"For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory."1
An integral part of the Mosaic covenant was the temporary sacrifice of animals for the atonement of sin, the new is a eternal or permanent covenant in His blood, a once and for all atonement of sin. To go back to the old would be to go back to a works justification, denying the sacrifice of Christ thus it would be as Paul writes of the Galatians, a bewitching, a severing from Christ, neglecting the blood He shed, and such would be to fall from grace. Let us establish the new covenant and build upon this idea of it being a ministry of righteousness.
"Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?"7
The old covenant Paul writes was a "ministry of death, carved in letters on stone." Though the Law was spiritual, the flesh was weak, thus it did not perfect man, and sin abounded under the Law. That sin abounded under the Law is best seen in the Pharisee, whose name means "teachers of the law." Jesus coins the term hypocrite for these people, because they wore a mask, pretending to be of God, cleansing the outside while hating their brother, committing adultery... unclean inside, while they would not eat an unclean animal, nor hang out with "sinners" they had defiled hearts. Jesus said many were of their father, who was a liar from the beginning, and as Paul writes though they knew God they glorified him not, having exchanged the truth for a lie. The Word of God came among his own and many did not receive him, the truth. Therefore did not sin abound under the Law?
"For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ."17
The old was a ministry of condemnation, it brought death, but Christ made us alive, "He forgave us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross."18 The new covenant is called a ministry of righteousness, where righteousness is received by faith, it is according to grace so that its glory comes to those who were under the Law and those not. And it is by grace as righteousness is a free gift, and those who receive it will reign or rule over the flesh under grace, "And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification." Righteousness is a gift received "by grace through faith," not by works of the Law, not a works justification, but a justification by His blood.
"so
that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through
righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."21
We establish how to reign, rule over, have dominion over; "those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life" and "grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life" and "indeed sin you will not rule over under the law but under grace." Reign will be by grace through a righteousness received by faith. But how does this reign occur? We look to the teaching of baptism, "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God,"
"the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."22
I have received the gift of righteousness, I have testimony of Spirit and blood, therefore I am justified and there is no condemnation. But what I subject myself to, that I become a slave to. The child of God has a new nature, partakers of His divine nature, but the child still has a carnal mind, hostile towards God and can't subject itself to God's laws, "I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still worldly."23 Some in the Church have manipulated their children, which is nothing more than a form of deceptive control usually characteristic of cults. Manipulation tries to control behavior through fear, shame, guilt, and condemnation. The problem is that such can be used for personal gain, and more importantly instead of producing the fruit of righteousness, trust and rest, it gives spirits of the devil strongholds.
"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."4
The new is a ministry of Spirit and righteousness. If I have been united in the likeness of His death, then I have died to sin and live to righteousness, or I am no longer a slave to sin, but a slave to righteousness. The question is asked of the carnal child, is he a slave to righteousness or to sin? His true nature is righteousness but we see the battle Paul speaks of, evil dwells in the flesh and wars against the Spirit, this battle is in the mind. If death has no dominion over me then I have Life, but how can I have Life when sin controls me? does the wage of sin produce death in the child of God? Inside the child is righteousness and he delights inwardly in the laws of God, but he finds not how to carry it out. There is another principle at work, the law of sin and death, therefore how can I have life if I have not died to sin? I can't, thus the wretched state of the carnal minded believer.
"For in my inner being I delight in God’s Law. but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members."6
The question is asked how does one get from the child to the young person who has overcome? So to the Ministry of Spirit and righteousness. The gift of righteousness produces fruit, and the fruit you get leads to sanctification, and its end is Life. Jesus prayed "sanctify them in truth, your word is truth." The important foundation we have established, rooted and grounded in love, "faith working by love" and thus "grace reigns through righteousness." We see righteousness leads to sanctification, which is holiness, godliness which we are to pursue, it is through transformation by the renewing of the mind.
"The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."12
This word for consider "I reckon, count, charge with; reason, decide, conclude; think, suppose." From its root we get the English terms "logic, logical" – properly, compute, "take into account"; reckon (come to a "bottom-line"), i.e. reason to a logical conclusion (decision). This reckoning, what decision is it? do we often call it surrender? it is an important step in this process of sanctification as the seed must die to bear fruit. "We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin."14 Did you know Jesus asked Peter to "follow Him" twice? if I have decided to follow Jesus, I must take up my cross, I must participate in the likeness of His death, and by such we see a great promise, if I participate in His death, I will also in His Life.
"Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. "10
I hope you have experienced the three that testify, one I believe points to the process of sanctification. "For there are three that testify, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree." We receive a Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father! His Love is poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and the child is being perfected in His love, being rooted and grounded. Because He first loved us we love Him. When we put our trust in him, we find that He is trustworthy, thus the fruit you get leads you on, and we enter into His rest. In trust and rest, he molds us into a vessel of honorable use, for His good works. It is reasonable to enter into this service, to present our bodies a living sacrifice, to be clay molded by the potter's hand, to be transformed into His workmanship.
"For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"15
The seed of righteousness will produce fruit that leads unto sanctification and its end Life. That the child of God can't continue in sin is truth, however, it is also truth, the child of God has a carnal mind that must be renewed. In truth he is no longer a slave to sin, but is becoming his true nature, a slave to righteousness. So the question becomes how? "For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory."1 We are a new creation in Christ Jesus, being transformed into the image of Christ, from glory to glory. Oh, the ministry of righteousness and of the Spirit far exceeds that of the ministry of condemnation.
