"Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, 32  not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. 33  "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34  "They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." Jeremiah 31:31-34 (NASB)  

The difference between the Old and New Covenants is stark and often misunderstood, even by those who have put their faith in Christ.

I have listened to sermons presented by well-meaning people who basically taught that we who believe in Christ are still under the Law of Moses. They used Deuteronomy Chapter 11 as their text, explaining that we are either under a blessing or a curse, depending on our obedience to the God’s commandments. That, by the way, is the Law. It was sad to see how readily the people accepted this false gospel of works. On the other hand, there is another group of people who think how we live day to day makes little or no difference, since we are saved by grace. This also is a false gospel because it says that we do not have to live according to the truth of the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit. What we do reveals what we think and believe. A truly saved person who believes the truth will act accordingly. A good tree always bears good fruit.

The Old Covenant Way

Under the Old Covenant, the Jews were given the Law of Moses. If they kept its provisions, they would have life. If they violated the Law, death would follow.

Under the Law, being in a right relationship with God was behavior-based and works-derived. It was more or less up to people to save themselves by keeping the requirements of the Law. The Law made demands upon them without being able to lift a finger to help them.

You are to perform My judgments and keep My statutes, to live in accord with them; I am the LORD your God. 5  'So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the LORD. Leviticus 18:4-5 (NASB)  

There is a big problem with trying to please God by keeping the Law, however. No one can do it. It condemns everyone to death because we all break its provisions.

Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; 20  because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. Romans 3:19-20 (NASB)

In fact, the purpose of the Law was to convince us that we are hopelessly enslaved to sin so that we would desperately cry out to God for a savior.

But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23  But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24  Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. Galatians 3:22-24 (NASB)

Jesus, Lamb of God, Savior

The Good News (Gospel) is that Jesus took upon himself the condemnation and punishment that our sin deserved. He substituted for us by taking the heat of God’s just wrath against our sin; even though he was completely innocent and perfectly obedient to his heavenly Father.

When Jesus died, he removed condemnation once and for all from all those who would afterward put their faith-allegiance in him.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24 (NASB) 

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3  For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4  so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4 (NASB)  

By taking our punishment, Jesus also removed the Law’s power to rule us, which is done through condemnation. The Law’s power comes from its ability to define our sin and condemn us for sinning.

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; 57  but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 (NASB)  

When the Law loses its power to condemn us, sin loses its power to rule us.

By taking away our condemnation,  Jesus set the stage for us to live a radical new way – in the power of the Spirit. This is done by believing the truth (the Word of God), denying ourselves (refusing to live self-directed lives), and walking in the Spirit (actively cooperating with the Spirit of God, who lives in and through us).

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25  "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26  "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27  "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. Matthew 16:24-27 (NASB)  

"For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. 20  "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:19-20 (NASB) 

Summary

To summarize, Christ took upon himself the penalty for our sins, thereby removing condemnation and taking away the power of the Law and sin over our lives. Our “old man,” that which is linked to Adam’s sin, was crucified with Christ. Consequently, we are officially dead to sin. This was done so that we can now voluntarily choose to live in compliance with God’s Spirit and Christ’s teachings.

The only real freedom is living in harmony with God’s will. Everything else is slavery to sin.

Walking in true freedom depends on three things working together:

1. Belief of the truth.  We learn and believe in what Christ has done for us, who we are in Christ, and who He is in us. We live in harmony with God’s Word.
2. Denial of self. We choose to not follow our sinful desire to go our own way and live independently from God.
3. Walking in the Spirit. We live in harmony with and obedience to the indwelling Holy Spirit, our best and forever friend, who is also God.

I will examine each of these in the next installments of this series. I hope you will read the whole thing. I believe it can help you experience a new level of freedom in Christ and grow in your faith, joy, and peace.