Soundbites from 2 Corinthians: The New Covenant

'He has made us competent as ministers 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

Paul rejoices in this letter that God has not only saved us and restored our relationship with Himself, but He has also entrusted us with a ministry for Him. When we come to trust in God and our sins are forgiven in Christ, we are reconciled to God as our Father. As Christians, we are then given a ministry of reconciliation- to lead others to know God as their Father too. This is the 'new covenant'- Jesus Christ died, and His blood enables us to be at peace with God.

In the old covenant, as given to Israel through the Law of Moses, the people sacrificed animals and used the blood of bulls and goats to make atonement for their sins. This was a temporary system that ultimately pointed forward to the way God would send Christ to die, the Lamb of God, taking on the sins of the world.

The Law of Moses is represented in this verse by 'the letter'. Perhaps you've heard the phrase 'the letter of the law'. It's a phrase that's usually associated with strong enforcement of rules or regulations. Paul was a Jew obsessed with trying to keep the Law of Moses, before He met Christ on the road to Damascus. He, better than anyone, knew that the letter 'killed', because it condemned mankind. No one could stand up before God and honestly claim to have kept the law to the letter.

But in the new covenant, Christ's obedience provides a better way for us. Our disobedience can be nailed to the cross, and we can receive the Holy Spirit and true 'life'. Instead of living tied to rules and regulations, we are freed by the power of the Spirit to live to please God. It doesn't mean that we do whatever we like; it means we are able to choose the path of holiness instead of by default the path of sin.

We can offer people the chance to be freed from the power of sin and its punishment, through Christ. God has made us competent to share the message of His grace. So whenever we feel incompetent, or like our words never come out right, we can be encouraged by this verse that God has enabled us to do this for Him. We have an amazing message to share through the new covenant, so we should rejoice in boldly proclaiming it to our friends and family.