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."18
Even If
"Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?"7
The old covenant Paul writes was a "ministry of death, carved in letters on stone." Though the Law was spiritual, the flesh was weak, thus it did not perfect man, and sin abounded under the Law. That sin abounded under the Law is best seen in the Pharisee, whose name means "teachers of the law." Jesus coins the term hypocrite for these people, because they wore a mask, pretending to be of God, cleansing the outside while hating their brother, committing adultery... unclean inside, while they would not eat an unclean animal, nor hang out with "sinners" they had defiled hearts. Jesus said many were of their father, who was a liar from the beginning, and as Paul writes though they knew God they glorified him not, having exchanged the truth for a lie. The Word of God came among his own and many did not receive him, the truth. Therefore did not sin abound under the Law?
"For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ."17
The old was a ministry of condemnation, it brought death, but Christ made us alive, "He forgave us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross."18 The new covenant is called a ministry of righteousness, where righteousness is received by faith, it is according to grace so that its glory comes to those who were under the Law and those not. And it is by grace as righteousness is a free gift, and those who receive it will reign or rule over the flesh under grace, "And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification." Righteousness is a gift received "by grace through faith," not by works of the Law, not a works justification, but a justification by His blood.
We establish how to reign, rule over, have dominion over; "those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life" and "grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life" and "indeed sin you will not rule over under the law but under grace." Reign will be by grace through a righteousness received by faith. But how does this reign occur? We look to the teaching of baptism, "For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God,"
"the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."22
I have received the gift of righteousness, I have testimony of Spirit and blood, therefore I am justified and there is no condemnation. But what I subject myself to, that I become a slave to. The child of God has a new nature, partakers of His divine nature, but the child still has a carnal mind, hostile towards God and can't subject itself to God's laws, "I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still worldly."23 Some in the Church have manipulated their children, which is nothing more than a form of deceptive control usually characteristic of cults. Manipulation tries to control behavior through fear, shame, guilt, and condemnation. The problem is that such can be used for personal gain, and more importantly instead of producing the fruit of righteousness, trust and rest, it gives spirits of the devil strongholds.
"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."4
The new is a ministry of Spirit and righteousness. If I have been united in the likeness of His death, then I have died to sin and live to righteousness, or I am no longer a slave to sin, but a slave to righteousness. The question is asked of the carnal child, is he a slave to righteousness or to sin? His true nature is righteousness but we see the battle Paul speaks of, evil dwells in the flesh and wars against the Spirit, this battle is in the mind. If death has no dominion over me then I have Life, but how can I have Life when sin controls me? does the wage of sin produce death in the child of God? Inside the child is righteousness and he delights inwardly in the laws of God, but he finds not how to carry it out. There is another principle at work, the law of sin and death, therefore how can I have life if I have not died to sin? I can't, thus the wretched state of the carnal minded believer.
"For in my inner being I delight in God’s Law. but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members."6
The question is asked how does one get from the child to the young person who has overcome? So to the Ministry of Spirit and righteousness. The gift of righteousness produces fruit, and the fruit you get leads to sanctification, and its end is Life. Jesus prayed "sanctify them in truth, your word is truth." The important foundation we have established, rooted and grounded in love, "faith working by love" and thus "grace reigns through righteousness." We see righteousness leads to sanctification, which is holiness, godliness which we are to pursue, it is through transformation by the renewing of the mind.
"The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."12
This word for consider "I reckon, count, charge with; reason, decide, conclude; think, suppose." From its root we get the English terms "logic, logical" – properly, compute, "take into account"; reckon (come to a "bottom-line"), i.e. reason to a logical conclusion (decision). This reckoning, what decision is it? do we often call it surrender? it is an important step in this process of sanctification as the seed must die to bear fruit. "We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin."14 Did you know Jesus asked Peter to "follow Him" twice? if I have decided to follow Jesus, I must take up my cross, I must participate in the likeness of His death, and by such we see a great promise, if I participate in His death, I will also in His Life.
"Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. "10
I hope you have experienced the three that testify, one I believe points to the process of sanctification. "For there are three that testify, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree." We receive a Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father! His Love is poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and the child is being perfected in His love, being rooted and grounded. Because He first loved us we love Him. When we put our trust in him, we find that He is trustworthy, thus the fruit you get leads you on, and we enter into His rest. In trust and rest, he molds us into a vessel of honorable use, for His good works. It is reasonable to enter into this service, to present our bodies a living sacrifice, to be clay molded by the potter's hand, to be transformed into His workmanship.
"For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?"15
The seed of righteousness will produce fruit that leads unto sanctification and its end Life. That the child of God can't continue in sin is truth, however, it is also truth, the child of God has a carnal mind that must be renewed. In truth he is no longer a slave to sin, but is becoming his true nature, a slave to righteousness. So the question becomes how? "For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory."1 We are a new creation in Christ Jesus, being transformed into the image of Christ, from glory to glory. Oh, the ministry of righteousness and of the Spirit far exceeds that of the ministry of condemnation.
"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."18
Even If