2 CORINTHIANS 3:1-182005 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 2 Corinthians 3:1-18

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2005.

2 Corinthians chapter 3 this morning, as we continue on hearing from and learning from the Apostle Paul as he shares his heart with the church there in Corinth. Now, for the last couple of weeks we've been looking at the ministry of the Apostle Paul and he's been explaining to us and to the Corinthians why he was not able to go back through Corinth as he originally planned. He was explaining to them some of the things about ministry and that it is all about God and that it's

It's a blessing to be a part of God's ministry, as we talked about last week, because we get to diffuse His fragrance among the people, and we get to smell like Jesus as He lives through us, as He does His work in us. We become more and more like Him. And so, He's been talking now with the Corinthians about ministry and about the relationship that He has with them.

Him being an apostle and knowing that there was false apostles in their midst that was coming against the apostle Paul and saying he wasn't truly an apostle and here's why you can't trust him and so on and so forth. And so Paul's been defending himself as well as sharing with us

the heart, the true heart of ministry. And that's what he continues on today. He teaches us more about this ministry that he's involved in. And it's a ministry that as we look at it, I know that it's a ministry that you and I are a part of as well and need to be a part of in order for us to have life in this life. And not just to live this life, but to truly have the abundant life that Jesus talked about. Paul will explain to us today that it's not about the letter,

but about the Spirit. It's not about the letter or legalism, but about the Spirit of God being at work. 2 Corinthians 3. Let's read it together, starting in verse 1. It says this, Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?

Verse 4.

Verse 7,

Verse 1.

because of the glory that excels.

For if what was passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. Therefore, verse 12, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech, unlike Moses who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded, for until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament because the veil is taken away in Christ. Verse 13,

But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Verse 18, But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Paul here, as he continues his thoughts to the Corinthians. Now, it's important for us to remember that these chapters that we have were not in the original text. That Paul didn't say, okay, chapter 3, new subject. This is a continuation of this letter that he's been writing, this heart that he's been sharing with them.

In chapter 2, we looked last week and we noted that he was sharing about a man who was involved in sin and a man who they had to deal with as a church and he wrote a corrective letter in between 1st and 2nd Corinthians to correct them and instruct them and they were obedient to it and put the things in place that the Apostle Paul had said. Well, as he writes this to them, he now says, well, the guy's repented, it's time to repent.

It's time now to restore him, to bring him back into fellowship and to reaffirm your love for him. And he goes on to explain that the ministry that God has given to us is a great ministry in that we get to diffuse the fragrance of God among all those who are being saved as well as those who are dying. And to one it's the aroma of life leading to life and to the other the aroma of death leading to death. And

He goes on to say, who is sufficient for these things? Who is able to really be the example, the fragrance of God in this world? Who is able? And obviously we answered the question that it's only God and it's only through God that we are able to do so. Well then in verse 17 when he concluded, he said, look, we're not peddling the word of God. We're not trying to make some profit. We're not saying these things, making these decisions, not doing what is popular so that we can get some kind of income or some kind of profit from this, from our teachings.

But we're doing these things out of a genuine love, out of a sincere heart, out of God speaking through us to you, sharing His heart with you.

And so Paul goes on to say, and really asks the question, he's challenging the Corinthians now, those false apostles that have risen up and really confused them and caused them to look at some other things besides the Spirit of God. He challenges them now with this question. He says in verse 1, "...do we begin again to commend ourselves?"

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? What does that mean? Well, the word commend literally means to place together. It's used in the idea of the sense of an introduction. And it carries with it the idea of recommendation or to vouch for someone, to praise or to speak well of. And so Paul is saying, look, do we need, are we writing these things and having this ministry so that we can tell you

how good we are, so that we can praise ourselves to you and tell you the wonderful things that we have to offer you, do we begin now to commend ourselves. Now, he uses this word a lot in 2 Corinthians. It's used 10 times throughout the book because he's writing in response to those false apostles who are saying that he was not an apostle, that he wasn't a real apostle and that the Corinthians shouldn't be following him. But,

But he says, I'm not writing to commend myself, to praise myself and tell you how great I am. But guess what the false apostles were doing? They were doing that very same thing. They were saying and giving their list. They'd pull out their script and they'd go, look at all my qualifications. Look at all that I have to offer you guys. I'm an apostle and I've got these backgrounds. I've got these things. I've got these qualifications and so on and so forth.

But Paul says, look, I'm not trying to tell you how great we are. I'm trying to tell you how great God is. And so he asks the question. It's a rhetorical question, which means the answer is obvious. What's the answer? No. No, we're not trying to commend ourselves. We're not trying to do these things so that you can think highly of us, that we might get some profit. Going back to verse 17 of chapter 2.

It's not to commend ourselves, not to lift ourselves up. Or do we need, he asks the next question, as some others, epistles of commendation to you. So he says, look, I'm not trying to commend ourselves to you, but nor do we need letters of commendation to you.

