Sunday Morning Service

II Corinthians 3

“The Glory Of The New Covenant” • 2.24.13 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

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Intro.

- The last line of chapter 2 as we know it, may actually be the beginning of Paul's thought, as he alluded to those who were "peddlers of God's Word."

- We noted last time that this referred to those who offered an mixed bag, whereas the Apostles offered the true word of God without any intermingling.

- Today, we get a more complete picture of what Paul was beginning to counteract, as we listen to him speak of the two covenants that God has made with men.

- We'll go through and draw our conclusions at the end of the chapter.

Text

• II Corinthians 3:1-3 : "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? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." : The early church was full of opportunity for would be preachers and teachers in the first century.

- As people traveled, they came in with letters of introduction from their previous church, indicating their gifting and the endorsement of the previous church.

- In some instances, these were legitimate ministers of the gospel. At the end of Paul's epistles, he often commends people to the various churches.

- However, at the same time, some had come who were ministers, but not of the new covenant but of the old covenant. We'll increasingly get to know the Judaizers.

- Essentially, they were ones who were fine with salvation, by grace through faith, as the entry point to the true faith, which could now be born if they would now submit to circumcision and law.

- Evidently, they came with weight letters of recommendation and that impressed the people of Corinth. Now, remember that it was God who employed Paul to begin the church in Corinth.

- As the people in Corinth began to be more and more impressed with the letters of these false teachers, one got the impression that they would only listen now to people with these letters!

- But Paul and company did not come to them after they had been organized. Paul began the church! He was it's founder! The first converts, now elders in the church, had been Paul's pupils!

- They didn't need an introduction or an endorsement from another group. The very existence of a fellowship in Corinth was their letter.

- "Corinthians, you want a letter now? Go look in the mirror! You are our letter!" They were the proof of his authenticity!

- All who would judge their Christianity would in reality, be viewing God's work through Paul, in their lives!

- People are reading you! You are not ink and scroll. You are flesh and blood indwelt by God's Holy Spirit! He has put His stamp of authenticity on your very hearts!

- Paul says, "Look at the fruit in your own life." That's how you determine whether a minister is from God or not! Incidently, that is the key to authentic Christianity.

- It does not matter what you say if your pattern of life confesses something else! Jesus told us that when it came to false prophets, we'd know them by their fruit. The same is true of Christians.

• II Corinthians 2:4-6 : "And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from 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." : Paul was confident and sure regarding what he was to them, not because of any letter of recommendation, but through Christ toward God!

- The Lord had called him and empowered him to be the man that he was. It was not in himself. He is quick to point that out! The Apostolic group knew where their strength originated.

- They had not attained anything from a diverse education or a religious organization. God had made them sufficient! That's where your sufficiency comes from as well.

- There is no organization or education that will equip you with sufficient power to minister to your family and friends.

- Know that if you will be sufficient to minister, that it will be as a gift from God, by the power of His Holy Spirit for the purpose of lifting up, glorifying the name of Jesus Christ!

- He took the Apostles, filled them with His Holy Spirit, sent them out and empowered them to serve Him in this capacity. They were able servants of the new covenant!

- Paul's credentials are in the service of the new covenant, God's new agreement with mankind through the person of Jesus Christ, based in His grace, effected by a Christian's faith!

- The Apostles are ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit. The letter refers specifically to the Old Covenant, not the Bible!

- They did not want to be Apostles of the letter or the Mosaic law, as the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

- The Old covenant was written on stone tablets and it stood as a perfect standard revealing all that was wrong with man. It contains a perfect reflection of God's character.

- The more that a man measured himself honestly before the law, the more that he realized that he was dead, unable to comply.

- This is why God promised to one day write His law again, not on stone but on the hearts of His people, specifically in Jeremiah 31:33 and Ezekiel 11:19!

- His Holy Spirit indwelling believers, gives them life before God! The ministry of the Spirit, the new covenant, gives life now in downpayment and promises life with God after!

• II Corinthians 3:7-11 : "But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious." : Paul calls the Old covenant "the ministry of death," and "the ministry of condemnation!" Who'd like to sign up for that?

- The new covenant however, is called "the ministry of the Spirit" and "the ministry of righteousness!" Which would you rather be under?

- The first covenant was glorious for what it was. It is a wonderful reflection of God's character and even brought a glow to Moses' face according to Exodus 34.

- When Moses received the 10 commandments, his face shone for having been in the presence of God, but that glory was fading, coming to an end, which is why he put the veil on.

- The ministry of the Spirit then, which also comes from God has glory then that exceeds the glory of the Old Covenant and excels in what it accomplishes.

- The word "exceeds" speaks of a flower in full bloom and "excels" speaks of being far beyond! The New covenant then is the full blossom of God's intention toward His people.

- The old covenant was rolled up and put away in Christ. It was fulfilled, finished, completed! It has been rendered inoperative.

- Jesus has fulfilled perfectly every righteous demand that God's law has made. Nobody did it before him and nobody has done it after him!

- To attempt to do so today is a blatant disregard for all that Christ has already done.

- The new covenant is now based entirely on one person's faithfulness and righteousness, which is sufficient for every human being who believes!

- The new covenant is that which remains. It's in effect. It is available for all to enjoy.

• II Corinthians 3:12,13 : "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." : Because the new covenant is continually glorious, the Apostles have great expectation and speak with all clarity. Nothing concealed or watered down.

