Placement
Where are you?
If you’ve ever driven a nail with a hammer, you understand the idea of placement. Miss the nail one time, and strong signals of pain shoot through your thumb up your arm and into your brain. The thumb often will swell up and throb and remind you that your placement was off.
The truth is that placement is a big deal for many things in life. You’ve probably heard the old saying, “At the right place at the wrong time.” Or how about “the wrong place at the right time?”
In spiritual matters, placement is not just a detail; it’s a profound concept that carries significant weight and is often overlooked by many.
A very significant phrase occurs 85 times in the New Covenant Scriptures, and even though it is so often used, it is often overlooked. What is the phrase?
In Christ!
One very popular passage is 2Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in Him (Christ) are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
The New Covenant Scriptures are rich with passages that contain the phrase ‘In Christ ‘. It’s a treasure trove waiting to be explored.
For instance, I am justified and have experienced redemption “In Christ,” not merely by Christ. My experience of eternal life(Romans 6:23), justification, redemption (Romans 3:24), the love of God (Romans 8:1 &2, 39), wisdom from God and righteousness, sanctification and redemption (1Corinthians 1:30), made alive (1Corinthians 15:22), led into triumph (2Corinthians 2:14), the veil is only removed (2Corinthians 3:14), I am a new creation (2Corintinas 5:17), my reconciliation to God (2Corinthians 5:19), simplicity of (2Corinthians 11:3).
These are just a few of the 85 passages pointing us to the reality of what it means to be “in Christ.”
Our position is everything! Where we have been placed is very important because it is through that placement that we are enabled to experience all that God has ordained for our lives. Our placement is not beside Christ, near Christ, or on Christ. We have been placed “In Christ!”
We have freedom because we are “in Christ.” This placement is at the core of possessing everything God has for us. It is not based on our faith in the things promised; it is based on our faith in our placement in Christ that brings us into an experience of all that God has for us.
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
This is my reality, not based on what I do or have done; it is based on who God has placed me in. Heaven meets earth “In Christ (Ephesians 1:10). We are seated in the heavenly places, “In Christ.”
In Christ has to become the most real thing to us if we are to experience all God has intended for us. This matter of placement is at the core of everything pertaining to the kingdom. God, in His goodness, wanted to place us in such a way as to guarantee that we could benefit. Are you aware, I mean very aware, of your placement? Is your faith in that placement the reason for expectation, or are you seeking to possess it on some other basis?
My boast is on being placed “In Christ” by God according to the riches of His grace made manifest in the giving of His beloved Son Jesus, in whom I have been given all things pertaining to life and godliness. I am grateful to God, who, by His own wisdom and purpose, has made me a partaker and placed me “In Christ.”
Jesus Gave
Have everything intended?
Out of His love for us, God sent Jesus, His Son, to die, to pay for our sins, and to offer us His righteousness. This transformative act made it possible for us to come under God’s favor and have an intimate relationship with Him as our Father. But that was just the beginning of the journey.
Jesus did much more than just pay for our sins and make us righteous as new creations. He did not want us to continue in ignorance and be ill-equipped as it pertains to the kingdom and its work.
Ephesian 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
The plan and purpose are not hidden from us in the Scriptures. The New Covenant way of disciple-making is not a mystery, nor is the proper care of the church.
Jesus called some, not all, to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Some are called to these functions, but not all. The ones called to these areas have a specific purpose.
These are not mere moments when a person in the church moves a certain way. These were offices or callings carried out by those gifted by Jesus for these functions specifically.
The Scriptures do not say that Paul merely acted as an apostle at times; Paul said clearly he was an apostle called by Jesus, and the same was true of Peter and the others. There were a total of 16 apostles beyond the twelve original ones. So we also know that apostle was not just a title given to the men Jesus initially called. There were also New Covenant prophets, such as Agabas. Philip, a deacon in the first church, was an evangelist. It is evidenced in his ministry. Stephen was a teacher, as evidenced clearly by his clear and concise speech just before he was martyred.
The purpose of these callings is not to become famous, important, or wealthy at the expense of the saints. In fact, they are not at the expense of the saints but rather to the blessing and benefit of the saints, and often, at times, they are at their own expense. These are gifts from Jesus that were given to the church for her edification, not the other way around. The church does not exist to serve these gifts. These gifts exist to serve the church.
What stands out to me is the body of Christ’s need for these gifts from Jesus. These gifts are needed for the church to attain the maturity and ministry meant for her. They lead the church into the unity of the faith and ground the church in proper doctrine so that believers are not tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. It is not one singular gift that accomplishes this well-rounded and full-orbed development of the church. It is the benefit of all these gifts.
The kind of growth Jesus is looking for is the growth that occurs as a result of these gifts working properly in the church for the church so that He is clearly seen as the head of the church and every member is being edified and built up in such a way as not to be taken over by pet peeves and singular issues. Churches need more than just their pastor or elders to be fully equipped. They need more than just a favorite prophet to be helped to fulfill all that Jesus intends. Jesus wants them to grow up into all things, not just one singular thing. Jesus wants His bride to have a full life filled with Him! These gifts He gives to the church are His way of making sure that happens, and it is not good for any leadership of the church to keep them away from the bride. Jesus gave, and what He gave is good when it is rightly valued and applied. No one man has all there is that the church needs. Every church needs what Jesus gave!
Prodigal Compassion
Have a prodigal?
Everyone is familiar with the story of the prodigal son that Jesus told.
