Have you ever attempted to place all your Christmas parcels in a neat pile but, because of the size or irregular shape or the extra-large bow, one gift could not be piled with the others? Somehow that one parcel is different and special.
That is the way it is with one gift God gives to us. He bestows many great and beautiful gifts upon His children, but there is one which stands out from the others--it is unique! It is one called by a name little understood, even among Christians. That gift is `GRACE.'
The Bible is divided into two sections called the Old Testament and the New Testament. The word `testament' means `covenant' or `promise.'
In ancient times (and still today in certain cultures) when two people made an agreement or vow, they cut themselves and mixed their blood. They made a `blood covenant', a promise to be united for all time. The bond between them became stronger than family ties. Our legal documents today are `sealed' with red seals beside our signatures, symbolic of the ancient blood vows.
The Old Testament is a covenant between God and Abraham, the father of the Jewish people. God promised to be their God if they would be His people (Gen.15:17). They were asked to obey the 10 Commandments God dictated to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Exod.20:3-17). However, with the giving of the law there arose a group of people who decided to interpret the law in all its possible variations and apply it with harshness. A very strict, unloving religion came into being as represented by that of the Jewish scribes and Pharisees. The people were expected to keep the law 100%; when they failed, they were to make an atonement to God with the blood of animals.
God made this first covenant with man, but Jesus later spoke harshly against the lack of love and compassion in keeping laws as an external act only.
The New Testament or new covenant made between God and man was not to replace the old covenant, but to add to it the ingredient of love. The blood used to seal the new agreement was that of Jesus--of God Himself who came to live in our world 1996 years ago. The blood shed at Calvary was a one-time blood sacrifice for the removal of the people's sins. This had been predicted by the prophets, that God would remove the sins of the people in a single day (Zech.3:9).
The new covenant is for both Jew and Gentile--for anyone in any nation who acknowledges that Jesus shed His blood to save them from sin. Jesus said He did not come to abolish the law or the prophets but to fulfil them (Matt.5:17). Because of our blood covenant with Jesus, we can be set free from our sin and guilt. The title deed of our inheritance is sealed as a legal document with the blood of Jesus. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Rom.8:1).
The beautiful gift, unique among all gifts from God, is that we live no longer under law but under GRACE. Our new freedom is not permission to break the laws, but it means our sin is paid for.
The new covenant is one of love. It is God's love to forgive through the blood of Jesus Christ, it is man's love for God in return which gives man a desire to keep God's laws. We obey not through fear, but because of love just as a child in a happy home obeys his parents out of love and respect.
The law is no longer written on stone as in Moses' time, but is now written by God on the flesh of our hearts as had been predicted (Jer.31:33). Instead of the circumcision of the Old Testament--a physical act performed by humans--it is now a circumcision of the heart performed by God as we allow Him to cut out our evil thought patterns.
Jesus said, "Be ye therefore perfect" (Matt.5:48). He had been speaking of love. We must be perfect in love. We must use all our human effort to love even those who hate us, but only by the power in his blood can we make it. He asks us to drink the cup representing His blood to seal our blood covenant with Him: "This cup is the new testament in My blood; this do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of Me" (I Cor.11:25).
Jesus told the Apostle Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee" (II Cor.12:9). Only by His grace, an undeserved gift, can we be born into His family and pick up the title deed to our inheritance--everlasting life!
© 1999, Doreen Palmer