But he asked a question. Is that what we need? Is that what you want? Is that what you're asking for? Letters of commendation? Now, a letter of commendation was pretty common in those days. What a letter of commendation was, was if you were going to go somewhere, let's say you wanted to go to Okinawa and you wanted to serve the Lord there, and

I could write a letter with you and say, hey, Pastor Rick in Okinawa, this is servant so-and-so and boy, they're really gifted in these areas and they serve the Lord in this way and they love the sheep like this. Really use them however God gives them opportunity. And I send that with you so that Rick can know, oh, praise God and he doesn't have to spend time with you to get to know you to know that you're really called of God.

Well, that's what a letter of commendation was. It was very common in those days. When you're introducing someone to someone else or sending them on your behalf, you would write a letter of commendation. In Acts chapter 18 verses 27 and 28, the brethren there at Ephesus wrote a letter of commendation for the guy named Apollos.

who was a minister there in Ephesus, and he was going over to Achaia, and so the brethren wrote a letter with Apollos and said, hey, this guy, he loves the Lord, he's really useful, and he's got the gift of teaching, and he can really instruct in the Word of God. And so they sent that letter with him, and it was a common practice. But Paul asked them the question,

Do I need this type of letter in order to come to you? Do I need this type of letter in order to have some type of authority to receive, really, that you would hear my words?

Do I need this type of letter to come to you? Now, we receive these here at Living Water quite frequently. And some of them are pretty humorous. They come and they tell you how great and how wonderful they are. And then they've got a thick packet of all their testimonials, right? Oh, this ministry came and ministered in my church. And then, boy, man, it really began to grow and God began to work. And you kind of get the sense that, well, how is any church surviving without these guys coming? But these letters of commendation, some of them genuine, some of them not,

Paul asks the question, is that what you want from us? You want us to write you or have other churches write you some letter of commendation saying, hey, we're genuine, we're valid apostles, we really are called of God. The false apostles were at work and they were really working effectively within the Corinthian church. And so Paul's asking them, look, is this what you need? Is this what you need to validate the ministry and the ministry that has taken place among you?

And he says, of letters of commendation from you. So, do we need letters of commendation to you for us to come to you? Or is it that you think we're asking of letters of commendation or recommendation from you? That we're making these decisions and doing these things so that we can basically, you know, get a good referral?

As we move on, Corinthians, they're backing us. They got our support. Never mind. They're our letter of commendation. He says, do I need these things? Now, they're rhetorical questions. The answer is no. But imagine and put yourself in the Apostle Paul's shoes for a moment. As he's asking these questions, what he must be going through. He spent a year and a half there in Corinth establishing this church.

There was no church there before. He went through on a missions trip and he established this church. God did a great work. In 1 Corinthians 2, verse 4, it tells us that they received the word but not just with persuasive words or wasn't with the way that he presented things but it was with power from the Holy Spirit is what 1 Corinthians 2, verse 4 says. And so there was some great work of God that took place as he was there and a church was established and people were saved and lives were touched.

And now he has to ask them a question. Are you wanting from me a letter of commendation so that I can come to you? Is that what this has come to? Is that our relationship now? In verse 2, he goes on to say, you are our epistle.

You're our epistle. We don't need letters of commendation and praise to validate our ministry. Look, you are our letter. You're the proof that our ministry is valid because God has worked in you because of what God did in you. Paul really felt that the church of Corinth was something that validated his call to be an apostle.

In 1 Corinthians 9, verse 2, he says, If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. So Paul says, look, even if nobody else thinks of me as an apostle or looks to me as an apostle, look, you're the seal of my apostleship.

You're the one. I was there. I know I saw God work. God did a great thing. And that's how I know that I'm called as an apostle. He looked at that. That was his seal. That was the validation. The proof that he was an apostle and that God had called him. So you can imagine what Paul is going through. As...

He went through Corinth. He started the church there. Now those are questioning if he even has any authority or any right to say anything to them. Why they should listen to him and his instructions in the word. They're saying, hey, we need proof. You need a letter of commendation. It's like going to the city, right? Well, you need the proper form. You've got to fill it out. It's got to be perfect to the last dot of the T. You don't dot the T, by the way, but you know what I mean. Yeah.

We need three references before you can have any authority here. You can imagine what it was like for the Apostle Paul. Now, it would be the same thing as if we would do that to Pastor Tom. He's coming back in June for the pastor's conference. He's going to be here for a time. Let's say he wanted to teach on a Sunday morning. And we say, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Who do you think you are coming here trying to teach?

We need to know. You need to provide us some references because we don't really know if you're called to be a pastor or you're equipped and able to teach the Word of God. And Paul, Tom would say, you're crazy. I started this church. What are you talking about? You guys sent me out. We did it in the Bible college over there. I mean, where's this coming from?