The youngest son, who lost everything in his pursuit of a life of indulgence, reaches a point of self-realization. Overwhelmed by a sense of unworthiness, he decides to return home, ready to embrace a life of humility as a servant, no longer as a prodigal son.
The Father sees the son a ways off and runs to greet him. He welcomes him back as a son and throws a party, and the elder brother gets mad. I am sure we are all familiar with this story.
But it is interesting how I never hear anyone ask what the father was doing all that time the son was away. The elder brother reveals what he had been doing. He had been faithfully working.
We know the father did not run after the son; he did not track him down and continue giving him more while he was in that state of riotous living. So what was the father doing?
The father was doing what was his to do, staying on course with his own calling and affairs. Had the father stopped doing all that was his and gone after the younger son, there would have been nothing for the son to return home to.
The father was not there to feed the son when he had gambled everything away. He was not there to clothe the son when all he had left was one set of clothing. He was not there to put a roof over the head of his son when the son had no place to go. The father had to stay on course with what was his to do.
Did this mean the father lacked compassion? Absolutely not! The father obviously loved the son and longed for him. He had to have been looking in the direction of the road leading home in order to see the son returning. In other words, although he wasn’t a rescuer of the son and had to go through the heartbreak of missing him and not knowing whether he was well or in bad shape, the father loved the son dearly and longed to see him.
Sometimes, compassion has to let things play out without interference, knowing that God has a way of bringing a prodigal to the end of themselves. Had the father gone and rescued the son prematurely, the son would never have reached the desire to come home truly. He might never have come to his senses.
Had the father tried to keep the son at home to start with, the son in his heart would not have been home, and that would have complicated things for everyone. Interestingly, in the story Jesus told, the only character who did everything right was the father. The only character with the proper compassion and love was the father. We see exhibited in that role the wisdom, patience, and love that allow time and distance to do their part in softening a heart. In other words, the heart that suffered most was the heart of the father the entire time. The father was willing to suffer in order for the son to realize he was loved, what his place was, and what his purpose was.
Prodigals do not need our best human attempt at rescuing them. Once they return, they need to be welcomed and loved, no doubt. Could it be possible that a premature rescue attempt can do more harm than good? It’s not easy to behave like the father in that story and keep doing what needs to be done, which is one’s responsibility. But real compassion does the difficult things that can be misunderstood as much as it does the ones that will make it popular. Real compassion truly has the best interest of the other person in view at all times.
True Compassion
How moved are you?
All it takes to spot a chameleon is to be around a person who mimics caring but lacks the authenticity that comes with a heart of true compassion at the moment. We can train ourselves to know what to say, but feeling something with someone in a moment requires a little more effort. This ‘feeling with’ is not just about understanding but about truly experiencing the emotions of others, which can deepen our empathy.
Jesus does not want us to just know what to say; He wants us to be like Him and be capable of joining the feelings associated with the moment. This is one of the ways we can fellowship with His sufferings: by being willing to feel the heartbreak, pain, grief, and sorrow of another as opposed to just saying the right thing.
Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
It’s one thing to say to someone I’m so sorry for your situation or your loss while not feeling anything at all about it, but it’s a whole other thing to say that same phrase with a deep sense of their pain and grief.
People can connect with someone who is willing to share in their moment with love and integrity. I am not recommending that we join someone in an excessive lingering over a matter. That is nothing more than a case of drama. But I am suggesting that we be able to authentically join someone in their moment of trauma with sincere caring and no drama. Drama is that which is played out falsely so as to create effect. Drama is not real.
Drama is an act of emotion, not a real embodiment of it. I cannot fellowship with the sufferings of Christ as an actor, but I can if I emoby the moment as though it were my own. So when Paul speaks of weeping with those who weep, he is not following the pattern of the Jewish customs of the day and saying be like those who are hired as professional weepers for sad occasions. He is inviting us to literally feel what the other person is feeling so we can embrace them in their moment with authenticity and integrity of heart.
Many of the miracles Jesus did came on the heels of Him seeing the plight of people and being moved with compassion on their behalf.
Matthew 14:14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
Wanting to see things happen for my own name’s sake and reputation is not a good motivation. Being moved with compassion in the moment and knowing I am in partnership with Jesus in the fellowship of His sufferings can activate possibility, opportunity, and faith for some supernatural realities. If you are struggling with forgiving someone, allow yourself an opportunity to see them through the eyes of Jesus’ compassion, and I’ll bet the farm your ability to forgive them will come easier than you ever imagined.
Matthew 18:27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
I want to be able to be moved with authentic compassion more and more.
The Right Clothes
What are you wearing?
Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
The authority of being in Christ is not based on our natural identities but on our spiritual transformation and the new identity it gives us. Just as a policeman’s uniform gives them authority in public, when we ‘put on Christ,’ we are no longer just ordinary individuals; we are elevated to a position of authority and respect in the spiritual realm. This act of ‘putting on Christ’ is not just a change of clothes but a profound transformation that empowers us and inspires us to live based on our new identity. It will lead us to carry ourselves differently.
Our authority is based on our uniform, so to speak. If you aren’t putting on Christ, if you’re not living in the revelation of being in Him, you will not walk in the authority He gives you. When we truly grasp and internalize this truth about our authority and identity in Christ, it changes everything. It enlightens us about our true potential, fills us with hope, and guides our actions and decisions in a new and powerful way. I’ve known policemen personally who carried themselves differently when in uniform than they would out of it.
