A Servant of the Letter and a Servant of the Spirit

A Servant of the Letter and a Servant of the Spirit

God chose Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and made them into a great nation in Egypt. He took them from the midst of another nation by signs, by wonders, by war, and by a mighty hand. Deut. 4:34.

He led them to Sinai where He gave them the law written on tablets of stone. God revealed Himself so mightily and made Moses so great by speaking to him out of the cloud, that the people feared. Heb. 12:18-21. The law brought them into bondage, but if they were obedient, they would be blessed, and they would become the head of all the nations. Deut. 28. That was the earthly Israel. But when Moses descended from the mountain, three thousand of them were killed.

This teaches us that nothing of what God does is of any help if people are not tired of their own sin. The law was given so that they might know sin (Rom. 7:7), and so that the offense might abound. Rom. 5:20. The rich man desired that Lazarus might be raised from the dead so that his brothers could come to faith. Abraham replied that that would be useless.

The law came with Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. John 1:17. Jesus came with the gospel, but he also performed signs and wonders. Matt. 11:5-6. He began His message by saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven . . . . Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Matt. 5.

The law on stone tablets gave them riches for the body, and most of the people were satisfied with that. However, Jesus came with the kingdom of heaven—with riches for our spirit. The rich young ruler had kept the commandments from his youth; consequently he had also experienced the fulfillment of the promises. Nevertheless, he felt that he lacked something. When he heard the heavenly calling and what it cost, he went away sorrowful. He had been offered perfection and treasures in heaven.

There were some people who were upright, who strove to keep the commandments. Jesus invited these people to come to Him and learn from Him, because He was meek and lowly in heart, and then they would find rest for their souls. Matt. 11:28-30. “The Spirit Himself witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” Rom. 8:15-16.

When we serve in the newness of the Spirit, covetousness, which is aroused by the law, is put to death, so we can bear fruit to God. Rom. 7:4-6. This is a life that is hidden with Christ in God. The death that kills covetousness is called the death of Jesus. That is what transpired in Jesus in the days of His flesh and which made possible what was impossible for the law. Now it is also possible for us if we do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Rom. 8:3-4; 2 Cor. 4:10-11.

The ministry of the law was also called the ministry of death. This was the ministry the Pharisees practiced when they came with the woman who was caught in adultery. But Jesus came with the gospel and proclaimed a new life to her.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” In the next verse we read about the liberty we have in the Spirit. “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.” 2 Cor. 3:17-18; 4:1-2.

By serving in the newness of the Spirit, our bodies are set free from conscious sins (Gal. 5:19-21), and we can manifest the fruit of the Spirit with our bodies. V. 22. Imagine what a liberation and redemption that is for our bodies, and what a heavenly fullness for our spirits. Then we have become servants of God, and we have our fruit to sanctification. Rom. 6:22.

“And holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Heb. 12:14. Throughout the entire chapter we can see how God works with us as true sons so that we may be partakers of His holiness. Vs. 10-11.

But now we have come to Mount Zion, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, etc. Vs. 22-24. There we no longer need to be frightened by signs and wonders as they experienced at Mount Sinai. We have a heavenly calling, and we have Jesus as our forerunner and High Priest. Heb. 3:1; 6:18-20.

Thousands followed Jesus so they could experience healing and see signs and wonders, but only very few wanted to follow Him as disciples. Luke 14:25-27, 33. God at the first took out a people from among the Gentiles through the gospel. Afterwards He will return and rebuild the tabernacle of David which had fallen down “‘so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’ says the Lord who does all these things.” Acts 15:13-17.

Now we live in this time of transition. While God is gathering together the fullness of a people from among the Gentiles, He has begun to gather the earthly Israel in the Promised Land, even while He is liberating the earthly Jerusalem. Rom. 11:25-29. Consequently we understand that the time of grace for the Gentles will soon end, and those who respond to the heavenly calling will be gathered with Jesus in the clouds and will be spared from God’s wrath that will come over the Antichrist and lawlessness. 1 Thess. 4:15-18, also 5:1-4, 8-11. Before the Day of the Lord will come when Jesus will consume Antichrist with the breath of His mouth and establish the Millennium, the Antichrist will have a short time during which he will deceive those who do not love the truth but take pleasure in unrighteousness.

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders . . . .” 2 Thess. 2:9. However, not everyone is deceived by Satan’s lies, because they are too base. These are all the religious people who do not love the truth but who have adulterated grace to merely forgiveness for sins and as a result have not been set free from sin. Therefore God will also send them strong delusions so they should believe the lie. Tit. 2:11-13; 2 Thess. 2.

If we love the truth and do not run after signs and wonders, we cannot be led astray; but we will rather have a share with the ones we read about in 2 Thessalonians 2:13-17.