And that's what was happening to the Apostle Paul. So he says, look, you are our epistles. You're the proof. Look, God worked among you. We don't need these letters of commendation, these formalities and these things. The fact that you're saved, the fact that there's a church there in Corinth is the testimony of

That God has done this work and that God has used us in this way. And he says that they're written on our hearts. They're the epistle that's written on their hearts, known and read by all men. Known and read by all men. He says, look, everybody knows. Everybody looks at Corinth and they say, man, Paul has to be an apostle. Look at what God has done there in Corinth. Whatever the situation is, whatever the work, it was a testimony to everyone. It was a testimony to all.

saying, look at the work that is taking place there. Look at what God is doing through the ministry that God has called the Apostle Paul to. In verse 3, he goes on to say, Clearly, you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God. Clearly, he says, evidently, perfectly clear, you are an epistle of Christ. He takes them a step back.

He says, you're an epistle of Christ. It's very clear. It's very evident. You are proof that Jesus is real. You are proof and you're a testimony that he is still at work of this day. Just like you and I are proof today that Jesus is at work. And that's why we have a testimony because it's what we can share about what God has done and is doing in our lives. As we got to hear Rhiannon's testimony on Wednesday, she was a testimony, a proof. Clearly, she's an epistle.

that Christ is at work. She's a letter of Christ to you and I, to those around. Paul says, you're this letter, this testimony of Christ. And it was ministered by us. Ministered. It means to serve. God used the Apostle Paul and those who are with him there in Corinth to do this work.

To write this letter. To give them this testimony that they have of God being at work. They were used by God in establishing the work there at Corinth. And so Paul says it was ministered by us. We were involved. God used us. We were the servants, the tools, the instruments that he used. And so here on out, this is where Paul really begins to explain what ministry is all about. It's about God being at work through his Spirit.

Through His Spirit. And he begins to focus now on the Spirit of God and makes reference to the Spirit of God. In fact, it's the proof. The written epistle, it was not in ink. But what was it in? It was written by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God at work is the proof, is the validation of a ministry. Paul makes reference to this and says, look, you're written by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was at work. That's the proof. That's how you can know there's nothing else that needs to be written.

In Galatians 2, verses 1-10, you can check that out on your own time, but in verse 8, Paul is talking about similar things. As he's at the council in Jerusalem, and they're asking Paul these questions and seeing what Paul is doing, it says that he who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles. What he's saying here is,

He who worked effectively in Peter. Who was that? Well, that was God. That was the Holy Spirit who was working effectively in Peter. That change that we saw there in Acts chapter 2 where Peter went from always putting his foot in his mouth to being used by God to bring thousands to the Lord.

Peter was a changed man. There was an effective work going on in him. And he says in Galatians 2.8, he who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised, which was the Jewish people, he said that same person who was at work has also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles. Paul uses the Holy Spirit and says, look, the same work that God is doing with Peter to the Jews, he's doing in me toward the Gentiles. The Spirit of God is...

is using us to minister to you. And that's why you're saved. That's why you're here, Paul says. You're a clear testimony of God's work. And that is real commendation. That is real approval and validation. Paul says later on in this book, in chapter 10, verse 18, he says, it's not he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends. So it doesn't matter if I can give you a great list of qualifications,

What it comes down to is, has the Lord called me or chosen me to this or that? That is the proof. That's the validation. And the evidence of that is the Spirit of God being at work. So, there the epistle of Christ. Testimony to His being real. To Him being alive and being at work. It was ministered by Paul, by those who were with him,

And it was written, not on tablets of stone, he says, but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. Now he begins here a theme that he'll carry on through the rest of the chapter, and that is the comparison, the contrast between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The tablets of stone versus tablets of flesh, or the heart.

This comparison, he'll go back and forth to show us the differences, the value of the new covenant as opposed to the old covenant. Now it seems that the false apostles were accusing Paul, and part of their accusations against Paul was, how could he really be an apostle? Look, he doesn't ask you, he doesn't force you to continue in the law.

He doesn't require you to be circumcised. He doesn't require you to fulfill the things that the law talks about. So, he can't be an apostle. Whereas we, us false apostles, we require that you, and it seems spiritual, but we require that you do this and this, and here's your list of rules, and it's a foot high. These are all the things that you need to accomplish and that you need to keep.

This is a constant danger to the church. The danger of legalism, of demanding people to follow the law. The law. The letter, as Paul will refer to it in a moment. It seems spiritual to us. It seems to make sense to us. As people come and say, you know, if you really want to be spiritual, you will adhere to these laws. You'll keep these restrictions and these regulations. And it's a big danger, as we'll see.

Verse 4, and we have such trust through Christ toward God. Paul says, we have such trust. What trust? Trust in what? Well, he says, we have such trust, such confidence that we don't need letters of commendation, but that you are our letter, that God did His work, that His Spirit was at work there.

