Seeing the Difference 

Call to Prayer 

Title: Seeing the Difference

By: Daniel Peter

Date: 31.07.2023

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters.   Galatians 4:4‭-‬5 NASB2020 

There’s need for us to properly discern between the Old and the New Covenants, as this determines to a large extent if we are walking in freedom or still in bondage. To do this, we have to see the difference between the two and ensure that our practice and expectations are in line with the law of liberty.

Though God requires us to walk in obedience to His instructions in the New Covenant, the reason why we obey God is different from why those in the Old Covenant practice the instructions of God. For those in the Old Covenant, the blessing was dependent on their obedience. When they obey, they were blessed, but when they disobeyed, they were cursed. The blessings and curses were highlighted in Deuteronomy 28. However, in the New Covenant, the blessing is not dependent on our obedience; the moment we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and personal savior, we were blessed with every spiritual blessings in Christ (Eph. 1:3), and this is not dependent of our obedience.

The Old Covenant was given to men to help us see our fallibility; our inability to keep His command without His help. So when men sinned in the Old Covenant, the reason the law was given was fulfilled, for sin becomes evident to us as sinful (Romans 7:13). However in the New, the instructions were given to us to reveal who we are, and grace is supplied for us to conform to the image of God as revealed by His word (2Cor. 3:18). When we read, “Love is patient, love is kind etc (1Cor. 13:4-7)”, it is not just an instruction for us to be patient and kind, but a revelation that we are patient and kind. For His essence, which is love, is the description of our spirit. So the instruction to love is actually a call to manifest that which is already in us (Phil. 2:12).

What the law tried to achieve has been fulfilled in us who believe. For we are those who know our need for God (Matt. 5:3 NEB). When we obey the instructions of God, we are making evident that we have received His nature (2Cor. 5:17). Again, by doing His word, we are demonstrating that we love and fear Him (John 14:15, Romans 6:13), and are the blessed of God (Acts. 3:26).

Prayer Point 

Let’s thank God for His word today. Let’s ask Him to help us to have the right understanding of the new covenant and to properly discern between the Old and the New Covenant.