We hear the word grace, but what does it mean, and why is grace so important?
Grace is of utmost importance because it forms the foundation of our new covenant. We have transitioned from the old covenant of the law to the new covenant of grace, established through Jesus’s precious blood.
With a proper understanding of grace, we can experience the fullness of heaven on earth. Many fail to distinguish between the old and new covenants, resulting in a mixture of principles and a personalized covenant that cannot coexist.
We still value the wisdom of the old covenant, recognizing it as God’s word to us. However, it is crucial to approach it through the lens of the finished work of the cross.
For instance, in the Old Testament, it is written that the heart is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things. Some Christians today mistakenly quote this passage to imply that their hearts can’t be trusted. But under the new covenant, we have received a new heart—a born-again heart filled with the Holy Spirit. Living according to our inward man means we are no longer desperately wicked and deceitful.
To fully embrace the blessings of the new covenant, it is essential to comprehend the difference between the old and the new. Mixing the two is incompatible. We are either living under the old or the new. Let us treasure the old while understanding that the rules have changed. The new covenant grants us the privilege of living in grace, experiencing the transformation and freedom that Christ has provided.
We must deepen our understanding of grace to truly live in the fullness of God’s covenant with us.
You read some of David’s prayers, like in Psalm 54, where he says, “Take not your Holy Spirit from me.” That’s an old covenant prayer. Under the new covenant, you never have to beg God, don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Under the new covenant, He’s not going anywhere. He’s in you. You’ve been sealed with Him.
Free From the Law
Romans 7:1-2 says, “ Or do you not know, brethren, for I speak to those who know the law, that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. So then, if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man.”
Paul uses this as an example that a covenantal obligation ends when a party dies. A contract is between two humans because of mutual distrust. A covenant is between two parties because of mutual trust.
Your covenant with God is not a contract; it’s mutual trust.
So here’s where for the first time, we hear that your sinful nature is eradicated and killed at the cross and your relationship to the law, whereby you try to be approved unto God based on your strength and self-effort.
You will receive everything you will ever receive from the Lord by faith. Your salvation, you receive by faith. Blessing, you receive by faith. Healing you’ll receive by faith. A breakthrough you’ll receive by faith.
But faith works by love. What does that mean?
If you don’t get grace, if you don’t get the foundation of the new covenant of his grace, you will never fully and truly understand God’s love.
When you get His love, you get His grace.
In Romans 7:4, we read, “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.”
So you’re dead to that antiquated system. You’re dead to Covenant 1.0. You’ve been made alive through Covenant 2.0. It’s what the book of Hebrews calls a better covenant.
There will be a fruit if you try to serve God in your strength and effort. It’s going to be a fruit to death.
This must prove the law must have been bad, right? No! The law is holy and good. The problem with the law is that it doesn’t empower us to be justified before God. The law exposes us; it shows us up.
You can get an MRI, which reveals a disease. Is the MRI bad? No, it just exposed the bad thing that was there.
The law exposes our propensity to sin and is the tutor that took us by the hand and led us to Christ. When you fall enough times trying to do it in your strength, you’ll eventually quit looking at yourself and look to Jesus the Savior.
The Law Cannot Save From Sin
Romans 7:14-20 says, “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.”
The apostle Paul describes a struggle that every Christian can relate to. It’s the battle of trying to serve God in our strength under the law. Paul candidly shares his experience of feeling trapped and conflicted, doing things he doesn’t understand or want to do while failing to do the good he desires.
Living this way is exhausting and devoid of peace. It’s the epitome of religion, where we try to live by an old covenant while serving a new covenant God. This is not the abundant life Jesus intended for us.
If you are in this place of frustration and confusion, know you’re not alone. Joining a community of believers can provide the support and understanding you need.
The enemy of your soul wants to keep you from grasping the freedom found in the message of grace. He will try to distract you and distort the truth. But don’t give up, for the truth sets you free.
In verse 18, Paul acknowledges that nothing is good in his flesh. Yet, as Christians, we desire to do what is right. The struggle lies in our attempt to accomplish it on our own, disregarding the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
We become self-focused, burdened with unrealistic expectations, and eventually, some drift away from the church. But this is not what the Lord intended for us. He offers us a life filled with joy, laughter, and vibrant faith.
Let’s embrace the truth that we can’t do it all by ourselves and surrender to the grace and power of God that enables us to live according to His will.
Should You Just Try Harder?
In Romans 7:20, Paul recognizes that when he does things he doesn’t want to do, it is no longer him but sin dwelling within him. He describes the inner conflict between his desire to do good and the presence of evil. There is a constant battle between the law of his mind and the law of sin in his members.
Eventually, Paul reaches a point of exhaustion and, in verse 24, exclaims, “Oh wretched man that I am!” The word “wretched” signifies the intense labor and weariness one experiences, like a coal miner after a long, grueling shift.
People often leave the church for one of two reasons. Some want to compromise their walk with the Lord and seek freedom from accountability, while others become overwhelmed and exhausted.
If you try to please a seemingly unpleasable God under an old covenant mindset, it’s easy to feel wretched and burdened. It can lead to a cycle of seeking fulfillment in the world, only to find yourself in a worse state than before. Paul, as a Christian, expresses his desperation and asks, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” The answer lies in Jesus Christ, who provides deliverance and freedom.
Paul’s journey in these verses beautifully illustrates the transition from frustration and weariness to the acknowledgment of Jesus as the ultimate deliverer. He leads us to understand that relying on the finished work of Jesus and embracing the new covenant brings liberation from the burdensome old covenant mentality. Through Jesus Christ, we find the hope, grace, and freedom needed to overcome our struggles.
If your Christianity revolves around self-improvement, striving, and discipline, you’ll eventually realize that all your efforts lead to failure and the burden of a body of death attached to you.
Stop Trying And Embrace Grace
But here’s the beautiful process: as you fall on your face multiple times, you realize that the answer lies not within yourself but in looking outward and upward. Jesus is the one who will deliver you.
You can thank God through Jesus Christ because He has accomplished everything. You must believe, surrender, and reckon yourself dead to sin. It may not happen overnight, but as you embrace grace, there will be an outworking of that grace in your life. Enjoy the journey, knowing that some aspects may take time.
PRAYER
Lord, bring this truth home and solidify it in our hearts. Give us revelation. Show us the ease that’s in the gospel. Show us how your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Help us understand how every day is a Sabbath day, and we’re to rest in You.
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