II Corinthians 3:6a
"Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, (that is the Law as given through Moses) but of the spirit:…"
And that’s where we are. We’re not under the Law, we’re under Grace. Now I guess I’d better stop and explain again because some people get all bent out of shape when I say, look, we’re not under the Mosaic Law. And they say, "You mean I can do whatever I please and get away with it?" That’s not what I said. I said, "You’re not under the Law because we’re under Grace."
Now then, since Israel was under the Levitical Law and they tried to keep it, what happened? They failed - miserably. I already gave you an example and the reason was those Ten Commandments on those tablets of stone had no power, neither did the Levitical Law. Nothing to help the people keep them, so all it was is a ministration of death. But now, we come under Grace the moment we become a receiver and believer, through redemption, we’re not under the Law and never were. But we’ve got something a million times better, and what is that? The indwelling Spirit. And it’s the Spirit of God that keeps the believer from breaking, if I may use that word, the Law. The Holy Spirit will never tell a believer to steal. The Holy Spirit will never lead a believer to gossip. The Holy Spirit will never lead any of us to go contrary to the basic laws or teachings of God, that’s the whole power element. The song "Our God is an Awesome God" just keeps running through by being this day and why? Because His Love is a consuming fire (though it does not destroy but cleanses the chaff, hay, wood and stubble from the heirs of righteousness) of divine Agape Love for He is a jealous God watching over He heirs of Salvation because they're sealed by His Love as a restored God-child in whom He now works. Finishing the verse.
II Corinthians 3:6b
"…not of the letter, (the law) but of the spirit: (the power of the Holy Spirit. Now look at the conclusion) for the letter (law) killeth, (that’s all the Law can do, it’s a ministration of death, for the practical or materialistic) but the spirit giveth life."
What was that? The rod that budded. Now do you see how it all fits? And that Life more abundantly because its Eternal Life and the power of Holiness in Righteousness which raised us IN Christ or with Christ from not only death but also His ascension. To be IN Christ and Christ is hid IN God. For we are NO longer our own but belong to God, the Elohim of creation. Alright, then come down to verse 7.
II Corinthians 3:7
"But if the ministration of death, (that’s what your Bible calls it) written and engraven in stone was glorious, (and it was. It was great for its time) so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; (when he came down from the mountain, remember) which glory was to be (what?) done away;"
The day would come when all that pertained to Moses, Aaron's priesthood like I said, would be folded up like a worn out garment and laid aside. And Israel to this day, can’t understand that. But trusting God to give us wisdom, we can and we do. Remember too that Moses covered his face with a veil until the glory that there shown had faded-away and that fading away means the same as said then Law was destined to do also. Verse 8:
II Corinthians 3:8
"How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather (or more, what?) glorious?"
And what does that tell us? All that the Law was in all of its glory under the Mosaic system has faded away and in its place has come something a million times better. We’re not living under a ministration of death. We are living under the ministration of an Eternal and Endless Life. It’s already promised. It’s already begun. Oh we may pass away from this old earthly tabernacle some day. I mean after all, we’re walking into the sunset whether we like it or not. And if the Lord doesn’t come, one of these days, it’s very possible we will suddenly be gone. That’s the way of all flesh, that’s why we pray harder and harder that the Lord will come. To complete His Salvation in us and we'll acquire our celestial bodies, just like His. I don’t fancy going to the cemetery and I don’t think Glenda does either. And I don’t think any of us do. But if the Lord doesn’t come, what’s going to happen, but the sleep of a believer is what? Oh! It’s a graduation into something far better because we’ve already got that Eternal Life which is ours IN Christ. As we've spiritually passed from death into Life by way of the mystery revealed within the scriptures.
So remember we are no longer under a ministration of death. We are now under a ministry of an endless life or Eternal life! But again, don’t forget now that that Ark of the Covenant contained the three things that pertain to all of these end-time events. It contained the rod that budded, speaking of resurrection life, it spoke of the ministration of death which was the Law and had to be put away, and it spoke then of the manna which would be the Bread of Life, that would sustain us as believers as we go through this earthly sojourn. Especially after we've entered His Salvation as a restored God-child and heir of all things. They were all back there in type and shadow, but now revealed by the Apostle Paul.
Alright, back to where we left off - we were in Hebrews chapter 9 and again, we’re just trying to show that everything that went before was God ordained and even though it wasn’t perfect from man’s side, it was from God’s. But it had no power and consequently the Law was weak and beggarly as Paul calls it in Galatians and now as we saw then, that everything back there in the tabernacle was a preview of the finished work of the Cross and the resurrection and ascension. And how even the materials in the Ark of the Covenant all spoke of His death, His burial, His resurrection and the Word of God being the very manna that would sustain us for this Age of Grace. Through the cross and our being restored as a God-child to the position that was lost by Adam.
Now let’s just go on, in Hebrews 9 and we’re going to start verse 6 and just continue on.
Hebrews 9:6
"Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God."
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