In a world filled with rules, regulations, and expectations, many people search for lasting change. Yet true transformation does not come from better laws or stricter guidelines. It comes from a renewed heart, made possible through God’s promise of a new covenant. Pastor Léveillé draws from Jeremiah 31:31-34 to reveal how God offers something far greater than external obedience: an internal renewal that changes us from the inside out.
Recognize the Limits of the Old Covenant (vs. 31-32)
The old covenant, given at Mount Sinai through Moses, included the Ten Commandments written on tablets of stone. These commandments reflected God’s holy character: the first four addressed our relationship with Him, and the last six governed relationships with others. Yet no one has ever perfectly kept them. From childhood, we all break them, whether through lying, coveting, or anger.
The law was never defective. It clearly revealed God’s standards, exposed our sinful hearts, and restrained evil in society. However, it could not change the human heart. God delivered Israel from Egypt, guided them, and cared for them as a husband cares for his wife. Still, they broke the covenant. Goodness, blessings, and perfect rules do not transform sinful people.
Even in everyday life, perfect rules applied to imperfect hearts create conflict. A flawless government or police force would only highlight our failures. The old covenant showed us what God requires, but it could not enable us to meet those requirements. It pointed to our need for a Saviour.
Receive God’s Work on the Heart (vs. 33)
The new covenant is radically different. God does not offer better rules or move the commandments from stone to paper. He writes His law on our hearts, replacing external commands with internal desire. He creates in us a genuine love for righteousness and for Him.
This transformation happens when we trust Jesus Christ as Saviour. At the Last Supper, Jesus declared the cup represented “the new testament in my blood.” Through faith in His finished work, we enter this new covenant. The Holy Spirit comes to live within us, changing our desires from the inside out.
Old affections are expelled by new ones. A man overcome by wrong desires finds victory not through stricter rules, but by growing deeper in love with what is right. The more we love Jesus, the less we love sin. Victory over temptation comes not from fences and filters alone, but from a heart filled with affection for Christ.
Scottish pastor Thomas Chalmers called this “the expulsive power of a new affection.” When God plants new desires in us, old ones lose their grip. The Holy Spirit does not merely enforce obedience; He forms it naturally as we yield to Him.
Walk in a Personal Relationship with the Lord (vs. 34a)
Under the new covenant, every believer has direct access to God. No priest stands between us and Him. There is one mediator: the man Christ Jesus. We know God personally through faith in His Son.
One day, when Christ returns and establishes His kingdom, the nation of Israel will fully enter this covenant. All will know the Lord personally, from the least to the greatest. Until then, we who trust Christ already enjoy this privilege spiritually.
Christian maturity does not come from hearing thousands of sermons or following rituals. It comes from spending time with Jesus. The disciples were recognised as having “been with Jesus” because relationship, not mere instruction, transformed them.
We must make Christ known to others while passionately pursuing our own relationship with Him through prayer and His Word. Knowing about God is not enough; we need to know Him.
Rest in Complete and Final Forgiveness (vs. 34b)
Everything in the new covenant rests on full, final forgiveness. Old Testament sacrifices covered sin temporarily but could not remove it. They were offered repeatedly because they never perfected the conscience. Animal blood could never truly take away sin.
Those offerings pointed forward to the Lamb of God. When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He paid the debt once for all. By one offering, He perfected forever those who are sanctified. His blood purges the conscience from guilt.
When we trust Christ alone for salvation, our account with God is cleared, not by our efforts, but by His sacrifice. He forgives every sin, past, present, and future, and remembers them no more.
Conclusion
God’s promise in Jeremiah 31:31-34 remains the greatest hope for lasting change. The new covenant offers more than rules to follow; it offers a new heart to love and obey God freely. Through faith in Jesus Christ and His shed blood, we receive forgiveness, transformation, and intimate fellowship with God.
If you have never trusted Christ as your Saviour, today is the day to stop relying on your own goodness. Admit your sin, believe that Jesus paid for it completely on the cross, and trust Him alone. He will forgive you, forget your sin, and begin writing His law on your heart.
For those who already know Him, let us yield daily to the Holy Spirit’s work, allowing new affections for Christ to expel old desires. May we walk closely with our Lord, rest in His finished work, and make Him known until He returns.
