The New Covenant of Grace: A Resurrection Covenant
“The dawn of resurrection life—Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
Insight from Day by Day by Grace By Bob Hoekstra
The new covenant of grace is not just a covenant of forgiveness, but of resurrection life. When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, He spoke of a future moment when He would drink of the cup again in the kingdom of God. This statement, given just before His crucifixion, pointed to His resurrection—the foundation of the new covenant. Without His resurrection, the grace of God would remain an unrealized promise, but because Christ rose, we now live in His victory.
The resurrection not only confirmed Jesus as the Son of God, but it also established the acceptance of His sacrifice for sin. With sin paid for, grace could now be poured out freely upon all who trust in Him. This grace is not merely a provision of mercy but a power—resurrection power—given to those who belong to Christ. The early church understood this as they moved forward in boldness, empowered by the Spirit, proclaiming the unstoppable truth that death could not hold their Lord. His resurrection secured their own newness of life, not only in the future but in the present reality of their walk with Him.
Because we are in Christ, we do not live by our own strength or effort, but by the very life of the risen Lord. Grace is not merely a covering for past failures; it is the active working of His resurrection in us. The life we now live is His life, raised and victorious, manifesting His glory in and through us.
Personalized Journal Entry in the Holy Spirit’s Voice Through Scripture
I have made you alive together with Christ, raising you up and seating you with Him in the heavenly places. You were once dead in your trespasses, but now you live because He lives. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you, strengthening you with all might, according to My glorious power. Death no longer has dominion over Him, and because you are in Him, it no longer has dominion over you.
You have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer you who live, but Christ who lives in you. The life you now live, you live by faith in the Son of God, who loved you and gave Himself for you. Walk, then, in the newness of this life, for you are no longer under law but under grace. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. If you have been raised with Christ, set your mind on things above, where Christ is seated at My right hand. Seek the things that are above, for your life is hidden with Christ in Me.
The Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, and He will give life to your mortal body. You have been born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. Now, rejoice in this, even as you await the full revelation of what I have prepared for you. For the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in you.
(Scripture references: Ephesians 2:5-6; Colossians 3:1-3; Romans 6:9-10; Galatians 2:20; Romans 8:11; 1 Peter 1:3-4; Romans 8:18)
Prayer
Father, I praise You for the new life I have in Christ. I am no longer bound by sin or death, for the same power that raised Him from the dead is alive in me. Thank You that I do not have to strive or struggle to live for You, but that Christ Himself is my life. I yield to His resurrection power at work in me today, trusting that all that I need has already been provided. I rest in the certainty that my life is hidden with Christ in You, and that nothing can separate me from Your love. Let Your life shine through me today as a testimony to the victory of the risen Christ. Amen.
Image Intent: A sunrise breaking over a mountain ridge, symbolizing the victory of resurrection life.