KEY SCRIPTURE: Mat 10:5 KJV “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:”

The word of God is a progressive revelation. This statement means that, as you go along studying   the scriptures, certain earlier truths or instructions are perfected in their proper light. In our key scripture the disciples were instructed to go only to the lost sheep of Israel and not to any other tribe. Now let’s look at another instruction that is very different from this one. Matthew 28:19 KJV” Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” Comparing these two scriptures we see an upgrading of the earlier command or instruction. In the later instruction to reach out, He asked His disciples to go to all nations and teach them all that He had taught them. In Acts 1:8, makes this clearer. He said to His disciples about when the Holy Spirit is come upon them, they will be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost part of the earth. God’s ultimate plan for evangelism was to the whole world, yet He started with the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Another topic of this teaching on progressive revelation is the teaching on the old and new covenant. There is an old covenant called the covenant of the law and the new covenant (John 1:17) called the covenant of grace. The old covenant was brought into force when Moses sprinkled the blood on the Jews after he had read the laws to them. Exo 24:8 KJV “And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.” This covenant of the law existed till the Lord Jesus introduced the new covenant when he talked to His disciples at the last supper, yet was effectively executed when He died and resurrected Mat 26:28 KJV” For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. This new covenant perfected God’s dealings with men.

Let’s consider some of the terms of this new covenant.

Heb 8:10 KJV “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people”: Under the old covenant the ability of God was not put into the people, but under the new covenant, Christ came to live in the hearts of men, bringing the ability of God into the hearts of men.

Col 1:27 KJV “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory”: In this new covenant the law is fulfilled in us. The introduction of the new covenant meant the exit or abolishing of the old covenant.

 The law was made up of Cultural or customary laws, which had to do with types of food, dresses and things of that nature. It also consisted of laws of ordinance. These were laws concerning feasts, holy days and Sabbath days observances. Lastly there were also moral laws which concerned our direct relations with God and honouring His terms. The new covenant made away with the cultural laws, and laws of the ordinance yet the moral laws were fulfilled in our hearts by the coming of Jesus into our hearts.

CONFESSION

The Bible which is God’s word is a progressive revelation. I now live by the grace of God, that has released the ability of God into my life. Sin no longer have dominion over me. Now I am free from Satan’s hold.

FURTHER STUDIES

Galatians 5:1 KJV” Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”

Colossians 2:20 KJV” Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to (Touch not; taste not; handle not; ordinances, Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?