Partnering with Grace
There is something better available to us in Christ. A better covenant. A better agreement....
May 11, 2025
There’s a Better Way to Live
There is something better available to us in Christ. A better covenant. A better agreement. A better way to live—one not built on fear or striving or religious performance, but anchored in grace, love, and the finished work of Jesus.
Hebrews 8:6 tells us,
Hebrews 8:6 – “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.”
The old covenant, built on the law, had its purpose—but it was never meant to last forever. It pointed us toward something greater, toward someone greater. That someone is Jesus, and the new covenant He mediates is not a modified version of the old; it’s something entirely new. It is better because its foundation is not your performance, but His perfection.
Why the Old Covenant Wasn’t Enough
We often say “God doesn’t change,” and that’s true. But His method of relating to us has changed through the covenants. Under the old covenant, blessings came through obedience to the law. If you kept every rule, blessing followed. But if you failed—even in one part—curses followed.
It was a system based on human strength. And that was the problem: we are weak. The law is holy, but we are flawed. The law is perfect, but we fall short. It was like trying to climb a ladder with broken legs.
The old covenant exposed the problem but offered no power to fix it. It was like a mirror that showed the dirt on your face, but couldn’t wash it off. That’s why God promised something better.
Jesus Fulfilled the Standard for You
It’s critical that we understand this: grace doesn’t mean God lowered His standards. God is still holy. Sin is still serious. But rather than lowering the bar, God sent His Son to meet the standard for us.
Jesus didn’t just die for us; He lived for us. Every law, every commandment, every requirement—He fulfilled it perfectly. Then, at the cross, He took the punishment for our failures and gave us the reward of His obedience.
Matthew 5:17 – “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
This is why the cross is not a symbol of defeat, but of victory. Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law but to complete its purpose, and then usher in something brand new—a covenant where you are not blessed because of what you do, but because of what He has done.
The Gift of Righteousness
One of the greatest revelations we can have as believers is that righteousness is not something you achieve—it’s something you receive.
Romans 5:17 – “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
Notice the language: “receive abundance of grace” and “the gift of righteousness.” This means you can’t earn it. You can’t perform for it. You don’t work your way into righteousness. It is a gift, freely given, paid for by the blood of Jesus.
Imagine someone gives you a priceless car. It’s yours. Fully paid for. You didn’t earn it. You just receive the keys. That’s what righteousness is like. Except it’s not just a new vehicle—it’s a new identity. And when you receive that gift, everything changes. You pray with confidence. You walk with boldness. You worship without guilt. You’re no longer trying to become righteous—you live from the place of already being righteous.
Reigning in Life Starts with Receiving
Paul says we will “reign in life” through Jesus. That doesn’t mean life will be perfect or pain-free. But it does mean you’ll walk in authority, peace, joy, and confidence—not because of what’s happening around you, but because of who you are in Christ.
It starts by receiving grace and righteousness. That word “receive” in the Greek means “to take hold of with initiative.” It’s active. You’re not waiting for righteousness to fall on you. You embrace it. You renew your mind with it. You speak it out loud.
So often, we fall into a performance trap. We think, “I messed up this week, so I can’t really talk to God.” Or, “I haven’t prayed enough; that’s why I’m not seeing breakthrough.” That mindset is rooted in the old covenant, not the new.
God is not dealing with you based on your performance. He is dealing with you based on Jesus’ performance. That’s the new covenant. That’s the power of grace.
Boldness in Prayer Comes from Knowing Who You Are
Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
God doesn’t say come timidly or hesitantly. He says come boldly. Why? Because you belong. Because you’re covered. Because Jesus has made a way.
When you know you’re the righteousness of God in Christ, you stop begging God like a servant, and you start talking to Him like a son. You don’t have to twist His arm to bless you. He’s already inclined His heart toward you. You’re not a stranger knocking on the door—you’re a child walking into your Father’s house.
Jesus, the Seated High Priest
Hebrews 10:11-12 tells us,
Hebrews 10:11-12 – “And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.”
Old covenant priests never sat. There were no chairs in the temple. Their work was never done—because sin was never fully dealt with.
But Jesus offered one sacrifice—Himself—and then sat down. His being seated is a declaration: It is finished. Sin has been paid for. Righteousness has been secured. You don’t need to add to it.
We often think spiritual growth means doing more—more praying, more fasting, more striving. But real growth in the new covenant looks like resting in what Jesus has already done. It looks like living from His finished work, not working to finish what He already accomplished.
Living from Righteousness, Not for It
There’s a massive difference between living from righteousness and living for righteousness.
Living for righteousness says, “I have to do more to be accepted.” Living from righteousness says, “I’m already accepted, so I live boldly, joyfully, and with purpose.”
This shift changes everything. You stop keeping spiritual score. You stop comparing yourself to others. You stop striving for God’s love and start living from it.
2 Corinthians 5:21 declares,
2 Corinthians 5:21 – “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
Jesus became sin—so you could become righteous. Not someday. Not after 20 years of ministry. Right now.
Growing in Grace
So how do we grow in this gift? Not by trying harder, but by going deeper—deeper in your understanding of grace, of the cross, of your identity in Christ.
2 Peter 3:18 – “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Growth happens as you fill your heart and mind with the truth of the gospel. It’s not about becoming something new—it’s about awakening to who you already are.
The more you hear about righteousness, the more you believe it. The more you believe it, the more you walk in it. And the more you walk in it, the more fruit you bear.
Don’t Mix the Covenants
One of the greatest dangers in the church today is covenant confusion. Many believers live with one foot in the old covenant and one in the new. They know Jesus died for them, but they still live like they’re under the law.
They say, “God will bless me if I…” or “God won’t use me unless I…” That’s not new covenant language. That’s old covenant bondage.
Galatians 2:21 – “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”
If we could earn righteousness, Jesus wouldn’t have needed to die. But He did die—because we couldn’t earn it. So let’s not go back to an inferior system. Let’s live fully in the new.
Rest, Receive, Reign
Friend, you are in a better covenant. Built on better promises. Secured by a better priest. Purchased with a better sacrifice. And it’s all yours—not because you earned it, but because Jesus gave it.
So rest. Stop striving. Let go of guilt. Refuse shame. Stop performing for what you already have.
Receive the gift. Grow in the gift. And reign in life through Jesus.
You’re not trying to get to the throne room—you’ve been seated there with Christ.
You’re not trying to earn God’s favor—you’ve already been accepted in the Beloved. You’re not working toward righteousness—you’re working from it. Go and live like it.
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