Can The New Covenant Rob Us?
Have you ever signed up for something without really knowing what you were agreeing to?
Maybe it looked free at first, but later you found out there was a high cost. You were deceived and robbed.
God is not a cheater.
But many pastors unintentionally rob believers of their riches in Christ when they place them back under Israel’s covenants — either the old covenant or the new covenant — without understanding what those covenants actually mean.
Most Christians just accept that we’re under the New Covenant today, much as they accept breakfast as being the first meal of the day, because that’s all they’ve ever heard and they have never seen the need to study that out further.
Old Covenant Warnings
A pastor might put you under the old covenant given to Moses. He may talk about the blessings that come from obedience, but later he will warn you about curses if you fail — especially when it comes to tithing.
But Scripture says:
You are not under the law (Romans 6:14).
You are free from its bondage (Galatians 5:1).
Christ was made a curse for us (Galatians 3:13).
Under the old covenant, you were required to tithe or else you were “robbing God” and could be cursed (Malachi 3:8). If a pastor puts you back under that system, he is robbing you of what Christ already freed you from.
Many people accept old covenant teaching because it promises physical blessings — but they don’t realise what they’re signing up for. We need something better than the old covenant.
New Covenant Warnings
Hebrews describes something better than the old covenant: the new covenant (Hebrews 8:6–8).
A pastor might say the old covenant was inadequate, but the new covenant is better because it requires Christ.
But be careful — you can still be robbed.
“What’s wrong with the new covenant?”
Nothing — if you are Israel.
The new covenant is God’s promise of future salvation for Israel. It belongs to Hebrews who:
- do not yet have complete salvation,
- do not know the mystery,
- and are waiting for Christ to bring in their promised earthly kingdom.
But we, as believers today, already have:
- atonement now (Romans 5:11),
- forgiveness now (Ephesians 1:7),
- salvation as a present possession (1 Corinthians 1:18),
- a complete position in Christ (Colossians 2:10),
- and all spiritual blessings now (Ephesians 1:3).
Israel’s new covenant blessings are future, not present (Hebrews 8:11–13; Romans 11:25–27). Their forgiveness, grace, and full salvation will come when Christ returns (Acts 3:19; 1 Peter 1:13).
So yes, the new covenant is better than the old — but it is not yet complete.
If a pastor puts us under the new covenant, he robs us of our already-complete standing in Christ and the unsearchable riches of grace given to the Body of Christ (Ephesians 3:8).
Many Christians accept new covenant teaching because it talks about Christ — but they don’t realise they’re being placed under a covenant that is not theirs. You need something better if you want to enjoy complete salvation now.
Things Excellent
Paul prayed that believers would “approve things that are excellent” (Philippians 1:10). Before accepting any covenant teaching, we should ask: Is this excellent? Is this for me?
What is better than the old covenant?
The new covenant.
What is better than the new covenant today?
The mystery of Christ, where God offers complete salvation and grace freely to all.
The church today does not operate under Israel’s covenants — which are either inadequate (old covenant) or incomplete (new covenant).
If we are saved by the gospel of Christ, we receive salvation now, freely, by grace through faith in Christ’s finished work. We receive all the riches of grace according to the mystery.
Why sign a contract for something you already have for free?
We should not let anyone rob us with teachings about shadows, types, or laws meant for Israel.
“Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.” — Colossians 2:17
If we are saved today, we are in the Body of Christ, not in a covenant.
If we are saved today and have the unsearchable riches of God’s grace, we should be careful not to be robbed by signing up for one of Israel’s covenants.
