Once More on Bondage versus Liberty
Abraham had two sons . . . which . . . are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage . . . and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children — but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all . . . So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free. Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. (Galatians 4:22-5:1)
In our present verses, the two sons of Abraham are in view. “Abraham had two sons.” Although these boys (Ishmael and Isaac) were actual historical characters, they represent a spiritual allegory: “which . . . are symbolic.” These two sons present a vivid historical illustration of law and grace. “For these are the two covenants.”
Ishmael, the first of Abraham’s sons, pictures a life of self-sufficiency under the law: “the one from Mount Sinai.” Such an approach to life produces spiritual bondage: “which gives birth to bondage.” The citizens of earthly Jerusalem are also given as an example: “and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.” When Paul wrote Galatians, the Roman Empire held the city of Jerusalem in oppressive bondage. Abraham and Sarah trusted in their human ingenuity, using Hagar to bear their child. Thus, Ishmael was born, a child of fleshly bondage.
This is what our lives are like when we try to produce a Christian life by our own sufficiency. We are placing ourselves under the law (performance-based living). This is a path of spiritual bondage. We can only bring forth “fleshly Ishmaels.”
Isaac, the second of Abraham’s sons, is a portrait of living under grace. God’s sufficiency is now our source. Isaac was born by God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises. Trusting in God’s faithfulness produces spiritual freedom. Heavenly Jerusalem is the example here. “The Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.” We who follow Christ have been born again with new life from above. New Jerusalem is the “hometown” to which we are headed. Spiritual freedom characterizes such citizens from above. “So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.” The Lord calls us to live by the liberating grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, renouncing all inclinations toward the bondage of self-sufficient legalism. “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”
Dear God of all faithfulness, forgive me for all the “Ishmaels” that I have birthed by trusting in myself. That has always produced bondage. I want to live by Your grace, trusting in Your faithfulness and walking in true spiritual liberty. Through Christ I pray, Amen.

Liberty by the Holy Spirit
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2Co_3:17)
As we have seen, the old covenant of law produces spiritual bondage in those who attempt to live under it. The great heavenly remedy for that bondage is the new covenant of grace, because it produces spiritual liberty. This liberty is a work of the Holy Spirit. “Now the Lord is the Spirit.” The life-giving Lord of grace is the Spirit of God: “the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2Co_3:6).
Living by rules and regulations (“of the letter”) has a deadening, binding spiritual effect on people. This is how the Pharisee’s “ministered.” “For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders” (Mat_23:4). Jesus came to liberate people, to set them free. This is why Jesus ministered by the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luk_4:18). As Jesus, the Son of God, humbly served the Father, the Holy Spirit empowered Him to rescue captives, to release the oppressed.
Rescuing people from sin and unrighteousness is the fundamental, liberating work of Jesus. “And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Rom_6:18). Now, we are free to grow in a life of righteousness. Our newfound freedom is not for personal indulgence. It is for the serving the Lord. “As free, yet not using your liberty as a cloak for vice, but as servants of God” (1Pe_2:16). Now that we are free, we can use our freedom to lovingly minister to others. “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal_5:13).
Another wonder of Christ’s rescuing, liberating work is that He wants to save us from self-dependent striving to develop a life of godliness and loving service. He accomplishes this by the work of the Holy Spirit. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom_8:2). As we walk in humble dependence, the Holy Spirit imparts to us the life that is in Christ Jesus. This liberates us from the tendency to rely upon fleshly human resources, which are inadequate (due to sin and spiritual deadness).
Dear God of all spiritual liberation, I praise You for setting me free from sin and the service of self. Now I ask You to work in and through me by Your Holy Spirit, setting me free from self-striving in my service of You, in Jesus name, Amen.

The Exceedingly Abundant Ability of God
“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)”
In light of God being our sufficiency for the development of godly characteristics, this benedictory prayer in Ephesians 3 becomes an appropriate and instructive response.

It begins with the most critical issue for living the Christian life, the ability of God: “Now to Him who is able.” Natural religious thinking would set forth the ability of man as the most vital matter in developing a godly life. Such an approach would leave us striving vainly under the law, attempting to live up to God’s perfect standards by our own inadequate resources. Praise be to God, there is a heavenly, effective option: relying upon God’s ability.

