Paul wrote: “If, by the trespass of one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:17)
When the Covenant of Works failed, God did not just give up on us. He looked for a way to rescue us from the alienation caused by our sin. It wouldn’t be easy. God couldn’t just ignore our rebellion. Neither could He just over-ride our choices, though they were foolish and misguided. Instead, God set about providing a means by which the price of our rebellion could be paid. He wanted the relationship to be restored. Enter Jesus.
God knew that only a person who had not made the choice to rebel could ransom us from the consequences of sin. So, He sent His Son. More than that, in the body of Jesus, God took upon Himself the punishment that should have been ours. Of His own free will God decided to do this, not because He thought that we deserved a second chance, but simply because of His great love for us. That’s what ‘grace’ means. Grace is the love we did not earn or merit. It is God’s mercy overflowing to those who have rejected Him. That’s why this new covenant is called the ‘Covenant of Grace.’ It is an agreement between God and His Son, Jesus Christ. By this agreement the breech is healed, the relationship is restored, and we are saved from the power and the penalty of sin.
Let’s make it personal. God has been drawing you to Himself. You’ve felt that yearning, heard His call. We don’t know why some of us hear that call while others do not. All we know is that God has the right to call whomever He wills. I believe He is calling you.
As part of His perfect plan, God chose to give you to Jesus. For His part, Jesus had to humble Himself by becoming a man. He had to obey God’s will perfectly. He had to offer up His life, taking the punishment you deserved. By His sinless life and sacrificial death, Jesus ransomed you. He drew you out of the line that led to destruction and gave you a new start. Your relationship with the Father was made right, just as He had intended it to be. Although your human body would still age, grow old, and die, you would inherit the promise of an eternity with God. These are the benefits of your salvation. To receive this gift of grace is to know peace.
Although it sounds like the Covenant of Grace follows the Covenant of Works, that’s not really true. The amazing thing is that the God who stands outside time determined, before the creation of the world, that Christ should come for your sake. So, we believe that God had you in mind when Jesus was born, in Bethlehem. He had you in mind when His Son struggled against the temptations of the devil. He had you in mind when Christ offered up His life on Calvary, the sinless lamb slain for your sins. All this is yours through the Covenant of Grace.
Some people explain it like this: Jesus performed the work of a Prophet, a Priest, and a King. As a Prophet, Jesus revealed the nature of the Good News, and encouraged sinners to believe it. As a Priest, Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice for their sins, standing in their place. As a King, Jesus claimed sinners as His own, bringing them under His provision and protection.
All of this may sound strange to you, but at heart it’s very simple. Despite your rejection of Him, God chose to bring you home. He didn’t just forget your rebellion, sweeping it under the carpet. Instead, He dealt with the consequences of your rebellion. He sent Jesus to pay a price you could never afford. That’s what the Cross is all about. On it, Jesus bore the penalty of sin, and as He did so, He won your salvation. You can have peace with God today because of what Christ did for you.
Is it any wonder that Jesus is the central figure in all of history for us? He is, quite simply, the most important person that ever lived. But He’s not just a person. The Bible bears witness that Jesus is more than a good man. In a way that is difficult for us to understand, Jesus is God. He is not just a representative man, undoing Adam’s fall; Jesus does what no human being ever could – He offers Himself as a perfect, sinless sacrifice. Only God can do that.
In summary, there’s something wrong with the world, but Jesus is the remedy that can make it right.
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