Grace and Love in the New Covenant

The days will come, says the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant. This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; I will put my laws into their minds and write them on their hearts. (Heb. 8:8-10)

Heb. 8:8-12; Jer. 31:31-34; Ps. 19:9-11; Rom. 3:29; II Cor. 5:21; I Tim. 1:8-11

What Is God Saying?

The Old Testament, also known as the Old Covenant, was a shadow of things to come, based on the laws that God gave to Moses. The New Covenant is the reality of righteousness and eternal salvation, given, not earned. The Old Covenant required numerous sacrifices to atone for the guilt of sinners. The New Covenant has one sacrifice, the complete, final, and all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ, who knew no sin, who was perfectly guiltless, and whose dying love did for us what we could not do for ourselves (II Cor. 5:21). The difference between the old and new covenants is evident when comparing a portrait of someone with actually meeting that person. In the New Covenant, we see that all have sinned and fallen short, but that we receive forgiveness, peace, and wholeness by faith alone through God's grace alone. That is the glory of the Gospel—the real picture of God who is unwilling that any should perish. (II Peter 3:9).

How Does This Apply To Us?

"The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart." "By them is your servant warned, and in keeping of them, there is great reward." God writes his laws in our hearts, not as something we must keep to be saved, but as something we want to keep because we have been greatly loved. God loves us, and he has shown that love in Christ. The redeemed walk on in liberty and joy because we are already loved. This is the Gospel. We don't have to keep the law to be saved, but God gives guidelines to keep us safe.

Pray With Me

Lord of the covenants, because you loved your people, you gave them guidelines to direct them in paths of righteousness. These laws, intended to lead us to success, show how much we have failed. In Your boundless mercy, You gave us Jesus Christ. We are justified now by your grace as a gift through the redemption in Christ Jesus. How much better is the new!

In the coming of Christ, in the New Covenant of your grace, you give us a new life. You give us a great and transforming friendship. You give us purpose now and joy in the life to come. By your grace, we are a ‘new creation in Christ; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.’ Your perfect laws will be ‘put in our minds and written on our hearts,’ not as something we have to keep to be saved but as something we want to keep because we have been so greatly loved.

In the name of Him through whom we draw near to God. Amen.

Moving On In The Life of Prayer

There are many reasons why the foundation of our prayers is grace- God's grace to us and our grace toward others. Let us ask God to forgive us our mistakes and our sins. That is a fundamental part of prayer, but only the prelude. Since we have received his forgiveness and peace, we should quickly move on in prayer to show, share, and be that grace to others. Prayer is all about grace. Let us be grace on our knees in prayer.