The message of grace is vital to Christians, yet this message will mean nothing to us if we do not understand God’s nature under the covenant of grace. Our impression of God shapes how we experience Him; if we think He is a God who judges us, makes us sick, and kills us, we will not experience His forgiveness, healing, or deliverance. God deals with man through covenants, and there is a sharp contrast between the old and new covenants. We get the wrong impression of God if we look at Him in context of the things that happened before the cross, and fail to see Him in light of the things that happened after the cross. It boils down to an issue of not rightly dividing the Word. A true understanding of how grace impacts every area of our lives opens our spiritual eyes. Once we are solidly grounded in the differences between the old and new covenants, we will see God as He really is.
