Devotion 11/12, Empty Grave

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant — not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:6

Paul now goes into an account of the ministry itself. He is contrasting the difference between the Old Covenant (law), and the New Covenant (the gospel). A covenant is an agreement or promise between God and man. The reason Paul is doing this here in Corinthians is because the church at Corinth was being inundated with Christians that were still following Moses’ law who were criticizing him for his teaching of salvation through grace alone. These false teachers were trying to teach the church that one must mix law and grace for salvation. They taught that Christians must observe certain portions of the Law of Moses to be fully accepted by God, this was a lie from satan himself and so Paul discredits their false teaching.
Under the Old Covenant was the legal system delivered by God to Moses. Blessing from God was dependent upon obedience to the law, if man did his part God would do His also. Since it was dependent upon man, it could not and did not produce “righteousness”.
With the New Covenant (the gospel of Jesus Christ), God blesses man freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ and His atoning bloodshed on the cross at Calvary. Everything in the New Covenant is dependent upon God alone and through faith in Christ we stand righteous before God based solely on the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross.
There are still those today who try and earn salvation through works, but there is an entire Old Testament to look at which shows that it can never bring salvation.
God willingly entered into a new agreement, a new covenant, with us, his creatures, sealed it with the blood of his Son Jesus, and sent the Spirit to give us the power to live the life of this new covenant. God has made a covenant of love and grace with us. The Almighty has then turned around and made us worthy and competent to share that covenant with others. No wonder it is life giving: it brings life to us and through us!

Almighty Father, thank you for sending the gift of your Son and the gift of your Spirit so that I can live with you in a covenant of life, grace, and love. While I confess my weaknesses, I also commit to you that I will live to honor your sacrifice, love and covenant, trusting that you will ultimately empower me to be what you are calling me to be. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Lord I give thanks for that “empty grave”, for I am saved by the blood of your son, that He is risen. Risen indeed. My salvation rests solely the RISEN Lord. You are my Redeemer and I give all thanks, praise and glory to you, in Jesus’ name, Amen.