And therefore, you're our epistles. And we don't need letters of commendation, but you're the proof that our ministry is valid. We have this confidence. Verse 5, not that we are sufficient of ourselves. Not that we look back and go, wow, you know, it's because God did, you know, or because we were there, it was because of us or anything that we had to offer God that God did this great work. That's not what our confidence is in. That's not what our trust is in. But our confidence, our trust,

is through Christ toward God, Paul says. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves. Now, the word sufficient means to reach an end or the desired result. It means to be worthy, to be competent, to have everything you need. God did this work, Paul says, and he used us, but it wasn't because of us. It wasn't the result of anything that I did. Paul wants to make it perfectly clear that

It's not because Paul is worthy that he moved and did the work there in Corinth. He says, we're not sufficient. We're not sufficient. We don't have. We haven't reached the end. We don't have everything that it takes. We don't have what we need. We're inadequate. We don't measure up. We're not sufficient. So he says, we're not sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves. To think of anything as being from ourselves.

None of this, he says, was from me. None of this was as a result of something I have to offer. It's not because I kept the law. It's not because I prayed so much. It's not because I... You fill in the blank. Whatever it is, it's not because of you. God doesn't work in that way. He says, we don't think of ourselves as having anything from ourselves because our sufficiency is not from ourselves.

Now, this is what legalism produces in our lives. This is what the law produces. When we allow our relationship with God to be based on the letter of the law, when it's based on the old covenant, then it's about the sacrifices that I make. It's about the law that I keep. And my relationship to God is approached by my worthiness to approach God. There's a problem with that, though.

Because if you remember, as we went through our Statement of Faith series and studied about man, we learned that man is depraved. Which means that sin has affected every part of us. So that there's no part of us which is perfect. And so everything that we have is corrupt. Everything that we have has been affected by sin. And so I don't have anything to offer God except a broken vessel. That's all I have.

My sufficiency, your sufficiency, Paul's sufficiency, it's not from ourselves. Where is it from? Our sufficiency is from God. Our sufficiency is from God. My relationship to God then is now not based on my worthiness, but based on His worthiness. Because the sufficiency, the reaching of the end, is from here. From here, from Him.

It's from God. Sufficiency from God. My relationship to God now, I approach Him based on what He's done for me on the cross. I can't come to Him with anything that I have to offer. My righteousness, the scripture says, is as filthy rags. But I can come based on what Jesus has done for me. I come based on what He did on the cross for me 2,000 years ago. And so now my relationship with Him...

It doesn't matter what I've been doing or how I've been. But I have access to God. I have a relationship with God based on what Jesus did and not based on what I've done. Now this is important for you and I to know and to understand because as Christians, our tendency is to lean and to turn and to go towards legalism. Maybe not legalism,

The Old Testament, like we might often think. But to base our relationship on God and to value our relationship of God and to think about our relationship with God based on how we've been doing. Based on how much time we spend in devotions or how often we go to church or how well we serve the Lord.

This is not how God views our relationship. This is not the way that we approach God. God is our sufficiency. He paid the price. He did the work. So our coming to God now needs to be based on what Jesus has done for us. Not only that, but in verse 6, he goes on to say, "...who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant."

Not only did he become our sufficiency that we could approach God no matter what we've done or where we've been or what we're like, but he's made us sufficient to serve him as well, to be involved in the work that he wants to do with those around us.

Paul says here, look, I don't have what it takes to be an apostle. I'm not sufficient as a minister without God. He's made me sufficient in that I can come to Him, but He's also made me sufficient in that I can serve Him and I can be involved in the ministry that He's called me to. God does the work through His Spirit. Paul would say, I am insufficient. Just like I tell you, I don't have what it takes to be a pastor. I'm insufficient. Inadequate example. That's what we are.

if you will, God is our overdraft protection. In that the bill of righteousness comes due. And I don't have what it takes to pay it. I'm not righteous. My righteousness is as filthy rags. I'm bankrupt. But the bill gets paid. The bill gets paid not because of anything that I've done, not because I have the money to pay it, but because Jesus Christ paid the price for me.

The bill of righteousness gets paid because of what Jesus did. The bill of service. Because not only does He call me to come to Him and have a relationship with Him, but He calls me to serve Him. And He calls me to serve Him and the bill of service comes in and I'm not able to pay it. I don't have what it takes. I'm not able to serve the Lord in the ways that He's asked me to serve and to be involved in the people and their lives around me that He's placed me in. I don't have what it takes. I'm not sufficient. I'm bankrupt. But the bill gets paid.

Because of God's Spirit at work in me. Listen, everything about this is about God. Our approach to Him, our relationship with Him, based on Him. Our service for Him is based on what He gives us. He enables us, He qualifies us, and He asks us to serve.

So he says, he's also made us sufficient for this service as ministers, as servants for his calling, for his work. Now, what are we servants of? He says, of the new covenant, not of the letter, but of the spirit. Servants of the new covenant. Now, the old covenant, the letter,

You can find reference to it all throughout the Old Testament. But Exodus really is where God delivers the law to the people. And in Exodus 24, the people respond. God gives them the covenant and they say, okay, we'll be obedient. We'll follow you. And the old covenant was based on, okay, if you're obedient, if you follow, if you adhere to these things, then you'll be blessed. If you don't, you won't be blessed. You'll be cursed.