Think of the immeasurable ability of the Lord. “Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You” (Jeremiah 32:17). He created the entire universe. Certainly, by His power He is able to strengthen us. “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” (Jeremiah 32:27). Our Lord rules over all of humanity. Surely, He is able to manage our lives. Actually, our God is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Everything we could ask concerning His will, He is able to do far beyond that. Whatever we might contemplate but hesitate to ask, He is able to surpass that.

One amazing aspect of God exercising His ability on our behalf is the imparting of His power within our lives: “according to the power that works in us.” This is how the Lord wants to develop godliness in our lives. He Himself desires to work by the power of His grace deep within our hearts. “For it is good that the heart be established by grace” (Hebrews 13:9). Again, the Christian life is not affected from the outside in, hoping to modify our behavior by external religious pressures. Rather, it involves a true change of character within, affected by God Himself. This is how God is ultimately glorified in the lives of His people: “to Him be glory in the church.” He works a genuine transformation of life in and through us. Then, we give Him the glory for His exceedingly abundant ability.
“Lord God of exceeding abundance, I worship You as the one who is able to do all things well. Forgive me for repeatedly turning to my ability. Lord, as I seek You in Your word, build my faith. Unleash the powerful life of Your Son within my heart, making me what You want me to be, through Christ I pray, Amen.”

The Letter versus the Spirit
[God] also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. (2Co_3:6)
The “letter versus the Spirit” is another contrast between living by the old covenant or by the new. This is another choice that determines whether we are functioning by man’s sufficiency or by God’s.
A life that is being developed “of the letter” is one that is built on rules and regulations. We cannot become a child of God by rules. We cannot develop our lives as God’s children by regulations. No list of demands (including even the law of God itself) could ever bring us, or develop for us, a life with God. All rules and regulations (including God’s law) come without resource. They are a list of requirements, not a supply of adequacy. They call for an observable response. They provide no power to produce the required effect.
Consider circumcision, which was required by the law of God for the Israelites. “And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised” (Lev_12:3). This was to be a sign acting as a reminder to God’s people that they were His. Implementing that regulation did not inherently change the life of any Jew. Physical, external circumcision (that is, circumcision “by the letter”) did not make a change in the heart of the one circumcised. It takes an inner working of God to produce a true child of God (in Romans 2 language, a “true Jew”). “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and not in the letter.” (Rom_2:28-29). God births His children and develops their lives through a work in their hearts by the Holy Spirit.
The kingdom of heaven is “of the Spirit.” It is not about external “do’s and dont’s” (such as, whether to follow the standard of God’s law concerning certain foods). “For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom_14:17). Entrance into God’s family, as well as development as God’s children, does not hinge on following various regulations. Rather, it is about the Holy Spirit supplying heavenly blessings in the hearts of those who trust in the Lord. Life with God is always “of the Spirit ” (God’s sufficiency), not “of the letter” (man’s sufficiency).
Father, I admit a tendency to reduce life with You to following regulations. Help me to live by the work of Your Spirit within my heart. Through Christ I pray, Amen.

Tablets of Stone versus Human Hearts
You are manifestly an epistle of Christ . . . written . . . not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. (2Co_3:3)
The old covenant of law was written upon “tablets of stone.” The new covenant of grace is written upon “tablets . . . of the heart.” This is another vital contrast between the old and new covenants. This difference again decides whether we draw upon man’s sufficiency or upon God’s.
The old covenant message of God’s law was written on stones. It called man to holiness, as measured by the character of God. “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” (Lev_19:2). The message is magnificent. However, its impact would be limited (by design), since it was written on “tablets of stone.” It was inscribed upon an inanimate object that was external to human lives. Consequently, it could not bring life or any provision for transforming lives. The law would function as a perfect standard, revealing our unholiness and convicting us that we needed the help that only Jesus Christ could offer. We needed some means to get the perfect message of the law (holiness) into our innermost being. This is what the new covenant of grace accomplishes.
The new covenant message of God’s grace is written on human hearts: “on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.” Grace not only forgives our failure before the law, but it goes to work to develop personal holiness at the very core of our being. This was the promise God gave through His prophets of old, that He would put His holy law into peoples’ hearts. The book of Hebrews applies this promise to all believers in Jesus Christ. “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts” (Heb_10:16).
What hope we have through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! Now, God brings His holiness from an outside standard to an internal resource. Now, the Lord is making His holy demands an internal part of our being. God is stirring holy desires in us. God is developing holy priorities within us and providing spiritual strength within us to walk in more and more godliness. “It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phi_2:13).
O Holy Father, I would be hopeless, if Your perfect standard remained outside of me, demanding holiness by my performance. Thank You for bringing Your holy will inside of my life, providing internal resource for living and growing in godliness. Lord, I look to You to transform me from the inside out, in Jesus name, Amen.

