2 Corinthians 3:6

NASB	NLT	VOICE
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.	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.	6 Now God has equipped us to be capable servants of the new covenant, not by authority of the written law which only brings death, but by the Spirit who brings life.

Transformative Work of the Spirit

God qualifies Christians for ministerial work. The role of ministers, in what Paul is writing here, is to be an ambassador of the new Covenant with Jesus. The written law could not give life or righteousness. The Spirit refers to the Holy Spirits, who strengthens believers to live according to God’s will through transforming our hearts and minds. Paul states that the written law ends in death. The law reveals our sin and brings awareness of how we violated God’s law, leading to our spiritual death. The law’s demands were impossible to fully meet, resulting in condemnation for those who barely rely on it to learn about right or wrong. The Spirit, on the other hand, is the life-giving power through the Holy Spirit. Christians are regenerated, born again, and receive eternal life. The Spirit shows believers how to fulfill the righteous requirements of the law by living according to God’s will. The Spirit’s work is to be transformative, bringing freedom and renewal. 

Written Law vs. The Holy Spirit

Christians are called to live under the new covenant with Jesus, characterized by grace and the presence of the Holy Spirit residing in us, rather than just following the rules. This was something early on in my walk with Christ that I struggled with understanding: how to place the written law to coincide it with the new covenant. Over time, I’ve learned the importance of the written law. I’ve seen how it shaped the ministry of Jesus and how the disciples and apostles lived with it. I’ve understood that the written law will be an example of how we are to live in the faith of the new covenant. Believing through faith that Jesus saved us from our sin through His sacrifice, death, and resurrection is the sign-on to a new relationship with Him. How we show our commitment in the relationship with Him is through the abiding by the law. For us today, we aren’t called to abide by the Jewish customs and traditions that were dominant at that time. We are called to abide in the love and mercy that God shares with us, believing by faith in the sacrificial love that He has for us, and to go out and spread the Good News to all that we encounter through our testimonies and our acts. Our work is an ongoing daily act of progression, becoming more Christ-like each and every day. The more we work to share the Kingdom life with those we encounter, the more our relationship with Christ grows, and the more secure our place is in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Reflection Questions

1. What is one memory you have about your favorite minister? 
2. How do you experience the transformation into Christ in your daily life? 
3. Have you had to wrestle with understanding the written laws versus God’s moral law? How did that wrestling look for you? What was the outcome of the wrestling?

Call to Action

Read Romans 7:6. Express gratitude to God for the new life of life through the Holy Spirit, who guides us towards eternal life. Ask God for ways that you can abide in the New Covenant. Seek which ways that you can be involved as God’s hands and feet into the world today. 

Next slice of manna: Our Role in Taxation || Romans 13:6 || Manna for the Mind #295