Under the new covenant, God not only forgives our sins but by His power He removes the presence of sin from us, creates Christ in us, and fills us with His Presence. This is grace. This is redemption. This is salvation. This is deliverance. This is glory.

In the second chapter of Galatians, Paul discusses the inappropriateness of mixing circumcision with the Gospel of Christ.

Then Paul goes to the heart of the new covenant:

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Crucifixion and resurrection are the fundamental nature of the new covenant. They are grace, under the new covenant. This is how God writes His laws in our minds and in our hearts.

The emphasis is not on God forgiving our sins, although the forgiveness of sins is an important part of new-covenant grace. The emphasis of the new covenant is on the forming and abiding of Christ in us so the Life of the Son of God becomes our life. It is God working in us both to create the desire and to fulfill the desire of His good pleasure in us (Philippians 2:13).

Under the new covenant we learn to do what Christ and His Apostles have commanded. After a while the new creation being developed in us causes us to walk in righteousness by nature. We were faithful to keep the Word and now the Word is keeping us. Christ is the Word made flesh; we are the flesh being made the Word—command upon command, rule upon rule. We are being made living epistles. Because Christ is in us we are the new covenant, the light of the world (Isaiah 42:6).

The new covenant is nothing less than the removal of our adamic nature and the creation of a new personality—a personality filled with all the fullness of God. The sin and rebellion of our first personality are destroyed. Our soul is filled with the Life of Christ, formed in the image of God, transformed from what is mere flesh and blood to what is of God's Person. Our spirit is eternally in the heavens with the Lord. Our body will be raised from the dead and filled with the incorruptible Spirit of God.

God was not pleased with the results of the old covenant. Many people living under it did not practice righteousness, love mercy, or walk humbly with God. The Law of Moses is perfect. It is spiritual. The problem is, our sinful nature prevents us from fulfilling it.

God always is seeking a righteous, holy, and obedient people. The results of the provisions (grace) made prior to the new covenant have not met God's standard for human behavior. God knew his standard would not be met by the Law. He gave the Law to point out to man his sin until the time arrived for the Redeemer to come.

To be continued.