April 03, 2021: SOAP #41389:  Judges 17-18; Psalm 89; 2Corinthians 3

SCRIPTURE:  2Corinthians 3:3 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….
6  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….
8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?…
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 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.

OBSERVATION: This chapter shows that the Christian life cannot be separate from the Spirit of God.  The Spirit of God living in us frees us from the letter of the law.  He causes us to “see” the Lord and then works to transform us into the Lord’s image.  Instead of the fear of punishment, or the reward of obedience found in the law, we live in the freedom of pleasing God because we love Him.  The Holy Spirit is working to make our lives a letter about Jesus that other people can read by hearing our words and watching our actions. 

APPLICATION: As I read the gospels, I see the life of Jesus as He lived in a human body on earth.  The Holy Spirit works through the four pictures of Jesus presented in the four gospels.  He is working to transform me to be like Jesus was on earth.  He is working to transform my character to be His character.  The Holy Spirit is making my life and ministry a continuation of the person and ministry of Jesus.  It is the same Holy Spirit living in me as was in Jesus in the days of the gospels!   What a privilege is mine! 

PRAYER:  Holy Spirit, I pray that it will be easy to work in and through my life.  I want to yield to your leading.  Flow through me, Holy Spirit, flow through me. Amen

Pastor Leon
Making friends for time and eternity!