Why the Law Was Given - Mike Pickett - Charis Daily - Season 17 Ep. 8

Summary

Mike Pickett explains the difference between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, focusing on why the law was given and what grace makes possible. His central message is that the law was not a way for people to earn righteousness; it exposed humanity’s need for a Savior. The New Covenant, established through Jesus, brings believers into relationship with God and enables a changed life from within.

Purpose of the Old Covenant and the Law

• To reveal sin and define right and wrong. Pickett cites Romans 3:20 and Romans 7:7, saying the law made people aware of sin and clarified what God’s standard required.
• To show that people cannot make themselves righteous by their own effort. The law’s demands demonstrated that no one could be justified through keeping rules or relying on good deeds. Pickett points to Galatians 2:16 and Romans 3:19–20.
• To serve as a tutor leading people to Christ. Drawing on Galatians 3:24–25, he describes the law as teaching people their need for a Savior. With the coming of faith in Christ, believers are no longer under that tutor.
• To function as a temporary arrangement and a foreshadowing. Pickett says the law was in place until Christ came and that its sacrifices could not permanently make people perfect. He cites Galatians 3:19 and Hebrews 10:1.
• To demonstrate God’s righteousness, not provide a standard believers must now fulfill to earn acceptance. In Pickett’s account, Jesus fulfilled the law, and people are made right with God through faith in what Jesus did.

What the New Covenant Provides

• A relationship with God based on Jesus’ work, not personal merit. Pickett stresses that God relates to people through the covenant He established, rather than on the basis of how good they are.
• God’s law written on people’s hearts. Referring to Jeremiah 31:31–34, he contrasts the New Covenant with the law written on stone. He presents the new arrangement as one in which people can know God personally and receive forgiveness.
• A transformation that begins within. Rather than changing through external rule-keeping, believers are changed through relationship with God and the presence of Christ within them.
• Freedom from sin—not permission to sin. Pickett cautions that grace is not a license to do whatever one wants. He describes it as freedom from sin and the power to live righteously, citing Titus 2:11–12 and Romans 6.
• A new basis for righteous living. He says faith in Jesus is the root; good actions follow from that faith rather than serving as a way to earn God’s favor.
• Confidence in forgiveness and acceptance. Pickett rejects the idea that past wrongdoing puts someone beyond God’s forgiveness, emphasizing the power of Jesus’ sacrifice.
• Continued reliance on Scripture. He encourages listeners to return to the Word and remember what Jesus has accomplished, rather than allowing mistaken beliefs to undermine their confidence.

Main Takeaway

Pickett presents the Old Covenant as exposing sin and pointing to the need for a Savior, while the New Covenant offers forgiveness, relationship with God, and inward transformation through faith in Jesus. In his framing, believers do not earn God’s acceptance through law-keeping; they trust in Christ’s completed work, and righteous living follows from that relationship.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Speaker: Mike Pickett (the subtitles render his surname as “Picken” in one place).
• Biblical passages cited: Hebrews 1:1; Romans 3:19–20; Romans 7:7; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 3:19, 24–25; Hebrews 10:1; Romans 8:7; Jeremiah 31:31–34; John 1:1, 14; 1 Corinthians 6:17; Romans 6:1–11; Titus 2:11–12; Galatians 2:20.
• Other named source: Andrew Wommack, identified as the author of a booklet about grace and the power of the Gospel. He is mentioned but does not speak in the subtitles.