The English word Covenant is not one that is used much, and so, the term New Covenant can be a bit confusing.  Looking at the Hebrew word for “covenant” certainly helps.  The Hebrew word translated covenant is beriyth.  It means an agreement or a deal, such a business deal.  The Greek word translated covenant is diatheke.  It means a contract, covenant, or testament.  A Covenant, like a business deal, can be broken down into four aspects or parts. 

1. the parties,
2. the condition,
3. God’s promise, and
4. God’s sign. 

To see examples of covenants in the Bible which clearly show these four aspects, see “What are the four Aspects of a Covenant?”.

The New Covenant, just like the other covenants in the Bible can be broken down into these four aspects.  Let’s examine the New Covenant with these four aspects in mind: the parties involved, the condition, God’s promise, and a sign.

The first mention of the New Covenant is in the Old Testament where God says He will put His law in people’s minds and hearts, instead of being written on stone tablets.

Jer 31:31  “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
Jer 31:32  “not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD.
Jer 31:33  “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Jer 31:34  “No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

Rather than God writing the Ten Commandments on stone, God writes them on our hearts.  It should be noted that if the law is written on our hearts, then clearly, they are not done away.

Jesus Christ established the New Covenant at the last Passover He had with His disciples. 

Mat 26:27  Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.
Mat 26:28  “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Mar 14:23  Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it.
Mark 14:24  And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.

Luke 22:20  Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

1 Cor 11:25  In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

The Parties of this New Covenant are you and God.

God’s Sign of the New Covenant is Christ’s shed blood which is symbolised by the Passover wine.

God’s Promise is the forgiveness of sins. 

Mat 26:28  “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Rom 11:26  And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
Rom 11:27  For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

More explanation of the New Covenant is given in the book of Hebrews.

Heb 8:6  But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

It’s a better Covenant because the promises are much better.  The New Covenant has promise of eternal life, whereas the Old Covenant did not.

Heb 8:7  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
Heb 8:8  Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
Heb 8:9  “not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD.
Heb 8:10  “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Heb 10:16  “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”
Heb 10:17  then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

The writer of Hebrews is quoting from the passage in Jeremiah which was quoted earlier.  God will put His laws in our hearts and minds, rather than on tablets of stone.

Heb 9:15  And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

God’s Promise is not just the forgiveness of sins but also of eternal life.  You can’t have an eternal inheritance without eternal life.

What about the condition?  Christ gave the condition when a young man asked Him what he must do to gain eternal life. 

Mat 19:16  Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
Mat 19:17  So He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”

The condition is to keep the commandments.  The apostle Paul explained that our obedience is of the Spirit.

2Co 3:5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,
2 Cor 3:6  who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

The Condition of the New Covenant is obedience in the Spirit.  This differs from the condition of the Old Covenant which was obedience to the Ten Commandments in the letter.  What is the difference?  An example can illustrate.  If a person hates his enemy but refrains from murdering him, he obeys the letter of the law.  If the person loves his enemy, he obeys the spirit of the law.

It should be stated that this is not salvation by works.  Salvation is a gift from God.  Obedience to God is a condition to receiving that precious gift of salvation.

Conclusion

The New Covenant is God’s Covenant with those whom He calls offering forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

The Parties: God and you.

The Condition: Obedience to God’s commandments in the Spirit.

God’s Promise: Forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

God’s Sign: Christ’s shed blood– which is symbolised by the Passover wine.