But if the ministration of death, written and engraved in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away, how shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excels For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remains is glorious, seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: and not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished, but their minds were blinded: for until this day remains the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (II Corinthians 3:4-18)
Too often, believers in Jesus Christ by faith are being judged according to the law given to Moses in the old testament. And in so doing, we as new believers in Jesus inevitably try to conform to the law and ten commandments, even though the law was given only as a schoolmaster -- to point us to the one and only Christ. Our Lord God and Saviour who loved us enough to shed His precious holy blood on an old rugged cross for us.
The people who were never intended to be His people, are now invited to become His chosen people. Think about this for a moment. We are not Israelites? We are not Jewish by blood? Ad neither our family of the Jewish bloodline? From the early days in the old testament, God divided His chosen people from all others, in a way that we know the two from the old covenant as either Jewish or Gentile (even though in this dispensation of grace, there is neither Jew nor Gentile, but I digress).
In the old covenant, our perfection was to come by the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received the law. But the question for this day is this.
"If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise, after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law ... and it is yet far more evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood, and it is yet far more evident, for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there arises another priest -- who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment but after the power of an endless life." (Hebrews 7:11-16)
As the scripture states, the law made nothing perfect -- but the bringing in of a better hope by the which we draw nigh unto God.
"But now hath He obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also He is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises -- for if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second," (Hebrews 8:6-7)
An interesting quote from social media group Religion Exposed explains the difference between law and grace this way.
For a Jewish person to abandon the old way of the law and adopt God’s new way was a challenge. We see evidence of that struggle in The Book of Hebrews, for example: In The Book of Hebrews, it contains thousands of words urging the Jews to drop the old and hang on tightly to the new. But for most of us, that’s not our situation. We’re Gentiles. We were never offered the law. Today, we Gentiles are offered ONE COVENANT - THE NEW. Breaking free from the old shouldn’t really be necessary, since the old was never really ours to begin with."
In other words, we were grafted into the fold only when God declared "peace and good will to ALL men." (Luke 2:14)
We who were never His people in the first covenant are now invited to the wedding feast. A "chosen" generation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (I Peter 2:9)
Jesus told us clearly, "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you." (John 15:16)
The Lord tried to make His original people an holy people, and had chosen them to be a peculiar people unto Himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth, but these rejected the Lord thy God.
But they would not enter into His rest. And thus, our Lord God Almighty has reached out to you and I -- "where unto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." (II Thessalonians 2:14)
Indeed, "Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ, according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love -- having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will -- to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace -- wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He hath purposed in Himself ..." (Ephesians 1:3-9)
For when? "That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ ... in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being destinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will!" (Ephesians 1:10-12)
To us in this current dispensation of grace, did the Lord decide that we would be His chosen people, according to the good pleasure of His will, He has made us accepted in the beloved -- in whom we are sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians 1:13)
For when? "That in the dispensation of the fullness of times, He might gather together in one all things in Christ ... in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being destinated according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will!" (Ephesians 1:10-12)
To us in this current dispensation of grace, did the Lord decide that we would be His chosen people, according to the good pleasure of His will, He has made us accepted in the beloved -- in whom we are sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians 1:13)
Not of ourselves but He through His own precious blood has made us accepted in the beloved -- in whom we are sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. And, as a consequence?
"Ye [are] My witnesses," saith the LORD, "and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I [am] He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me." (Isaiah 43:10)
So, the next time someone wants to level judgement against you for your life being far than perfect, think of apostle Paul. As the former Saul (before his name was changed into Paul), he murdered Christians for a past time, because he truly believed that he was doing God a favour. And apostle Paul did not bring to the saints and churches in Corinth and Galatia the law of Moses. And neither did he preach a doctrine that taught 'Jesus plus the law'. No, Paul preached Jesus and Jesus only because Jesus is the ONLY name under heaven whereby we can be saved in this current dispensation of grace.
And how do we know? Because we [Gentiles -- non Jews] were never given the law or ten commandments in the first place. As a consequence, we did not have a relationship with Jewish law. No wonder apostle Paul was angry with those who preached "another Jesus" rather than the good news gospel truth -- that Jesus paid the price for all our sins once and for all on the cross of Calvary. Our transgressions - past, present, and future -- are covered forever and made white as snow because He willingly shed His blood for you and I.
Sadly, there are still those trying to impose these same legalistic rules and the false teaching of Jesus plus the law onto new believers today. But thankfully, we live in the new testament side whereby His grace abounds, and whereby the law was never an option for us. And as such, we can enter into His rest knowing how much our Lord God and Saviour loves us in this new day.
"But so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament ..." (Hebrews 7:22)
"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Thank you Jesus for your mercy that surpasses all human understanding. If you do not know Jesus, ask Him to become Lord in your life. Repent of your sin and be water baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Put on His garment and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, His Spirit living within. Find yourself a new testament and start reading, taking notes, and highlighting verses in your Bible that stand out. Seek Jesus in all that you do, and stand fast therefore in the liberty wherein is Christ.
Stand in the offering plate.
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