Freedom In Covenant

Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled....' Matthew 5:17 Did you know that God promised His new covenant to the House of Israel? Does this exclude Gentile Christians? Who are His people Israel? Is the new covenant a new set of laws to replace the old? You may or may not know that the new covenant is not based on laws or documents but on a person. The new covenant is about relationships—a new relationship to justice, to God's law, and even to God Himself. It is expressed in the life and words of Jesus Christ. But how are we to interpret His life and words? What is the freedom found in the new covenant relationship? Is it freedom to live any way we want? Are there commands given in the new covenant that are specific to that covenant? Christians often stumble when it comes to understanding the work of God's grace from the Old Testament through the New. But an understanding of the covenant God made through the person of Jesus Christ is vital to knowing how to walk in the Spirit every day. Brown reveals the new covenant in a way that is scholarly but accessible, seasoned with salt as well as grace. The Covenant of Freedom illuminates the covenant narrative from Genesis to Revelation and what lies at the heart of Christianity, the promise of God.

In an age of decreasing denominational loyalty, questions of identity have become important. Both church members and inquirers wonder what to make of a denomination's core values, mission, and common practices. Because the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was born as a movement of reform on the American frontier during the early nineteenth century, it is marked by the time and place of its birth. The message it offered at the time was one of Christian unity rooted in theological simplicity and freedom of belief and practice. This message influenced the way the tradition came to understand biblical interpretation, theology, the sacraments, ministry, and its eschatology. As the movement matured, many recognized that this message of freedom could lead to unfettered individualism and tended to undermine congregational life and cooperation beyond the congregation. In response, Disciples leaders turned to the biblical idea of covenant to balance the message of freedom and link congregations with other forms of church without creating hierarchical systems. If, as some have suggested, this is a movement whose time has come, then it is important to understand the movement's identity and core values, which have been formed within the fulcrum of the tension existing between freedom and covenant.

When we stay true to our covenant with God, we can be sure that no matter what storms come in life, it is God's everlasting covenant of peace that will bring us through victoriously and sustain us.

In my opinion, the New Covenant is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the Church today. Many years ago, I wrote a blog about it and triggered reactions I never expected in my wildest dreams. Some of the reactions were very strong and aggressive and did not come from unbelievers but from well-meaning Christians, church leaders, and pastors. Generally speaking, there has been a mixture of the Old and New Covenants in the lives of Christians. Throughout most of church history, in belief and practice, the Church mixed these two Covenants, which greatly limited the expression of the life and power of Jesus Christ through her. Because the mixing of the two Covenants has been the norm rather than the exception, some of the teachings in this book might seem strange to you. If we have been accustomed to doing things in error for generations, then the right way will seem wrong to us. This book will transform your life forever

Historian Mark Noll has written that historic Pietism "breathed a badly needed vitality" into post-Reformation Europe. Now the time has come for Pietism to revitalize Christianity in post-Christendom America. In The Pietist Option, Christopher Gehrz, a historian of Pietism, and Mark Pattie, a pastor in the Pietist tradition, show how Pietism holds great promise for the church—and the world—today. Modeled after Philipp Spener's 1675 classic, Pia Desideria, this timely book makes a case for the vitality of Pietism in our day. Taking a hard look at American evangelicalism and why it needs renewal, Gehrz and Pattie explore the resources that Pietism can provide the church of the twenty-first century. This concise and winsome volume serves as a practical guide to the Pietist ethos for life and ministry, pointing us toward the renewal so many long for. The Pietist Option introduces Pietism to those who don't know it—and reintroduces it to those who perceive it as an outdated and inward-focused spirituality, a nitpicking divisiveness, or an anti-intellectual withdrawal. With its emphasis on our walk with Jesus and its vibrant hope for a better future, Pietism connects decisively with the ideas and issues of our day. Here is a revitalizing option for all who desire to be faithful and fruitful in God's mission.

Freedom of religion is an issue of universal interest and scope. However, in the last two centuries at least, the philosophical, religious and legal terms of the question have been largely defined in the West. In an increasingly global world, widening our knowledge of this right’s roots in different cultural and legal systems becomes a priority. This Handbook seeks to attain this goal through a better understanding of the historical roots and expressions of the right to freedom of religion on the one hand and, on the other, of its theological background in different religious traditions. History and theology provide the setting for the analysis of the politics of freedom of religion, that is, how this right is used in the context of the dialogue/confrontation between countries placed in different cultural regions of the world, and of the legal strategies and tools that have been developed and are employed to protect and foster the right to freedom of religion. Behind these legal and political strategies, there is an ongoing debate about the nature of this right, whose main features are explored in the final section. Global, historical and interdisciplinary in approach, this book studies the new relevance of freedom of religion worldwide and develops suitable categories to analyze and understand the role that freedom of religion can play in managing religious and cultural diversity in our societies. Authored by experts, through the contributions collected in these chapters, scholars and students will be able to broaden and deepen their knowledge of the right to freedom of religion and to develop the ability to go beyond the borders of the different cultural environments in which this right took shape and developed.