ESOCS Devotional 6 August 2024 – Ever Increasing Capacity
MEMORY VERSE: “There is nothing in us that allows us to claim that we are capable of doing this work. The capacity we have comes from God.” 2 Corinthians 3:5
TEXT: 2 CORINTHIANS 3:1-END
Are we starting to commend ourselves again? Or we do not, like some [false teachers], need written credentials or letters of recommendation to you or from you, [do we]?
2 [No] you yourselves are our letter of recommendation (our credentials), written in your hearts, to be known (perceived, recognized) and read by everybody.
3 You show and make obvious that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, not written with ink but with [the] Spirit of [the] living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such is the reliance and confidence that we have through Christ toward and with reference to God.
5 Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from us, but our power and ability and sufficiency are from God.
6 [It is He] Who has qualified us [making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient] as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ], not [ministers] of the letter (of legally written code) but of the Spirit; for the code [of the Law] kills, but the [Holy] Spirit makes alive.
7 Now if the dispensation of death engraved in letters on stone [the ministration of the Law], was inaugurated with such glory and splendor that the Israelites were not able to look steadily at the face of Moses because of its brilliance, [a glory] that was to fade and pass away,
8 Why should not the dispensation of the Spirit [this spiritual ministry whose task it is to cause men to obtain and be governed by the Holy Spirit] be attended with much greater and more splendid glory?
9 For if the service that condemns [the ministration of doom] had glory, how infinitely more abounding in splendor and glory must be the service that makes righteous [the ministry that produces and fosters righteous living and right standing with God]!
10 Indeed, in view of this fact, what once had splendor [the glory of the Law in the face of Moses] has come to have no splendor at all, because of the overwhelming glory that exceeds and excels it [the glory of the Gospel in the face of Jesus Christ].
11 For if that which was but passing and fading away came with splendor, how much more must that which remains and is permanent abide in glory and splendor!
12 Since we have such [glorious] hope (such joyful and confident expectation), we speak very freely and openly and fearlessly.
13 Nor [do we act] like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing [splendor which had been upon it].
14 In fact, their minds were grown hard and calloused [they had become dull and had lost the power of understanding]; for until this present day, when the Old Testament (the old covenant) is being read, that same veil still lies [on their hearts], not being lifted [to reveal] that in Christ it is made void and done away.
15 Yes, down to this [very] day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their minds and hearts.
16 But whenever a person turns [in repentance] to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom).
18 And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
Life as a Christian starts with being born of the Spirit. This happens the moment the Lord acknowledges your confession and belief in His word. Then, the Spirit comes into your life to take charge and thereby displaces the old man in you. The Spirit of God settles in your heart – the centre of the human spirit from which springs emotions, thoughts, motivations, courage and action (2 Corinthians 3:3). The Spirit settles to direct the totality of what man does.
The capacity we get to be able to stand firm and complete every task we undertake in the ministry of God comes from the Holy Spirit. It is not all from our learning, experience or physical strength but from the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who do not possess the power of the Holy Spirit do not go far. They are like chaff before the wind of persecution and opposition, which is easily blown away (Psalm 1:14).
Apostle Paul got much of the opposition in his ministry in Corinth. False apostles sneaked into the Corinthian Church to challenge the authority of Paul and create dissension in the church. With Paul, they could not make their expected profit from the word of God. They saw it as a battle. They fought Paul with the tool of blackmail. In all, Paul prevailed because his strength and knowledge came from the Holy Spirit.
The power of the Holy Spirit grows in the life of men. The more you agree with the word of God and grow, the more powerful the Spirit makes you become. Those who want to grow fast in the power of the Holy Spirit must embrace every opportunity and activity to know more of the word of God (John 1:1; 2 Corinthians 3:8, 18).
In the time of Moses, the glory of God shined out in him noticeably whenever he met with God to hear from Him. Today, through Christ Jesus, we have the gospel message from which God speaks to us; and the indwelling Spirit of God in us retains the word of the scripture and gives us the ability to understand and practice what is retained in us. The result of this is that we have the grace of ever-increasing knowledge and the grace to do exploit for God (2 Corinthians 3: 16).
- You need to be sure that the Holy Spirit is the source of your inspiration.
- I desire an all the time company of the Holy Spirit.
Further Reading: Exodus 34:29-end; 35:30-end; 2 Peter 1:2-End
ESOCS Devotional 6 August 2024
