Chapter 4
Old Covenant
“Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound.
But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more”
Romans 5:20
Have you ever questioned your relationship with the Old Covenant as a New Covenant believer? Does God require you to try to fulfill the old Law? If so, which ones of the 613 documented in our Bibles? Many in our Christian community place great importance on the Ten Commandments but don’t mention the other 603. This lack of clarity about our obedience to the Old Covenant Law creates needless confusion. However, this chapter is here to bring clarity and resolve this confusion.
The Old Covenant is necessary to understand because it plays a vital role in contrasting the New Covenant and helping us comprehend it. We cannot understand the new deal of grace unless we understand what life would have been like without it. That contrast aids in our acceptance of and realization of the powerful and overwhelming gift that Jesus has given us through His death and resurrection.
Because our Christian leaders do not often distinguish the Old Covenant from the New Covenant in their messaging, they create a foggy bridge between the two. This clouded view of the covenants causes believers to be uncertain about whether they are supposed to traverse back and forth across that bridge or not.
Through the study of these Old Covenant bricks, we not only lift the fog from this topic, but we will remove the bridge altogether as we examine the Old Covenant, its purpose, and its position with the followers of Christ.
Read chapter 6 of Radical Grace if you are reading it with this study.
Israel Couldn’t Obey the Law
Brick 10
“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant,
then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.”
Exodus 19:5
The LORD God gave His Law to Moses from atop Mt. Sinai to pass along to the nation of Israel. God's covenant, or deal with the Jewish people, was conditional and based on their obedience to His Law. Their obedience or disobedience would determine either their blessing or their punishment. We can learn much from the history of the nation of Israel regarding their obedience to God’s Law.
The Foundational Truth
Israel could not obey the Law of Moses, and we cannot either.
This lesson's basis is that Israel failed to be perfectly obedient to the LORD God and to the Law, which He gave them through Moses. Understanding their failure will help us understand our relationship to the Law as New Covenant believers.
Before we can fully grasp our relationship to the Law, we, as New Covenant believers, must delve into the covenant, or contract, that God had with the Jewish nation. This understanding is a crucial steppingstone in our journey to comprehend our responsibility to the Old Covenant Law.
The Old Covenant
We can see that the Old Covenant was a conditional covenant by the fact that it includes the words if and then.
Read Exodus 19:5-6. Notice the words if and then. What is the if part? What is the then part?
List the three things God would do for the Israel nation if they kept His covenant.
Read Exodus 23:20-22 & 25-26. Notice the other blessings if the nation obeyed.
Read Exodus 24:7-8. What did the Jewish nation say they would do?
The Old Covenant was a conditional, or a two-way covenant. Both parties to the agreement have conditions that they must meet. We have read about what the LORD God would do if they obeyed, but what was the nation’s requirement as a participant in this agreement? They were required to follow God’s Law.
The Old Testament contains and explains the Old Covenant Law. We can read the entire volume of the Law, which consists of 613 laws, in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The following is a sampling of three of these 613 Mosaic laws.
Read Deuteronomy 23:19. What can they not charge their brother according to the Mosaic Law?
According to Deuteronomy 23:24, can they take a bag of grapes from their neighbor’s vineyard?
Yes No
Now read Deuteronomy 24:19. What must they do if they forget to load up all their sheaves of grain
in the wagon?
There are 610 other laws listed in the Old Testament. The LORD God gave Moses ten of those laws written on stone tablets while atop Mt. Sinai. It is time to brush up on our Ten Commandments.
Read Exodus 20:1-17. List the ten laws that God gave the nation of Israel on the stone tablets.
For more understanding, you may want to read Deuteronomy 28.
Did the Jewish nation obey the Ten Commandments and the list of over 600 more? Let’s find out if they met the requirements to fulfill the covenant.
Israel’s Disobedience
If you have read the Old Testament, you know Israel struggled many times to observe God's covenant with them. At times, they did repent and get back on track, but the fact remains that they couldn’t perfectly obey the Law God gave them, and when they didn’t, they suffered the consequences.
We can read about one such time they turned away from the LORD in Exodus 32. What did they
do in this chapter that went against God?
Read Jeremiah 11:1-10. According to this passage, did the people who lived at the time of Jeremiah’s
prophecy obey the LORD? Yes No
Read Acts 15:6-10. Who is Peter referring to as us and them in verse 9?
What is the yoke Peter is talking about in verse 10?
What does Peter mean by saying, “…neither our fathers nor we were able to bear”?
Read Acts 15:11. In what manner will the Jewish people and the Gentiles be saved?
The Jewish nation could not obey God’s Law all the time. Peter knew this and admitted that he and his peers couldn’t do it either. We benefit from looking at this history and realizing we would not have obeyed the Law perfectly. We can’t, but Jesus did, which was part of His mission when He came.
