God Is Faithful, Man Is Not

In the Old Testament, man/Israel has an immature relationship with God because man/Israel needs to grow in God. In the New Testament the relationship with God matures in Christ. It changes on man's side not God's because He is unchanging. He is always faithful to His covenants. Israel and man in general has not. Like children they and we learn and grow to eventually think like our fathers, like the Father. We mature In Christ. God separated Israel and Christians to be His people. A city on a hill. He chastens them and rebukes them as necessary to keep them pure. Our pain sometimes purifies us and suffering builds character...

"In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." ~Hebrews 12:4-6

He keeps us separate to try to make us holy in a fallen world. He keeps us separate so we can proclaim and explain God and the events around the cross to the rest of the world.

The whole purpose of the Old Testament law to show man's need of forgiveness and failure to conform to God's statutes and commandments. Man is constitutionally unable to do so. The New Testament through Christ fulfills the Law in a single act. All that man was required to do is accept this fact. The fact that there is an utter and absolute inability within ourselves to become holy and righteousness on our own. If we accept this we can have it all, happiness and eternal life. Nothing man does can gain him salvation other than accept what Christ has already done. Salvation is a gift.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ~Romans 6:23

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." ~John 1:12-13

"...nor the will of man, but of God". There is nothing man can do to save himself. We are not saved by our own righteousness but by Christ's. It isn't about being a good person per se it is about accepting the only acceptable atonement for our sin. Sometimes I feel that people including believers just don't understand how horrible their sin is and how repulsive it is to a holy God. This is because of how far most humans are from being truly holy.

For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. ~Romans 10:3-4

As a matter of fact man doesn't even have the natural will to want to save himself. This is man's natural inclination.

"...We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." ~Romans 3:9-12

No worries though. God knew we were hopeless and offered us a chance and a gift in His Son Jesus Christ.

"God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. ~1 Corinthians 1:9