Holy Spirit 11 – The Promised Spirit

The aim of this devotional study is to consider the significance of the Indwelling Spirit ina believer.

Scripture

Galatians 3:1-14

1  O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.  2  Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3  Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? 4  Did you suffer so many things in vain–if indeed it was in vain? 5  Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith– 6  just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7  Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8  And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9  So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

10  For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11  Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” 12  But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13  Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us–for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”– 14  so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

Observation and reflection

Context: Paul’s letter to the Galatians was written to correct false teachings (by a sect known as the Judaizers) that believers ought to uphold the Old Testament sacramental or ceremonial law (including male circumcision and observing Sabbath) to be righteous before God.

1. What is Paul’s main argument that the believers in Galatia did not have to observe any sacramental or ceremonial Law to be right in God’s eyes?
2. How and when did the Galatian church members “receive the Spirit”? (verse 2-3)
3. What was a sign that these believers received the Holy Spirit? (verse 5)
4. Abraham is known as the “father of faith”. Why would Paul use him as example in his argument against the need for observing the Jewish sacramental or ceremonial laws?
5. Paul refers to “the Promised Holy Spirit” For the Old Testament Jew, what would the promised indwelling Spirit be a sign of? (You might want to refer to Jeremiah 31:33-34)

Personal reflection and Application

Paul argued that believers received the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus’ substitutionary suffering and death on the cross as a sign of the New Covenant, and therefore believers need not need to fulfill any Old Testament ceremonial or sacramental law to please God.

1. When did you come to faith in Christ? Or when were you born again?
2. How do you know you are born again?
3. How do you experience the work of the Holy Spirit in your life?
4. What is the proof in your life that you have received the Holy Spirit of God?

Prayer

Thank God for the gift of freedom and acceptance in the Holy Spirit.  Then pray as your heart leads you in response to the Scripture today.

Covenant 3 – The Old and The New

The aim of this devotional study is to reflect on Paul’s comparison between the Old and the New Covenant.

Observations

2 Corinthians 3:6-18

6  [God] has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

7  Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, 8  will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? 9  For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory.

10  Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it.  11  For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.  12  Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,  13  not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end.

14  But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.  15  Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.  16  But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.  17  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

18  And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Observations and reflections

Context:  Paul contrasts the New Covenant in Christ to the Old Covenant through Moses.  It is helpful to consider announcements of the two covenants as in these two cases

Exodus 31:18  And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

Jeremiah 31:33  But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel… I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God, they my people.

1. Read through 1 Corinthians 3 and make a comparative table

Old Covenant	New Covenant
Letter	?
Kills	?
Ministry of death	?
On stone	?
Temporal glory	?
Ministry of condemnation	?
No glory	?
Shame of fading glory	?

2. What does Paul mean with the phrases “ministry of condemnation” and “ministry of righteousness”?
3. Jeremiah’s prophesy promised “the law within them… [written] on their hearts”? [Jeremiah 31:33] How?
4. What was the basis of the Old Testament? (What was the conditions of the Old Covenant or Pledge?) How was it managed?
5. What is the basis of the New Testament (or the New Covenant) according to this Scripture? How is it managed?
6. What does Paul say about the glory between the Old and New covenants? What does that mean?
7. What is the sign of the New Covenant at work? (v17)

Personal reflection

In which ways can you identify the following in your relationship with God:

A. “condemnation”: a feeling of being in trouble when you are found to behave wrong.

vs “righteousness”: a sense of being tested and approved of, being found acceptable

B. “law on stones”: measuring yourself based on what you are taught in Mosaic Law

vs “law on heart”: testing your motives based on the conviction of the Spirit

C. “ministry of death”: fear of failing God’s standards and threat of hell

vs “ministry of life”: anticipation for Jesus’ return to receive the fullness of our salvation – life with God forever

D. “veiled by Moses”: all you know about God is what he expects through the knowledge of the Law

vs “freedom in the Spirit”: a relational knowledge of God’s heart and will through the Holy Spirit.

Application and prayer

Considering your answers above, pray to God for a revelation of the New Covenant in Christ, assuring God’s satisfaction and our forgiveness and righteousness based on His shed blood.

This worship song will greatly enhance your time of prayer and reflection. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvLxZEU02uI]

Knowing God 5

The Aim of this devotional study is to see how in Christ we can fully know God, and how Christ in us can represent God to the world.

Scripture

John 1:1-18 (ESV)

1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  2  He was in the beginning with God….

9  The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.  10  He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.  11  He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.  12  But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13  who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth… 16  For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

17  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  18  No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Observation

1. What does this text reveal about Jesus Christ?
2. According to this section from John, what are the reasons why Jesus came to earth?
3. Throughout John’s gospel we read references to the Old Testament. This is very deliberate.  Compare verses 17-18 with Psalm 89:14  “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face.”  Note the similarity in sentence structure and nouns – it seems like a deliberate comparison.  Write down what you notice and deduce the author wants to communicate.
4. Now compare verse 18 with 1 John 4:12

1 John 4:11-12 “11  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”

Application

1. If Jesus came to reveal God the Father to us, how would you describe God’s character/ nature (in 5 points)? Think of the life of Jesus before you write down anything.
2. Considering 1 John 4:12, how can you represent God to the world?
3. What will you do today to represent God to the world?
4. 

Prayer

Pray sincerely to know God and represent him well, as His Son Jesus did.