Most people have no idea how to read the Bible. They simply pick it up and begin reading it from Genesis to Revelations, like a storybook. The trouble is that they misinterpret what they read because they lack biblical understanding. Knowing the difference between the covenant of the Law of Moses and the covenant of the grace of Jesus Christ helps greatly.
When reading the Bible, we must rightly divide the difference between what came through Moses and what came through Jesus. The Old Testament is filled with signs pointing to Jesus’ eventual arrival. During His ministry, He set the foundation for the transition from the law to grace. Believing in Him grants us access to life in His name.
The law and grace are two different things and mixing them creates confusion. Through Moses came the law, with its demands, requirements, and performance-based system, but through Jesus came grace and truth. Under the law, people focused on what they had to do for God. Under grace, we employ faith and focus on what God has already done for us through Christ. This changes everything about how we relate to Him.
Grace doesn’t mean we throw away God’s standards or live carelessly. Emphasizing faith doesn’t mean we forget about the law. Trusting in Jesus establishes the law’s true purpose. Only by faith can we truly fulfill God’s law.
The law was useful in its time because it pointed to man’s need for a Savior. However, it was never intended to be permanent. The ministry of the law carried glory, but it was a fading glory because it exposed sin without providing a permanent solution. Paul called it the ministry of death, written and engraved in stone.
Thankfully, Jesus brought a greater and lasting glory by making redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation with God available to us. Christ was the fulfillment of the law; faith in Him is the centerpiece of God’s plan. Because of Him, righteousness now comes by simple childlike trust, with no striving required.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for opening our eyes to Jesus’ finished works and giving us the discernment to divide the old from the new. This helps us to live under Your grace. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Scriptures:
John 20:31, NKJV
John 1:17
Romans 3:31, NKJV
2 Corinthians 3:7, NKJV