Christ in us the hope of glory.
It’s never Christ plus something, it’s only ever about the Spirit of God living through us. 2 Cor 3
Paul speaks much to the Corinthian Church about their position as New Covenant believers. He keeps talking about the Spirit(of God) within them/us instead of obeying Law.
You yourselves are our letter(Living Letter), written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. 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. 2 Cor 3:3
We are also a letter from Christ to the world of our day; God has written on our hearts by His Spirit. The old saying, ‘people who don’t or won’t read their Bible will read our lives’. People do read the lives of believers and we may be the only letter they’ll ever read, so it’s important that the Spirit of God is seen in us. It’s not about being legalistic and perfect all the time but having a different Spirit to those around us in the world.
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. 2 Cor 3:6. In 1 Cor 8:2 Paul says, ‘Knowledge PUFFS UP, BUT LOVE BUILDS UP’.
It’s not about what we know(which may actually make us conceited), it’s about who we are in Christ and how much His Spirit reigns in our lives that will touch those around us.
Paul goes on to talk about Moses and how the Israelites couldn’t look at his face because of the glory. He calls it the ‘ministry that condemns men’ and says ‘the new ministry that brings righteousness’.
Paul says there is a veil covering the hearts of those who hear the Law but don’t know Christ(how many religious people sit in churches today, dull of mind, with this veil over their hearts? We say ‘Gospel hardened’). ‘It(the veil) has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord the veil is taken away. 2 Cor3:14, 15.
Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, THERE IS FREEDOM(Praise God, we were made for freedom, not religion). And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect/contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being TRANSFORMED INTO HIS LIKENESS with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:17, 18.
Believers have true freedom in Christ and when His Spirit reigns in our lives, others will be touched for Him.
God bless and keep you today.