In Christ, we are no longer striving to become—we are simply beholding and being transformed
I. The Old Covenant Revealed the Problem: The Law Exposed Sin but Could Not Remove It
The old covenant, centered around the Mosaic Law, was never designed to make a person righteous. Instead, it served to reveal humanity’s sinfulness and its utter inability to achieve righteousness by human effort.
1. The Law as a Ministry of Death and Condemnation
2 Corinthians 3:7, 9 – “Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory… For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.”
The phrase "ministry of death" (διακονία τοῦ θανάτου) highlights that the law, while holy, was not life-giving—it condemned those who failed to keep it.
The word "condemnation" (κατάκρισης, katakrisis) means a judicial sentence against someone—meaning the law’s effect was to declare humanity guilty.
Romans 3:19-20 – “Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
The law’s primary function was not to justify (δικαιόω, dikaioō, "to declare righteous") but to expose sin.
2. The Law’s Inability to Transform the Heart
Deuteronomy 10:16 – “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.”
Israel was commanded to circumcise their hearts, yet this was something they could not accomplish themselves. The old covenant revealed the necessity of an internal transformation that only God could bring.
Romans 7:10-13 – “The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.”
The law was righteous but left man powerless against sin. It diagnosed the problem but offered no cure.
3. The Law Was Temporary and Pointed to Christ
Galatians 3:24-25 – “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.”
The term "guardian" (παιδαγωγός, paidagogos) refers to a tutor or disciplinarian. The law kept people in check but could not impart spiritual life.
The law was never an end in itself—it was always meant to point to something greater: Christ.
II. The New Covenant Provides the Solution: Transformation by the Spirit
Unlike the old covenant, which commanded obedience but did not empower it, the new covenant brings inward transformation through the Spirit of God.
1. The New Covenant Is Written on the Heart
Jeremiah 31:31-33 – “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
The key difference between the old and new covenants is that the law is now internalized, not merely written on stone.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 – “And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
The transformation is supernatural—it is not a result of human striving but of God’s Spirit working within.
2. The Spirit Gives Life, Whereas the Law Could Only Condemn
2 Corinthians 3:6 – “For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
The "letter" (γράμμα, gramma) refers to the written law. It exposes sin but has no power to bring spiritual renewal.
The Spirit (πνεῦμα, pneuma) is the active agent of transformation.
Romans 8:3-4 – “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh.”
The law was powerless to transform because it relied on human effort. Christ fulfilled the law and introduced the Spirit-led life.
3. Beholding Christ Leads to Transformation, Not Striving
2 Corinthians 3:18 – “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
"Beholding" (κατοπτριζόμενοι, katoptrizomenoi) means to reflect or gaze upon. Transformation comes not through effort but through seeing Christ clearly.
"Transformed" (μεταμορφοῦμεθα, metamorphoumetha) is passive—meaning the change is something God does in us, not something we accomplish.
John 15:5 – “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
A branch does not strive to produce fruit—it simply abides.
III. In Christ, We Are No Longer Striving to Become—We Are Simply Beholding and Being Transformed
1. Striving Is a Mark of the Old Covenant
Hebrews 4:10 – “For whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.”
The old way was marked by labor, but the new covenant invites believers into rest.
2. The New Covenant Life Is Defined by Resting in What Christ Has Done
Colossians 2:6 – “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him.”
Just as salvation was received by faith, so is daily living.
Hebrews 12:2 – “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.”
Our part is to behold—His part is to transform.
Conclusion
The old covenant was never meant to be the final solution—it was given to expose the problem of sin and point to Christ. The law could diagnose sin but not cure it. The new covenant, however, is entirely different: It does not demand transformation from human effort but rather produces it supernaturally by the Spirit.
Instead of striving to become, the believer is called to behold—to rest in Christ, to fix their gaze upon Him, and to experience real transformation as the Spirit works within. This is not passive but active dependence—yielding to what Christ has already accomplished and letting His life be expressed through us.
The contrast could not be clearer:
The old covenant says, "Do this, and you will live."
The new covenant says, "Christ has done it. Now live by Him."
"The old covenant revealed the problem; the new covenant provides the solution. In Christ, we are no longer striving to become—we are simply beholding and being transformed." This is the essence of grace-based living in the new covenant.