summary of ot and nt

http://www.calledtocommunion.com/2010/06/reformed-imputation-and-the-lords-prayer/

Anyone who reads the Old Testament finds that the Jews are unable to live up to the just demands of the law, which eventually seems pretty much externalized when not completely ignored, if one believes the major and minor prophets. The Law appears to be rote movements or habits as opposed to a desire to know the living God or to do positive good. Even so, Paul tells us that the law is good without regard to our ability to respond to it properly.

So the question becomes, what is needed for us to live up to the just demands of the law, or to respond properly to our Lord? How would God make it so that we could serve Him in spirit and truth? I found that to be a huge item, most of which I believe has been handled under various posts at this site, so at best from me, a very short response.

God builds a sequence in the Old Testament. He starts with a family (Adam and Eve). He extends it to a clan (Abraham), a people (Israel), and a nation (David, including kingship). He sets up sacrifice, thank and sin offerings (altars, the Passover, and the Temple in Jerusalem).

Finally He extends this to the whole world. The kingdom of Israel is fulfilled in the Church which is a supranational body. The sacrifice, thank and sin offerings are fulfilled in Jesus, Who is the King and the High Priest Who has His temples are all over the world. What Jesus offers is Himself, to God the Father and to us. In particular He offers us Himself in the sacraments through Which He extends His grace to us so that we might respond properly to Him and one another.

We are imperfect, however nature is perfected by grace, and Jesus is grace par excellence. I am hungry for God, and find myself trying (with at least some success) to imitate Him in my dealings with the people I meet. When I fail, I go to confession, another of the sacraments He has given us when He told the apostles, “whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven them.” Note the YOU that proceeds forgiven. Jesus is working through His Church, using His intermediaries to do His will for my benefit. That is His call to make, not mine. I have given up telling Him what He can and cannot do, since it is not my place to limit Him; rather it is my place to trust and obey Him, and I need the sacraments to do that.