So the old covenant, the old law was approaching God, coming to God with limited access that you couldn't actually experience his presence. You couldn't come to him personally, but you could come to him. You would just have to be obedient in these different areas. You would have limited access if you fulfilled every detail of the law.

The new covenant that Paul is talking about here is not like that. The new covenant, you can come to God with full access, complete access, backstage passes, whatever you want to think about it. Full access to God, to His presence, to Him. All you need to do is receive what Jesus has done for you. Being born again, we're a new creation.

The old things have passed away. 2 Corinthians 5.17 says, Behold, all things become new. We're able to come to God with full access, complete access, not with anything that we have to offer, but with the work that He has already done in us by us receiving Him as Savior, as Lord.

In Jeremiah chapter 31 verses 31 through 34, Jeremiah talks about this new covenant. And he says, I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. And I will be their God and they shall be my people. This is the new covenant. Not that there will be these external outward pressures of all these rules and regulations and laws coming in, but he's going to do a work from within. And he's going to put his law in his heart.

statutes, His commandments. He's going to put His ways upon our hearts and that He will be our God and we will be His people. So Paul says, He's made us sufficient as ministers, not of the old covenant, but the new covenant. Not of the letter, but of the Spirit.

And he goes on to say the reason for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. The letter kills, but the spirit gives life. The letter, a reference to legalism, kills the relationship that God wants to have with you and me.

It kills it. Why does it kill it? Well, the letter, the law. Approaching God based on our worthiness is destined, it's bound to fail because you and I, we're not perfect and we fall short. And so as a result, we're not able to keep the letter. We're not able to keep the law. We fall short.

The letter kills and destroys that relationship that God wants to have with us. The letter condemns us and says, you're not worthy to approach God. You're not worthy to serve God. The letter is used by the enemy and condemns us and pushes us away from God. So Paul says the letter kills. The external pressure, the outside pressure, the rules, the law, the regulations, they kill. But the Spirit, the Spirit gives life.

The Spirit gives life. The Spirit is entirely different. The ministry that we've been called to, Paul says, is entirely different. The law pushes away and says you're not worthy. The Spirit says come. Come. Revelation 22, 17, And the Spirit and the bride say come, and let him who hears say come, and let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. How many times do we have to be told to come? Come. Come. God invites us in. Not based on our worthiness,

Not based on the law, but based on what Jesus Christ has done for us. The Spirit draws us to God. The letter, the law, pushes us away. And that's how we know the difference between condemnation and conviction. Condemnation is the letter. It's the law being applied in our lives and saying, you're not worthy. Don't even bother. Why bother praying? Why bother going to church? Why bother reading? God's not going to speak to you. Look what you've been like. Look what you've been doing. Look how you are. That's the law. That's condemnation.

Hey, look how you are. Come to me. Allow me to change you. Pray to me. Spend time with me. Let me speak to you. Let me bless you. Let me do my work in your life. The law pushes away. The Spirit says, come, invites us in. We need to come to Jesus Christ and not base our relationship to Him upon the law, but upon what He's done and His work.

In verse 7, he goes on. And he says, He calls this old covenant now the ministry of death. The ministry of death.

Why does he call it the ministry of death? Well, he explains it to us in Romans chapter 7, verses 9 through 11. And he says, I was once alive without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death for sin. Taking occasion by the commandment deceived me and it killed me. The law, the letter,

is the ministry of death. It brings death in our lives. It brings death in the lives of those around us. Paul says this ministry of death was written engraved on stones. We know that. But notice he says it was glorious. How is this ministry of death glorious? Why would this be glorious? Well, it was given in glory to the point that as Moses received the law, Exodus chapter 34, you can check this out for yourself. As Moses received the law, as he came down the mountain,

His face was shining so bright that the children of Israel could not look at it, could not, because it was too bright. It was too glorious. The outshining was too much. This ministry of death, he said, was glorious. It was an event to behold as you saw God descend upon the mountain and this great work of God taking place, Him giving the law and developing a system where you could have a relationship with God by this law.

It was glorious. The ministry of death, as we'll understand soon, but it was glorious. The problem with it was that the glory of this old covenant was not a glory that lasted. The glory would fade off Moses' face. It wouldn't continue. It wouldn't persist. It wouldn't remain. It would fade. The glory fades. That is the problem with the old covenant, with the system that's based on works, that's based on the law, that's based on the letter.

You can set rules and regulations in your life. You can go through programs. You can apply all types of pressure on yourself, on others, on your children, whatever the case may be, but it does not last and it will not last if it's based on the law. This external reform...

does not last. The law does not last. You might be able to live a good life or be good in a certain area for a time, but the glory fades. It doesn't last. It doesn't remain. So, this glory of the Old Covenant, yes, it was glorious. How much more then, in verse 8,

Would the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? Because the ministry of the Old Covenant did not last, it did not remain, it did not endure.