- They spoke boldly about the word of Christ's righteousness and His forgiveness!

- Unlike Moses. He put that veil over his face to keep the people from seeing the end of that glory as it faded in time.

- That is not the way with the new covenant, which shines with greater radiance as the person embracing it examines it with greater scrutiny.

- Paul's point is that there is no need to hide anything or be in any way ashamed of the new covenant gospel. It's not passing away and becoming useless. It's glorious!

• II Corinthians 3:14-16 : "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. 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." : To be able to look into the Old Testament, one needs to remove the veil.

- For those who were reading the Old Testament, looking for salvation in the law, the veil remained so that they could not perceive clearly the truth about Christ.

- Their minds, speaking of the people of Israel, were blinded which refers to a covering or callous that has grown hard and unfeeling.

- To that day and to ours today, the veil remains there until one turns to Jesus Christ in faith and then it is taken or lifted away.

- Before that, the Old Testament makes no sense at all because Jesus is the entire point of the Old Testament! The volume of the book declares Christ!

- Someone who reads the Old Testament, looking for glory and salvation apart from Christ, reads through a veil that will never be lifted. There will always be a disconnect.

- But the same promise is sure to those who turn to Christ, to look again with an unveiled face which speaks of clarity and intimacy.

• II Corinthians 3:17,18 : "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 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." : The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. The Lord is the Spirit. He infuses the New Covenant with his own person, His own strength.

- Consequently, wherever God is, and He is in the new covenant, there is perfect liberty. - Freedom to do and act as He pleases. In Christ, there is this wonderful freedom to serve and love Him. We are not free to do that which He hates. We are liberated to enjoy all that He intends!

- All who are in the Lord, without the callous veil, are looking into a mirror and seeing an image of the glory of the Lord.

- This is important: We all. There is not a special member like Moses, that gets to be close to God! We all walk in with unveiled face!

- The New covenant is a place of unparalleled acces. In the time of Moses, only Moses and Aaron could approach the place of the Lord, and Aaron, just once a year!

- In new testament times, only the High Priest could go in to make an offering once a year on the day of Atonement. Today, every Christian has access to God! What a privilege!

- Today, we look boldly into the glory of the Lord, as in a mirror. What happened when Moses looked with unvelied face? He had a glorious meeting and glory was on his face.

- As time goes on, as we continually look at the glory of the Lord Jesus, there is a glorious work that is taking place. It is a work of transformation, metamorphosis.

- It is something that is continually in process to our eyes, but complete in the eyes of the Lord.

- That is, as we look in the mirror, we honestly see a difference in us over time. To us, there is change little by little and step by step. It is observable in an indiscernable way for it's stealth!

- In the mind of God, the one who is doing the transforming, the image is clearly finished. He knows what He is making and what it takes for you to be made into that image!

- He knows exactly what experiences will be necessary. He knows how long you'll need in the press and just how much pressure to allow you to experience.

- As with the metamorphosis of the catepillar and as with the metamorphosis of Christ in Matthew 17, our metamorphosis is happening from the inside out.

- The inner man, the person that you are becoming, that which is hidden underneath this earth suit, is currently being transformed. How is that happening for us?

- Romans 12:1,2 tells us that we are not to be conformed to this world, ie., taking on it's image and way of thinking. Rather, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind!

- When we hear God's Word and seek to obey it, calling it truth when we feel otherwise, correcting our heart's course, then our transformation is that much farther along!

- Notice that He is transforming us. This is His work. I cannot make it happen, but I can cooperate as He does His work!

- I have been known to stiffen against His hand and turn left when He wanted me to turn right. All I've done is delay the process and work against what He has wanted to do!

- You have a choice to make in that regard as well: Will you allow Him the freedom to work? Will you bend and move when He says to? I pray that you won't make it hard on yourself!

- Notice also that He is transforming us into the same image, literally "icon!" This is fascinating to me. In the Old Testament, one of the 10 Commandments related to a ban on imagery.

- The people of Israel were not have an image of God. Why? No matter how great of an artist or sculptor you are, an image represents a single moment in time.

- That image is trapped and must always be a representation of the artist's maturity and perspective. What happens a year later when the artist has grown in their skill set?

- Furthermore, what happens when they later grow to understand more of the character of God and their year old image is now obsolete, a relic of another time in their thinking.

- Now, consider the concept of image in terms of the cults, who project an image. Their hope is to take away identity and transform a person from the outside by enforcing dress and behavior.

- That's not what God is doing! That is a cheap and lifeless imitation of what God does!

- God is taking individual believers, transforming them from the inside out, leaving their identity and personality intact, but bringing them to the very same place: The image of Christ!

- It takes every believer at every junction of their life to be a dynamic representation of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

- He is doing this from glory, the moment of our conversion, to glory, the moment of our consummation when we will live in heaven forever!

- His Spirit is doing that work in you as we speak!

Conclusion
- The new covenant is the covenant of life, engineered by the Holy Spirit, who invites us to look freely and intimately at Christ.

- The new covenant grants you access and freedom to enjoy all that God intends in order that you might submit to His inner working, which is the final display of His image in your life!

- The old covenant can't do it. Religion can't do it. Time won't do it! This is the only way that God does it, so revel in it and enjoy the process!