This past Sunday was Resurrection Sunday (or Easter Sunday). All week long I have been teaching you about the importance of the cross. I will wrap up this teaching today.
I hope you appreciate the teaching on God’s grace. I know that for me, learning about grace has been liberating. Growing up I did not understand the God I was taught about in church. When I heard Old Testament stories of the wrath of God being poured out on people I was afraid. I developed a fear of God. Not a reverential fear that drew me to God in worship, but an actual fear that pushed me away from God’s presence. I did not know anything about the purpose of the Law. No one had ever explained to me the difference between the Old and New Covenants. I was never told that Jesus came to fulfill the Law. I was never taught that we were now under grace and that God’s grace could change my life. And even after I was Born-Again, I served God for several years out of a fear of losing my salvation and going to hell. I did not serve God because I loved Him, I served Him because I was afraid of going to hell. I tried my best to do everything right and I did not even know that I was living under human effort and performance-based religion.
The writer of Hebrews said, “If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it.” (Hebrews 8:7). Notice that the Bible does not say the second covenant was “added” to the first. No, it makes it clear that the first covenant was not faultless and the second one replaces it. The writer went on to say, “When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.” (Hebrews 8:13). The Old Covenant (the Law of Moses) is obsolete. It has been superseded. Under the Old Covenant God wrote His Law on tablets of stone. Under the New Covenant God said, “I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Hebrews 8:10). Now we have God’s Law in our hearts and minds. Not only that, but under this new Covenant God said, “I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12).
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. The Old Covenant served its purpose, showing people their sin and highlighting a need for a Savior.
a) The Law of Moses was not designed to save you. Paul taught, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” (2 Cor 3:6). The letter was the Law of Moses and the Holy Spirit is freely given by God’s unearned grace.
b) Paul taught, “The Law gives sin its strength.” (1 Cor 15:56). Without the Law you would not sin, because you would not have any rules to break.
c) In two places Paul made it clear that we are not under the law but under grace (Rom 6:15 & Gal 3:25).
d) Paul even called the 10 commandments, which was God’s Law etched in stone, “the ministry of death.” (2 Cor 3:7). The Law was designed to get us (mankind) to the end of ourselves. We could never fulfill the Law. The Law condemns us, but Jesus came to give us access to eternal life and freedom IN HIM by Grace!
2. With the establishment of the New Covenant, the Old Covenant is obsolete, but many people have not grasped this.
a) The writer of Hebrews said, “If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it.” (Hebrews 8:7). The Old Covenant has been replaced.
b) The Old Covenant focused on human effort, on what man could do for God, and the spotlight was on man. The New Covenant focuses on God, on what He does for us, and the spotlight is on Him! But many people have not made this transition.
c) The Old Covenant sought to highlight sin and man’s needs to be saved from it. Under the New Covenant God has vowed to be merciful to our unrighteous. Our sins and iniquities He will remember no more! (Hebrews 8:12).
3. Under the New Covenant it is clear that we cannot be saved by works.
a) The Apostle Paul went on several missionary journeys and he ran into lots of opposition when he preached salvation by grace to Jews who had been conditioned to focus on works. The Jews quickly rejected and fought against the gospel of grace, because they were so focused on what they thought they were doing for God, that they could not embrace what God had already done for them through Jesus. Unfortunately, over 2,000 years later, many (Jews and non-Jews alike) still have the same mentality.
b) You should perform divine works BECAUSE you are saved, not to TO BE saved.
c) Salvation is a gift, not a reward for works. Paul said, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Eph 2:8,9 NLT). You could never earn or deserve eternal life, so stop trying. Accept eternal life, through Christ Jesus, by grace, as a gift. A gift cannot be earned. If you can earn it, then it is not a gift, it is payment.
*** Embracing God’s grace has changed my life and ministry. No longer to do focus on me and whether or not I am good enough for God or His assignment for my life. Now I simply serve God because I love Him and I embrace His assignment by faith. Not because I am so good, but because He is. Grace has set me free from human effort and I pray it does the same for you!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, thank You for helping me understand Your Grace. Before the Law was given You freely blessed Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses by Grace. They did not earn anything and You blessed them richly. Not because they were good, but because You are good. But then the Law was given. Under the Law there was shift to human effort. Under the Law You dealt with mankind according to man’s performance. Under the Law you required us to live by a certain set of rules and regulations. The Law was designed to get man to the end of himself and to show mankind we need a Savior. You sent that Savior and His name is Jesus. Through Jesus a New Covenant was established, making the Old Covenant obsolete. I am no longer under the Law, but under Your Grace. No longer do I live my life focused on me, on human effort, or on whether or not I am good enough. I now live my life focused on You, on Your love for me, and on what You assigned me to do before the foundations of the world. I will do all You birthed me to do. Not because I am so good, but because You are. Not because I can do it, but because You can do it through me. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