So how much more will the ministry of the Spirit even be more glorious? Because the ministry of the Spirit is a lasting ministry. It's a lasting glory. Where God changes us from within, we're transformed by Him. It's lasting because it's not external pressure, but it's a change from within. It's a change of heart. It's a new heart as we're born again as God does a new work within us. So the comparison, the old covenant had glory.

But it didn't last. The new covenant lasts. So how much more glory do you think that's going to be? It's not a ministry of death, but it's a ministry of the Spirit. Verse 9. For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. He calls the old covenant not just the ministry of death, but now the ministry of condemnation. What is condemnation? Condemnation is...

The tool of the enemy, where he says, you're not worthy. You deserve death. Why approach God? Why walk with God? The ministry of condemnation. It did have glory. God had a purpose for it, as we'll see in a moment. It was useful for its purpose. There was glory involved in it. But the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. There's much more glory in this ministry of righteousness.

Romans chapter 3 verses 21 through 26 tell us about this ministry of righteousness. Where Paul says to the Romans that it's a righteousness that's apart from the law. That's not about applying legal pressure or obeying the letter of the law. But it's righteousness that is by faith in God. Where it's credited to our account.

So that when the bill of righteousness comes, I'm able to pay it. Because He's given to me His righteousness. My righteousness, not worth anything. But He's given to me His righteousness. And so I can pay the bill. The penalty's already been paid. The punishment has been taken. Jesus Christ did it for me. This comparison, He goes back and forth. The Old Covenant versus the New Covenant. The law versus the Spirit. Death versus life. Condemnation versus righteousness.

The day that the law was given us, excuse me, as Moses brings down the Ten Commandments, the day that the law was given, Exodus 32, you can read it. Verse 28 tells us though, that this day that the law was given, 3,000 people died. Why? Well, because on that very same day that the law was given, the law was broken. And death immediately happened. 3,000 people were killed as a result of the breaking of the law,

demonstrating to us that it does not last and cannot last. Yes, it is glorious, it is valuable, it does make us like God, but it does not last. But the day that the Spirit was given, 3,000 people were saved. Acts chapter 2 verse 41. Now let me ask you, which ministry do you want to be a part of? The ministry of the Old Covenant or the ministry of the New Covenant? The ministry of death or the ministry of life? Which ministry do you want applied to your life?

The ministry of death or the ministry of life? Verse 10 goes on to say, For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect because of the glory that excels. In comparison to the Spirit, the law has no glory whatsoever.

He says it does have glory. It's useful and it has its purpose. But now, in comparison to the new covenant, in comparison to the Spirit, it has no glory. The glory of the new covenant is infinitely better, bigger, brighter, larger, whatever you might think of it. It's just incredibly better. You might think of it this way. The glory of the old covenant, it's a flashlight. But the glory of the new covenant is the Son, S-O-N, Jesus Christ.

And trying to use a flashlight in the day is foolishness. Because the glory of the sun is so much far superior to the glory of this little flashlight, this law. The law was given as an instrument to lead us to Jesus Christ. But once we've found Him, now that we've been led to Him, the glory of the Old Covenant passes away. Because there's a far more exceeding glory found in the work and person of Jesus Christ.

Verse 11, For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. He says the same thing several times in several ways so that we get the picture. The old things, the law, everything that you and I do externally, they do not last. What it does is it kills. It was useful for its time. Its purpose was to bring us to Christ.

to bring us to Christ. In Galatians 3, verse 24, Paul says the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Not justified by the law. That's not where God wants to do the work. No, the law was just to bring us to Christ. It kills, it destroys so that we can understand and we can recognize I need God. I need a change. I can't do it on my own. I am not worthy. It takes us to Christ. It takes us to the foot of the cross.

so that we can be justified by faith.

So the ministry of the Spirit now, the new covenant, is the Spirit within us, transforming us, teaching us in a way that lasts. And that is glorious. That God is doing the work from within. That I don't have to come to God based on my works, but I'm based on His. And what He said is, it is finished. There's no more work to be accomplished. He's done it all. He's paid the price that I can have this relationship with Him. That I can serve Him in the way that He has asked me because He's paid the price

And the ministry that He's given to me is much more glorious than any legalism, than any letter of the law, than any external pressure or program that I can apply. So verse 12, he says, Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech, unlike Moses who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. Paul says, look, since this is the case, we have such hope,

This new covenant, this ministry is even more exceedingly glorious and it's going to remain, it's going to last. He says, we use great boldness of speech. We don't have to hold back because we know that God is doing such a great work. It far exceeds that of the letter, that of the law. He says, unlike Moses, we're not like Moses where we had to put a veil over something and hide things.

