The Glorious New Covenant

Here is my summary of 2 Corinthians 3 on the glorious new covenant:

There is nothing like the glory of the life giving, non-condeming, righteousness-imparting, all-surpassing, everlasting, eye-opening, freedom-giving, life-transforming, Christ-exalting new covenant of the Spirit.

"Scan the book of Acts to find the Apostolic liturgy. You'll come up empty. What you will find are people moving in spontaneous obedience as they are propelled by the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit" - quote from Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire.

fruit of the Spirit

When I said last post that I would blog each day this week on the fruits of the Spirit, I forgot I would be away for 2 of those days and playing catch-up the rest of the week. Sorry.

In the upper room Jesus promises these very 3 things to His anxious disciples:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled(Jn 14:27)

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love 15:9

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 15:11

And Paul speaks of these very same qualities as benefits of being Christ in Romans 5:

Romans 5:5 - God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Rom. 5:2 - we rejoice in hope of the glory of God

Rom. 5:3 - and hope does not put us to shame

Finally in Romans 14:17 we read that the kingdom of God is a matter of "righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit".

SO, Jesus promised love, joy, peace, delivered them, and pours them out through His Holy Spirit. Enjoy!

fruit of the Spirit

Studying Galatians 6:22-23. Read in conjunction with FF Bruce, there are some real gems that help take you beyond the familiar "fruits of the Spirit" treatment you may associate with Sunday School:

I especially like SH Hookes comment on v. 23 - against such there is no law. We are in a sphere in which law has nothing to do. Law may prescribe certain forms of conduct and prohibit others, but love, joy, peace and the rest cannot be legally enforced.

A vine does not produce grapes by Act of Parliament; they are the fruit of the Vine's own life; So the conduct which conforms to the standard of the kingdom is not produced by any demand, not even God's, but it is the fruit of that divine nature which God gives as a result of what He has done in and by Christ.

WOW!

And I like W. Barclay on love: "Christian love springs to life when Christ is incarnated again in a man or woman who has given himself absolutley to Him."

I am preaching on Sunday around this and into Chapter 6, but my plan is blog each day for the next week in detail on the various fruits of the Spirit.