Grafted into Abraham and David: How Jesus Fulfils Covenant Promises

Liam and Dean explore how believers are grafted into the Abrahamic and Davidic covenant promises through Christ while demonstrating that the Mosaic law has been completed and fulfilled. Through detailed examination of Hebrews 9 and Ephesians 2, they reveal how Jesus as the "last Adam" rather than merely the "second Adam" has permanently resolved humanity's sin nature problem. The discussion addresses crucial interpretive principles for understanding Scripture through covenant context, using Jesus' Matthew 6 teaching on forgiveness as a key example of distinguishing pre-cross conditional teachings from post-cross new covenant realities. This episode provides essential framework for proper biblical hermeneutics and practical new covenant living.

The episode establishes that believers are not operating under an improved version of the Mosaic law but have been grafted into the unconditional promises given to Abraham and David. Jesus is identified as "son of Abraham" and "son of David" in Matthew's genealogy but never as "son of Moses," indicating covenant continuation rather than legal improvement.

Christ's full humanity was essential for redemption, as only a genuine human sacrifice could redeem humanity from Adam's transgression. Jesus as the "last Adam" permanently resolves the sin nature problem, unlike Old Testament resurrections where individuals died again, demonstrating the completeness of His victory over death.

The discussion reveals that not all of Jesus' earthly teachings represent new covenant principles, as He was addressing people living under the Mosaic covenant. Proper interpretation requires understanding covenant context to distinguish between transitional teachings and eternal new covenant truths.

Believers possess both imputed righteousness (credited to their account like Abraham) and imparted righteousness (actual nature transformation), representing the superior provision of the new covenant compared to Old Testament believers who only received imputed righteousness.

Going Deeper - Biblical Foundation

Primary Scriptures Referenced:

• Hebrews 9:13-28 - Christ's superior sacrifice and mediation of new covenant

• Matthew 1:1 - Jesus identified as son of David and Abraham, not Moses

• Ephesians 1:3, 2:11-13 - Every spiritual blessing in Christ, Gentiles brought near

• Colossians 2:13 - All sins forgiven and charges cancelled at the cross

• Matthew 6:14-15 - Conditional forgiveness teaching in pre-cross context

• Philippians 2:5-11 - Christ's incarnation and humility in becoming fully human

Supporting Biblical Connections:

• Romans 4:16-25 - Abraham's faith credited as righteousness, pattern for believers

• 2 Samuel 7:12-16 - Davidic covenant promises of eternal kingdom

• 1 Corinthians 15:45 - Jesus as the last Adam bringing life to all

• 2 Corinthians 5:19 - God not counting trespasses against us

• John 8:3-11 - Woman caught in adultery, Jesus bringing heart transformation

• Titus 2:11-12 - Grace teaching us to deny ungodliness

Transformational Insights

Liam (on covenant grafting): "We're not living in a better version of Moses' law. Jesus isn't from the lineage of Moses. He's not like a second Moses. We've been grafted into the Abrahamic and Davidic promises. The difference between Abraham and you and I now is Abraham had righteousness imputed to him, whereas now you and I have the imparted nature of righteousness on the inside."

Dean (on Jesus' full humanity): "If Jesus is not fully man, it doesn't work. What He's doing won't work. He redeemed humanity. So He had to become fully a man, tempted in every point, the weakness of a man, but He's still fully God. Everyone that was raised from the dead in the Bible died again except for Jesus. Jesus never died again."

Liam (on biblical interpretation): "Not everything Jesus taught was new covenant. That's really important to understand. The revelation Paul got was through Christ. You won't understand the finished work of the cross unless you have the writings of Paul. This is where covenant theology is so important because Jesus was teaching to a people who are under an old covenant."

Dean (on new covenant forgiveness): "I'm not going to God asking Him to forgive me, because if I'm coming to God to ask Him to forgive me, I'm asking Him to do something that He's already done. But I go to Him as a son and I'm like, 'I'm so sorry I did that.' Repentance isn't just saying you're sorry. You need to repent from something into something."

Discussion Questions from the Episode

The hosts posed several direct questions for listener consideration:

• How does understanding that we're grafted into Abraham's and David's promises rather than living under improved Mosaic law change our approach to Christian living?

• Why was Jesus' full humanity essential for redemption?

