I think it’s interesting that a new friend and I were talking about the old religion they were raised in (not one that I had heard of – was interesting conversation and I thought how awful – and she realized later how awful of the harshness and the hybrid rules that seemed to have been made up by man) and our conversation grew to how NOT to be stuck in living in forced “legalistic” routines and rules. 

If anything – we in the church should not get so caught up in legalism but be caught up in the Spirit that allows us to share – to teach – to help others and ourselves grow…

Then the verse of the day, today, surely NOT “coincidentally”, that I received from Bible Gateway by email, was a short sentence from Paul about God: “who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”– and Paul certainly talks about the pull away from legalism. 

In this 2nd letter to the Corinthinans – Paul was not commending himself or his fellow teachers – but saying that the Holy Spirit has inspired them and filled them to be the teachers to tell others of the LIFE that the Spirit gives:  “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

THE SPIRIT GIVES LIFE! That is Paul’s Letter to a T – that we can have life in Harmony with the Spirit.

Truly, we are made alive by God – we can be refilled by the Spirit and hold close as well as share Jesus from our hearts – we share and are not perfect but “perfecting” as God renews in us His life for us – to believe in Him and to live life in an abundant way – not materially but in a spiritual “OK-ness” that we can life knowing we have a glorious future with Jesus in Heaven – with God our Father – and a peace that the world will not bring but will be fulfilled with the fulfilment of Jesus forever.

The letters that Paul wrote were preserved – for the sake of teaching 2000 years plus – and this section of scripture of being filled with the spirit is bracketed by writing of living victorious in Jesus – not gloating or peddling the Word of God – but being assured and assuring of the comfort of the Lord. 

So – here is our study and our life – to live like Paul urged – free of death – and to

triumph in Christ – let us listen to this letter to motivate us to not judge or perish by the law but to live in the Spirit – to be the aroma of salvation – to live freely IN CHRIST –  “Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

THANK GOD 

THANK GOD 

AMEN

…

(starting in chapter 2 of 2nd Cor. NKJV)
Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia.

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.

2 Corinthians 3
Christ’s Epistle
Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

The Spirit, Not the Letter
And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Glory of the New Covenant
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, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.

Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech— unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.