2 Corinthians 3 - Are We Growing to Look More Like Jesus in the Power of the Holy Spirit?

2 Corinthians 3

3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

Paul made it clear that he would not try to justify his status or position as an apostle. He let the results speak for themselves. The results were the fruits of changed lives among the Corinthians. Paul likened it to a letter that was written on their hearts. Paul showed that the changes among them were written on their hearts and therefore known by everyone. It reminds us that the greatest witness for Christ is a changed life. The proof is in the pudding. 

And Paul says the letter is from Christ. What does that mean? 

 Such letters were common and necessary in the early church. A false prophet or apostle could travel from city to city and easily say, “Paul sent me, so you should support me.” To help guard against problems like this, letters of recommendation were often sent with Christians as they traveled. - Guzik

Paul’s letter of recommendation has an author, Jesus Christ. The Corinthian Christians were indeed Paul’s letter of recommendation, yet he realized that he did not write that letter – Jesus did. Paul is not trying to say, “I made you the Christians you are,” but he is saying, “God used me to make you the Christians you are.” - Guzik

4 Such confidence we have through Christ before God. 5 Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6 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.

Paul's confidence about he was and the work they had done was not based on his own talent and skill. It was from the Holy Spirit. Paul says in another passage, 

And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God." 1 Corinthians 2:4-5

Paul refers to the new covenant, which was ratified and signed by the blood Jesus shed on the cross. Where the Law could only condemn, the Spirit gave life and the ability to obey the Spirit of the Law not just the letter of the Law. Jesus talked about this a lot in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7

The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

Although the Ten Commandments which God gave Moses were etched in stone and were holy, they could never be obeyed completely. We know the wages of sin is death. The Law points out our sin, which leads to death. But the fact that Moses' face shined in glory when we received and presented the Law, showed it was a holy thing. The Law is holy and god because it revealed directly by God to Moses. 

John 1:17 says, "The Law came through Moses, but grace and truth through Jesus Christ."  

So Paul takes the analogy further by saying that if the ministry of Moses, as glorious as it was, brought death, how much more will the ministry of the Holy Spirit be glorious. The glory and presence of the Holy Spirit is also different in that it will last forever. If you are a believer then the Holy Spirit lives inside of you. And the same Spirit that brought Jesus back to life will also give life to your mortal bodies. Romans 8:11

The letter is the law in its outward sense, written on tablets of stone. The letter of the law came by the old covenant. It was good in itself, but it gave us no power to serve God, and it did not change our heart; it simply told us what to do. Paul can say the letter kills because the law, exposing our guilt, “kills” us before God. The law thoroughly and completely establishes our guilt. - Guzik

12 Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13 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. 14 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. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

The Old Covenant based on the Ten Commandments had no power to change lives. In fact, the holiness of the Old Covenant shone so brightly and was holy that Moses had to wear a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing his face. His face shined with the glory of God, and separated God from men. Sin and failure to keep the Law separated us from God. 

Moses says that a veil covered their hearts as well. They could not understand the Law or obey it because they did not have the power of the Holy Spirit, which only the New Covenant through Jesus could bring. It is only when someone turns to the Lord Jesus that this veil is removed. This is why when we preach the gospel to unbelievers it doesn't make sense to them for their minds are blinded to the truth. 

"The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God." 1 Corinthians 1:18

Why is it that unbelievers think the gospel is foolish?

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4

Someone might say, "Then what's the point in preaching the gospel is their eyes are blinded. It won't do any good." 

First, we need to remember that God desires all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2:4 Also the gospel is the power of God for all who believe. When a person hears the gospel and believes in it, they are born again and become the children. As the old hymn "Amazing Grace" goes, "I once was lost but now am found. Was blind but now I see."

It is the Holy Spirit that gives faith to those who are seeking the truth. It is the Holy Spirit who parts the veil so one can see the truth of who they are before a holy God, and what God has done for them in sending His son to die for their sins on the cross. 

So it is never too late to share the gospel with someone. Sometimes one plants a seeds, another waters it, but it is God who makes it grow to fruition. 

I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 1 Corinthians 3:16

Finally, Paul points out that the Spirit we receive when we come to Christ is transforming us from the inside out to become more like Jesus. This is what we call "discipleship". Discipleship is the process of learning to be more like Jesus. An easy definition of discipleship is "Becoming the type of person that would do the things that Jesus would do if he were you. - Adapted from Dallas Willard

Note Paul says "ever increasing glory". As believers are called to be transformed to be more like Christ by the renewing of our minds. Romans 12:2 Although this requires effort on our part, we should not confuse this with earning. We don't try to be more like Jesus to earn our salvation but because we are saved.

A question you might ask yourself or someone who knows you well is, "Do my words and actions reflect more and more what a follower of Christ should look like?" 

Note the language Paul uses here, 

"We who are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

We are being transformed into the image of Christ with every increasing glory! 

Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit is the one who transforms our lives, as we submit to his leadership in our lives.

We need to remember this is a process. None of gets it right all of time. I know I fall short all the time. But the key thing is not to give up.  

Even Paul said, 

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

This is a great synopsis of the Christian life. We need to forget our failures and mess-ups from our past and focus on the call of Jesus as we move forward one step at a time. Paul uses the metaphor of a race to say that we should focus on our eyes on the heavenly prize and given to those who finish well! 

As you think about your life would you say you have forgotten what is behind and you are straining forward with all your heart toward the goal of your heavenly calling in Christ?