Summary

When we study the “skeleton structure” of grace, we must understand the change of requirement from the Law of Moses to the grace of God. If we miss this point, we find ourselves going back and trying to meet the requirements of the law. God is not angry with us anymore; the same God who rained down fire in the Old Testament no longer does that. We must now go beyond the old covenant mindset, and not allow religion to trap us in the same place, trying to keep requirements that have changed. Even the way we obey has changed, from obedience to the law to obedience to the faith of Christ. As Jesus’ people, when we read the Bible, we must be constantly vigilant of this. Under grace, the focus is no longer on our efforts to perform, but rather on the sufficiency of Jesus which allows us to do what we could not do before.

1. We must understand the different mindset between the old and new covenants.
   1. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land (Isaiah 1:19).
      1. Obedience is indeed important, but the “if you, first, then God, second” pattern reflected in this Scripture reveals that the people were required to do something, first, before God blessed them.
      2. Most churches are still preaching according to this mindset.
      3. Under the old covenant, we were the root. Under the new covenant, Jesus is the root and we bear the fruit from His root.
   2. And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto to the voice of the Lord thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field…But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee (Deuteronomy 28:1-3, 15).
      1. The people’s compliance was required, first, before God could do anything for them.
      2. Under the law, if people were cursed, it was because of what they did.
      3. This way of thinking even bleeds over into the area of fasting. We do not fast to get God to do something He has already done; we fast to get our souls to line up with our spirits and the Word of God.
      4. We must not get a seared conscience regarding old covenant requirements. We must recognize that there has been an adjustment in those requirements.
   3. And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments (Matthew 19:16, 17).
      1. The “if thou” in a statement is always a tipoff that it refers to the old covenant.
      2. Jesus said this before His crucifixion while He still walked the earth, when the law was still valid.

2. The finished works of Christ changed the requirements from doing to believing.
   1. And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (Acts 16:30, 31).
      1. Here, the question was the same as what the rich young ruler asked, but the answer was different. This was because of the dispensation of grace.
      2. The answer Paul and Silas gave to the prison guard was not based on what he could do, but rather on belief in what Jesus did.
   2. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses (Mark 11:26).
      1. The “if you” clause in this statement indicates it is according to old covenant standards.
      2. Under old-covenant-thinking, people believed unforgiveness sent them to hell. Under new-covenant-thinking, we realize unforgiveness opens us up to evil influences and issues we do not need in our lives.
   3. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:14, 15).
      1. From this Scripture we have created a shameful doctrine that says if we do not do what we are supposed to do, God will punish us.
      2. Unforgiveness will not bring down God’s wrath, but it is like poison to our systems. It robs us of our joy, creates stress, and opens us up to bitterness.
   4. Under the law, we would be required to forgive, first, but Christ enables us to forgive even as He forgave. Forgiving others is something we cannot do in our own ability.
      1. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye (Colossians 3:13).
      2. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32).

Scripture References