2 Corinthians 3 reminds me of those “Aha Moments”, when you suddenly get a new insight into something you have been pondering. In my life that happened in math class. While others seemed to immediately understand a concept, I would miss a critical connection. Often it did not click until I worked through problems on my own. Today’s lesson is about transformational insight. Paul begins with a beautiful picture of successful mentoring. “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone”. He continues with a heartfelt explanation of the difference between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. “You are a letter from Christ… written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts”. Written words do not have the same ability to carry the burden as having a real personal connection with someone. Written words can destroy. He says, “for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life”. Preaching judgement without mercy will turn people from the Savior. Psalm 136 repeats, “For His mercy endures forever” after every line. God’s Holy Spirit always reminds us of God’s mercy. Paul adds, “our competence comes from God”. Our own feeble efforts at righteousness only result in selfish pride. Remember, “knowledge puffs up while love builds up” (1 Cor:18).
The Law of Moses was given as God’s standard for perfection. It was necessary to teach us how far we are from righteousness. After a lifetime of falling short of the requirements of the law, Paul calls it “the ministry that brought death… engraved in letters on stone”. Like Paul, my personal conversion came after God revealed the hurt and pain I caused others. Humility is the first step to understanding our need for a sinless Savior. With his new insight, Paul explains “If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!” Paul calls the atonement through Christ, “the glory of that which lasts”. Every time I get cocky, God reminds me of His mercy for me. It is His mercy that leads me to extend that same mercy to others.
Paul closes with a tutorial on salvation. When Moses delivered the tablets, the glory of God was reflecting off his face. Later, Moses “put a veil over his face” to hide the fading glory. He continues, “the same veil remains when the old covenant is read”. Paul says boldly “only in Christ is it taken away”. It is important to point out that Paul was not just a Jew, but a Pharisee who studied scriptures his entire life. He was a persecutor of the early Christian church, “Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison” (Acts 8:3). In his travels, Paul first preached in the Jewish Temples. He used his vast knowledge of scripture to explain that Jesus was the fulfillment of all the prophecies concerning Messiah. Paul says of his Jewish brethren that “a veil covers their hearts”. He says, “whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away”. The same is true for anyone that tries to follow religious requirements. Ultimately legalism leads to condemnation. Since we cannot make ourselves righteous, we judge others by our own standard. God’s Holy Spirit leads us to new life, “where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”. He concludes, “with unveiled faces”, we “are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory”. I worked on my problems on my own for years but found no solution. My aha moment came when I realized that the cross was not a mistake, it was God’s solution from the beginning. It is the only way to have complete atonement. The Spirit of God filled me the moment I asked Jesus to be my Savior. He will do the same for you. My friend, let me make the connection; Jesus died for your sins to give you peace with God. Do you want to be transformed?