2 Corinthians 3:6 The Spirit Gives Life By God’s Grace

The Law Kills Before God’s Grace

2 Corinthians 3:6-11
6… the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 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, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

The law (referred to as letter) given on Sinai brought condemnation and death as no one could obey it perfectly and be saved. Jesus has come and perfectly obeyed the Law as mediator for His people, and by grace He brings life through our faith in Him to those who accept Him as their savior.

When God gave the Law through the 10 Commandments at Mount Sinai 3,000 people died. (Exodus 32:28) The giving of the Law is celebrated by the feast of Pentecost. In the book of Acts, it says when the feast of Pentecost was being celebrated, God had given the Holy Spirit in the upper room where the apostles had been waiting. When they came down from the upper room, Peter preached and 3,000 were saved by God’s grace. (Acts 2:41) This is how the ministry of the Spirit is more glorious since the law brought death to 3,000 and the Spirit brought life to 3,000. The law passes away and the Spirit remains and far exceeds in glory by God’s grace. We know that life is much more glorious than death.

God’s Grace Sets Us Free

The letter (the law) killed because no one was able to keep it. It made us guilty, while the New Covenant sets us free from the condemnation of the law. The law was fulfilled in the only person who could have fulfilled it, the God/man Jesus Christ. Now we have the spirit of God inside us because of this new covenant that is superior to the old covenant. God guides us by His Spirit, helping us be doers of the Word as we learn to walk in His love without condemnation of mistakes we might make. (Romans 2:14, Hebrews 8:10, Romans 8:1)

The Bible tells us the law written in stones has been done away in Christ. (2 Corinthians 3:7 KJV) Now, under a New Covenant God has 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. (2 Corinthians 3:6 NAS) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord… For the law of the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ hath made me free from the law of sin and death.’ (Romans 8:2) Since God has made us adequate under this new covenant, it is nothing we do ourselves in keeping any laws. It is a free gift from God and nothing we can boast about in our own sufficiency.

Freedom in God’s Grace Alone

The law’s sentence of condemnation was borne for us by Christ and now we are set free! There is only freedom in the free gift of the grace of God by faith in Jesus. (Ephesians 2:8-9) When you come under the law by trying to keep God’s commandments in order to be blessed, it will lead to death. There will be deadness in everything you attempt to do and your life will be in turmoil trying to keep laws that no one could keep but Jesus. When you depend on God’s Grace, it will lead to life. You will see breakthroughs and miracles (Galatians 3:5), and the fruit of the Spirit will manifest thru you.

The law was given on Mount Sinai, but by God’s Grace the Spirit on Mount Zion. That is why the Bible says that “you have not come to the mountain [Sinai] that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest… But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels”. (Hebrews 12:18, Hebrews 12:22)

Beloved let God’s Grace continue to lead you into a deeper love walk with Him, for He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. (Ephesians 3:20)

Tags: , ,
Previous Post

Ephesians 1:6 Accepted In The Beloved by God

Next Post

Ephesians 3:19 Love Of Christ is Fullness of God

Leave a Reply