A massive misunderstanding pervades Evangelical thinking. We have a destructive concept of Divine grace. The purpose of Divine grace is to bring people to the moral image of Jesus Christ. Instead we are viewing Divine grace as an alternative to moral transformation.

As a corollary our vision of the future has been corrupted.

There could be no more destructive error in thinking, no more effective means of diverting God's intention, than today's presentation of the plan of salvation. It is the Lord's will that we now abandon this error, this perversion of truth, and ask God for the Spirit of wisdom that we may understand the new covenant.

The source of the problem with today's teaching of Divine grace can be explained simply. We understand grace to be an alternative to righteous behavior. Grace actually is an alternative to the Law of Moses.

The Law was given through Moses. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Unbeknown to Evangelicals, grace does not replace God's demand for righteous behavior. Grace replaces the Law of Moses.

Today's Evangelical doctrine is derived primarily from the Epistles of Paul. Paul is the one who said we are saved by grace rather than works. But if we look at Paul's statements we will see instantly, whether in Romans or Galatians, that Paul was reacting against those who were trying to impose the Law of Moses on Christians, not against teachers who were maintaining that Christians must live righteously.

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? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are. (Acts 15:10,11—NIV)

Can you see clearly in the above passage that Paul is contrasting the grace of our Lord Jesus with the yoke of the Law of Moses?

Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe... (Romans 3:20-22—NIV)

Can you see in the above passage that Paul is contrasting faith in Jesus Christ with observing the Law of Moses? Not a righteousness from God apart from our righteous behavior but a righteousness from God apart from the Law of Moses.

We who are Jews by birth and not "Gentile sinners" know a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15,16—NIV)

Is it clear in the above passage that Paul is contrasting justification by faith in Jesus Christ with justification by observing the Law of Moses?

It is as simple as this. We are mistaken in our interpretation of the new covenant.

To be continued.