Are You Under the New Covenant?

As a Christian, do you ever get confused trying to connect the Old Testament law, God's covenants with Israel, and your own salvation in Christ? It's natural to wonder how it all fits together. For instance, are we, as the Church today, part of the New Covenant? If we aren't, what defines our relationship with God, and what is the basis for our salvation?

These are not minor questions. They strike at the very heart of our faith. Thankfully, the key to clarity isn't a secret formula. It's found in a direct biblical command:

“study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15

When we rightly divide the Scriptures, we unlock incredible truths. These truths help separate God’s specific program for Israel from His unique purpose for us today. Let’s unpack three of these truths. They will bring clarity and might even reshape how you view your salvation.

You Are Not Under the New Covenant

The New Covenant Was Promised to Israel, Not the Church

Many Christians commonly assume that the Church has either inherited or is now part of the New Covenant. But when you read Scripture carefully, you find something different. The New Covenant was actually a specific, national promise made to the “house of Israel and with the house of Judah” for their future restoration (Jeremiah 31:31). God's promise was to one day write His law on their hearts and put His Spirit inside them, enabling them to obey Him (Ezekiel 36:27). This has always been a key component of Israel's prophetic program.

We see this program still being offered to the nation even after the cross. In Acts 3, the Apostle Peter preaches to Israel, offering them the chance to repent and receive the "times of restitution" prophesied by Moses (Acts 3:19-22). The crucial point is this: Peter's message wasn't about the glory of the cross. It was about Israel's guilt in causing it. He preached the cross as evidence of their shame, while the Apostle Paul would later preach the cross as the mechanism for the world’s salvation.

“Peter is not preaching here the glory of the cross. He's preaching the shame, guilt, and the condemnation on Israel for putting Jesus on that cross. Paul preaches the glory of the cross. Even if you take away the kingdom, you take away Israel, take away the circumcision, take away the law and all the covenants, and only preach the cross, you can be saved. It's the good news.”

Due to Israel's national unbelief, the fulfillment of this covenant was postponed. It remains a future promise for the nation of Israel, not a present reality for the Church.

You Are Under God's Grace

Today Is a Unique "Dispensation of Grace," Not a Covenant

So, if believers today aren't under the Old or New Covenants, what does define our relationship with God? The answer is found in the writings of the Apostle Paul, who calls our time the “dispensation of the grace of God” (Ephesians 3:2).

A dispensation isn't just a period of time. It is a specific program or administration God uses to work with humanity. This age of grace is a unique parenthesis in God’s timeline, acting as a temporary interruption of His prophetic program with Israel. The key difference is found in the nature of grace versus a covenant. Covenants are two-sided agreements. They involve promises and obligations for both parties involved. Grace, however, is unilateral. It is God’s unmerited favor, a free gift given to those who do not deserve it and cannot earn it.

As Paul declared, “ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14). Our salvation is not dependent on our ability to keep covenant obligations. This truth was specially revealed to the Apostle Paul, who became the “pattern” for all who would believe during this age (1 Timothy 1:15-16). In fact, the only way we even know about the mystery of Christ and the gospel of grace is by reading what God inspired Paul to write in his epistles. God chose him specifically to reveal the doctrine for the Church, which is the Body of Christ.

Your Salvation Comes From a "Secret" Gospel

Saved by a Gospel That Was a Mystery

If we aren't saved by keeping a covenant, how are we saved? We are saved by grace through faith in a very specific gospel:

“that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”
1 Corinthians 15:3-4

Paul calls this gospel a "mystery," which is a divine truth that was “kept secret since the world began” until it was finally revealed through his ministry (Romans 16:25, Colossians 1:26). This wasn't a truth that was gradually unveiled by the Old Testament prophets. It was a completely new revelation. But why was it kept secret?

Here we see the stunning wisdom of God. Paul explains that God kept this purpose hidden so that His enemies would unwittingly fulfill His will. In 1 Corinthians 2:8, speaking of the spiritual rulers of the world, he says,

“had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
1 Corinthians 2:8

God’s genius was getting His enemies to carry out His plan. The secret of the cross, when revealed, became the good news of salvation for the entire world.

This “gospel of the grace of God” must be distinguished from the “gospel of the kingdom” which Jesus and the Twelve preached to Israel. They announced the good news that Israel's prophesied earthly kingdom was at hand. The Twelve simply didn't understand that the cross was the key to salvation. Jesus Himself told them of His impending death and resurrection, but Luke 18:34 states plainly,

“they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them.”
Luke 18:34

	Gospel of the Kingdom (Prophecy)	Gospel of Grace (Mystery)
Preachers	Jesus and the Twelve Apostles (Matthew 10:5-7)	The Apostle Paul (Romans 11:13)
Audience	"To the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 10:6)	Jew and Gentile in the Body of Christ (Ephesians 3:6)
Message	Repent, for the prophesied earthly Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17)	Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
Key Event	The coming of the King (Messiah) to establish His earthly kingdom.	The finished work of Christ on the cross.
Requirement	Faith in Jesus as the Messiah, plus works like water baptism for remission of sins (Acts 2:38) and confessing Him before men (Luke 12:8).	Faith alone in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as payment for sins (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Conclusion

Rightly dividing the word of truth isn't just an academic exercise. It is truly liberating. Believers today are not under the Old Covenant law or the New Covenant promises made to Israel. We live in a unique dispensation of grace, and we are saved solely by faith in a distinct gospel revealed to the Apostle Paul: that Christ's death, burial, and resurrection is the full payment for our sins.

This understanding redefines our purpose. We are not subjects waiting for an earthly kingdom, but instead, we are ambassadors of grace (2 Corinthians 5:20) in a world that desperately needs to hear about God's free gift. Now that you know this truth, what will you do with it?