2 Corinthians 3:17 AMPC
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom).
The Spirit is fundamental to all that we are now or can ever hope to become. One of the ways to appreciate the power, impact and effect of the Spirit is to compare the dispensations under the old covenant and that of the new covenant. The old covenant required man to adhere to strict rules, and man was judged by the things he did. There was an emphasis on works, not faith, and there were sacrifices to be made and laws to be complied with. It is amazing how much glory came with the old covenant, even though the old covenant was passing away, and could not promote righteousness according to God's standard. Moses saw a bit of that glory, and we know how Israel came to know more of God by the way He related with Moses. It is still the same God; he seeks a relationship with me. He wants me to know and follow Him, and He wants to display His splendor in and through me. Will I let Him?
Like Israel of old, they knew about God, but did little to stay faithful. They focused so much on following the rules, and did little to strengthen their relationship with God. They read and followed the law, but unfortunately, that could not earn them salvation from sin. Only in Christ could the problem of sin be dealt with on a permanent basis. There is a veil that covers the heart when there is a focus on the law. The law seeks to keep men in perpetual bondage, with the law unable to provide a way of escape from sin. Christ is the answer to that question, and His Spirit has been given to all who have submitted their lives to Him. If I will access all that Christ is and has given, the secret is in the liberty that only Christ can give. A man can only give what He has. It cannot be faked.
Wherever Christ is allowed to work, there is impact. The law cannot give freedom of the Spirit, because it does not have it. It is as a man turns to the Lord that he gets access to the freedom of the Spirit. The natural man is under bondage, due to the power of inherited sin. He cannot deliver himself from sin, and he cannot save himself from the ordained consequences of sin. The natural man needs to have an encounter with the Spriit of God. The natural man must be delivered from the natural consequences of the natural birth. This is the spiritual birth, which happens when the earthly meets with the divine, and a work is done in the heart, which then is made manifest in the life. Nothing is more important. I will enjoy all that this life offers, but I do not have forever on this side of earth. Whilst I stil have time, I surrender my life to the Spirit and ask Him to do a work in me that will secure eternity with God. Have you surrendered? God's time of favour is here.
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