2 Corinthians 3:4-11
4 Such confidence we have through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 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.
7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!
Reflection
With names like Red Bull, AMP, Full Throttle and more, these drinks promise to boost our energy and give us strength to accomplish more than without. But, like everything else in this world, they wear out. Like the name “5-Hour Energy” says, it lasts only for five hours! The reality is that we get tired and every available solution is only temporary. That was how it was with the old covenant. While it had its own glory, the old covenant was only a temporary fix that revealed sin but not the power to overcome it. Its glory was outshined by the new covenant of the Spirit that brought life. And it is from this Spirit that we receive the competence to minister, love and forgive others. While all of our self-competence or self-reliance will fail and end, our competence from the Spirit will never fail.
Response
Our competence as ministers of the new covenant of the Spirit comes from God. Let’s pray and ask God to fill us with His Spirit and to give us a greater competence to minister to those we are reaching out to. Let’s pray that we will minister more in the Spirit’s power on the campuses, in our missional groups and churches.
