THE SALVAGE PATHWAY

THE SALVAGE PATHWAY

Salvage: save from being lost or destroyed

Salvation: save from harm or save from the consequence of sin

¹⁶ This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

¹⁷ And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

¹⁸ Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.{Hebrews 10:16-18}

God having attempted the first, second and third pathways to redemption via the various covenants He made with our fathers of old finally decided to resort to a new and final pathway which I call the salvage pathway. This pathway to salvation was planned even before the foundation of the world was laid. The sacrifice needed to save mankind was slain right from the foundation of the world. All other sacrifice that was slain in the past covenants were only a shadow of the real sacrifice who is Christ Jesus the lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world to take away the sin of the world.

 Mankind could not be saved by all of the past sacrifices and rituals which included the killing of bulls and goats for it was not possible for the blood of these animals to take away sin. Not even the law could take away sin. Man couldn’t become righteous by keeping the laws neither could the law give life. Instead of taking away sin the law strengthened and revived sin. God’s people were dying instead of living. His anger broke out on them whenever they sinned but His original intention was to love His people and have mercy on them so that through them the earth will be blessed and redeemed.

 It was high time God revealed the real and only sacrifice that could take away sin. Hence THE NEW COVENANT was revealed: The Salvage Pathway. This is God’s intervention to rescue man from eternal destruction and to save us from His wrath so that we no longer bear the consequence of sin. The wages of sin which is death had to be paid by His precious son, the lamb that was slain so that we can live and not die when we sin.

 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son as a sacrifice to die in our place so that if we would just believe in Him, we would live forever and not perish. O! What a beautiful exchange! Now we can live in freedom while he bear our burden. Our sins were upon His shoulders as He carried the cross that was meant for us. He is the propitiation for our sin, He took the chastisement so we could have peace with God.

 In the covenants of old the people were chastised when they sinned but in this new covenant there is one scape goat who is Christ Jesus. He is our atonement, He is the ransom. He was pierced for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. No sin was found in Him but He was made sin for us so that we can become His righteousness. 

Man who drinks iniquity like water and shaped in sin can now become righteous while the righteous One was made to become sin for us. It is difficult to understand the possibility of this; that a king should die for His subjects. What other king lives His throne to die for His condemned and guilty subjects? Divinity left His heavenly throne to the realm of fallen man to be numbered with sinners. Not only that but He also took my place and died for me.

 I am the guilty one but you sacrificed your son; your one and only son so that I can stand before you Lord blameless and holy without spot nor wrinkles nor any such thing. This could only be done out of love. A boundless love, an unconditional love. Greater love has no man than this that a man lay down His life for His friends. But He is not just a man, He is God, He is Christ the King. Amazing love, how can it be possible? That a Sovereign king should die for me. Now I am forgiven because you were forsaken. I can now be accepted by the Father because you were condemned.

 You Lord are my Hero, You stepped in and salvaged the situation. He has won our salvation and forgiveness at the cross. He became sin for us by hanging on the cross. His side was pierced and blood and water gushed out. He wore the crown of thorns so that we may wear the crown of life. Blood squeezed out of His head and His body. He was already caked with blood from Gethsemane as He struggled between His will and His Father’s. He decided to let go His will and drank the cup of sin for our sake. So terrible was the sight of that cup that He almost changed His mind. The sins of the Jews, the sins of the heathen and most surprisingly, the sins of the spiritual demonic realm all got mixed in one cup. Murder, lies, idolatry, fornication, adultery, lesbianism, homosexuality, incest, blasphemy,  rebellion, lasciviousness, masturbation, hatred, witchcraft, wickedness, variance, jealousy, anger, wars, drunkenness, and anything you could call sin not only of the ages before but also of the ages to come all got into that cup. He drank that iniquitous cup for my sake. 

The agony of the messiah was so great that angels had to come and strengthen Him. This is what He said for my sake” Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” He had to give up His will so that mankind can be redeemed and enjoy the blessings promised to Abraham through faith. He died for our sins and he was raised back to life because we were JUSTIFIED. Now sins can be forgiven and blotted out completely for good. Man will no longer be guilty of sin. For God will declare the guilty to be INNOCENT by faith.