So, why did God give the Law to the Jewish nation if He knew they couldn’t obey it? We will examine the answer to that question in the next lesson.
Why Does it Matter to You?
How does Israel’s failure to obey the Law perfectly affect your understanding of your ability to follow God’s Law? How might that help you in your understanding of the Gospel of Radical Grace?
Why it Matters to Grace
As we look at Israel’s history, it speaks volumes to us. They struggled to obey the Law perfectly. This disobedience should come as no surprise because of the bricks we have already placed in our foundation under the heading Righteousness. As we accept that we are no different than the Israelites, we are humbled by what Jesus has done for us. This chapter’s discussion is one of the reasons we needed to place the Righteousness bricks into our foundation. We must see the facts about Israel’s inability to obey the Mosaic Law so that we can both understand and accept our inability as well. Additionally, we know the reason that Jesus came to usher in the New Covenant and the Gospel of Radical Grace.
Confirm the Brick
Israel failed to hold up their end of the agreement they had with the LORD God. You or I wouldn’t have been able to either. Will you take it as truth that Israel’s failure to obey speaks to the truth that you and I are right there with them? Place a check mark next to it if you agree with the following statement.
Israel could not completely obey the Law of Moses, and I cannot either.
The Purpose of the Law
Brick 11
“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight,
for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 3:20
We cannot cement the Old Covenant bricks in place until we understand the purpose of the Law for New Covenant believers. Only then can we see why these bricks are part of our foundation of radical grace. We will discover that the purpose of the Law was not to make us righteous but to teach us about our unrighteousness and, therefore, our need for Jesus.
The Foundational Truth
The Law cannot make one righteous; it makes sin known.
Often, teachers state that it is our duty as believers to fulfill the Old Covenant Law to become righteous, holy, or more Christlike. As we learned in lesson one, Israel Couldn't Obey the Law, we can't satisfy the Law perfectly, so we could never meet these goals no matter our effort. However, even if we do a good job of obeying the Law, we can never become righteous through that obedience. I say that boldly because that is what the Word tells us. As we delve into today’s lesson, let's remember this fundamental truth: the Law's purpose is not to make us righteous. Its true function for us is to reveal our sinful nature.
The Law Cannot Produce Perfect Righteousness
The Law, no matter how well one obeys it, cannot take away sins, and it cannot make people perfectly righteous. Let’s look at what the Word says about this fact.
Read Galatians 2:21. Christ would have died in vain if righteousness came how?
Note what Paul says in the first half of this verse. He is unwilling to set aside the grace of God by rejecting Jesus and going back under the Law, seeking to gain his righteousness from trying to obey it. What does this verse imply about the relationship between the Law and grace?
Read Hebrews 10:1. What do you think the writer of Hebrews means when he says the Law has a
shadow of things, but not the very image?
According to this verse, what can the Law not do?
We will discuss verses 2 and 3 in the next section, but for now, read Hebrews 10:4. It is impossible
for the blood of bulls and goats to do what?
Read Philippians 3:8-9. This verse says that if you are striving to fulfill the Law, you are striving to
gain your own what?
How does Paul say he has gained righteousness? From whom and by what?
Read Romans 10:1-4. Israel was seeking to gain their righteousness through obedience to the Law.
Who ended obedience to the Law for righteousness?
We have learned that the Law cannot make anyone righteous, so what was God’s purpose in giving Israel the Law? We will address this question further in lesson three, but first, we will look at how the law reveals the truth about sin.
Purpose of the Law
Read Hebrews 10:1-2. This passage explains that if the Law had made people perfect, they wouldn’t have had to come year after year to offer sacrifices for their sins.
Once people were cleansed of their sins, they would have had no more consciousness of what?
Think about the magnitude of what this is saying as it relates to followers of Jesus. Believers in Jesus
have been cleansed of their sin. What might this indicate for the consciousness of the faithful?
Back to those under the Law. Read Hebrews 10:3. For those who were under the Law, what were
they reminded of every year?
Read Romans 3:20. First, we cannot be justified or made righteous, by what?
Second, what does it say the Law does for us?
Read Romans 5:19-20. Let’s step through this. By Adam’s disobedience, many were made what?
By Jesus’ obedience, many will be made what?
In the middle of these two events, or men, Adam and Jesus, God gave the Law. What does verse 20
say was the reason?
Next read Romans 7:7. How do we know sin?
Read Romans 7:8-12. How did sin revive?
Read Romans 7:13. Sin through the commandment became what?
God never intended for the Old Covenant Law to be the means to gain righteousness. On the contrary, its purpose was to show us how truly evil our sin is and that we cannot obtain righteousness through our own fleshly works and striving for obedience.