• How do we properly interpret Jesus' pre-cross teachings through new covenant understanding?

• What does it mean practically that our forgiveness is unconditional rather than dependent on our forgiving others?

Extended Reflection Questions

• How does recognising the difference between imputed righteousness (credited to account) and imparted righteousness (actual nature change) transform your understanding of your relationship with God?

• In what areas of your life might you be applying old covenant conditional thinking rather than new covenant unconditional grace?

• What would change in your Bible reading if you consistently asked "what covenant context is this written in?" before applying passages to your life?

• How does understanding that Jesus came to reveal God's true character rather than establish religion 2.0 affect your view of difficult Old Testament passages?

Consider the statement

"Anything I say about myself, could I say that about Jesus?"

• How might…this principle transform your self-perception and identity in Christ?

• What does it mean that the temple is no longer a place in Jerusalem but that you are the temple of God?

Implementation Steps

When reading Scripture, identify the covenant context before applying passages to your life. Distinguish between transitional teachings given to people under the old covenant and eternal new covenant truths that govern Christian living today.

Practice

Approaching God as a forgiven son or daughter rather than someone seeking forgiveness. When conviction comes, respond through repentance that involves learning your true identity rather than merely apologising for behaviour.

Weekly Challenge

Approach your relationship with God from the understanding that you are grafted into Abraham's unconditional promises and David's royal inheritance rather than operating under conditional religious requirements. Notice how this affects your confidence and intimacy with God.

Father, thank You that through Christ I am grafted into the unconditional promises given to Abraham and the royal inheritance promised to David.

Help me Trinity to understand that Jesus came not to establish improved religion but to fulfil all covenant promises in Himself. Give me The Fear of the Lord and wisdom to interpret Scripture properly through covenant context. Guide me Jesus Christ to distinguishing between transitional teachings and eternal new covenant truths. Lord May I live from the reality that I am fully forgiven and possess Your divine nature.

Amen.

Episode Timestamps

Internal Links: This episode completes the covenant theology foundation established in Episodes 5 and 6 while connecting to earlier identity and sanctification discussions. Future content may explore specific applications of covenant hermeneutics to challenging biblical passages.

External Authority Links: Connect with established theological resources on biblical hermeneutics, incarnation theology, and systematic studies of biblical covenants from recognised institutions and theological seminaries addressing proper Scripture interpretation methodologies.

Apply covenant to your Scripture reading by consistently asking about covenant context before interpreting passages.

Embrace your identity as one grafted into Abraham's faith promises and David's royal inheritance rather than operating under performance-based religious thinking. Share this content with others struggling to understand the relationship between Old and New Testament teachings or seeking clarity about proper biblical interpretation principles.

Jesus Fulfils Covenant Promises

Liam and Dean conclude their covenant theology series by establishing that Jesus did not come to create improved religion or establish "Law 2.0" but to fulfil the unconditional promises given to Abraham and David while completing the conditional requirements of the Mosaic covenant. This understanding transforms how believers relate to God and interpret Scripture.

The hosts emphasise that believers are grafted into grace-based covenant relationships rather than performance-based legal systems. Matthew's genealogy identifies Jesus as "son of Abraham" and "son of David" but never "son of Moses," indicating continuation of promise-based covenants rather than legal improvement.

Hebrews 9 and Christ's Superior Sacrifice

Dean provides detailed exposition of Hebrews 9:13-28, demonstrating how Christ's sacrifice accomplished what animal sacrifices could never achieve. The passage reveals that Jesus offered Himself to God as both sacrifice and high priest, establishing the new covenant through His own blood rather than through repeated animal offerings.

The discussion emphasises that believers live in a covenant of forgiveness rather than conditional blessing based on performance. This fundamental shift eliminates the old covenant dynamic where sin required immediate sacrifice to restore right standing with God, replacing it with permanent forgiveness secured through Christ's finished work.

The hosts stress that Christ's sacrifice was complete and permanent, unlike Old Testament sacrifices that required constant repetition. Hebrews declares that Jesus is "not coming back a second time to deal with sin" because He dealt with it correctly the first time, establishing eternal redemption rather than temporary covering.