I will briefly share with you some passages of scriptures as we discuss the nature of the new covenant.

(1) It is absolutely unconditional

This means that the new covenant must be fulfilled whether man sins or not. God will have mercy on man even if he sin and break the laws. Instead of punishment for sins, mercy will prevail over judgement. This is because the scapegoat that will bear all the punishment for sin is Christ Jesus. That lamb that was slain to take away the sins of the world.

⁷ For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

⁸ For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

⁹ Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

¹⁰ 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:

¹¹ And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

¹² For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

¹³ In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

{Hebrews 8:7-13}

Take note of verse 12.God will be merciful to our unrighteousness and will not remember our sins and iniquities. This proves the unconditional nature of the new covenant.

(2) It is faultless unlike the old covenant

The first (old) covenant was faulty and hence could only produce faulty and guilty people. Nobody could be blameless no matter how hard they tried. All men were condemned as guilty of sin. But this new covenant is faultless, blameless and impeccable and hence produces faultless, flawless, blameless and impeccable people. A faultless covenant will produce a faultless people.

⁷ For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

⁸ For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

⁹ Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.{Hebres 8:7-13}

                                           

(3) It is effective forever

The new covenant is effective unlike the ineffective old covenant. This covenant takes away sins unlike the old covenant that could not. No man could be made righteous in the old covenant of the law. But this new covenant makes all men righteous by faith in Christ Jesus.

³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. {Romans 8:3-4}

Take note that what the law of the old covenant could not do has been done by the new covenant in Christ Jesus. The old covenant was rendered ineffective by the weakness of human nature (flesh).

¹² Christ, however, offered one sacrifice for sins, an offering that is effective forever, and then he sat down at the right side of God. ¹³ There he now waits until God puts his enemies as a footstool under his feet. ¹⁴ With one sacrifice, then, he has made perfect forever those who are purified from sin. {Hebrews 10:12-14 GNT}

Take note that the offering in this new covenant is effective forever.

(4) The new covenant makes man perfect forever by one sacrifice.

The old covenant of the law had a lot of animal sacrifices which involved the blood of bulls and goats but still couldn’t make any man perfect but the new covenant needed just one sacrifice (Christ) to perfect man forever. Just one lamb was needed to take away sins. Not a yearly repeated sacrifice.

¹⁴ With one sacrifice, then, he has made perfect forever those who are purified from sin. {Hebrews 10:14 GNT}

The same sacrifices are offered forever, year after year. How can the Law, then, by means of these sacrifices make perfect the people who come to God? ² If the people worshiping God had really been purified from their sins, they would not feel guilty of sin any more, and all sacrifices would stop. {Hebrews 10:1-2 GNT}

 ⁴ For the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sins. {Hebrews 10:4 GNT}

²⁹ The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.{John 1:29}

(5)Guilt is taken away in this new covenant

The old covenant of the law could never take away the guilt that comes with sin. All the yearly rituals and sacrifices were instead a reminder of sin and guilt as often as they were repeated. Every man was condemned and declared guilty in the old covenant but this new covenant takes away the guilt of man by purging our conscience with the blood of Christ. God himself declares us “not guilty”

                                                                                           

The old system of Jewish laws gave only a dim foretaste of the good things Christ would do for us. The sacrifices under the old system were repeated again and again, year after year, but even so they could never save those who lived under their rules. ² If they could have, one offering would have been enough; the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all and their feeling of guilt would be gone. ³ But just the opposite happened: those yearly sacrifices reminded them of their disobedience and guilt instead of relieving their minds. {Hebrews 10:1-3 TLB}

 ²¹ We have a great priest in charge of the house of God. ²² So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water.{Hebrews 10:21-22 GNT}

