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covenant of law and the new covenant of grace:
    Law is deserved favor — When you obey the commandments perfectly, you will be blessed.
    Grace is undeserved favor — Jesus obeyed God perfectly, and you will be blessed by believing in Him.
    My friend, which covenant are you under today? The old covenant of law or the new covenant of grace? Deserved favor or undeserved favor? If being blessed by God today is dependent on your doing, your ability to keep the law and your ability to make yourself righteous, then there would be no difference between being under the old covenant of law and being under the new covenant of grace. The good news would not be that good after all, since there is no real difference between the old and the new. Come on, my friend, God found fault with the old covenant 5 , and for a good reason!
    Fences Around The Abundance Of Grace
    A good friend of mine who’s a fellow minister once suggested to the dean of a reputable Bible school that “grace” be incorporated into the school’s curriculum. The dean replied, “You have to be careful when it comes to grace.” This apprehension toward grace is prevalent in many Christian circles. The moment they hear “grace”, they go on high alert!
    I told my minister friend that I actually do not agree that grace should be a topic in a Bible school’s curriculum. Grace is not a topic — grace is the gospel. It is the good news! The word “gospel” simply means “good news”. Grace is not a theology. It is not a subject matter. It is not a doctrine. It is a person, and His name is Jesus. That’s the reason the Lord wants you to receive the abundance of grace, for to have the abundance of grace is to have the abundance of Jesus !
    “How can you say that grace is a person and that person is Jesus Himself?”
    Excellent question! Let’s look at what the Word of God says about this:
    John 1:17, KJV
    17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
    Notice that the law was given , but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ . The law was given, implying a sense of distance, but grace came! Grace came as a person and His name is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the personification of grace. Jesus is grace! It is important that you begin to realize that truth is on the side of grace, and not on the side of the law. The Word of God declares that if you know the truth, the truth will set you free. Well, my friend, grace is the (definite article) truth that will set you free, not the law of Moses. The law is on the side of Moses, but grace and truth are on the same side as our Savior. Yet, there are people today holding on to the law of Moses and preaching it as if it is the “truth” that liberates. My friend, the grace of God is the only truth that liberates. Truth is on the side of grace!
    If the devil can keep you under the law, he can keep you defeated.
    You never hear, “Oh, be careful of the Ten Commandments,” or “Be careful of that law preacher. I hear that he is coming to town.” Why is there no controversy about the Ten Commandments? This is because the devil wants you to be subject to the law. He doesn’t want you to know that Jesus has liberated you from the law. If he can keep you under the law, he can keep you defeated.
    Interestingly, people are afraid that when you tell a believer that he is completely forgiven by grace, and no longer has to earn his right standing before the Lord via the law of Moses, it would cause him to go out and live a life of sin and debauchery. However, the Bible is very clear that the “strength of sin is the law” 6 . It is not grace that gives people the strength to sin. It is the law! The more you are under the law, the more sin is strengthened! Conversely, the more you are under grace, the more sin will be depleted of its strength.
    In fact, the Bible declares that “sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace”. Now, don’t just gloss over this