Good Monday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you ever found yourself reminiscing about ‘the good old days’? As you reflect back on a time in the past, what causes you to think those were better days than the present? In our journey with the apostle Paul, it seems Paul faced some people who held the past in such high esteem that they did not see much benefit of living in the present with a relationship with Jesus! What about you and me, do we? Let’s join Paul as he writes about this.
Paul wrote: “…our competence comes from God. God has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills but the Spirit gives life!” (2 Cor. 3:4-6) Oh my! Competence is important, especially when our lives hang in the balance, right? We expect medical and dental people to be competent when they are advising us on our health, or even treating us, right? Have you ever sought a ‘second medical opinion’?
We expect Judges in courtrooms to be competent; and financial people advising us on the stewardship of our finances to be competent. But what is your expectation of the competence of your Pastor or others who seek to help you with spiritual matters? Paul’s statement was a very challenging one about the importance of spiritual competence, do you know why?
Paul knew that the Jews held in high esteem those religious teachers and Pharisees who had been published or could claim tutoring from some of the most famous scholars of the day. Paul himself had pursued that for most of his life, before Paul met Jesus! (Gal. 1:13,14) But here, Paul claims that his competence was God given! How is that possible, my friends?
Paul was confronted by the resurrected Jesus and commissioned to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, a teacher of God’s truth, to both Jews and Gentiles in the first century. (Acts 9:15) Jesus Himself gave Paul his apostolic competence!
But more, Paul was both instructed and guided by the Holy Spirit to write important spiritual truth that would be passed down through the centuries. Paul’s 13 letters would be translated into every language in the world and applied by the Holy Spirit to our hearts and minds so even we, 2000 years later, could learn from the Holy Spirit those great God truths which the Spirit had led Paul to teach and write. As the Spirit teaches us, then we too should become spiritually competent, do you see that my friends?
Now watch this. This is the main reason that we produce “Walking with Jesus” for you. As you and I read God’s great truths in His word, we should be receiving instruction directly from the Holy Spirit and that should give us spiritual competence? Are you diligently digging into God’s Word and growing in your spiritual competence? Why is that important? Because our families and friends are depending on us to communicate God’s truth to them with Spirit anointed competence because our world is so confused, do you agree?
Paul was declaring the ‘new covenant’ Jesus had proclaimed and made possible by His atonement death and resurrection. (Luke 22:20) Paul was preaching and writing Jesus’ life-giving Gospel truth as led by the Holy Spirit! Paul was comparing this privilege to what many thought were the ‘good old days’, the days when Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the tablets of the 10 commandments, inscribed by the finger of God! (Ex. 34:27-29)
Paul declared: “Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Holy Spirit be even more glorious?” (2 Cor. 3:7,8)
Do you remember Moses’ face was actually glowing after he spent 40 days with God on Mt Sinai, receiving those 10 commandments, for a second time? (Ex. 34) As Moses presented those commandments to the people, Paul calls them ‘the ministry that brought death’! Why?
Because God’s commandments were intended to show the people how unholy and sinful they were! The people, then, in Paul’s day and now, knew the wages of sin is death, remember? (Rom. 6:23) But Paul’s message of the Gospel of Jesus is exactly the opposite!! Jesus offers forgiveness for sin and new Spirit filled life, even eternal life with God! Do you see the dramatic difference? The judgment and condemnation of the written laws and the HOPE of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
And do you see Paul challenging us to consider that the glory which radiated from Moses’ face, after he had been 40 days with God, should be our experience too! The Holy Spirit alive in us, cleansing us from our sin and sanctifying us, should fill us with an awareness of the Holy glory of God and that glory should radiate out from our lives, as it did from Moses, because of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives! Pause, did you get that? Are you living that glorious reality?
Therefore, these days should be much better than those past days when we lived under the law and threat of death judgment. While you and I may have some fond memories of some special ‘good old days’, from a spiritual perspective, TODAY should be a glorious, joyful, exuberant day if you are living today Spirit filled as you ‘walk with Jesus’!
Oh my, that’s powerful and gives us much to think about which is why the “lessons learned” study notes available at the link are so important. Also, we need to worship and praise God for His great glory available to us, so I’ve picked a great song, and I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow…
Today’s Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:4-8.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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