There is a foundational distinction in Scripture that, if missed, will leave you trapped in confusion, striving, and spiritual bondage. The church’s salvation, inheritance, and righteousness do not rest on the New Covenant made with national Israel, nor on any system of law-keeping. Our position, blessing, and liberty are grounded in something far greater: the Everlasting Covenant—the agreement between the Father and the Son, secured by Christ alone and received by faith alone.
The Everlasting Covenant: The True Foundation
The Everlasting Covenant is not a contract God made with a nation, nor with individuals based on their performance. It is the eternal agreement between God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ—the Seed of Abraham and David. In this covenant, Christ is appointed as the eternal Heir and Shepherd, laying down His life for the sheep and inheriting all things in heaven and earth. The purpose? To bring many sons into the same glory Christ shares with the Father, making us co-heirs with Him.
This is the “key of David” spoken of in Revelation 3:7–8. Christ, as the true Heir, holds the authority to open the door to the heavenly inheritance. The church’s position is not as a party to the New Covenant made with Israel, but as those baptized into Christ Himself—the Seed to whom all promises are made. Our inheritance is not merely earthly, nor is it a reward for law-keeping. It is a share in Christ’s own inheritance, by virtue of our union with Him.
“And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:29)
The New Covenant and the Error of Legalism
The New Covenant, as prophesied in Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36, is made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It is national, not individual, and concerns Israel’s restoration to their land and the blessings of the coming Kingdom. The church is not brought under this covenant. To confuse the church’s position with Israel’s national promises is to forfeit the higher, heavenly calling we have in Christ.
Yet, false brethren—Judaizers—have always sought to blur this line. They insist that justification is by faith, but sanctification and blessing are by law-keeping. This is the ancient error of Cain, who offered God the fruit of his own labor, and of the Pharisees, who sought the Kingdom apart from the Heir. Paul calls such teachers the “synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 3:9), for they oppose the finished work of Christ and seek to bring believers back into bondage.
The law was never given as a means of life or righteousness. It was a schoolmaster, exposing sin and driving us to Christ. To return to law-keeping after receiving the Spirit by faith is spiritual adultery—a denial of our union with Christ and a rejection of the freedom He purchased.
“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3)
What Is Lost If We Accept This Error?
If you accept the lie that your standing, blessing, or inheritance depends on your law-keeping or on being under Israel’s New Covenant, you lose everything that Christ has secured for you. You forfeit the liberty of sonship and return to the spirit of bondage and fear. You place yourself under condemnation, striving for a wage instead of receiving the free gift. You are cut off from the enjoyment of Christ as your life, and the sense of blessing is lost. The Judaizers’ doctrine does not merely “confuse” the Christian life—it collapses justification itself and undermines the very foundation of our hope.
The Righteousness of God Manifested in Christ
Romans 8 does not teach that the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us by our efforts to behave better. The righteousness spoken of is God’s own righteousness, manifested in Christ and imputed to us by faith. The law could only condemn; Christ justifies. The Spirit does not empower us to keep the law in order to earn blessing—He testifies that we are sons and heirs, set free from condemnation.
Justification by faith is not a one-time ticket to heaven, with sanctification left to your own striving. Justification secures every blessing: your reward, your inheritance, your sanctification, your access to God, and your freedom from condemnation. The Spirit of sonship replaces the spirit of bondage and fear. Christ Himself is your wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30).
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)
The High Priestly Ministry of Christ: Our Present Supply
Christ’s high priestly ministry—according to the order of Melchizedek and based on the Everlasting Covenant—means that He continually intercedes for us, dispenses Himself as our Bread and Wine, and brings us into the very presence of God. This is not a future hope only, but a present reality. The Spirit bears witness that we are children and heirs, and gives life to our mortal bodies now. The Christian life is not a struggle to earn God’s favor, but a walk in the Spirit, enjoying the fullness of Christ’s salvation.
The Synagogue of Satan and the Assault on Sonship
The greatest attack on the church has always been the attempt to mix law with grace, to bring believers back under bondage and rob them of their confidence in Christ. The “synagogue of Satan”—those who claim to be Jews but are not—seek to place the church under Israel’s covenants and the yoke of the law. This is not a secondary issue. It is a direct assault on justification, inheritance, and sonship. To accept their teaching is to deny the finished work of Christ and to abandon the liberty for which He died.
The Key of David: Access to the Heavenly Inheritance
The “key of David” is the revelation of the Everlasting Covenant and our position in Christ as co-heirs. It is the key that opens the door to the heavenly inheritance, far above all rule and authority. It is not found in the milk of the Word or in shallow commentary, but in the meat of Pauline revelation—Romans, Galatians, Hebrews, and Ephesians. This is not a new doctrine, but the ancient truth the apostles contended for: Christ is everything, and we are complete in Him.
Stand Firm in the Liberty of Christ
Do not let anyone steal your crown by bringing you under law, ordinances, or the false promise of blessing through your own efforts. The righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel, from faith to faith. Christ is your life, your hope, your inheritance, your reward. Rest in Him. Refuse the bondage of legalism and the counterfeit spirituality of those who deny the finished work. The Everlasting Covenant is the ground of your assurance, your access, and your glory.
If you are in Christ, you are an heir—not by law, not by covenant with a nation, but by the eternal purpose of God accomplished in His Son. This is the freedom and blessing secured by Christ’s high priestly ministry. Do not settle for less.
“If God is for us, who can be against us? … Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” (Romans 8:31, 33)
Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. Stand in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free, and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. The door is open. The inheritance is yours. Walk in the Spirit, and let the righteousness of God—apart from the law—be manifested in you, to the praise of His glory.
