WEEK FIVE
BRAND NEW SUV
2 Cor. 3:8-11
Last time, we looked at the two covenants and how they were represented by “two splendors”. Understanding that we have a choice is of great help. But how do we discern what covenant “I’m in”? As we have already seen we are never neutral. We are always going to be operating in the flesh or in the Spirit.
In Romans 8:8-9 we read, “So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of God, he is not His.” In this verse we see two things:
- Those that are in the flesh cannot please God,
- There has been a permanent change in believers, from the flesh to the Spirit.
As we read on in verses 10-11 of Romans, we see in verse 10 that the flesh no longer has any power over us. “And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is alive because of righteousness.” (See also Romans 6:13-22) Verse 11 tells us how we are now able to overcome our old fleshly habits, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” So in these two verses we see two truths that, if understood, will set us free.
- Verse 10 – The flesh no longer has dominion or power over us…It is dead.
- Verse 11 – God, through His Spirit, gives life…to our mortal bodies.
In other words, the flesh no longer has any power over us unless we allow it to. In conclusion, the flesh or “old nature”, will never improve. You will never, in this body, get to the place where your flesh will desire to live to please God. But you will be able to live life apart from its dominion over you as you give the Spirit complete control of your life. Romans 8:13 “…but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” Again, what this shows us is that the flesh will never desire to change, and if I wait for the flesh to desire to change, it will be fruitless.
The desire to change comes from the Holy Spirit in the same way the power to overcome the flesh does. Change will only come about as I recognize this and yield to the Holy Spirit doing His work.
In Hebrews 8:7-13, we see this further clarified as the author speaks of the benefits of the New Covenant and quotes the passage out of Jeremiah 31:33 and then lists what the New Covenant will do if we accept it.
- Provide new motivation: “I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts.”
- Provide a new identity: “…I will be their God and they shall be My people.”
- Provide new knowledge: Verse 11, the knowledge of God given by revelation of God; the New Covenant provides the access for an experiential relationship.
- Provide new mercy: Verse 12, God will be merciful to our unrighteousness, for He knows all about me.
Remember the Old Covenant was based upon “If you do this, I will do that” or the “If then” covenant, with no provision made for our inadequacy to keep up our part. The New Covenant is so radical because the Lord says, “I will do all this for you; all you have to do is accept this agreement which says that you cannot do anything apart from Me working in, and through, you”.
How can I tell what covenant I’m operating in? One way of telling is to see what is being produced in your life. Notice I did not say, “what it is producing in the lives of others”, for this can be deceptive. We can be busy doing things for the Lord, in our own power, that can bear fruit in the lives of others, but does not produce fruit in your own life. In Philippians 1:15-18, Paul speaks of some teachers who were preaching in order to get Paul in further trouble, but God was even using that to proclaim His name. In Galatians 5:19-26, Paul gives the contrast of the life of the flesh versus the life of the Spirit. The important thing is to ask yourself whether or not the fruit of the Spirit is being produced in your life. This will be a clear indication as to what covenant you are operating in.
In 2 Cor. 3:8-11, Paul gives further examples in forms of contrasts to help us see what covenant we are in:
- Verses 6-7, “face of Moses” = the ministry of death contrasted against 4:6 “face of Jesus Christ” = light of the knowledge of the glory of God. This is the contrast of death versus life. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (verse 6). The definition of death is the absence of life and life found in the fruit of the Spirit.
- Verse 3:3, “…not on tablets of stone but on tablets…of the heart.” Here the contrast is that the flesh is concerned with things, possessions, numbers, programs, how much you make, what kind of car you drive or how many points you scored, etc. The New Covenant is concerned with others. Programs only have value in as much as they help people and when they cease doing that, we don’t have to prop them up.
- Verse 9, “condemnation versus righteousness”. Here the contrast is that of motivation. In the Old Covenant fear or guilt motivates us. If we “don’t do this” or “do such and such”, we will not be accepted. But in the New Covenant, I’m already seen in Christ. Therefore, I’m no longer struggling for acceptance before God based upon my own efforts. The fact is that God, RIGHT NOW, loves me as much as He will ever love me. My perception of His love for me will grow as I receive this truth in my life, but His love is unchanging. If I don’t receive this truth in my life, I will be frantically trying to earn His love. This leads to zealous business which leads to self-righteous disapproval of those not as busy as I am.
As we go down this path, bitterness will begin to set in, then backbiting, and then contentions. To put it plainly – Fear or guilt = performance centered Christianity = busyness in activity = exhaustion = burnout = bitterness. In Hebrews 12:15 we read, “…falling short of the grace of God; leads to a root of bitterness springing up causing trouble, and by this many become defiled.” In the New Covenant, you will still be busy but it will be out of love, not fear or guilt.
- Verse 11, “passing away versus that which remains”. This example deals with what we’re relying on. One is described as passing away, the other as permanent. In the Old Covenant, I constantly have to “whip up” my dedication, desire, emotion, etc. because what counts in the flesh is performance. I’m constantly trying to pad my stats so that I will feel better about myself. But the New Covenant is Christ IN me, meeting the demands of life. This is what remains, and is my foundation, not what I do. The key in all of this is the Holy Spirit, for He will reveal what covenant we are in and He is the One we need to rely on. Remember the flesh is completely inadequate for the job.
Like a man who just bought a new SUV. He puts his family in the car, makes sure they have their seat belts on and then goes behind the car to push it home! On his way home, he discovers that his car goes great downhill, does okay on level ground, but is impossible to push up a hill. As he arrives in his driveway, exhausted, one of his neighbors comes over to admire his new car and asks how it runs. The new car owner tells him his findings, to which the neighbor replies, “I used to have that problem too but I went to a special car pushing seminar that my church had.” Our friend asked excitedly, “Did it help?” “Yes, for a while,” the neighbor responded, “the back strengthening exercises did seem to give me a better push, but I think I need to go back for a refresher course.”
Meanwhile, another neighbor, who had been watching our friend push his car, came over. “Say, what’s wrong with the engine of your new car?”
The two who had been speaking on pushing exercises just stared at each other and then turned to the second neighbor asking, “Engine, what engine?”
The surprised new neighbor asked, “Didn’t your SUV come with keys?”
“Why sure it did,” the other two confused men answered. “It turns on the radio, heater and windshield wipers very well!”
To this the third neighbor responded, “Well don’t you both know, if you turn the key – THE OTHER WAY, you will have power to go up hills and down hills, just as well as on the flat land. In fact you will have enough power to handle anything the road of life can throw at you!”
GROWTH OPPORTUITY QUESTIONS
WEEK FIVE
The Brand-New SUV
- Review my responses to the first question under ‘The Secret’ on page 17, before answering this question. Add or subtract from the list as a result of the 2 Cor. 3:8-11 teaching and the illustration of pushing my SUV. Specifically, where, and how, do I perceive myself doing that (with family, in my job, in ministry, in Barnabas, with non-Christians, etc.)?
How to Enable My Wife
- Discuss with my wife, and together, set a regular date time each week where only the two of us can talk, spend romantic times together, and deepen our mutual appreciation:
example: every Friday night
example: Saturday breakfast our one week/Saturday night out the next week
example: romantic dinner – daytime hike – picnic and movie