the covenant of Moses and the covenant of Christ. Men speak as though Christianity were merely an extension of Judaism, as though the church were still standing beneath Sinai’s thunder and trembling beneath the shadows of the old economy. Yet the New Testament repeatedly affirms that the faith of Christ is a revealed faith, fully manifested through the Lord Jesus and His apostles, and that the old covenant has fulfilled its purpose and passed away (Hebrews 1:1-2; Hebrews 8:6-13). The gospel is not a patch sewn onto Moses’ garment. It is the completed revelation of God in His Son.
Paul declared that “the faith” was once hidden but is now revealed unto all nations for obedience to the gospel (Romans 16:25-26). Jude likewise spoke of “the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). Observe carefully that Christianity is not a developing theological experiment. The body of truth has already been delivered. The apostles were not merely commentators on Moses. They were ambassadors of Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit into “all truth” as Jesus promised (John 16:13). Their writings constitute the final and authoritative revelation of the will of God for this age (1 Corinthians 14:37; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The Law of Christ therefore is not a hybrid system composed partly of Moses and partly of Jesus. It is a distinct covenant with its own authority, priesthood, worship, and terms of pardon. Paul plainly affirmed that Christians are “not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14), and again that believers have become “dead to the law through the body of Christ” (Romans 7:4). The inspired apostle compared the old covenant to a tutor leading men unto Christ, but after faith has come, “we are no longer under a tutor” (Galatians 3:24-25). One cannot honestly read Hebrews without seeing that the former covenant has vanished before the superior covenant established by the blood of Christ (Hebrews 8:13; Hebrews 10:9-10).
This does not mean the Old Testament lacks value. Far from it. The ancient Scriptures reveal the nature of God, the unfolding of redemption, the history of Israel, and countless prophetic shadows fulfilled in Christ (Romans 15:4; Luke 24:27). But the Old Testament is not the Christian’s covenantal authority. It points forward. Christ fulfills. Moses anticipated. Christ reigns. The distinction is vital. Confusion at this point has produced legalism, Sabbatarian extremism, Judaizing errors, and endless sectarian bondage.
Jesus Himself possesses all authority in this present age (Matthew 28:18). The Father declared from heaven, “Hear Him” (Matthew 17:5). That statement alone settles the matter. We do not stand before Mount Sinai seeking justification through the ordinances of the Mosaic code. We stand before Mount Zion through the mediation of the crucified and risen Son of God (Hebrews 12:18-24). Christians are governed by the doctrine of Christ revealed through inspired apostles and prophets in the New Testament Scriptures (Ephesians 3:1-5).
The apostolic writings constantly emphasize the completeness of this revelation. Paul warned against going “beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6). John cautioned that whoever does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God (2 John 9). The revealed faith is therefore sufficient, final, and binding. Men err grievously when they attempt to bind dietary laws, Jewish holy days, temple ordinances, or Mosaic regulations upon the church today (Colossians 2:14-17; Galatians 5:1-4). Such efforts diminish the sufficiency of the cross and obscure the liberty found in Christ.
Indeed, the grandeur of the New Testament rests in the finished work of Jesus. The cross was not partial. The resurrection was not incomplete. The revelation given through Christ and His apostles lacks nothing necessary for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). The church does not require a return to Sinai, rabbinic traditions, or modern Judaizing theories. It requires a return to the purity and simplicity of apostolic Christianity revealed in the New Testament.
The Christian therefore must cherish the revealed faith with reverence and conviction. The New Testament is not merely supplementary material added to Moses. It is the covenant of the risen King. Its message is redemption through Christ, justification by faith, holiness through the Spirit, and hope through the resurrection. When men leave the simplicity of the gospel to reconstruct fragments of the abolished covenant, they exchange liberty for bondage and substance for shadow (Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 10:1).
May the people of God stand firmly within the completed revelation given through Christ and His apostles, rejoicing that the perfect law of liberty has come through the Son of God who fulfilled all righteousness and brought eternal redemption through His blood (James 1:25; Hebrews 9:11-15).
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Holy Father, we thank You for the full and final revelation given through Your beloved Son. Help us to honor the authority of Christ above all human traditions and confusion. Grant us wisdom to rightly divide Your truth and courage to stand within the liberty of the gospel. May our hearts cling to the sufficiency of Christ and the revealed faith once delivered unto the saints. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
BDD
