Oct 15, 2017
Ever since the fall, mankind has been attempt to restore their broken fellowship with God by trying to do things to please Him. Even as man eventually created false gods to replace the one true God, they still felt obligated to keep that god pleased by offering sacrifices and paying homage. Measuring up has been and continues to be a full-time job for men and women. It shows up in all kinds of way. We try to find success through everything from sports and work to relationships. We feel the constant pressure to do more and work harder to impress others, so that we might be accepted and achieve some measure of success in our lives. For Paul, the arrival of Jesus onto the stage of human history was a game-changer. Gone were the days of striving and attempting to earn favor with God through self-effort. For Paul, as a good Jew and former Pharisee, the old covenant of the Mosaic law had been the primary way in which men attempted to get back into and remain in God’s good graces. But it had failed miserably. All the law did was expose man’s sin. It couldn’t get rid of it. But the new covenant, based on Jesus’ death and the shedding of His blood, makes it possible for men to be set free from slavery to sin and provides them with the power to live in obedience to His will. Today’s episode is based on 2 Corinthians 3:7-18.