Why Does it Matter to You?
Why is it essential that you understand the purpose of the Law? Does defining its New Covenant purpose change your understanding about your ability to become righteous through your own efforts?
Why it Matters to Grace
God’s intention in giving the Law to Israel was to provide a mirror, a measuring stick, for them to recognize their sinfulness. This mirror, however, is not limited to them. It also reflects our own struggles, showing us our need for Jesus in a profound way.
There is something else that the Law has done for us. The last sentence of Romans 5:20 says that where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. The more we realize the magnitude and unrighteousness of our sinful state, the more we recognize the beauty and love wrapped up in God’s radical grace.
Confirm the Brick
The Bible clarifies that we cannot become righteous by obeying the Law. However, the Law did show us that we are unrighteous and sinful. Do you agree with the following statement? If so, put a check mark next to the statement below and hold that truth securely as you continue in this study.
The Law cannot make one righteous, rather, it makes sin known.
Christ is the End of the Law
Brick 12
“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”
Romans 10:4
We must distinguish the details, differences, and dispensations of the two covenants so that we may rightly apply that knowledge to our faith and relationship with Jesus. You might be wondering if God expects you to continue to try to obey the Old Covenant Law. Innumerable teachings contradict each other, considering this topic. Wouldn’t it be great to finally understand this issue, cement your understanding into your foundation of radical grace and understanding of the Gospel, and not ever wonder or waver again? Let’s do that.
The Foundational Truth
Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness.
Today’s foundational truth is vital to understanding the Gospel of Radical Grace. If this statement is accurate, we can truly live free and unashamed.
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul gives us a profound lesson in understanding the difference between the Old Covenant Law and the New Covenant of Jesus, which is all about our faith and God’s grace. This lesson, found in Galatians chapter three, is a crucial part of our understanding. We discuss that our righteousness comes by faith and cannot be obtained by obedience to the Law. We also look at the fact that the Law did not cancel the promised deal God made with Abraham and his descendants. And finally, we see that Jesus, as the promised child of Abraham, brought an end to the Old Covenant Law, initiating the New Covenant of faith. Our righteousness is not earned through obedience to the Law but received from our Lord, Jesus.
The Law vs. Faith
In chapter three of the book of Galatians, Paul contrasts the Law with faith. He talks about receiving the Spirit by faith versus receiving Him by obedience to the Law. Receiving the Spirit is akin to our acceptance of the Lord Jesus, or what some might call being saved, because once we receive Jesus, we are born in the Spirit (John 3:5), baptized with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8), and receive Him as a guarantee of our salvation (2 Corinthians 5:5).
Read Galatians 3:1-2. Do we receive the Spirit because we obey the Law, or because we have faith
in Jesus? Law Faith
Read Galatians 3:3. When we put our faith in Jesus and receive the Spirit, this is a spiritual, rather than fleshly or carnal, activity. Paul asks the Galatians if they think they can be perfected by their fleshly works. This is a rhetorical question, of course, that we should know how to answer.
Sometimes it is helpful to read in other translations. See this verse as it is translated in the New Living Translation.
“How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to
become perfect by your own human effort?”
Galatians 3:3 NLT
Notice that Paul defines works of the flesh as works of the law. Please don’t miss this crucial point: the relationship between the flesh and the Law. As you read Paul’s epistles, you can see that he equates striving to obey the Law with works of the flesh.
Galatians 3:4 speaks to the Galatians’ suffering from their community because they became followers of Jesus. Paul makes the point that their suffering would have been for nothing if they didn’t continue to walk by faith but instead returned to living under the Law of Judaism.
Read Galatians 3:5-7. Who are considered the sons of Abraham?
Read Galatians 3:8-9. The Gentiles are justified by what?
According to these verses, Abraham received the gospel when God made His promise to him. So,
those who are of faith are what?
Continuing, read Galatians 3:10. Paul shares a quote from Deuteronomy 27:26. This verse
indicates that if one is to live by the Law, he or she must obey every single law or what happens?
Read Galatians 3:11. I am sure you are familiar with the verse Paul references here from Habakkuk
2:4. According to this verse we are justified and live by what?
I like how the NLT states this verse.
"So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, 'It
is through faith that a righteous person has life.'”
Galatians 3:11 NLT
Read Galatians 3:12. Paul emphasizes the idea that if you live by the Old Covenant Law and
commandments, you must do so fully. You can’t have one foot in the Law and the other foot in faith
because the Law is not what?
Read Galatians 3:13-14. Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the Law, but we may only receive that
blessing through the promise of the Spirit through what?
Read Galatians 3:15-16. Paul references Genesis 3:15 and the promise He made to Abraham
several times throughout Genesis. Who is the promised descendant and Seed of Abraham?