Or hold on to something that was passing away. Listen, the ministry of the Spirit lasts and it's real. So Paul says, we speak boldly and clearly about Jesus Christ, about this ministry, because we're confident. We have such hope that it will last, that it will continue. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt. This ministry that God has given, this covenant, is far superior. It is the full revelation of Himself to you and I. Verse 14.

But their minds were blinded. For until this day, the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament because the veil is taken away in Christ. The reading of the Old Testament. He says they're blind. Now, the reading of the Old Testament is valuable for one thing, and that is taking you to Jesus.

Jesus told the Pharisees and scribes, look, you search the Scriptures because in them you think you have life, but these are they which testify of me. In the Scriptures themselves,

There's not life unless you find Jesus in them. Because these are they which testify of me, Jesus said. Reading the Old Testament, the scripture, is valuable in bringing us to Jesus. But if you do not receive Jesus, then it's blinding. Then instead of taking us to and leading us on to more glory, from the glory of the Old Covenant to the even exceedingly more glory of the New Covenant, it's blinding.

Instead of opening our eyes, it closes our eyes, it dulls our hearts so that we continue to apply the law without coming to Jesus. And it brings death in our lives. Many people know the truth. The law has taken them there. God has revealed himself to them. But they're not willing to allow Jesus to do the work that he wants to do in their life. So they become blind. And that's how we get the weird behavior that we see as Christians.

The weird religions and other things that happen and start up in the cults that exist because Jesus has revealed himself to them. The law has taken them there. But instead of receiving him, they've rejected him. And now they're blind. And that's why actions and things, they don't necessarily make sense as they apply the law, as they apply the things of legalism. Apart from Jesus, it brings death.

Verse 15 goes on to say, but even to this day when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Even to this day, he says. Even today. He continues. Now, Paul is making reference to the Jewish people, to those applying to the Old Covenant. It applies to all though. Even to this day, there are those today who know the truth, who've heard the law, who know about Jesus. But there's a veil. There's a covering. Because they have not received him.

Because they will not receive Him. There's this veil that keeps them from experiencing God's presence. There's a veil so that they cannot see the full plan of God. In verse 16 he says, Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. How do you remove this veil? Well, first thing you've got to do is you've got to take off your shoes. Then you've got to walk a hundred miles through the rain and snow and all the wind and storms that come. No. What do you have to do? You just have to turn to the Lord.

direct your attention to Him. Ask Him to come in and to do His work. Simply by doing that, by turning to the Lord, guess what? The veil is taken away. The veil that separated God from

From His people. Back in the Old Testament. The tabernacle. You remember. They set it up. There was the holy place which had the table with the showbread and the altar of incense and the candlelight. But then there was this thick veil. 18 inches thick. Cannot go through there. Only the priests can go once a year. That's where God's presence dwelt. Right there in the Ark of the Covenant. The Holy of Holies it's called.

That veil that separated. Listen, in Christ, that veil is taken away. That no longer do we as people have limited access to God and that we can't come to His presence. Now, He offers to us full access. The veil is taken away. That's why when Jesus died on the cross, it was ripped from top to bottom, split in two, signifying to you and me that there's no veil any longer in Christ.

through Christ. Outside of Christ, that veil is still there. We cannot come to God. We cannot experience His presence. We cannot allow Him to work in us. But when we come to Jesus, He removes the veil and He takes us into His presence and He does the work in our hearts. The veil that separates God from His people is removed in Christ Jesus. Verse 17, Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. The Lord is the Spirit.

And where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Now listen. When the Spirit is within us, we don't need the law any longer. The law was useful in bringing us to Christ. But as we receive Him, we're born again. He gives us a new heart. Jeremiah 31, He puts His law on our hearts.

And so the law is not needed anymore because now my desire isn't how much can I get away with, but a life that's been touched by Jesus is how close can I get to Jesus? How can I love Jesus more? How can I walk with him? And so the law is not necessary for those.

There's liberty where the Spirit of the Lord is at work. Now I don't want to sin because it affects my relationship with Jesus. I have freedom in Christ. I've been set free from bondage to the law. I've been set free from death. So now I want to get close to Jesus. Those laws, they're not necessary for me any longer. Listen, if you want to look more and study more on this, I would encourage you to. Romans chapters 5 through 8 and Galatians chapter 5. Talk about this and share with us this.

The liberty that God has given to us. He set us free. Verse 18, But we all, with an unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory,

just as by the Spirit of the Lord. Listen, the veil is removed in Christ. Now we see Jesus. Paul says, beholding as in a mirror. We see Him. And seeing Him, we are being transformed, Paul says, into the same image. This is a great verse. I would encourage you to write down this verse. Meditate on this verse. Allow God to speak to you.

Because look what he says. He says, "...with an unveiled face, the veil is taken away, beholding in a mirror the glory of the Lord." We see Jesus. We get to see him. We're being transformed into the same image. Being transformed to be more like God. To be more like Jesus. The intent of the law was to make us like God. But it's external. It's applying these things from without and they don't last.

