The second aspect of the new covenant is the means to the goal. The means and the only means of attaining the goal of righteous behavior that God has set before us is by having Christ formed in us and dwelling in us. Righteous behavior results from our being changed into the image of Christ and brought into untroubled union with the Father through Christ.

The third aspect of the way the new covenant operates has to do with the willingness of our fallen nature to lay hold on the grace of God in order that we may obey the commandments given to us by the Lord and His Apostles.

It is this third aspect that well may be the area of greatest theological misunderstanding in our day.

The issue that sometimes is raised is as follows: How are the numerous commandments found in the four Gospels and in the Epistles related to Paul's teaching of grace?

Let us think about the problem of fornication. Paul warned us that the believer who fornicates will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Here is the question. Will a Christian who fornicates inherit the Kingdom of God?

Many contemporary teachers would say yes even though such an answer denies the written Word of God. We are saved by an unconditional sovereign grace that is unaffected by our behavior, it is maintained, and so it is impossible for Galatians 5:19-21 to refer to us.

If we applied this kind of biblical interpretation to the remainder of the Scriptures we indeed would be in a theological free-for-all.

Other teachers might hedge a little and say, "If the believer turns his life over to Jesus, the Lord will deliver him from the need to fornicate. The believer is powerless to help himself. If he attempts in his own strength to stop fornicating he would be trying to add the filthy works of his own righteousness to the perfect righteousness of Christ."

When one reads the Book of Galatians it is obvious that neither of these interpretations is in line with the tenor of the entire book.

The solution to this seeming impasse is actually quite simple. We certainly are required to keep all the commandments of the Lord and His Apostles. If we ignore them we will die spiritually. We will destroy our own resurrection unto life.

Most of the commandments found in the New Testament can be observed by our fallen nature although we always must look to the Lord for wisdom and strength to keep the commandments of God.

With Christ's help we can stop fornicating.

We can stop stealing.

We can stop gossiping.

We can stop swearing.

We can work with our hands so we may be able to assist the needy.

We can awake to righteousness and stop sinning! Until the believers stop their sinning many people will continue to be ignorant of God.

Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. (I Corinthians 15:34)

To be continued.