14.10 Has the messenger been conveying the right message?
We have shared that the devil robs believers of their blessings by making them strive to earn it. We have shared the examples of Eve, Jesus & the healing of the blind man in the book of John.
Today, it makes a world of difference for us to have messengers who convey the right message. Going back to the earlier illustration, if the messenger tells us that we don’t have an inheritance of $10m, we would have to spend a lifetime trying to earn that $5m. But if the messenger tells us that we have an inheritance, we can start our project to build the orphanage.
If, the messengers are ministering the law to us – that we have to earn our righteousness and blessings, we will spend a lifetime trying to earn it. But if the messengers tell us that Jesus has made us righteous and given us an inheritance on the cross, we will spend a lifetime fulfilling his calling – which is far more fun, rewarding and fruitful.
The Bible tells us that Paul was a minister of the New Covenant, as opposed to the Judaizers who were preaching a mixture of grace and law. Paul tells us of righteousness apart from the law. The Judaizers told the believers that they had to have Jesus and the law at the same time, like many of the messages we hear today.
(2 Cor 3:5-6)
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 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 said that the Minister of the New Covenant ministers life, but the ministry of the letter (the Ten Commandments engraved on stones) kills. Why is this so? What is the heart of the issue? Paul was not against morality. He says that morality cannot be achieved through the law (which is external and does not change the heart) but through grace (which transforms the heart).
The issue is that the ministry of the New Covenant tells us that Jesus has finished the work on the cross. We can come to Jesus to receive everything; to receive life. But the system of the law tells us that we must perform works of the law in order to attain to righteousness and blessings. It ignores the fact that Jesus has already finished the work. As in the examples we shared earlier, when we strive for what Christ has already given, we end up drifting further from it.
Today, we should be discerning to sit under ministers of the New Covenant – and through listening to such – THAT YOU MAY KNOW – and experience that which Christ has given you. When you respond by faith, miracles begin to happen.
Today, it makes a world of difference for us to have messengers who convey the right message. Going back to the earlier illustration, if the messenger tells us that we don’t have an inheritance of $10m, we would have to spend a lifetime trying to earn that $5m. But if the messenger tells us that we have an inheritance, we can start our project to build the orphanage.
If, the messengers are ministering the law to us – that we have to earn our righteousness and blessings, we will spend a lifetime trying to earn it. But if the messengers tell us that Jesus has made us righteous and given us an inheritance on the cross, we will spend a lifetime fulfilling his calling – which is far more fun, rewarding and fruitful.
The Bible tells us that Paul was a minister of the New Covenant, as opposed to the Judaizers who were preaching a mixture of grace and law. Paul tells us of righteousness apart from the law. The Judaizers told the believers that they had to have Jesus and the law at the same time, like many of the messages we hear today.
(2 Cor 3:5-6)
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 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 said that the Minister of the New Covenant ministers life, but the ministry of the letter (the Ten Commandments engraved on stones) kills. Why is this so? What is the heart of the issue? Paul was not against morality. He says that morality cannot be achieved through the law (which is external and does not change the heart) but through grace (which transforms the heart).
The issue is that the ministry of the New Covenant tells us that Jesus has finished the work on the cross. We can come to Jesus to receive everything; to receive life. But the system of the law tells us that we must perform works of the law in order to attain to righteousness and blessings. It ignores the fact that Jesus has already finished the work. As in the examples we shared earlier, when we strive for what Christ has already given, we end up drifting further from it.
Today, we should be discerning to sit under ministers of the New Covenant – and through listening to such – THAT YOU MAY KNOW – and experience that which Christ has given you. When you respond by faith, miracles begin to happen.
posted by Joshua Lye @ 1:20 AM
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