The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious . . . how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
2 Corinthians 3:6-8
(6) who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
(7) But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,
(8) how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?
These verses contain another contrasting choice that results in people either living by bankrupt human resources, or by bountiful heavenly ones. This contrast is "the ministry of death versus the ministry of life." These terms come from correlating four phrases: "the letter kills . . . the Spirit gives life . . . the ministry of death . . . the ministry of the Spirit." Of course, the old covenant of law is the "ministry of death," and the new covenant of grace is the "ministry of life" ("ministry of the Spirit . . . the Spirit gives life").
When people attempt to minister by the law, spiritual deadness results. Since the law sets forth a perfect standard but offers no assistance, it "kills" those who try to live by it. Only those who minister by grace can hold forth life to people because grace alone can provide the life that God intends for humankind to experience. Ministry is to be engaged in by individuals, families, and churches. Every ministry will be characterized as either a “ministry of death” or a "ministry of life." Either contact with ministries brings spiritual deadness to people, or it brings spiritual vitality.
What would people encounter if an individual, family, or church were a "ministry of death" (that is, a law-based ministry that left people relying upon their own sufficiency)? They might encounter judgmentalism or fleshly striving. They might find self-righteousness or self-confidence. They might discover hypocrisy or frustration. They might detect harshness or coldness.
Conversely, what would people encounter if an individual, family, or church were a "ministry of . . . life" (that is, a grace-oriented ministry that encouraged people to rely upon God's sufficiency)? Instead of judgmentalism and fleshly striving, they would encounter love and peace. Instead of self-righteousness and self-confidence, they would find humility and confidence in God. Instead of hypocrisy and frustration, they would discover genuineness and fulfillment. Instead of harshness and coldness, they would detect gentleness and warmth.
Our God is a God of life. God's loving plan of salvation was that the Son would die to bring us life.
John 3:16-21
(16) "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
(17) "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
(18) "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
(19) "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
(20) "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
(21) "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."
The Lord has life for us, and He wants us to minister life to others.
Grove Oak Church
No comments:
Post a Comment