Preaching the Testament

4. Evangelism involves witnessing to what God has done, is doing, and will do.

And because of this He is the Mediator of a new covenant, so that, death having taken place for redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, those who have been called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where there is a testament, the death of him who made the testament must of necessity be established. For a testament is confirmed in the case of the dead, since it never has force when he who made the testament is living. –Heb. 9:15-17

The gospel is the proclamation that you have been written into God’s will. As such, the gospel is not only a promise for the future, but a will that has been enacted through the death of God’s Son. God has confirmed His promises in the Bible to us so that they have become a covenant. The main items in the new covenant are listed in Hebrews 8:10-12. The covenant includes promises that are inviolable. It focuses on what God, with absolute certainty, will do. What He said He would do (for example, forgive our sins), He has officially and legally obligated Himself to do. This has become a covenant between us and God. Through the death of Christ, this covenant has become a testament (a will). In the covenant, God says, “I will.” But once the will becomes effective through the testator’s death, God says, “I have done.” Everything God promised to us is now an accomplished fact and our eternal inheritance as one tremendous bequest.

The new covenant is related to Christ’s process in three aspects:

• In His death, Christ enacted the new covenant (Luke 22:20)
• In His resurrection, Christ became the reality of the new covenant (Isa. 42:6)
• In His ascension, Christ is executing the new covenant (Heb. 9:15)

The New Testament then is called such not because it is a testimony of events or of a person, but because it is a will. Everything in the New Testament is a bequest to the believers to be received by simple faith. When we see that everything is an accomplished fact, our praise to Christ will increase.

Related articles

• Evangelism and Mission (lifeandbuilding.com)
• Life-study of Hebrews, message 41