Grace may be the most commonly employed term in Evangelical preaching and teaching, perhaps the word used most often by all Christian persuasions when describing the new covenant.

It is our point of view that we are not defining the term correctly. We have, as Jude warned, turned the grace of God into a license for immorality. Our incorrect understanding of Divine grace has created moral chaos in the churches, and consequently in the secular society that, consciously or not, looks to the Christian churches for moral guidelines.

We have, in the above verse, two expressions of God's will. The first is the Law of Moses. The second is grace and truth, not just grace, but grace and truth.

Perhaps most Christians are acquainted with the fact that the Law of Moses ordinarily is thought of as the first five books of the Bible. Actually a good part of the first five books is history and not law at all.

The most celebrated aspect of the Law of Moses is the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are the Covenant of the Lord God with Israel. For this reason the chest in which the two tablets of stone were contained was termed the Ark of the Covenant.

The Law of Moses was straightforward: do this and don't do that. The Law was not accompanied by the wisdom and power needed to perform the commandments. Since the adamic nature of man is resistant to God's commandments, the Jewish people did what they could, in many instances, but the results were not satisfactory to the Lord or the to conscientious worshiper. For the intense seeker of righteousness, such as the Apostle Paul, the Law produced frustration and condemnation rather than a clear conscience.

Yet God insisted it be kept. Numerous Jews rejoiced over the Law and many made a tremendous effort to be obedient. To this day the Law is extolled. But the Law is a heavy burden.

Notice the attitude of the Jews to the Law:

Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? (Acts 15:10—NIV)

The Law was added to control sin until the Seed came to whom the promises made to Abraham were to be fulfilled. The Law truly is a light to our feet. If a law could be given that would bring people into favor with God it is the Law of Moses.

I think Christians sometimes do not realize what a wonderful revelation of God the Law of Moses is. If the plan of God was to reform the adamic nature, He could have forgiven our sins through the blood atonement made on the cross, and then given us the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome the sins of our nature and keep the commandments and statutes given through Moses.

But God has no intention of reforming the adamic nature of man. God is bringing forth a new creation, a Divine creation created on the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The new covenant changes man from a living soul to a life-giving spirit. No set of rules and regulations can accomplish such total transformation of the human personality.

To be continued.