The Glory Of the New Covenant
Paul writes in the book of 2 Corinthians chapter 3:
"Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He 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.
The Glory of the New Covenant
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, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone 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 freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
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1 comment:
Hi Charlotte! Hope your Easter holiday was great!!
It's me Shirah... LONGtime- don't hear from me in the Blog World!..and your new blog is beautiful site!How refreshing it is to look at and partake of it! Hope all is well with you and yours!:)
In light of your post on the New Covenant,sometimes the adversary would try and come in and blind us to the vital importance of maintaining our New covenant relationships with one another as believers in Messiah.How many believers break fellowship from each other because of different points of view like when the Rapture will happen or when it comes to different Christian circles etc.Why allow him to "win" by bringing division within the family of God?
David is a prime example of being covenant minded! Remember how sorrowfully he mourned King Saul's death who was his enemy? Eventually, David took Saul's grandson-- a cripple, into his royal house to care for him and set him at the royal table because-- David chose the covenant relationship over his flesh in the wrongs that King Saul did to him! That was David's secret of keeping covenant relationships even to the point of honoring King Saul.
Today each of us has the power in the Spirit to continually choose to honor our NEW covenant relationships with all believers over the offenses and the divisions. This Easter season let it be the new beginning of overcoming the adversary to tempt us to side with our flesh when offenses come, but rather choose to honor the Precious Blood of Messiah that was shed and bought also our New Covenant relationships that make us one in His Body.
-Your New Covenant sister in Messiah,
Blessings,
Shirah
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