Due to memory lapse regarding putting on Christ and being in Christ, I’ve seen believers forfeit their authority that is rooted in the gospel. They’ve been deceived into thinking that a failure to push morality results in sin running rampant. So they use the law to invoke the importance of behaving right, claiming they are promoting sanctification in the believer. But that view is not true. The real power of sanctification for the believer resides in identity, not the moral demands of the law. Effective sanctification is rooted in being clothed with Him!
What would happen if believers knew that every choice and action made included dragging Jesus into it with them?
What if they could see themselves clothed in Christ before making decisions and taking action?
Do you think anything would change?
The answer to real freedom and real ruling and reigning in life is knowing who you are and “Who” you’ve been clothed with. A man doesn’t do sweaty, dirty labor in an expensive new suit. Scripture says we’ve been clothed with righteousness. By grace through faith, you are in Christ, and Christ lives in you! Christ Jesus is the very righteousness of God, and that is the righteousness we’ve been clothed with. If you’ve been born again, you have a brand new suit, and the more you know it, the less you will engage in “sweaty, dirty labor.” It’s time to realize where you are seated, why you are seated, and what works are really yours while resting in the finished work of another.
Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
We are seated together in the heavenly places “in Christ Jesus.” That puts us above powers and principalities! Hebrews 10:12 tells us that Jesus, after he offered one sacrifice for sins forever, “Sat Down” at the right hand of God. Jesus finished the work!
God wants to show off the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us, “in Christ Jesus!” His kindness and love led us to a changed mind and practice of life.
When we understand that we were created “in Christ Jesus,” good works flow out. There are works that God foreordained for you specifically! Do you know what they are? You won’t begin to understand them until you experience what it means to be in Christ!
You do not even begin to imagine just how different you are from those of this world until you begin to believe the truth concerning your being in Christ and being transformed by the power of that reality.
God does not ask you to get your act together morally before approaching Him. He demands that you align your beliefs with the truth of the gospel and approach Him on the merits of Christ alone. In Christ, you are clothed with Christ, and that means you are clothed in righteousness. Christ is your right clothes!
Humility’s Trademark
Trademarks matter?
I want to be able to put this as simply as I possibly can.
The highest form of humility does not disregard God, His Son Jesus, the Holy Spirit, or His written word.
The highest form of humility takes God at His word and relies on His integrity to uphold it despite the circumstances.
True humility, in its highest form, is not a mere virtue but a profound understanding and acceptance of our place in Christ and what He accomplished, and how that now applies by grace through faith to me.
False humility is that which says it gives glory to God but then announces all that it did to make God like them or move on their behalf. It is that voice that says thank God for His amazing grace but then sets out to merit His continued favor based on works performed with the idea that God is now indebted to do them good as a result.
If I think I can do something to add to the righteousness I have already been made in Christ, a righteousness which is God’s righteousness and a gift, such thinking is arrogance on a whole other level. It is akin to saying God’s righteousness is not quite enough and needs my help to become complete. How does someone add to perfection and it not be an insult to the one who made it perfection to start with?
Scripture is talking about this when it speaks of someone falling from grace. They fell from grace when they went back to a system of works for righteousness, acceptance, and favor.
Galatians 5:4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
In other words, you step out of the spotlight of His favor and into the darkness of resistance. The way to be resisted by God is through the avenue of arrogant works and performance thinking.
As soon as I say I am all that or that I can do…….. and I fail to remember that it is through Christ that I can do all things and that it is because of Christ that I am a child of God, I am moving in arrogance, and pride is the thing that God resists.
Pride in my own abilities, achievements, and the idea that I have what it takes to be good and to do good on the level God requires will always be a turn-off to God.
It is Christ in me that is my hope of glory! I am in Christ, and Christ is in me. In that truth spoken in the word of God and made real to me by means of a new life in Him, I make my boast!
I want to take God at His word as it applies to me under the New Covenant Jesus established with His own blood. The real trademark of humility is submitting to God’s word and His way, which is now established through Jesus in the New Covenant, turning loose of anything that contradicts the completed work of Christ, and praising Him for His perfect obedience, which is now applied to my life by grace through faith in Him.
Humility’s trademark is trust in the finished work of Christ and relying on His word of promise.
The Influence Of Humility
Want more influence?
The sacred text holds a profound truth, a truth that not only invites but compels us to explore the concept of humility, a concept of utmost importance.
James 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
We should note something about the two words, proud and humble, and it has to do with how God reacts to either one. God resists one but gives grace to the other.
In this passage, each word is attached to a person because, truthfully, every person on the planet moves in one or the other of these two attitudes of heart.
If I wish to experience the richness of God’s favor in my life, then I need to walk in a profound understanding of my great need for it and His willingness to give it to me on the merits of Christ.
If I adopt attitudes that assume God owes me something based on something I have done that He must now repay, I have discarded humility and stepped into a position of being proud.
God owes me nothing, and there is nothing that I can or will ever do that will put Him in a position to owe me anything. He has never been and will never be indebted to me.
That means any good I receive from Him is rooted in His goodness and grace toward me, and therefore, I am very grateful for it.
Some things move God’s heart. Humility is one. It is a very powerful one at that. Jesus humbled Himself. What did Jesus’ humility look like?
Jesus held a high position as One equal with God because He was God, but He was willing to lay that aside to become a man for a purpose that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit agreed to. Jesus even humbled Himself to the point of death as a common man so that He could accomplish the eternal purpose. In other words, an equal subjected Himself to the others as though they were His superiors so that the purpose could be accomplished and we could all be saved.
