Category: Old/New Covenants
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Let it be free
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though…
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What Jimmy Carter and I demonstrated yesterday
Much to the chagrin of the pastor, Secret Service agents, relatives and fellow church members who encouraged him not to, former President Jimmy Carter showed up to teach an adult Bible class of over 400 people at the Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, after falling and fracturing his pelvis only two weeks previous. The…
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The morning after
It’s the morning after. Masks are down. Costumes on the floor. Decorations will come down later today and be packed away in the “Halloween” box for another year. The only indications of what went on last night are the candy wrappers in the street that eluded our brooms while we were trying to clean…
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Are we keeping them waiting?
by Marti Fischer People are waiting for Jesus. Jesus can be seen in us when we are unmasked. We are unwilling to be unmasked over what people might see. Jesus remains hidden. People are still waiting for Jesus. When we think our sins are less despicable than those of our neighbors, we are greatly…
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The always new covenant
“But this is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the Lord. “I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will; be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors,…
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So are you ready to step out?
by Marti Fischer Are we willing to be bold, which is the inevitable result of trust in God — trust in the new covenant — where everything comes from God and nothing comes from us? Boldness. Honesty. Confidence. These are the quiet inner characteristics of those whose strength is in the Lord. But you won’t…
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Is there a theology of weakness?
I’ll never forget a meeting I had a few years ago with a student life administrator at a local Christian university. He was young and had a PhD, which I thought was a little over-qualification for a campus pastoral job. I was looking for an opportunity to speak on campus and he was the one…
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Life at work in you
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is…
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The fine print of the Christian life
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 We are now turning to a portion of the new…
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Jars of clay
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 There’s that “But” again. Remember 2 Corinthians 2:14, “But thanks be to God…”? As it was there, the “But” is the key. It sets up the whole thing. It indicates that this…
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The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ
For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:5-6 We do…
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Why doesn’t everyone get it?
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 No wonder it’s so…
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Commending ourselves
Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.…
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Living without a veil
What’s is it like living without a veil? It’s freeing … liberating. You don’t have to be something you’re not. You don’t have to make up anything. You don’t have to impress. You don’t have to follow the rules. (There are no rules.) You don’t have to hide anything, because you don’t have anything to…
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Losing my religion
But whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 2 Corinthians 3:16 A song for when you turn to the Lord: I used to think that I was right A lonely candle in the night And while the heart of the world was breaking I could not feel the aching The…
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Dull minds, veiled hearts
But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:14-15 This is where religion comes from.…
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Nothing to hide
Day 9 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 2 Corinthians 3:12-13 Last Friday was Marti’s birthday and I cruised right on by it. Not…
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Two ways to the glory of God
The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new…
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The key to the Spirit
Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:4-6 Stick the key in and turn it.…
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Who’s going to read your letter?
Are we beginning to praise ourselves again? Are we like others, who need to bring you letters of recommendation, or who ask you to write such letters on their behalf? Surely not! The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize…