THE NATURE OF SPIRITUAL LIFE -- Tomorrow:
"But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Cor 3:15-18, KJV)
Devotion 15 of 33
". . . and where the Spirit of the Lord is . . . "
Other versions read, "and where He is" (LIVING), "wherever the Spirit of the Lord is" (IE), "where the Lord's Spirit is" (ISV), and "where the Spirit of the Lord Abides" (MONTGOMERY).
You should observe the strength of the statements that are being made in this chapter. There is absolutely no uncertainty or qualification in them. They provide an excellent example of the strength of the Word, which is described as being "quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb 4:12).
1. You ARE declared to be the "epistles of Christ" (verse 3a).
2. The writing has been accomplished "by the Spirit of the living God" (verse 3b).
3. The heart is the substance upon which the writing is done (verse 3c).
4. The letter kills (verse 6a).
5. The Spirit gives life (verse 6b).
6. The ministration of the Spirit is rather glorious (verse 8).
7. The ministration of righteousness exceeds in glory (verse 9).
8. The Old Covenant and its glory has been "done away" (verse 11).
9. The obscuring veil is done away in Christ (verse 14).
10. When the heart turns to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away (verse 16).
THE POWER OF AFFIRMATION
Only in Christ Jesus, or within the New Covenant, can things unseen be declared with unmitigated certainty. There is no ambiguity or supposition in the New Covenant. There is no vagueness or idealistic reasoning in Christ Jesus. Life in the Son is characterized by firmness and certitude. The realities announced by the Gospel of Christ leave no room for doubt, or the possibility that they are not the absolute truth. Some examples of this certainty, sureness, and absoluteness are as follows.
1. God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself (2 Cor 5:19).
2. Jesus made peace through the blood of His cross (Col 1:20).
3. There is no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1).
4. Through His own death, Jesus destroyed the devil, who had the power of death (Heb 2:14).
5. Jesus put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb 9:26).
Those who are in Christ Jesus are told of their condition, and of the blessedness that attends it.
1. We are dead, and our lives are hid with Christ in God (Col 3:3).
2. He that is in us is greater than He that is in the world (1 John 4:4).
3. We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us (Rom 8:37).
4. All things are ours (1 Cor 3:21).
5. God has raised us up and made us sit together in heavenly places (Eph 2:6).
BEING DRIVEN BY GOALS
Because of the spiritual retardation of our time, there is much talk about "goals" – idealistic objectives for life. Most of these are theoretical, with no basis in reality. They are more related to abstract dreams than to anything that is substantive. It all sounds good enough – but is that really the way it is?
If we confined ourselves to the business world, the domain of education, government, and the likes, there might be some small place for theoretic goals. However, when this kind of thinking and speaking is brought into the church, we have fallen upon hard times.
With some degree of shame, I must confess that most of the preaching and teaching I hear these days does not fall into the category of "affirmation" – asserting unchangeable realities, and announcing foundational truth. Much of the religious talk these days is something like this: "We ought to read our Bible's more." "We should be praying more." "We should be holy." "We are to be the salt and light of the world." "Let's try and make our marriages more stable." "Let's reach our neighborhoods for Jesus." "If we fast more we will be better people" . . . etc, etc.
You can fill in some sayings of your own. It is not that such words are wrong, and God forbid that anyone should get the idea that they are. The point is that such an approach does not take into account the nature of the New Covenant, the reality of the new birth, and the marvelous abundance that is ours in Christ Jesus. When such admonitions are given, they must always be preceded by affirmations of realities that already exist.
The verse before us provides a case-in-point. It does not tell us to seek the Holy Spirit. We are not exhorted to meet some mysterious qualification, or to rise to a higher standard. Such exhortations will follow, but they will be built upon statements that present what already exists in Christ Jesus.
"WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS"
We will now be presented with evidence of the presence of the "Spirit of the Lord." This is not the statement of a goal to be reached – i.e. if we can ever achieve liberty, we will receive God's Spirit. It is not something for which men are to strive. It is rather something that is certainly present where the Spirit is found. If the thing mentioned is not present, it is because the Spirit of the Lord is NOT there. If it is present, it is directly owing to the presence of "the Spirit of the Lord." This is a sort of measuring rod for our use.
When Paul speaks in this manner, he is providing a means to assess our real condition. He is not speaking idealistically, as though you could walk with the Lord independently of the condition described. Further, this may not be the evidence that certain people prefer, but it is the truth, and is to be accepted.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for the certitude that is ministered to the heart through the Gospel of Christ.