Jesus was not moved to compete for His place of honor among the Godhead. He was able to humble Himself and take on a lower position for the sake of others in agreement with the wisdom that determined how it should be accomplished. Humility can surrender and submit to God’s authority and God-given authority from a place of respect. In Hebrews, we discover that because of His humility, God exalted Jesus to the highest place of honor.
1 Peter 5:6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
Comparison for the sake of feeling equal to or superior to another is not rooted in humility. God gives grace to the humble. Grace is not measured in numbers, like how many boast in social media influence or the size of gatherings. Grace is measured in His favor on a life, and God will always respond to humility with grace. There are many examples of what humbling oneself looks like in the Scriptures. I want to walk in the wisdom of that attitude of heart and embrace the behavior consistent with it. I want the influence of humility to be evident in my life so that Jesus is the One magnified.
In The Boat
What gives you assurance?
Life is full of surprises. I have discovered that there’s not a day that is 100 percent predictable. Not only is it difficult, if not impossible, to predict the weather with 100 percent accuracy. It is just as challenging to know what will come at you in a day. Most likely, they start their day thinking they know how it will go, and then wham! Something unexpected comes up!
Picture this: the disciples, in the midst of Jesus’s earthly ministry, witnessing His profound influence and power with the masses and His fearless confrontation of the religious leaders. In those moments, they must have felt an exhilarating surge of joy and confidence, as if they were on top of the world. After all, they were with a consistent winner. We all admire winners, don’t we?
But then, after these high moments, Jesus tells them to get into a boat and go to the other side, and He joins them in the boat. Once they are way out on the water, a storm comes in, and the boat is filling with water, and Jesus is asleep in the stern of the boat on a pillow. All those wonderful feelings from earlier have vanished with this unexpected situation they are now in. So what do they do?
They do what most people do. They fought the situation as hard as they could, and when it looked dire to them, they complained and accused the very one they were celebrating and enjoying being with earlier. Let’s see it from the Scriptures.
Mark 4:35 On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” 36 Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling. 38 But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
I realize there are many views as to what is playing out in the minds of the disciples and Jesus in this story and why Jesus said what He did to them regarding their lack of faith. I wish to present you with mine today.
For many, the focus is on what Jesus said at the start, “Let us cross over to the other side.” They believe that Jesus’s words should have been sufficient. So, the emphasis is on what Jesus said at the start. For me, the focus is on Jesus Himself and what seems to be a lack of comprehension about Him on the part of the disciples at this point. They are addressing Him as Teacher. Eventually, they will refer to Him as Master. But for now, He is Teacher. My perspective, I believe, is supported by the way they all, after He had spoken and calmed the storm, said, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him.” They did not fully grasp who was in the boat with them. Their lack of faith was not a reprimand for not believing what He initially spoke, but rather, I believe it was a call to them to ponder more deeply about who it was that was with them.
In life’s situations, you can make faith about what you say and do about the situation, or you can go one step higher and make it about who it is that is with you in your boat. When we are unaware of who is with us, we can complain and accuse, just as the disciples did in that boat way back then. We can find ourselves blaming God, and then we can look to see what we failed to speak or believe specifically about the circumstance itself. But faith in what we speak or do specifically regarding the situation itself is a low level faith.
Faith in the goodness of the One who is in the boat with us is a much higher level of faith. I can have faith in healing as an act, or I can have faith in the Healer based on growing in my knowledge of Him and His goodness and character. It was not my faith in the act of salvation that made me born again. It was faith in Jesus. It was believing in Him that made me a new creation because I looked to Him, and He made me alive. It wasn’t faith in what He could do as much as it was faith in who He is! Who is in your boat?
All Scripture
What garners your trust?
Scripture holds an undeniable importance and plays a profound role in the life of every believer in Jesus.
Scripture itself makes this truth plain.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Being a people of the “word” matters.
At the same time, it is also important to recognize that there can be a person of the word who misses out on knowing “The Word” (Jesus) because they have only intellectually been invested.
Jesus had to point this out during His time of ministry to the religious leaders of His day.
John 5:39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
These leaders, in their zealous devotion to Scripture, overlooked the true essence of Jesus and the necessity to believe in Him as they truly needed to.
No one should ever be allowed to diminish the importance of Scripture, but neither should they diminish the importance of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. The reality of intimately relating to Jesus should never take a back seat to an intellectual pursuit of Scripture.
Sadly, today, many are astute in their study of Scripture but anemic in their knowledge of Jesus and the person of the Holy Spirit. They have placed their hope and trust in Scripture and see Jesus merely as a side note. They place greater emphasis on memorization of chapter and verse than they do on knowing Jesus intimately and being yielded to the Holy Spirit.
On the flip side, some claim they only wish to know Jesus, and they neglect to study to show themselves approved unto God. They claim revelation knowledge that contradicts the truth already revealed to us in the pages of Scripture.
Interestingly, Jesus was able to use common men somewhat familiar with the Scriptures to establish His kingdom and preach the good news of the New Covenant based on their intimate knowledge of Him.
1 John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—
It was this intimacy and embodiment of the truth that proved powerful and effective for the first disciples. I could memorize volumes of Scripture and quote it chapter by chapter, but if I do not know Christ intimately and have all my hope and trust in Him, I have yet to gain what I need most. All Scripture is profitable, especially when it points me to Jesus and His righteousness made available to me.
Rivers Of Living Waters
What flows out of you?
Whenever a river flows, there is life nearby. All sorts of living things are in and around rivers all over the world. Rivers have been an important part of life for human beings from the beginning of time.
