Daily Devotional

-November 4, 2020-

Good morning, happy Wednesday,

-The New Covenant Is Superior To The Old Covenant-

“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

(2 Corinthians 3:5-6).

There were Jews in Paul’s day who were called Judaizers who believed that in order to be saved one had to not just have faith but to also keep the law. Paul dispelled that teaching as completely wrong. One is saved by grace through faith. It is not man acting to earn God’s favor to get into heaven by his works, but alone God working to save us through the death and blood of Christ shed at cross. Christ gave His life for us so that by believing in Him and receiving Him we are saved forever.

Paul contrasts the law that came through Moses with the gospel of grace that came through the Lord Jesus Christ. John 1:16-17 says, “And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” This is a huge contrast. The law brought regulation without the ability to keep it; whereas grace came through Christ who alone kept the law perfectly and bore our sin and guilt on the cross.

Bible Commentator Bill MacDonald wrote, “God never intended the law to be the means of giving life. Rather it was designed to bring the knowledge of sin and to convict of sin.” The law gave the commands that man could not keep in order to show man he needed a Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. The law also contained condemnation for violating it. Galatians 3:10 says, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” As Paul writes here in our text “the letter kills but the Spirit gives life.”

The gospel is the message of the new covenant of God’s mercy and grace. Mercy does not give us what we deserve, death and hell; grace gives us what we do not deserve, salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life. Oh how wonderful to be saved by grace during the age of grace! The Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the law down to the last jot and tittle. He came down from heaven not to condemn us but to save us.

J.M. Davies summarized, “This ministry of the ‘letter that killeth’ is illustrated in the 3,000 killed at Sinai, at the inauguration of the Old Covenant; and the ministry of the Spirit, the life giving ministry, is illustrated in the 3,000 saved on the day of Pentecost.”

Let us rejoice today in our salvation that comes free of charge, frees us from our sin and death, and gives us the freedom to obey and serve the Lord. Paul wrote in Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” Jesus said, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30).

Have a blessed day living and serving by God’s grace. Stay safe and healthy.

Dean