JESUS AND THE NEW COVENANT
Because Christians understand that Jesus came to fulfill the law,  they also want to fulfill the law. But, because they are not clear about what law, or laws, it was that Jesus fulfilled, they are not really sure about the laws that they should fulfill. Therefore, the laws they observe are based on the “what would Jesus do” approach to religion: If Jesus said to do or not do something, that is what they would do or not do; and, if Jesus did something, that is what they would do. The result of this thinking is an assortment of religious laws and traditions that varies from denomination to denomination depending on different literal interpretations of the Bible.

In fulfilling these laws, Christians are very careful to avoid the appearance of being legalistic because they do not want to be like the Jews who put a very high value on legalism. Thus Christians cloak their laws with religious terms like “doctrine” and “tradition”.

What we see in Abrahamic religions (i.e. Judaism, Christianity, Islam) therefore, is an infinite variety of religious laws, doctrines and traditions with each religion going to great pain to distinguish itself from other religions by name, belief and practice. And these religions exist in their present form today after two thousand years (more or less) of evolving interpretations of  the words of the same Bible (with the exception of Islam which acknowledges the prophets Moses and Jesus along with the prophet Mohammad and).

When we consider this vast array of religions which all claim to worship the same God, we might logically question which is/are the true religion(s)? They all basically start from the same place (i.e. Law of Moses), but they arrive at very different places in terms of appearance, doctrine and practice. Is it reasonable to conclude that they all worship the same God if they mutate and evolve over time when God does not change?

To put this question in the context of the New Covenant, it is helpful to consider the following logic:

The laws that Jesus broke were religious laws made by men. The laws that Jesus fulfilled were God’s spiritual laws which are written on the heart according to the terms of the New Covenant.

Religious people are just the opposite of Jesus. The laws they fulfill are religious laws which are written by men according to terms of Old/First Covenant religion. And the laws they break are God’s spiritual laws. Religious people, therefore, are Old/First Covenant religionists — not New Covenant disciples.

God’s New Covenant spiritual laws are first revealed in the Garden of Eden where the first Adam was in a New Covenant relationship with God until he ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (i.e. religion). The New Covenant is reaffirmed through Noah who is a type of Christ because he made a way of escape from judgment.

The New Covenant is affirmed again in God’s covenant with Abraham, which preceded the giving of the Law of Moses by about six hundred years. It is confirmed again through Jesus who is a mediator of the New Covenant. And it has been confirmed, and is still being confirmed in everyone who has God’s laws written on their hearts.