Believers in Jesus, like rivers of life in the Spirit, bring vitality to this parched and barren world. The world’s offerings, which appear enticing, are dried up, withered, and lifeless. They are mere mirages in the desert, empty, hollow, and devoid of true life.
Jesus said something of great significance that every believer should take to heart.
John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Jesus eagerly anticipated the moment when the Holy Spirit would begin His ministry in full here on earth through believers in Jesus who would be baptized with His power and presence. Jesus likened it to a river of life flowing through this world.
Believers themselves do not give life. It requires the work of the Holy Spirit!
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
Jesus spoke by the Spirit. He was not merely quoting Scripture. He was speaking in a timely and pointed manner according to the Spirit’s leading. Jesus was submitted to the Holy Spirit throughout His ministry, and He did everything that He did and spoke everything He spoke by the direction and power of the Holy Spirit. He ministered according to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
The Holy Spirit also brings vitality to our flesh when we are submitted to Him in faith. But more than that, it is the Holy Spirit that makes us proper ministers.
2Corinthians 3:6 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.
To be a river in this world, we need to be surrendered to the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives so that He can bring revelation and life to others.
The Holy Spirit is always looking to magnify Jesus and make Him known. The Holy Spirit promotes the New Covenant as it is the Covenant Jesus established. It is the Covenant of life.
No one wants to swim in a polluted river filled with muck and nasty, dangerous chemicals. But that is what mixture is, spiritually speaking. It seeks to pollute the river of life by bringing in things that are not beneficial and even harmful to someone. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. I want to be a clean-flowing river of life to my generation that magnifies Jesus according to the flow and power of the Holy Spirit working in and through me. I do not wish to merely quote Scriptures but rather speak the appropriate truth at each moment that I am privileged to have the opportunity to do so.
What Kind Of Obedience?
Do you know what is expected of you?
Too often, when the word obedience is used, it triggers notions of keeping the law. But in the New Covenant, that is not what it is meant to do.
Instead, under the New Covenant, obedience is about aligning ourselves with the gospel. The New Covenant invites us to live in obedience to the gospel.
2Thessalonians 1:6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.
The obedience we are called to in the New Covenant is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!
We are to believe on the One the Father sent. This idea of believing is pervasive, too. It is not merely initially believe. It is continuing belief that brings us to a place of trust in Him. It is a relational belief that keeps us connected with Him in an active sense.
Believing the good news of Jesus Christ is our obedience. We maintain obedience by rejecting the notion that we must do something to assist His completed work on our behalf as if He failed in some way to do all that was required of Him.
Our confidence and rest in Him is a display of faith in His finished work on our behalf. Resting from our own works is the greater display of real faith. It is what the letter of Hebrews speaks of, and it is what Israel failed to do when He desired to bring them into the promised land. They would not believe He could give them vineyards they did not plant and homes they did not build. He wanted to give them something wonderful out of His goodness and abundance, and all they could see was hindrance and opposition in the natural, and thus, they believed their own eyes and measured themselves according to their own natural stature and ability. They could not possess in faith what He promised out of His goodness towards them. Therefore, they wandered in the wilderness.
Our greatest act of obedience is to believe Him. Believing Him produces the fruit of being empowered to accomplish His will for our lives according to the working of His mighty power, which works in us who believe. Being at rest in His finished work gives Him glory. Trusting in the good news and believing it so completely that it produces great confidence in our relationship with Him honors Him.
Knowing His love and receiving the bounty of His goodness revealed in Jesus Christ is a testimony of His glory on this earth. Trying harder on our own to merit His affection and favor is an insult to Him. He desires the obedience of a confident belief in the good news of the New Covenant that magnifies Jesus in every way possible.
Liar?
Would you trust a liar?
I recently had an interesting experience at the gym I go to. I was working out when I heard someone say all men are liars. It was a group I sometimes interact with, so I turned around and said, “Wait a minute, are you sure you want to say that?” One of the women said yes. They had been giving their male trainer a hard in jest. I jokingly asked, “Does that mean all women are emotional?” She said maybe. I then asked her in a less joking way, “Was Jesus a liar? She paused and said I don’t know if I want to go there. I then said, “Jesus was real, and He was a man; was He a liar?” She said of course not.
To that, I was able to ask, “Should we not believe everything He said then?”
The devil is a liar and the father of lies! He cannot be trusted, but when someone has put their trust in him, whether knowingly or not, the lies he tells become their truth, clouding their ability to hear and recognize the truth. Unless the Holy Spirit’s revelation from the gospel being declared breaks through their hearts, they remain in darkness.
Jesus used this reasoning when He was on earth contending with those who wrongfully accused Him and refused to believe in Him.
John 8:46 Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? 47 Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.”
This reasoning still stands today! It has been more than proven that Jesus was perfect and sinless!
That means He never lied! If He never lied and only spoke the truth, why should we struggle to take Him at His word?
The reason He did not lie is that God cannot lie, and He only spoke what He heard the Father speaking.
Psalm 89:35 I have sworn an oath to David, and in my holiness I cannot lie:
This should bring great joy to our hearts and begin to blow the clouds of doubt from our souls so that the faith we have received from Him can operate freely. Look at what Paul testified to!
Titus 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;
God cannot lie. Jesus is God, and He cannot lie. The Holy Spirit is God, and He cannot lie! We have a triple guarantee when it comes to the things God has spoken to us from His word and what He speaks to us here and now in revelation from the Spirit. Liar? I think not! The devil is for sure, this world is for sure, but our Father cannot lie and will fulfill all that He has promised to us!