³⁰ And having chosen us, he called us to come to him; and when we came, he declared us “not guilty,” filled us with Christ’s goodness, gave us right standing with himself, and promised us his glory.{Rom 8:30 TLB}

³³ Who will accuse God's chosen people? God himself declares them not guilty! ³⁴ Who, then, will condemn them? Not Christ Jesus, who died, or rather, who was raised to life and is at the right side of God, pleading with him for us!{Rom 8:33-34 GNT}

⁵ But those who depend on faith, not on deeds, and who believe in the God who declares the guilty to be innocent, it is this faith that God takes into account in order to put them right with himself.{Rom 4:5 GNT}

¹⁶ And there is a difference between God's gift and the sin of one man. After the one sin, came the judgment of “Guilty”; but after so many sins, comes the undeserved gift of “Not guilty!”{Rom 5:16 GNT}

Thank God for our hearts have now been purified from a guilty conscience and we are no longer guilty of sin. God himself declares us NOT GUILTY. In the old covenant even the innocent were declared guilty because of the first Adam’s sin but in the new covenant the guilty is declared innocent {not guilty} because of Christ’s {The Last Adam} obedience. By faith in Christ Jesus we are justified.

                        

(6)Established on better promises

The new covenant is established on better promises not like that of the old. The new covenant has the provision of “I will” but the old says “If ye will” meaning that the old required us to do some works before we get the promise but the new covenant has God working for us.

⁵ Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:{Exodus 19:5}

¹⁰ 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:

¹¹ And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

¹² For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. {Hebrews 8:10-12}

This means that in this new covenant we will get all of God’s promises not because of our works but because of His grace and mercy. In Deuteronomy 28, all the blessings were tied to our obedience to all of God’s commandments but in the new covenant the blessings come to us through Christ’s obedience. This is how it is stated;

²⁰ for it is he who is the “Yes” to all of God's promises. This is why through Jesus Christ our “Amen” is said to the glory of God. {2Corinthians 1:20 GNT}

³² He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?{Romans 8:32}

Now we can enjoy all God’s promises through Christ not through our own obedience. He is the YES to any request we make to God and in Christ Jesus all of God’s promises are YES AND AMEN. We are free to enjoy the blessings He gave to Abraham because Christ became a curse for us so that the blessings of Abraham might come unto us the gentiles. No believer is under a curse but we are all to enjoy blessings.

¹³ Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14   That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. {Galatians 3:13-14}

(7)There is no condemnation because sins are not remembered

In this new covenant even when we fall, God does not condemn us. Jesus took all the condemnation on the cross. No man can accuse us of sin. The only one qualified to accuse us is the one who died for us but He is instead pleading to God for us. We are no longer punished according to our sins but He pities us as a father pities his children. The punishment meant for us was taken by Christ. God doesn’t even remember our sins any more. He sees us through Christ even though His justice sees our sins. He decides to blot out our sins and keep the slate clean for us. He takes away the punishment we deserve and gives us mercy and grace that we don’t deserve.

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. {Romans 8:1-2)

¹² For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. {Hebrews 8:12}

³³ Who will accuse God's chosen people? God himself declares them not guilty! ³⁴ Who, then, will condemn them? Not Christ Jesus, who died, or rather, who was raised to life and is at the right side of God, pleading with him for us! {Rom 8:33-34 GNT}

He concludes,

I’ll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.{Hebrews 10:17 MSG}

²⁵ I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. {Isaiah 43:25}

¹⁰ He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. {Psalms 103:10-12}

¹⁸ Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

¹⁹ He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

²⁰ Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old. {Micah 7:18-20}

(8) Redemption was accomplished

The promise to redeem the earth back to God via the seed of Abraham was fulfilled in the new covenant when Christ shed His blood on the cross and brought us back to himself. Everything in heaven and on earth was reconciled back to God through His blood. His blood is so powerful that what the blood of bulls and goats could not do for many years was done by it once and for all. The blood doesn’t lose its power. It is forever potent and without it sins are not forgiven nor remitted.

