Most of my life I have been exposed to a mixture of Old Covenant and New Covenant. This recipe is a disaster and the results have been devastating. Paul wrote “It is impossible to hide the effect of the smallest amount of yeast; the process of fermentation is immediately triggered.” (Galatians 5:9) The example of yeast is when we add any legalism (law) to the good news of the gospel. It kills the whole message and spreads like wild fire destroying everything in its path. Francis Du Toit, in his commentary of this verse says, “A little bit of legalism corrupts a persons whole life.” Why are we not to mix the law with grace, or in other words the Old Covenant of Moses with the New Covenant of Grace?

The anwser is simply the same as it was for the Israelites, the law kills. Even today whenever the law is read our hearts are covered with a veil and the veil puts us in darkness where fear, anxiety, stress, worry, and anger reign.“Since the time of Moses until this very day their minds remain calloused and veiled. They are kept in suspense without realizing that there is no glory left in the law: (whatever glory there was, carried merely a fading, prophetic glimmer) reading the Old Covenant without understanding that Christ is the fulfilment of Scripture is a complete waste of time. Only in discovering our union with Christ is the veil removed and do we realize that the old system is rendered entirely useless. In the meantime nothing seems to have changed; the same veil continues to blindfold the hearts of people whenever Moses is read.” –2 Corinthians 3:14-15 MBT

If reading the law of Moses without the revelation of Christ’s fulfillment causes darkness, hearing sermons or talks with any of the law mixed in will in turn cause darkness as well. “It is clear then that faith’s source is found in the content of the message heard; the message is Christ.” –Romans 10:17 MBT

Wherever darkness resides life doesn’t exist. Jesus called the Pharisees, who were preachers and scholars of the Mosaic law, hypocrites (See Matthew 23:23)and sons of the devil. (See John 8:43-45)He said you look good on the outside but are dead on the inside. (See Matthew 23:27-28) The same would be true today. The law is a stumbling block wherever it is taught and whenever it is preached. The law is not our savior, Jesus is!!!!!

The Law of Moses also known as the Old Covenant is poison, and the sacrificial system was the antidote. The sacrificial system ended with Jesus and the temple was destroyed in 70 AD.  “Now that we have arrived at our destination, the prophetic road signs and pointers are of no further use. Faith replaced the Custodian. Now that faith has come the law is no longer relevant.” –Galatians 3:25 MBT

Any mixed message of grace and the law causes guilt and shame at every turn, adding poison to pure love and mixing death into life. Christ fulfilled all of the law. He was the final sacrifice for a system of dead works. In His ressurection He also fulfilled all Psalms, and prophecies of the Old Testament.

WE are living in The New Covenant, which has no laws, commandments, or future prophecies. The New Covenant is between Jesus Christ and God the Father. We cannot change the eternally good news. The Covenant between God and Jesus will never cease and is forever our freedom. We are the fruit of the Trinity’s unconditional love. We are co-heirs of His kingdom, and He resides in all of us.

“The ENTIRE cosmos is the object of God’s affection! And he is not about to abandon his creation -the gift of his son is for humanity to realize their origin in him who mirrors their authentic birth -begotten not of flesh but of the Father! In this persuasion the life of the ages echoes within the individual and announces that the days of regret and sense of lost-ness are over!” –John 3:16 MBT

You are his creation, Jesus is your antidote for wrong belief. You are God’s beloved child in which regret, fear, and worry have no control. “The Spirit finds expression in love, joy, peace, endurance, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self control. Legalism can neither match nor contradict this. There is no law against love! Those who understand that their righteousness is of Christ and that it does not come as a reward for their ability to keep the law, have discovered that their flesh with its dictates and lusts were co-crucified with Christ. Because faith defines us and not flesh, we take our lead from the Spirit in our daily conduct. There is an authority in our step; we are marching in rank like soldiers!” –Galatians 5:22-25 MBT

Jesus came to set the captives free. (See Luke 4:18) We are not bound by the law but are basking in His freedom. His freedom is a reflection of who we are. We are His masterpiece, designed from His love, free to enjoy life without guilt, shame, or condemnation.

The New Covenant is completely good news. Nothing  will ever separate you from God’s love. Nothing you think or do has any eternal effect on your salvation. God has always loved you and will provide everything you want or need.  Paul also reminded the none Jews not to get trapped or snared by the Jewish system, Old Covenant of the Mosiac law. If you are not of Jewish ancestry you were never a part of that system anyway. The law system is bondage, Jesus is freedom. (See Galatians 1:6)

“Jesus reveals that we pre-existed in God; he defines us. He justified us and also glorified us. He redeemed our innocence and restored the glory we lost in Adam. All these things point to one conclusion, God is for us! Who can prevail against us? The gift of his son is the irrefutable evidence of God’s heart towards us. He held nothing in reserve; but freely and undeservedly gave everything we could ever wish to have; this is what our joint sonship is all about. God has identified us, who can disqualify us? His word is our origin. No-one can point a finger; he declared us innocent. What further ground can there possibly be to condemn mankind? In his death he faced our judgment; in his resurrection he reveals our righteousness; the implications cannot be undone! He now occupies the highest seat of authority as the executive of our redemption in the throne room of God. What will it take to distance us from the love of Christ? You name any potential calamity: intense pressure of the worst possible kind, cluster-phobia, persecution, destitution, loneliness, extreme exposure, life-threatening danger, or war? Let me quote scripture to remind you, “Because of our association with you, we are reckoned as sheep to be slaughtered; we have been thoroughly slain on the day. On the contrary, in the thick of these things our triumph remains beyond dispute. His love has placed us above the reach of any onslaught: This is my conviction; no threat whether it be in death or life; be it angelic beings, demon powers or political principalities, nothing known to us at this time, or even in the unknown future; no dimension of any calculation in time or space, nor any device yet to be invented, has what it takes to separate us from the love of God demonstrated in ChristJesus is our ultimate authority.” –Romans 8:30-39 MBT

You are His child, the bride of Christ, and the permanent home of the Holy Spirit. Any message that brings it back to your efforts is a mixed message and not the Gospel of the New Covenant.  You are everything to the Father, Son, and Spirit. You are free to live and enjoy life! You belong to the Father, Son, and Spirit and they are yours.

Enjoy the Gospel,

Kurt & Katy