If Jesus cannot lie and thus is not a liar, why not believe all that He said? Why not dig into His word even more to discover the many promises made by the One who cannot lie and who swears by His holiness to fulfill His word? I am grateful that I can rely on all that He has promised!
Jesus Is Coming Soon
Are you ready?
It would almost seem as though these words have become a cliche in the church in these last days. But no truer words have been spoken.
These are very important and truthful words that should be given serious attention. Jesus said,
Matthew 24:27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.
Matthew 24:36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.
Matthew 24:44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Mark 13:35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—
Luke 21:36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
When someone is convinced something is wrong in their bodies based on symptoms (Signs), they see a doctor. If the doctor diagnoses something and prescribes a course of action to remedy it, they submit to the counsel and take action on it because they believe the doctor. Belief is a powerful force!
The question I have to ask myself from time to time is, do I believe Jesus is coming soon? Then, I allow that belief to impact my compassion towards others, and I ask the Holy Spirit to embolden me to present the gospel to those I come in contact with, especially those I love most and care about.
I will declare Jesus to them and invite them to join me in the gathering of the saints so they, too, can grow in their faith in Jesus.
From time to time, I have to ask myself, do I care more about being liked, accepted, and popular than I do about loving others enough to stand firm in my beliefs and declare to them what they need to hear most concerning Jesus and His love for them?
Will I allow such a belief as His coming soon to make me more persistent in my efforts to declare the gospel in order to give the opportunity to others to believe as I do in His soon return and His promise of eternal life?
I must be vulnerable enough and trust in His love enough to ask myself if it is possible to truly believe such truth and not be moved to share with others the good news of Jesus Christ with any real persistence. I am not obligated to share and be a witness as though it is required of me in order to merit His love and affection. However, my belief will push me based on the fruit of compassion and its drive to not allow someone I care for to go to judgment unprepared. I am not ashamed of the gospel!
In that sense, my silence would be a shout of unbelief on my part. I must proclaim Him to others, for I am compelled to do so based on what I have come to believe. Jesus is coming soon!
Why Wait?
Are you a procrastinator?
There’s a saying that goes, “Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.”
Procrastination, the act of delaying or postponing something, is not a good trait. It generally results in missed opportunities.
Too often, people have procrastinated when it came to confessing Jesus Christ as Lord, and they have departed this earth, leaving their loved ones in a lurch regarding their outcome as a result.
Not only did they miss out on the blessing of knowing Jesus Christ in this life and living for His glory, but they also left the ones they claimed to love in a position of concern. There’s a comfort in knowing that someone you care about knew Jesus and confessed Him as Lord in this life.
God the Father desires that every knee should bow and every tongue confess Jesus as Lord. At the judgment, there will be no other option but to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, but then it will be too late for many.
This action can only be of great benefit if it occurs in this life. Only by surrendering to the truth of who Christ is and what He has done and desiring to belong to Him and to know Him can the confession of Jesus as Lord benefit someone.
Those who confess this at the judgment will do so to the glory of God, but it will not rescue them at that moment from what will await them.
The only time a person has to benefit from such a confession is while they are alive on this earth. Unless a person does so here and now on this earth, they cannot become a new creation in Christ, and only new creations in Christ have any hope of heaven and eternal life with Jesus.
Salvation must happen in this life! It is not something to procrastinate over. That is why it says in Hebrews,
Hebrews 3:12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
In Scripture, there is an air of urgency when it comes to someone coming to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It is not a passive attitude of maybe someday. It is gross arrogance for anyone to think they know how many days they will have and think they have all the time in the world to get around to such an important decision. Jesus has come, and He offers eternal life to as many as would believe and surrender to His offer of it.
Romans 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
The end is near, His return is very soon, and there’s no time to waste. The opportunity is now, so if you know someone who has not been born again, be the best friend they’ve ever known. Tell them about Jesus and give them an opportunity to pray and confess Him as Lord of their lives. Why wait?
Finishing What Was Started
The ability to finish is admirable.
The summer Olympics are fast approaching, a time when athletes from all over the world unite to compete, not just for the thrill of the game, but to leave a lasting mark by finishing well. The broadcasters won’t be discussing who started with a bang but who had the grit and determination to finish strong, inspiring us all.
Someone may be first off the starting line, but if they do not finish, it doesn’t count.
We’ve all encountered individuals who start numerous projects but fail to see them through to the end. This tendency to leave things unfinished often results in a trail of unresolved tasks and unfulfilled potential.
Imagine a builder who markets homes and then goes out and only builds the floor and the frames of the houses but does not complete the roof, the walls, or any of the rest of the house. They start well, get halfway done, and then move on to another house. That is a builder who will not be in business for very long.
Completion is a big deal; it’s just something we do not often give much thought to. I’m glad Jesus is not that way.
The apostle Paul wrote a letter to the believers at Philippi while he was in chains for the gospel. In that letter, he wrote something I think is very important. He wrote about the confidence he possessed concerning the believers and why he possessed such confidence.
Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Paul’s confidence was not in the believers themselves. His confidence was in the One who began a work in them. Paul knew the builder! Paul’s confidence was in the character and faithfulness of the builder!
This is great news! My completion is not hinging on my abilities and willpower; it hinges on His determination and power. He has committed Himself to bringing me across the finish line! The same is true for you!
