“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (II Cor. 3:17)

Learning to ride a bicycle is challenging. Training wheels prove to be counterproductive. They keep the bicycle upright, but they actually prohibit progress. For instance, one must lean into turns, but training wheels don’t allow this. Increased speed reduces the effort required to keep a bicycle vertical and tracking straight ahead. This too is difficult to realize when training wheels prevent failure. The truth is that one can never become a skilled bicyclist until the training wheels are removed. The dynamics of riding a bicycle can only be mastered through trial and error. But, with freedom from the training wheels, one can eventually become so skilled as to even release the handlebars and stay upright – steering only with subtle leanings from side to side.

Jesus revealed that the transformation from living life under the Old Covenant to living life under the New Covenant is quite comparable to removing the training wheels from a bicycle. From the very start of his ministry, he gracefully rode circles around the teachers of the Old Covenant Law. And the attention that he received along with his undeniable truths and miracles caused them embarrassment, frustration, resentment and anger. They felt genuinely threatened. Jesus pointed out to them, “You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” (Matt. 23:23) Sadly, their obsession with practicing the letter of the law caused them to lose their way – eclipsing the love of God woven in Old Testament scripture. In this way, they were slaves to sin – not bound to sin, but rather bound by their attempts to avoid sin.

Jesus death and shed blood are the seal on The New Covenant, but it is important to fully understand that New Covenant does not eliminate the Old Covenant. It supersedes it. Remember that Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matt. 5:17,18) The law does not change as God does not change.

How then did Jesus ‘fulfill’ the law? He fulfilled it by living God’s love perfectly. He demonstrated by his living that the law was never intended to be absolute, but rather rules that are superseded at times by love, mercy, justice and more. He confirmed this when he asked the teachers of the law, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out? (Luke 14:5) He further corrected them in asking, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread–which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. (Matt. 12:3) And, when a teacher of the religious law commended Jesus saying, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other.  And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.” (Mark 12: 32,33) Jesus said something that should be noticed to be profound, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:34)

Jesus saved us from our sin, by releasing us from the law and giving us rest through a new better way to fulfil the law – the way he did. He paid for our freedom with his life for ours. We are now, through faith in Christ, children of Our Heavenly Father – born into His Kingdom under the New Covenant. Jesus promised, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18) and “anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and maker our home with them.” (John 14:23) It is difficult to imagine Our Father and Jesus actually “formed in” us (Gal. 4:19) until we consider this: We know God is pure brilliant goodness (Glory – Ex. 33:18) and love (I John 4:8). We cannot through our own doing cause the Father and Jesus to form within us. We must rather rest and receive through faith and in confidence the full measure of their goodness and love. That is their essence, and we are vessels designed to tabernacle them. As Jesus was one with The Father, we are one with them and one another. Living and loving become a single harmonious act through which we glorify God.