 ²⁰ Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood^[c] on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven. {Col.1:20 GNT}

⁷ In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; {Ephesians 1:7}

¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. {Col 1:13-14 NIV}

¹³ And if under the old system the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of young cows could cleanse men’s bodies from sin, ¹⁴ just think how much more surely the blood of Christ will transform our lives and hearts. His sacrifice frees us from the worry of having to obey the old rules and makes us want to serve the living God. For by the help of the eternal Holy Spirit, Christ willingly gave himself to God to die for our sins—he being perfect, without a single sin or fault. {Hebrews 9:13-14 TLB}

(9) We now have a new high priest

The old testaments had high priests which entered the holy of holies once a year to offer sacrifices but in this new covenant we have a high priest who entered into heaven itself once and for all to offer just one perfect sacrifice with His blood. This offering is effective forever therefore He doesn’t have to atone for sin every year. All sins have been atoned for once and for ever.

¹¹ He came as High Priest of this better system that we now have. He went into that greater, perfect tabernacle in heaven, not made by men nor part of this world, ¹² and once for all took blood into that inner room, the Holy of Holies, and sprinkled it on the mercy seat; but it was not the blood of goats and calves. No, he took his own blood, and with it he, by himself, made sure of our eternal salvation. {Hebrews 9:11-12 TLB}

¹⁹ This certain hope of being saved is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls, connecting us with God himself behind the sacred curtains of heaven,²⁰ where Christ has gone ahead to plead for us from his position as our High Priest,^[b] with the honor and rank of Melchizedek.{Hebrews 6:19-20 TLB}

¹¹ Every Jewish priest performs his services every day and offers the same sacrifices many times; but these sacrifices can never take away sins. ¹² Christ, however, offered one sacrifice for sins, an offering that is effective forever, and then he sat down at the right side of God. ¹³ There he now waits until God puts his enemies as a footstool under his feet. ¹⁴ With one sacrifice, then, he has made perfect forever those who are purified from sin. {Hebrews 10:11-13 GNT}

¹⁹ We have, then, my friends, complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the death of Jesus. ²⁰ He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain—that is, through his own body. ²¹ We have a great priest in charge of the house of God. ²² So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water. ²³ Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise. {Hebrews 10:19-23 GNT}

¹⁴ Let us, then, hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we have a great High Priest who has gone into the very presence of God—Jesus, the Son of God.¹⁵ Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin. ¹⁶ Let us have confidence, then, and approach God's throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it. {Hebrews 4:14-16 GNT}

Now we can approach God’s throne with boldness because we have a high priest who understands our weaknesses and sympathizes with us when we fall. He is up there making intercessions of us and pouring down God’s grace on us. He doesn’t want us to shrink back in fear but to come near to God with a sincere heart and a full assurance of faith that He has paid for our sins. He doesn’t like us walking around with a guilty conscience. 

Sin consciousness has made us slaves for years and has prevented us from manifesting our birth rights as God’s children. It has made us look beggarly and weak, a people who always hide because of fear of punishment. But God has not given us the spirit that makes us fear but the spirit of power love and a renewed mind. We have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but the spirit of adoption that qualifies us to call God "daddy" .When we sin we have an advocate who intercedes for us and advocates in our favour, Jesus Christ our great high priest. He represents us before our father God in heaven therefore there is nothing to fear. God sees us perfect and flawless through Christ. So we await the judgement day with boldness and not with fear because we know He loves us and died for us taking our punishment on the cross.

¹⁷ Love is made perfect in us in order that we may have courage on the Judgment Day; and we will have it because our life in this world is the same as Christ's. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear. So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment. {1 John 4:17-18 GNT}

My little children, I am telling you this so that you will stay away from sin. But if you sin, there is someone to plead for you before the Father. His name is Jesus Christ, the one who is all that is good and who pleases God completely.² He is the one who took God’s wrath against our sins upon himself and brought us into fellowship with God; and he is the forgiveness for our sins,^[a] and not only ours but all the world’s.{1 JOHN 2:1-2 TLB}