“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people.” (Jeremiah 31:33)
The prophet Jeremiah prophesies about the New Covenant that God will make with man. Jeremiah prophesies that this new covenant that God will make, He will make with the house of Israel. When Jesus came, He came first for the Jew. Paul wrote: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16) All things pertaining to the knowledge of God came through the Jews. God chose them to receive the oracles of God first. But God’s intention was that the Gospel would be preached to the Gentiles, to the whole world. In His covenant with Abraham, He changed Abram’s name to the Father of many nations. “Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.” (Genesis 17:5) Throughout the Old Testament, God gave revelation that the salvation that was to come would be for all people. In the New Testament, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, we read the word, “whosoever,” meaning all, any and everyone.
Looking at this Scripture from Jeremiah’s perspective, I’m sure Jeremiah didn’t have a clue how God was going to put His “law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts.” But God said it and it was received and believed as Truth because God can do all things. The understanding of some of the things that the Lord said wasn’t there because it was not their time to understand such things. But God was revealing to them what was to come. It would be a supernatural time in which man would have God’s law “in their inward parts.” Like Nicodemus who questioned, “How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?” (John 3:4), they probably questioned how, but not if this would happen. The Jews received many things that would not come in their time. They died believing in the promises even though the promises would come much later after their death. And herein is the supernatural of God. The promise was for them, even though they would not receive it before their death. They would receive it after their death.
Scripture tells us that Jesus went to preach to those who were dead. “By which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison;” (1Peter 3:19) They were in that prison or holding place because there was no salvation yet until Christ died. Peter again brings up this topic with more clarity about the Gospel preached to the dead. “For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” (1Peter 4:6) All men will hear the Gospel and have the opportunity to accept or reject Jesus. This is the answer to the question that has been asked repeatedly. “How about those who died before Jesus? Are they saved?” All, any and every one, whosoever believeth shall be saved. “He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:18) There’s also the question whether remote peoples who haven’t heard the Gospel are saved. God is God. His Gospel is for all, any and everyone. We don’t know how, but if God said it, He did it or will do it.
Back to the original text. The people in Jeremiah’s time had no inkling how God would put His law in their inward parts. But when Jesus came, He told us that the Father would send God the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.” (John 16:7) Whenever the subject of the Trinity comes up, questions also arise. But we will not delve into that topic because It’s lengthy. Just as the Father sent the Son, the second Person of the Trinity for our salvation, the Holy Spirit has been sent to man to help him live out his life in righteousness for God as a new creation. The number of Christians are myriads. How can God be with everyone to help them? The answer is through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not in a physical body that can only be in one place at one time. He is God and can be in all places at one time. And herein again we see the supernatural working of God. He comes to reside in us. Ezekiel prophesied about this: “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
We read the Bible without understanding sometimes. How many times did the Jews read this and not understand that the Spirit of God would live in us. ...about as many times as they read about the suffering Messiah and didn’t understand it, not recognizing Him when He came and crucifying Him. So, God the Holy Spirit comes to live and dwell in us when we receive Jesus. God lives in us. “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (2Corinthians 6:16) What a wonderful thing this is. We become the temple, the residing place for God.
Paul in Ephesians explains how we are reconciled to God, how we are saints and of the household of God built on the foundation of the prophets, the apostles and Jesus. He tells us Jesus is the cornerstone of that foundation. It all rests on Him, depends on Him, is for Him and is of Him. And he tells us that all these teachings fit together to build a temple or shrine in the Lord. And we are also a temple. Altogether, we form a temple or dwelling place for the Lord. We are not separate temples. We are one temple through One Holy Spirit living in all of us. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22) It’s supernatural. One Holy Spirit dwelling in each one of us to make one temple. Peter also speaks about this. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” (1Peter 2:5) The wonderfulness of God is beyond our understanding for the moment. It’s God dwelling in us. We don’t need a written law. God is in us speaking to us His Will, His Purpose, His law. One holy priesthood, one temple of God and one Holy Spirit dwelling in all of us.
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