Hebrews 8:

• It never occurred to me the possibility that the New Covenant is being divvied out as the Old Covenant slowly fades. The promise of God’s laws being written on our hearts and minds (vs. 10) is paired with the prediction that we will no longer need to convince our neighbors of the presence of God (vs. 11), and this has clearly not happened yet. Vs. 13 speaks of the Old Covenant as “becoming obsolete.” While the practices and traditions of the Old Covenant have already passed, for we no longer offer sacrifices, does the practical functioning of our relationship with God still remain in a decreasing sense?
• What I am wondering is, though I live in faith that my fallenness has no affect on my standing with God, my experience of God requires labor. My standing is not based on merit (as if it ever was!) but is based on the mercy and grace offered through Jesus. Still, this writing of God’s ways on our hearts (vs. 10) is not so overwhelming that we do not battle!

Holy Spirit, help me battle! I must battle my fallenness, my weakness, my failures, my proclivity to rebel. I must battle my selfishness, my hatred, my greed. I need You to help me in this; until the fading Old Covenant gives way entirely to the freedom of faith found in the New Covenant.