New Covenant or Old?

     One of the ways that we can tell whether we are living in the New Covenant or the Old Covenant is by our response to our own sins.   If we are living in the Old Covenant, we are never really able to fully cleanse our consciences.  It is not possible for the blood of bulls or goats to do this.  Those sacrifices only served as yearly reminders of sins.  However, those living in the Old Covenant still had a way to continue on with their lives, a way to appease their conscience - they just needed a sacrifice and a scape-goat.  This is one way that we can recognize if we are living under the Old Covenant rather than the New.  How do we act when we become conscious that we have sinned, especially when that sin has hurt someone else?   Do we attempt to make a sacrifice and  look for a scape-goat?   Do we admit our sin while at the same time transferring the blame onto another brother, sister or circumstance?   Transferring the blame onto the scape-goat was never able to cleanse the conscience of the worshiper, it only soothed it for another year.   Many people that are struggling with their consciences over matters of sin are doing so because they do not approach the Father by the New and living way to receive cleansing through the blood of Christ.   Their confession is in accordance with the Law of God; they simply agree with the Law that they were guilty.   However, like the priest of the Old Covenant, their sacrifice is not complete without transferring their sin onto some other brother or sister to carry the blame away from being upon themselves alone.

        Those who live in the New Testament are believers whose consciences have been cleansed through faith in the blood of Jesus.  They have no need of scape-goats any more.  They never transfer the blame for their sin upon anyone else but their own weak faith or un-mortified flesh.  They know by faith that no temptation has ever taken them but what is common to all men, and that the Father has never allowed them to be tempted beyond what they have been able to bear.  Their confession is not simply an admission of guilt that agrees with the Law; they fully say the same as the Holy Spirit and no more; thus they receive both forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness.   With this New and purified conscience they don't need the scape-goat anymore.  

       One more thing about scape-goats.  With the increase of population these scape-goats don't disappear so easily into the wilderness any more.   It has been my own experience that despite my best efforts to isolate them to the remotest parts of my world,  I have often bumped into my own scape-goats over and over again.