1 Corinthians 3:6, 16-17 (New International Version)

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. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplatethe Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Ephesians 1:15-23 (New International Version)

15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

Reflection:

For all of our lives we have been told to do things in the world’s way and under the world’s rules. Yet, when we encountered Christ and received His Spirit in our hearts something incredible happened. All those old ways of living and responding to life’s circumstances are now no longer valid, because Jesus has given us a new hope and a new way to live. It is by God’s power, the same power that raised Christ from the dead, that we can see real victory in our lives. It is not by our own strength or cunning, but the power of God through His Son Jesus Christ, that we live. This is the new way, and the new hope by which we are called to live.

Response:

Let’s pray that as we live in this new way that we would also be messengers of what Christ has done for us to those we are trying to reach out to on our campuses, in our work places, and in our communities. Let’s pray that God’s power would be made real in each of their lives, so that they too would receive this same hope that we now have in Christ.