We have not come to a Savior who merely starts well but cannot finish what He started. Jesus will bring to completion every single one He has made a New Creation. It is Christ who will get us across the finish line. We run our best race when we trust in His goodness to give us a good start, sustain us in the middle of the journey, and then boost our strength with His own to bring us across the finish line.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith! He is not just that starter of our faith. He is the finisher of it! Finishing what he started is His trademark! That should give us great confidence whenever we are at that part of the race that feels impossible. Look to Him! He will bring you all the way!
Spoken Well Of
Want to be appreciated?
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where someone showered you with compliments in your presence, only to hear them speak negatively about you once you were out of earshot?
Such behavior is often referred to as being two-faced. I do not know of anyone who hopes to be badly spoken of. I’m not very familiar with many people who make it their life goal to have a bad reputation and enjoy being spoken badly about.
It’s been my experience that most people I know like being liked and spoken well of. They especially enjoy it when someone they respect speaks well of them. No one that I know of would enjoy someone pretending to like them but then going away and speaking badly about them to others.
I know I would not want that. I can’t say I have never spoken badly of by someone out there. I have experienced someone making it their aim to make sure others thought of me according to their dislike of me due to an offense or disagreement. It’s never my goal to have such experiences, but Jesus said such would happen.
I’m delighted to know that my Father in Heaven does not engage in such behavior. In fact, this truth about God led Paul to praise Him.
Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
When we say ‘blessed ‘, we are essentially saying ‘well spoken of ‘. In this case, it’s about speaking well of God. Paul emphasizes that God is deserving of such praise. But why is this so?
Because God has spoken well of us and done good things to us and for us, there is something heavenly about us now that leads God to see us and think of us from a different perspective than when we were without Christ.
God speaks according to heavenly things concerning us now that we are in Christ. He speaks well of us and says good things about us. Where is this speaking taking place? In heaven itself. In the high courts of heaven where, God is seated on the throne. God is not two-faced with us. He is consistent, and He is able to do so based on what Jesus has done.
God does not say good things about us to win our affection and devotion. He speaks good things about us because of the work His Son accomplished within us. He speaks them because they are true because of Jesus. The proof of this is explained as we read further in the text.
Ephesians1:4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, 5 having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
God is not changing His mind or His speech concerning you and me because it is based on the finished work of Jesus on our behalf. He does not say something nice to us and then complain to the angels about us. God, as our Father, is consistent in speaking good things over our lives. You are well-spoken of today by the highest and greatest authority that has ever been known and will ever be known. I hope that encourages you and sparks a desire in you to give Him praise.
Let Go Of Control
Need control?
I remember the first time I drove a rental car with lane assist, but I didn’t know that it had it or how it worked. I was driving along and drifting towards the other lane, and the steering wheel just began bringing the car back on its own. I felt it, and it was strange to me. I thought something was wrong and tried to fight it at first. It was an insecure feeling for me to sense I was losing control.
It took me some time to get used to it. I suppose the same is true for most people when it comes to the sense of losing control. It can feel very insecure to sense that you have no control over something. Handing over control of something may be one of the most difficult challenges for many. I know it has many times greatly challenged me to let go os something and let someone else have control of it.
There’s something very vulnerable about letting go of control. To let go of control requires trust. Now I will admit that I have not reached the level of trust that would allow me to let a car drive me without a human driver. There are such cars out there now. They can take a person where they need to go with no human driver involved. Technology has come that far but I am not that ready to trust it. Just being honest here.
The real spiritual challenge involves letting go of control, as in thinking I can obtain or even maintain my own righteousness by observing the Law. Leaders also face this challenge when preaching a New Covenant Gospel because it means freedom at a much higher level than ever before, and it involves letting go of using the Law to try to control the saints.
Being in control is not all that it is made out to be. It can be exhausting to attempt to control everything and other people.
Attempting to control oneself can be exhausting. We need to embrace the revelation of Christ in us the hope of glory!
There are all kinds of control tactics used on people and even ourselves. Mixing law and grace is a spiritual form of control. But true freedom will always only be ours in Christ. True security, confidence, and peace can only be ours through Jesus Christ.
To experience it at higher levels, one must relinquish control and fully trust in Christ. One must believe what the Scripture says, “God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness in Christ.”
In Christ is everything that we could ever need. He is the supply, and that is the good news of the gospel. Jesus didn’t just kick off our salvation and leave the rest to us. He completes it too! In Him, we are complete. But such a wonderful truth alludes to experience until we relinquish control of our own life and over others.
I am not called to be the Holy Spirit for myself or for anyone else. I am called to be yielded to the Spirit and to walk according to the Spirit. I have been given life abundantly in Jesus and now have ears to hear Him so I might know Him and find rest for my soul. This promise is for all who belong to Jesus. Let go of control, learn of Him, and you’ll find rest for your soul.
Refusing To Submit
Do you understand surrender?
When I worked as a supervisor with a company many years ago, we had specific ways of performing certain functions that differed from the ways similar companies performed them. Sometimes, we would hire someone who had worked for such a competitor company, and it meant they needed to learn our way of doing things. If the person we hired insisted on doing things the way they had done them before, even though they might be working hard at doing something, it meant they were refusing to submit to our way. Such practices were not welcomed.
Submission, a concept often misunderstood, is a fundamental aspect of our faith as believers in Jesus. Yet, its true nature is often clouded by misconceptions. Some may think it’s about the works we perform to please God, but the Bible paints a different picture. It speaks of a people who, in their zeal for God, have not fully grasped the essence of submission.
Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
New things and new ways can be challenging to embrace, especially when they eliminate our ability to merit something. God does not owe anyone anything. There’s no such thing as God being beholding to a person based on what they did for God. No matter how zealous a person may be in their efforts to impress God, He will never owe anyone anything.