Old Covenant or New, Man’s Sufficiency or God’s
(God) also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit . . . But their minds were hardened. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament [old covenant], because the veil is taken away in Christ. (2Co_3:6, 2Co_3:14)
We have seen that godly characteristics develop in our lives through the working of God’s grace within us. We now begin a closely related subject: a contrast between living by the old covenant or the new (by law or by grace). The ongoing choices we make here determine whether we will be living by man’s sufficiency or by God’s. Various contrasting terms that describe these significant choices are set forth in the third chapter of 2 Corinthians. Verses 6 and 14 set the basic context, differences between the new covenant and the old: “[God] also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant . . . For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament [old covenant] .”
One of the drastic differences between living by the old covenant or the new is seen in verse 3: “You are manifestly an epistle of Christ . . . written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God” (2Co_3:3). People write letters on paper, using ink to record the message. God writes His message in people’s lives, using His Spirit as the instrument. What a vivid contrast, “ink” versus “the Spirit of the living God.” Ink is a natural resource. It is available to all humankind, regardless of their relationship with God. Ink is not a life-giving or life-developing entity. It is a mere element of the kingdom of man. When we chose to live by the old covenant (the law), the only resources we have to draw upon are natural human resources. We are writing our own letter of life, and we have selected man’s sufficiency, not God’s. Such resources are as spiritually powerless as ink.
On the other hand, those who live by the new covenant of grace have the Holy Spirit as their supplier to bring forth the mighty, heavenly, sufficiency of God. Think of the radical difference, ink versus the Holy Spirit. God wants us relying on His Spirit. He wants us living by God’s sufficiency, not ours.
Dear Lord, You know how I often rely upon that which has no more spiritual power than ink. I hope in my ingenuity, my resolve, my personality, my tenacity – - myself. Lord, I want to be in Your word regularly, learning to rely upon You to work powerfully in my life by Your Holy Spirit, Amen.

Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew [it] not.

Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am
I in the midst of them.–Lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto
the end of the world.–My presence shall go [with thee], and I
will give thee rest.

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee
from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou [art] there:
if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou [art there].–[Am] I a
God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any
hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith
the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.

Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee;
how much less this house that I have builded?–Thus saith the
high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name [is]
Holy; I dwell in the high and holy [place], with him also [that
is] of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the
humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.–Ye are
the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in
them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people.

Ge 28:16 Mt 18:20 28:20 Ex 33:14 Ps 139:7,8 Jer 23:23,24
1Ki 8:27 Isa 57:15 2Co 6:16

The Source of Our Sufficiency
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God . . . [We] have no confidence in the flesh . . . I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (2Co_3:5-6; Phi_3:3; and Phi_4:13)
We have been considering how God’s grace develops traits of godliness in our lives. Such studies are related to finding the source of our sufficiency. Where are believers in Jesus Christ supposed to find adequate resources for living godly lives? The scriptures answer this question in a two-fold manner. First, God wants us to realize that we are not the source of anything that is needed. Second, God wants us to understand that He is the source of everything that is needed.
Our inadequacy is the first matter the Lord desires to clarify for us. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves.” Our own personal inadequacy is so comprehensive that we cannot expect that anything godly or eternal will source from us. We do not have any resources that can save a soul, transform a life, or cause the Lord’s church to be edified. This is a drastically different perspective on life than what we initially held. Man’s natural mind assumes that we must be the source of all that is needed for daily living. God’s word repeatedly warns us not to adopt this viewpoint. The Psalmists proclaimed such. “Vain is the help of man . . . Do not put your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help” (Psa_108:12; Psa_146:3). Jesus elaborated on this theme. “Without Me you can do nothing” (Joh_15:5). Paul taught the same. ” [We] have no confidence in the flesh (that is, in human resources) .”
God’s adequacy is the second matter that He wants to clarify for us. “Our sufficiency is from God.” As surely as we are totally inadequate to supply what we need for life, God is fully adequate to be our comprehensive source for living. The Psalmist understood this corollary truth as well. “Through God we will do valiantly, For it is He who shall tread down our enemies . . . Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them” (Psa_108:13; Psa_146:5-6). Jesus offered the same sufficient provisions. “He who abides in Me . . . bears much fruit” (Joh_15:5). Paul testified of the same reality. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” God is the source of our sufficiency in all that pertains to developing godly characteristics.
Dear Lord, my sufficiency, I repent of my frequent tendency to look to myself to find personal adequacy. How vain and hopeless that is. Lord, teach me to hope in You for everything I need for godly living, in Jesus name, Amen.

