Within a Better Covenant
"But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established with better promises" (Hebrews 8:6).
1. Within a better covenant
God's people now abide,
Built on the finished work of Christ,
Accomplished and applied.
From ev'ry nation, tribe, and tongue,
The Spirit calls the bride,
Uniting in this covenant
Each one for whom Christ died.
2. All those within this covenant
Are quickened and made new;
From least to great, they know the Lord
And trust His Word as true.
The Spirit works and writes God's Law
Upon each heart and mind,
That each will turn and flee to Christ,
His grace and mercy find.
3. For unto Moses, Jesus gave
His Law on Sinai's hill;
The Law that one day He would come
To perfectly fulfill.
God's Law fulfilled in Jesus Christ
Is holy, good, and right;
What once condemned us for our sin
Is now made our delight.
4. The Spirit seals the covenant
With each He sets apart;
A circumcision not of flesh,
But of the conquer'd heart.
For it is not by flesh and blood,
Nor by the will of man,
That Christ now builds and keeps His church
And causes it to stand.
5. The covenants that came before
Did then prepare the way,
As God progressively revealed
The glories of Christ's day.
The types and shadows of the old
A foretaste did provide,
But old has vanished now away
As Christ is magnified!
6. In ceaseless service priests of old
Brought off'rings day by day,
But blood of bulls and goats could not
Take sin's dark guilt away.
Behold, a better sacrifice,
The spotless Lamb who died!
Christ shed His blood once for all time
To cleanse and save His bride.
7. God made provision in the Old,
Its Temple, priests, and land;
An earthly nation He raised up
And strengthened by His hand.
But earthly shadows now have past,
Outshined with Christ in view,
Proclaiming now unto the church:
God's Kingdom is in you!
8. Behold, the temple of the New,
Not made with bricks or stone,
Is now the gathered hearts of all
Whom Christ has called His own.
The sacrifices of our lips
We to this temple bring
That Christ be praised as all in all,
Our Prophet, Priest, and King.
"Within a Better Covenant"
WORDS: Ken Puls, February 10, 2001
MUSIC: Tom Wells, 1996, 2001
TUNE: GRAPE CREEK (C.M.D.)
THEME: The Blessings of the New Covenant
This hymn was composed for the 2001 General Assembly of the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America (ARBCA), that met March 6-8, 2001 at Heritage Baptist Church in Mansfield, Texas. It celebrates the greater blessings and promises we now possess within the better covenant in Christ Jesus. Read more about this hymn on the Blog.
Words ©2001 Kenneth A Puls
Music: ©1996, 2001 Tom Wells
Classical Guitar Accompaniment
Permission is granted to churches to make additional copies
of the lyrics and sheet music for this hymn for use in worship.
Above image from Unsplash