Every good thing we receive from God is given to us as a gift. The only time God is pleased is when we receive by faith His generosity towards us, not having earned it, and thus, it is rooted in a demonstration of His grace and mercy towards us.
God aims to demonstrate His great love and mercy here on this earth by blessing us even though we’ve done nothing good enough to earn such a blessing. By loving and showing mercy to undeserving ones who simply believe the truth of His desire to do so in His Son Jesus Christ, the world is shown clear evidence of His goodness and greatness. It also reflects His holiness in that it demonstrates He is so different and set apart that no one could measure up to the standard of Him, and thus He must, by means of His goodness and mercy, do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
To insist on trying to merit anything from God based on what we do is to refuse to submit to the righteousness He offers. It is a rejection of the free offer of His righteousness as a gift. There will never be a righteousness that can compare to His, no matter how zealously and devotedly one may try to work to achieve it. The wisest and best thing anyone can do to please Him is simply to submit to the righteousness He offers and receive it by faith in Jesus. Receiving by faith is submitting to Him and His righteousness, and it pleases Him when we do that. True humility receives freely with thanksgiving.
New Discoveries
What’s new?
I still remember a field trip I was part of as a young boy in the fifth grade in South Florida. My class went to the coastline and waded through a tidal pool area with diverse species of sea life in it. It was like a nursery of sorts. I remember being amazed and feeling like I was discovering another world. I was fascinated, and it was my favorite field trip ever.
Discoveries have that kind of power. They can make you feel alive by opening your eyes to the wonders around you.
The kingdom of God is like that, but even better! When living in step with the Holy Spirit, every day can be a new adventure with new discoveries. Not only does He reveal things concerning Jesus in fresh new ways, but He also leads us into doing things in fresh new ways.
The Christian life is anything but boring for those who live according to the Spirit rather than falling into the snare of business as usual. Business as usual functions as though all there is to know and discover has been done, and, as a result, all that is left is going through the motions.
Whenever I allow the Holy Spirit to be in charge of me and my day, new and exciting things open up, and I get fresh revelations on something I have read or considered many times before. New opportunities present themselves—opportunities to bless others and make a difference in someone else’s life.
It is exciting to be used by the Holy Spirit to encourage others in their journey in Christ! It feels more alive than when I make discoveries as I did in the fifth grade or as an adult on trips taken and things explored. For me, nothing is more exciting or fun than being available to the Holy Spirit to be a difference-maker for the kingdom of God.
People get burned out on dead religion because it is stuck in a “business as usual rut.” They are attracted to authentic Christianity that is full of joy, on adventures with and encountering the surprises the Holy Spirit has in store.
The Holy Spirit has discoveries awaiting you and me today. All we need to do is ask Him to reveal where He is at work and join Him in what He is doing. Be available and surrendered.
As a boy, my dad worked at the water plant, and whenever he would allow me to join him at his work, it felt so special to me. It was an adventure to join him at his work, and for him to allow me to do something he would usually do made me feel significant. His allowing me to partner with him in his purpose felt important and special to me.
We are invited into the partnering process with the Holy Spirit daily. It is not a just-on-Sunday occurrence for believers in Jesus. If the only time we are qualified to engage in spiritual life is on Sunday at church, all we have is religion. When we are alive spiritually, we cannot help but be who we are daily. That opens doors to adventures in the Spirit.
So, I encourage you today to ask the Holy Spirit what He is up to and to show you where and how you can join Him in what He is doing. You will not regret it!
Qualified
What qualifies you?
It’s a prevalent trend in today’s ministry to focus on self-declared qualifications. However, it’s disheartening to see that many of these ‘qualifications’ are far removed from the divine standards that God uses to qualify a person.
In Scripture, Paul, as an Apostle of Jesus, speaks about what qualifies him and those working with him to be ministers.
(NLT) 2Corinthians 3:4 We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. 5 It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. 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.
(NKJV) 2Corinthians 3:4 And we have such trust through Christ toward God. 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.
God is about New Covenant ministry. It is what He validates as authentic and from Him by exhibiting His glory to us in it. But what is New Covenant Ministry, and what is its glory?
The Glory of the New Covenant
(NLT) 2Corinthians 3:7 The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. 8 Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now that the Holy Spirit is giving life? 9 If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 10 In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. 11 So if the old way, which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever! 12 Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.
There’s a difference between being bold because one went to school and feels they know more than someone else as a result and being bold because one knows the Father very intimately because one believes in Jesus and has confidence that He did everything to secure their relationship with the Father.
The law produces an insecure boldness that is conditional and requires one to feel they have maintained a standard they believe makes them right with God. The New Covenant produces a boldness that cannot be shaken because its confidence flows from what Christ did. Why would anyone feel more qualified in ministering death to people by ministering the law, as opposed to ministering the life that is found in the New Covenant Gospel? The greater glory is the New Covenant glory!
In 1883, Karl Benz built the first automobile, and it could reach a top speed of 10mph. It looked like an oversized tricycle with a bench seat and single handlebar. It cannot even get close to a modern automobile today in terms of speed, practicality, looks, convenience, and safety. The only thing that would give that first automobile value is a sense of nostalgia. But everyone knows all it is good for now is to be looked at in a museum, not to be used and driven on the road as though it were viable means of transportation. Such is the Old Covenant Law in comparison with the New Covenant life in the Spirit.
If you desire to be qualified in the eyes of God as a minister, you should seek to minister the New Covenant.