Jesus used this formula -
"You have heard that it was said to the ancients ...
But I say to you ..." (Matt. 5:21-22)
The law is what God said in the past.
Divine life coming into man is what Jesus says today.
And I mean
today.
The law is what God commanded in the past at Sinai to the ancients.
The new covenant is about Christ as divine
life - a living Divine Person coming into man to say something today.
In the past to the ancients, from Mt. Sinai God commanded man not to commit adultery.
When Jesus comes into your heart long before the physical action of adultery is committed He will speak to you about the imagination of your heart, your gazing with the intent to lust, the daydream, the turning for a second look.
This is the today's what Jesus says. This is the more penetrating, more dealing on the microscopic level of the most intimate motive, the arresting of the tendency in the heart.
We make a mistake to think that when Jesus said
"But I say to you ..." He was merely speaking to the audience standing around at that time. The meaning of
"But I say to you ..." encompasses His living in us when we are born again and His up-to-date command touching minute motions in our heart on a "molecular" level.
"But I say to you ..." is His present speaking.
The intimate and personal nature of this is so custom made and tailored to each individual as to be too fine to put into written code.
"But I say to you ..." will touch the innermost motive of the heart. His control will regulate so deeply that what was said to the ancients will seem clumsy in comparison and inadequate.
The leading of Christ as the Holy Spirit is so up-to-date, intimate, molecular, fine, detailed, and powerful. It supplies grace to obey. And it is liberating from the bondage legalism.
"Now the Lord is the Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom." (2 Cor. 3:17)