2 Corinthians 3:5-6-CJB
It is not that we are competent in ourselves to count anything as having come from us; on the contrary, our competence is from God. He has even made us competent to be workers serving a New Covenant, the essence of which is not a written text but the Spirit. For the written text brings death, but the Spirit gives life.
When was the last time that you read and meditated on the Old Testament? Unless we understand what was before us, it is likely we will take the present for granted. In order to understand the depth of the scripture above, I had to study what Paul meant by ‘written text or Letter’ in his writing. I learned the written text is referenced to Sha’ul, that is written text engraved on stone tablets that was known to bring death because it proclaimed the guilt of the people.
The writer is not saying the Old Testament/Torah is not important in our journey, but he is reminding us of the incredible gift through Jesus Christ. We no longer have to live under guilt because of the new covenant in Jesus Christ who has given us the Holy Spirit as our guide and counselor to lead us toward God (John 16:7-8; 12-15). This is a reminder that human competence or knowledge can’t bring us life. The word of God is necessary in our journey; however, it is not the core of our Salvation; the Holy Spirit of God is our bridge to our creator. If you want proof that without the Holy Spirit and only relying on the written text or the Bible is not enough, look no further, look at the Israelites. They had stumbled repeatedly no matter how many times God gave them chances after chances to repent and obey his laws/written text. Or look at the Pharisees who study the Word of God and taught it but yet they were nowhere near God’s truth (John 5:39-40). If you have chosen Jesus as your Lord and Savior, have you considered the power that lives in you? I have a hard time understanding how so many preachers/teachers teach repentance, forgiveness and Salvation and yet minimize the power of the Holly Spirit by not reinforcing that without it we are doomed for destruction in our walk with God. The Holy Spirit should be in every spiritual conversation and life decision that we make. Take some time to learn about the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit that lives in you. When we know and understand what we have, then we are better equipped to utilize and value the gift. Don’t waste your treasure that will lead you to eternal life.