The Necessity of Christ's Full Humanity

The conversation addresses the crucial theological principle that Jesus had to become fully human to redeem humanity from Adam's transgression. Dean explains that if Christ was not genuinely human, His sacrifice would be invalid for human redemption, as only a true human substitute could address the human condition.

This principle distinguishes Jesus as the "last Adam" rather than merely the "second Adam." Everyone raised from the dead in biblical accounts eventually died again, demonstrating that their resurrections were temporary signs rather than permanent solutions to humanity's death problem. Jesus' permanent resurrection victory over death reveals the completeness of His redemption work.

The incarnation represents God's brilliant solution to humanity's inability to escape sin's bondage through human effort. By removing the old nature and implanting His divine nature within believers, God accomplished what human willpower and religious performance could never achieve.

Grafting into Abraham and David

The episode establishes that believers participate in the unconditional promises given to Abraham and David rather than operating under modified versions of Moses' conditional law. Abraham received righteousness through faith rather than works, establishing the pattern for new covenant salvation by grace through faith.

Liam explains the crucial distinction between Abraham's experience and that of new covenant believers. Abraham received imputed righteousness (credited to his account) while maintaining his fallen nature, whereas believers receive both imputed righteousness and imparted righteousness (actual nature transformation) through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The Davidic covenant promised an eternal kingdom through David's lineage, finding ultimate fulfilment in Christ's reign and believers' participation as "kings and priests" in His kingdom. This royal inheritance provides identity and authority that transcends religious performance-based thinking.

Proper Biblical Interpretation Through Covenant Context

The discussion addresses essential hermeneutical principles for proper Scripture interpretation, using Jesus' Matthew 6 teaching on conditional forgiveness as a prime example. The hosts demonstrate that not all of Jesus' earthly teachings represent new covenant principles, as He addressed people living under the Mosaic covenant.

Jesus' statement that "unless you forgive, your heavenly Father will not forgive you" represented legal requirements under the old covenant system rather than eternal new covenant truth. Colossians 2:13 declares that believers "have been forgiven" all sins through Christ's cross work, establishing unconditional rather than conditional forgiveness.

This interpretive principle prevents confusion and guilt that results from applying transitional teachings meant for old covenant people to new covenant believers. Understanding covenant context resolves apparent contradictions and provides clarity about God's character as revealed through Christ.

Practical New Covenant Living

The conversation transitions to practical applications for daily Christian experience. Dean explains that when conviction comes regarding sin, believers should not ask God for forgiveness (since they are already forgiven) but should approach Him as beloved children seeking understanding of their true identity.

Biblical repentance involves more than apologising for wrong behaviour. True repentance includes turning from false understanding to true identity revelation, asking God to teach and reveal who believers have become in Christ rather than merely expressing sorrow for actions.

The hosts emphasise that grace makes believers fall in love with Jesus, naturally producing hatred for sin rather than license for ungodliness. Understanding divine love and acceptance motivates holy living more effectively than fear-based religious obligation.

Call for Church Reformation

Liam concludes with a call for church reformation around proper new covenant understanding, arguing that many well-meaning teachings perpetuate old covenant performance-based thinking rather than new covenant grace realities. This reformation would transform how believers understand their relationship with God and interpret Scripture.

The principle of asking "anything I say about myself, could I say that about Jesus?" provides practical guidance for self-perception rooted in union with Christ. Since believers are "in Christ" and Christ is "in them," their identity and standing mirror His rather than reflecting their performance or feelings.

The episode closes with emphasis on proper hermeneutical questions: What covenant context governs this passage? Is this applicable for new covenant believers? How does this passage train and equip in righteousness rather than condemnation? These questions transform Bible reading from guilt-producing obligation to life-giving revelation.

Throughout the discussion, the hosts demonstrate how proper theological understanding directly impacts daily Christian experience.

Covenant theology is not merely academic exercise but practical framework that transforms prayer, Bible reading, approach to sin, understanding of forgiveness, and overall relationship with God. The episode provides both intellectual foundation and emotional connection to new covenant truths, bridging the gap between systematic theology and spiritual transformation. Understanding covenant context eliminates confusion about God's character while preserving Scripture's authority and practical relevance for contemporary believers.

The conclusion emphasises that covenant theology ultimately reveals God's consistent character and unchanging love, providing security for believers rooted in Christ's finished work rather than personal performance or religious achievement.