Today we continue to teach on our overall theme for the year: “GREAT FREEDOM.” We studied 2 Corinthians 3 for a few weeks. Today we cross over to chapter 4. Let’s look at the first verse from The Passion Translation.
(2 Corinthians 4:1 TPT)
“Now, it’s because of God’s mercy that we have been entrusted with the privilege of this new covenant ministry. And we will not quit or faint with weariness.”
So what does this mean for you today? A few things.
1. Jesus ushered us into a New Covenant and this New Covenant make us FREE!
a) The FREEDOM I am talking about is the FREEDOM Jesus died to provide us. Jesus ushered us into a New Covenant. In this New Covenant, we are truly free. We are no longer bound. We are not bound by the limits of this world. We are no longer bound by our sin. Sin has no power over us. We are not bound by our humanity. We are not mere humans anymore. We are humans who are walking around with God on the inside of us. All bets are off! Are limits are gone! Everything is possible! Why? Because God can do all things! Since He can do all things, we can do all things, because He lives in us! This is the mindset we now get to live with, and living with this mindset changes everything!
b) Learning to see yourself and your future the way God does will change the trajectory of your life! Because how you see yourself and whatever is in front of you (opportunity, challenge, etc.) will either limit you or take the limits off your life!
2. We have been entrusted with a New Covenant ministry. The Bible says, “Now, it’s because of God’s mercy that we have been entrusted with the privilege of this new covenant ministry. And we will not quit or faint with weariness.” (2 Corinthians 4:1 TPT)
a) As Born-Again believers, we have been entrusted with this New Covenant ministry. We don’t deserve it. God did not enter us into this covenant by merit. The text says that He did it by mercy. He did it because of His amazing grace. This goodness is unearned. This Covenant is almost too good to be true. But it is true! Jesus did what we could not do (pay for our sin). Why? So that we could spend the remainder of our days doing what He did (operating int he supernatural). As Jesus is, so are we, in this world! (1 John 4:17).
b) Jesus did not just come from heaven so we could go there. Jesus brought heaven down to the earth, so that we could experience heaven on earth daily! We are supposed to live like He did. We are human conduits of the divine!
c) Once you are in Christ and you are filled with God’s Spirit, you are beyond human. You are living with a God who has NO LIMITS living on the inside of you. God did not do this because you are good. He did this because He is good and His power is now made available to you by His grace!
3. Getting a true revelation of the New Covenant will empower you to live with a “NO QUIT” mentality. The Bible says, “Now, it’s because of God’s mercy that we have been entrusted with the privilege of this new covenant ministry. And we will not quit or faint with weariness.” (2 Corinthians 4:1 TPT)
a) When we think about all God did for us in Jesus and what He provided in the New Covenant — God’s goodness, His power, His Spirit, His grace, His favor, the forgiveness of sin, and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, etc. — Paul said, “…we will not quit or faint with weariness.” There is no way I can quit, or faint, or grow weary when I realize that I am forgiven of sin and have the privilege of walking around housing the glory of the Lord inside of my body! This is certainly a New Covenant. The Old Covenant was not like this. They had to visit glory! We get to carry glory! And Paul taught us that the more time we spend looking at this glory, the more we are CHANGED into God’s very same image. This happens from glory to glory, to glory! We are continually being CHANGED to look and act like God. As we are being CHANGED into God’s image, there is no way we should quit, or faint or grow weary!
b) In chapter 3 Paul compared the glory of the Old Covenant with the glory of the New. He said the Old Covenant had glory, but this new one has every more glory. We have a glory that does not fade away. We are not supposed to put a veil over this glory. We are supposed let this glory out. We are called to allow this glory to be put on display. And when we look at the glory that we are housing in the inside of us, we are CHANGED Into that very same image. We are continually changed and this process of becoming more and more like God will repeat itself for the rest of our lives! That’s a blessing!
c) Paul opens 2 Corinthians 4 by telling us that: 1) we do not deserve this! God is better to us than we deserve. And 2) Since God has been so good to us, we don’t quit, we don’t faint and we never grow weary!
d) I am telling you that this year you are going to learn to LIVE FREE! You are FREE from everything that has ever had you bound. This is your season! This is your time! The wait is over! Freedom is here! Nothing can stop you! Nothing is holding you back! You are FREE to be the man/woman God has called you to be! You are walking around with the GLORY of God on the inside of you. Say, “AMEM” to that!
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank You for sending Jesus to die for me. He ushered us unto a New Covenant and I am ready to embrace everything He died to provide me. Because of Jesus, I am forgiven of sin. Sin has no power over me. Because of Jesus, I am filled with Your precious Holy Spirit. You live in me and all of Your glory is now housed in my being. I am the container. You are the content. I get to carry around Your GLORY! I spend time with the Holy Spirit. As I do, You reveal Your GLORY to me, and as You do, I am CHANGED into that very same image. Knowing this, there is no way I will ever quit or faint, or grow weary! Because I am renewed day by day, spending time in Your presence, and basking in Your glory! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