Read Galatians 3:17, which is a jewel of a verse. Paul makes the point that the Law, which the LORD gave over 400 years after He gave Abraham His promise, cannot annul that promised covenant. Read this verse in the NLT.
“This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise.”
Galatians 3:17 NLT
Next read Galatians 3:18. Paul gives us a does not equal sign here. If the inheritance = the law,
then the inheritance ≠ the promise. Our inheritance does not come by the Law. Our inheritance is by what?
The End of the Law
Next, we examine the last section of Galatians chapter three. Paul explains to us that the Law was given to guard people for a certain period, but that once Jesus came, it was not meant to remain as our guardian.
Read Galatians 3:19. Also read it here from the New Living Translation.
“Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised.”
Galatians 3:19 NLT
According to this verse, why was the Law added?
And it was added until when?
Read Galatians 3:20-22. Paul is setting up his argument that the Law couldn’t give life because it
couldn’t make anyone righteous. However, the Law reveals to us that we are all under sin. The promise
by faith is given to whom?
Read Galatians 3:23. Before Jesus, and therefore faith, came, what did the Law do for us?
And it kept us under guard until what?
Read Galatians 3:24-25. I’ve included the NLT for more depth.
“Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.”
Galatians 3:24-25 NLT
The Law was our tutor, schoolmaster, or guardian, to do what?
So that we might be justified by what?
And now that faith has come, we are no longer what?
Finally, read Galatians 3:26-29. Those of faith are all one in Christ and we are Abraham’s what?
According to what?
There are a few more verses that I’d like you to look at before we move on to the next chapter. These scriptures speak of Jesus bringing an end to the Old Covenant Law for those who are in Him.
Read Luke 16:16. Jesus said the law and prophets were until John the baptizer, and since that time,
what has been preached?
Read Hebrews 8:7-13.
Read Romans 4:13-14. The promise was not to Abraham through the Law, but through what?
Bonus points for reading all of Romans 4.
Read Romans 10:4. Christ is the end of what?
Those who believe are made what?
How did Jesus wipe out the handwriting of requirements (the Law) that was against us? Read
Colossians 2:13-14 for the answer.
Why Does it Matter to You?
Why does it matter that Jesus ended people’s required obedience to the Old Covenant Law? What does it change in your life knowing that you are freed from trying to obey the Law to gain your righteousness?
Why it Matters to Grace
Once we give ourselves to the Lord and are members of the New Covenant, we are not required to fulfill the Law because Jesus fulfilled it for us. Knowing this is true helps define our relationship and responsibility as children of God. It also magnifies His grace toward us and highlights that we may rest in that grace from dead works. Being freed from the legalistic venture to fulfill the Old Covenant Law is the very definition of God’s radical grace.
Confirm the Brick
Do you see and believe that Jesus came to end the Old Covenant Law for those who believe in Him for their righteousness? If so, put a check mark next to the following foundational statement, and don’t waver in your thinking again. Stand confident in your understanding that you are not required to fulfill the Old Covenant or strive to become righteous by your own efforts.
Yes, Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness.
Build the Foundation of Radical Grace
It is time to cement these Old Covenant bricks into your definition of God’s radical grace to remain confident about the purpose and your relationship to the Law. Jesus put an end to the Old Covenant so He could bring in the New Covenant of grace.
Bricks 10, 11, and 12: Old Covenant
Israel could not obey the Old Covenant Law of Moses and we could not have either.
The purpose of the Old Covenant Law isn’t to make people righteous, it is to draw people to Jesus because it makes sin known.
Jesus came to fulfill and end the Old Covenant so He could launch the New Covenant. Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness.
Remember, once in place, these bricks can’t be moved. If you lift these bricks back up and put yourself back under the Law, you are walking away from God’s grace (Galatians 5:4).
Live Free and Unashamed
It is humbling to realize that centuries of history reveal that humanity can't walk in perfect righteousness and obedience to God without the Spirit. We must be careful not to judge Adam, Eve, or the people we read about in the Old Testament who struggled to obey God’s Law. We must be honest with ourselves and admit we would have failed to succeed at that task, too; frankly, we still do. God’s grace teaches us that we are no better or worse than anyone else on the planet. We all have failed, so we can't judge others for their failings.
However, when we allow God’s radical grace to pour over our own lives and the lives of others, we realize that because of Jesus, we are forgiven, released from the impossible yoke of obeying the Law, and freed to walk in love toward one another.
I encourage you to allow yourself to be okay with knowing you can't follow the Old Covenant Law perfectly. Have grace with yourself and rest in knowing that Jesus has grace with you. He came to bestow His righteousness on you because He loves you and He doesn't require anything from you except that you receive Him as yours. Breathe. Rest. Rejoice!
For further reading on this topic, read Galatians chapter 4.