How the Characteristics of Grace Appear
And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant. (2Co_ 3:4-6)
We have been considering some characteristics that God wants to develop in our lives by His grace: namely, triumphant living, a fragrance of Christ, godly sincerity, and becoming living letters of Christ. How do these appear in our lives in an ever-increasing manner? As Paul wrote on these wonderful descriptions of godly living, his heart was stirred to ask, “And who is sufficient for these things? ” (2Co_2:16). Paul fully realized that man cannot produce these realities. Human resources are inadequate.
These heavenly traits grow in those who are living by the terms of the new covenant (humbly trusting in God, not in ourselves). ” And we have such trust through Christ toward God.” Paul’s confidence in exhibiting these spiritual qualities of life was directed toward God, based upon the relationship that is available in Jesus Christ. This is not self-confidence; it is God-confidence. God must produce these characteristics.
There is no room for believers to trust in themselves. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves,” We are not the source of any of these wonderful traits of godly living. They must all come from God at work in us. “Our sufficiency is from God.” When we live in humble dependency, the Lord’s supply becomes our needed sufficiency. “Our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant.”
Yes, new covenant servants live by the grace of God. Consequently, their sufficiency is what the Lord Himself supplies! This is precisely what God promised of old through His prophets. “I will make a new covenant . . . I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts” (Jer_31:31, Jer_31:33). God inscribes these spiritual traits upon the inner man (the heart and the mind) by His grace. The results are these characteristics of godliness develop in our lives.
Again, we are looking at living by humility and faith. “God . . . gives grace to the humble” (Jam_4:6). Also, faith accesses grace: “through whom [that is, the Lord Jesus Christ] also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand” (Rom_5:2).
O Holy Father, I long to grow in these godly traits. I am not sufficient to produce them by my resources. My only hope is to be changed by You from the inside out. I humbly bow before You. With confidence in You, I ask that You unleash Your grace upon my heart and mind, as I seek You in Your word. Through Christ my Lord, I pray, Amen.

A Fragrance of Christ to Every Person
Now thanks be to God who . . . through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death to death, and to the other the aroma of life to life. (2Co_2:14-16)
The fragrance of Christ is one of the great characteristics that God wants to build into our lives by His grace. “Now thanks be to God who . . . through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge.” This spiritual aroma, which results from getting to know the Lord, blesses the heart of God. “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ.” The Father loves to see the life of His Son being expressed in and through our humanity, even though this requires our dying to self. “For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh” (2Co_4:11).
As we are getting to know the Lord more and more, our God is not the only one who is impacted. This spiritual aroma of Christ impacts every person we meet. “God . . . through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” This includes both the saved and the unsaved. “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.”
This fragrance affects those who know the Lord: “the fragrance of Christ . . . among those who are being saved.” For those who are enjoying life in Christ, that heavenly scent in our lives is “the aroma of life to life.” Christ’s fragrance in us draws them to seek in abundance that life which they have entered.
This spiritual scent also influences those who do not yet know our Lord: “the fragrance of Christ . . . among those who are perishing.” To them it is “the aroma of death to death.” They are dead in their sins, and this aroma makes them more aware of their deadness, more aware of their need for Christ.
When this fragrance is emanating from our lives, we are not the cause. God is the active agent, working in and through us to bring forth this heavenly scent. “Now thanks be to God who . . . through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge.” This work of God’s grace is available to us every day we live and every place we go: “the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.”
Father God, I long to know You more and more. I want to have this fragrance of Christ emanating up to You and out to every one I meet. I praise You that this a work that You do by Your grace. So, I humbly bow, trusting You to work in me this way, through Christ, my Lord, Amen.