For years we have been told the Christian life is about following Jesus and working to become more like Him. But the New Covenant tells a better story: what Jesus did, He did as us, so His cross became our cross and in Him we were made the very righteousness of God. This is why we cannot follow Jesus from a distance; we have been joined to Him as one spirit with the Lord. Right standing with God was never reached by our effort, it is what He finished and freely gave.