Stop Striving—Start Living: New Covenant Freedom

Have you ever wondered what God thinks about you when you mess up?

If you’ve ever felt like your relationship with God depended on your performance—how “good” you were, how often you prayed, or how well you avoided mistakes—you’re not alone.

It’s easy to approach God with a performance mindset because so much of life is performance-based:

• Do well at work → get a raise.
• Work hard in school → get good grades.
• Make people happy → they’ll stick around.

But here’s the thing: God’s love doesn’t work like that.

The Bible calls this the New Covenant, and it’s radically different from the Old.


Old Covenant vs. New Covenant
Under the Old Covenant:

• The Spirit of God came upon someone for a season and then left (Psalm 51:11).
• People encountered God only in specific places like the Temple—only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, once a year.
• Forgiveness meant a covering for sin, not complete cleansing.

But under the New Covenant, Jesus changed everything:

• Daily rest from guilt, fear, and striving to earn God’s love.
• Continual access to His presence—every place, every moment. He will never leave you or forsake you (John 14:16).
• Complete cleansing from sin—not a temporary covering, but a once-for-all finished work (Hebrews 10:10–14).

Paul writes that if the Old Covenant was glorious, the New Covenant is “much more glorious”—because it’s built on Jesus’ performance, not yours (2 Corinthians 3:9–12).


From Performance to Presence
The book of Romans reminds us: if Jesus is truly Lord of your life, your desire to sin is replaced with a desire to honor Him.

In the Old Covenant, your standing with God felt tied to performance.
 In the New Covenant, you stand in His righteousness, not your own. You’re no longer striving for acceptance—you live from the acceptance you already have in Christ Jesus!


The Holy Spirit’s Daily Work in You
Church culture and old covenant thinking can sometimes distort how we see the Holy Spirit. But Jesus was clear: He’s your Helper, Advocate, and Comforter (John 14:16).

His mission isn’t to shame you—it’s to:

• Show the world its need for a Savior (John 16:8–9)
• Remind you that you are righteous because of Jesus (John 16:10)
• Assure you the enemy has already been defeated (John 16:11)

The Holy Spirit isn’t hovering with a checklist, waiting for you to fail. He’s actively reminding you of your identity, your righteousness, and your authority in Christ.


How God Sees You
When God looks at you through Jesus, He’s not scanning for your failures — He’s looking for righteousness.

In Genesis 18–19, God sent angels to Sodom to see if even a few righteous people could be found. That same heart continues today, but with a New Covenant twist: because of Jesus, God already sees the righteousness of Christ covering you.

And this changes how we see others:

• As parents, leaders, and friends, we get to be “righteousness seekers.”
• We look for God-given potential in others, not just flaws.
• We call out who God created them to be, instead of focusing on what they’re not.

Walk in the Spirit This Week
Every day is an open invitation to walk with the Lord. Here’s how:
1. The Holy Spirit is always with you — not based on your performance (John 14:16).
2. Listen to His voice — He will convict and convince you of truth (John 16:8–11).
3. Live in your unshakable relationship — built on His righteousness and authority (2 Corinthians 3:9–12).

This isn’t just a Sunday thing. It’s not just a “when you’re doing well” thing.
 It’s a lifestyle of walking with Him, resting in Him, and being continually renewed by His Spirit.


Final Thought
You don’t have to wait for a “holy moment” to meet with God—you carry His presence with you.

Every commute. Every kitchen sink moment. Every tough meeting.

Every moment is an opportunity to encounter Him.