They don't last. It fades away. We fall short. But the Spirit of God does the work from within as we spend time with Jesus, as we spend time in His Word. He reveals Himself to us. We see Him in the mirror and He makes us, He transforms us to be more like His image. We get to know Him. We develop this relationship and we're made to be more like Him.

Transferred into the same image, it says, from glory to glory. The old covenant, that was glory. And that brings us to Him. But to glory, the much more exceeding glory of the new covenant, of God doing a work within and having a relationship with you and I. And how is it done? How does it take place? It's by the Spirit of the Lord. It's not by my works. It's not by what I've done. It's not how many times I've read today or this week. It's not by how righteous or spiritual I am.

It's by the Spirit of God simply doing His work as I spend time with Jesus. Listen, Christians, this is important for us because our natural tendency is to base our life, base our walk, base our relationship with God on what we've done and how we're doing. And so sometimes we don't pray. We don't spend time in God's Word. We don't come to church. We don't partake of communion because we feel, oh...

The condemnation. Listen, that's the law. That's not what God has to offer you any longer. That's old news now. He's brought you to Jesus Christ. So come to Him and spend time with Him. The Spirit says, come. He invites you, come. He knows what you've been involved in. He knows what you've been doing. He knows how you are. And He says, come. Come. He'll do the work. You don't have to perfect yourself and then come to Him. He does the work.

Just spend time with Him and you'll be transformed. He'll do His work within you. You're not sufficient of yourselves, but God is your sufficiency. Not only to come to Him, but also to serve Him. Listen, we condemn ourselves, we can come down on ourselves because we say, Oh, I can't serve the Lord. Look what I've been doing. Look how I've been. That's not what God says. God says, Look what I've done and served me. I've given you everything that you need.

and by death upon the cross, by my spirit at work in you, by experiencing my presence, and by the Spirit of the Lord. That's the ministry that you and I are called to be a part of. That's the ministry that we're called to take upon our own lives and to approach God on those terms. Now, let me encourage you as well. We need to minister by the Spirit. We need to minister by the Spirit. God has given us people around us, friends, family, co-workers, sheep within this body, sheep.

And very often, what we do to each other is vicious and brutal. We apply the law and we lay on rules and regulations. You can't do this. You can't do that. You can't be involved in this. You can't do that. That's the ministry of the letter and it kills. You know, it's so great to watch God work in someone who's just received Him. And often, you don't see all of the change that's taking place because it's within.

And as they grow, as they draw close, as they are in His presence, they are being transformed. And you begin to see, as they grow, things come off. You don't have to tell them not to do this or do that. But the Spirit of God is at work through His Word, revealing to them and drawing them close and dealing with those areas. This is how we are to minister as believers. That we encourage people to come to God based on what He's done, based on His blood.

Not laying on rules and laws and regulations. Encouraging them to serve based on what God has done and what God will do. Enabling them to serve Him. Not based on what they've done or how they've been. We need Christians, believers in Jesus Christ, we need to apply this to our hearts and our lives. Listen, the letter kills. You live by the letter. You pass on the letter to others. You apply legalism in the lives of others. It kills, it destroys. But,

the Spirit of God. Respond to the Spirit of God. Allow God to use you to administer His Spirit to those around you. And listen, if you're here this morning and you are not a believer, you've never accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you've never been born again, God offers life to you. He's brought you here. He's allowed the course of events in your life to take place so that you can be led right here to where Jesus is.

He says, simply receive. All you got to do is turn and I'll remove the veil and I'll let you experience my presence and I'll come in and I'll do a work in your heart. I'll give you peace. I'll forgive you of your sins. I'll wash away all those things and shower love upon you like you can't even imagine. That's the God that we serve. That's the ministry that he has called us to. Let's pray. Heavenly Father,

I pray this morning that you would help us, God, not to come to you with our merits, with our works, with our relationship with the law, but that we would come to you with our relationship with you based on what you've done for us on the cross and how you paid the price 2,000 years ago. God, I pray that you would help us to invoke the new covenant in our lives.

Lord, that we would apply your blood and ask you to fill us and change us and renew us. Lord Jesus, that we would come to you, that you could do the work that you want to do in us. Not only that, Lord, but that you could do the work that you want to do through us. Lord, forgive us when we base our life and base our relationship with you and the times that we stay away from you because we apply the letter and we feel condemned.

God, I pray right now that you would take us into your presence. Fill us with your spirit and by your spirit do that work in us. And God, I pray for those who have never received you before, who are not born again. Lord, I pray that they would see your open hand, your open invitation, that you're calling them to a life with you and that you love them so much, that you've done so much to purchase them with your blood. Lord, that we don't have to live in guilt or condemnation.

but that we can simply receive all that you have to offer. Do a work in our hearts now as we worship you, Lord. It's in your name we pray. Amen. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of his word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.