Living in the New || 2 Corinthians 3:6 || Weekend Wind-Down #27

Welcome to part twenty-seven of the “Weekend Wind-Down” series. Over half a year’s worth of blogs is already in this series. Before we begin, I want to share with you that the style of these will change slightly. The old way was me giving my interpretation of the scripture at face value, sharing the background of the scripture, going deeper into it, and then sharing the take-home point with a prayer to close. I will no longer share the face value interpretation and will combine the “Deep Dive” and “Take-Home Point” sections. These changes will allow God’s word to flow better and smoothly connect to you. Let’s begin!

Today’s scripture is 2 Corinthian 3:6, which says: 

6 He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life. 

Paul is writing to the church in Colossae to affirm his ministry, defend his apostolic authority, and refute the false teachers in Corinth. We’re seeing Paul defending his ministry in this verse. He explains the nature of Christian ministry by using examples from his own. We’re to take away how to handle the ministries we run or are a part of. We should be blameless, sincere, confident, caring, open, and willing to suffer for the sake of Christ. Remember all this as we read about and explore what our focus scripture says. 

The scripture talks about how keeping the Old Testament laws alone will end our lives. Jesus fulfilled the law perfectly and is the only one who can, meaning we can’t follow and keep all 618 Old Testament laws. Only through Jesus can we receive eternal life through the Holy Spirit. 

This belief isn’t to discount the law. The law shares with us what our sins are. The law doesn’t give us eternal life. Jesus gives it to us through the Holy Spirit. All who believe in Jesus will receive eternal life. For example, the Ten Commandments highlight our sins and show us how to obey God. The Ten Commandments connect to Jesus’ top two commands: follow God with all our hearts (Commandments 1-4) and love our neighbor as Jesus loved us (Commandments 5-10). Jesus showed us how to live life according to their commands. Yet, the law can’t forgive us. It can only punish us. Forgiveness comes from the grace and mercy of Jesus. 

Paul shares this with the Romans about following the new covenant. Romans 7:6 says: 

6 But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of God’s law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit. 

What Jesus did by dying on the cross for our sins opened our path to God. With being able to access God directly, all we need to do is put our faith in him. It’s no longer connecting with God by following rules or doing works. We can become more and more like Jesus as we live for him daily. This belief isn’t to say that we need to believe in God and do nothing. This concept is something that gets misunderstood a lot. To follow God, we need to believe and believe in who he is and what he did through Jesus for us. That’s it on that accord. As Jesus said in his Great Commission speech, part of being Christian is to go out and make disciples of every nation. He wants us to love each other as he loved us. That requires work. That requires doing things. It’s sharing your testimony with someone. It’s inviting them to church or Bible study, hearing them share their worries and anxieties, and praying that God would be with them. It’s providing a meal for someone in need. 

Now, we could do all this without following God. That’s true, but our hearts and minds are often self-centered, even if we do. We often do it to make ourselves feel better or look like we care. This mindset isn’t everyone’s, I know. Unfortunately, it’s a decent bit of people. There was someone you thought of as I said this, though.

Yet, we can find relief from this mindset in Jesus, who saves us from thinking this way. We turn our thoughts into relief and gratitude. Plus, we may even have a better time following the rules of God’s kingdom through our motivation of love and gratitude. 

Next, we’ll talk about a longer passage from Hebrews. It’s a quote from Jeremiah 31 where God describes what the new covenant will talk about in extreme detail. It says this in Hebrews 8:8-13:

8 But when God found fault with the people, he said: “The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. 

9 This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors, when I took them by the hand and lead them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the Lord. 

10 But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on the day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. 

11 And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. 

12 And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.” 

13 When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means the first one is obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear. 

A lot is happening here, so I’ll start on the more extensive scope and work our way to this passage’s critical point. 

As mentioned, verses 8 through 12 directly quote Jeremiah 31:31-34. We’re comparing the new covenant of grace and the old covenant laws. God gave the old covenant law to Israel. The old covenant included many laws, consequences, and rituals for seeking forgiveness. The new covenant is one of grace. In this covenant, Jesus offers to forgive our sins and bring us closer to God through his sacrificial death. Israel could only participate in the old covenant, but everyone is welcome to participate in the new covenant. 

God says he will write the new covenant on our hearts and minds. This command seems to connect to the Holy Spirit residing inside of us. This new covenant works at a deeper level to guide and transform us into being Christians more than any set of laws could. A significant difference is how the covenants view forgiveness. With the old one, you would need animal sacrifices. With the new one, you only need faith that you receive forgiveness. 

Let’s discuss how the new covenant is written on our hearts and minds more. If we took this at face value, it says we do not have to follow an external set of rules and principles. Jesus doesn’t dismiss the law but fulfills it. The law isn’t the way to get to God anymore. It’s through Jesus. Jesus, though, shows us that the Kingdom of God would be brought to earth through us following the law. The law identifies where we get it right and wrong as Christians. Its purpose now is to point out our sins, but it’s through Jesus that we find forgiveness and faith. The Holy Spirit reminds us of what Jesus taught, calls forward the new covenant to our mind, influences our words, actions, and desires, and makes us want to obey God.

Following God’s rules will be rough if our hearts aren’t changed. This belief may feel like you’re back in school, where you’re following the rules because you HAVE to. The Holy Spirit gives us a new mindset, which makes us WANT to obey God’s rules. 

Verse 13 is the take-home point: the old covenant is obsolete when the new covenant comes. We receive this new child-like faith and a refreshed sense of forgiveness that the Israelites could never understand. Our life in Christ is never complete. We will always be learning different things about what it means to live our lives in Christ. It’s always going to be fun, though. Jesus tells us that up front. Growing in Christ is a place where we can endure pain, heartache, and slowed-down life, but it is for the goodness of God. 

Take some time to think about what it means to live your life in Christ. I will because this study has been enlightening and challenging for me. When reflecting, think about the parts of your life that make you feel spiritually ineffective. If you feel burnt out spiritually, which can happen often, remember that the Kingdom of God offers complete rest and renewal. Deepen your Bible Study too! Find resources, stories, and scripture that sustain what you’re walking through. Engage in those areas and see how you feel. It could be a small group that meets at your local restaurant or bar. It could be walking a new route as you listen to a sermon or worship song. It could be connecting with a stranger and, if possible, sharing your testimony. These things can replenish your spiritual gas tank as you figure out where God calls you next.

Thank you for joining me for today’s Weekend Wind-Down! In today’s summary, we discussed the differences between the old covenant given to Israel and the new covenant given to all from the teachings of Paul and Hebrews. Let me close in prayer: 

Father God, we thank you for the gift of the new covenant. We thank you for the sacrifice through Jesus that allows us to grow close to you and offers us forgiveness by faith. Please help us to remember what this covenant represents. Teach us how to live into this new covenant in ways that glorify and honor you. It’s in your name, we pray. Amen.