The Glory Of The Gospel

THE GLORY OF THE GOSPEL

Text: 2 Corinthians 3:6-11

Intro: Paul is showing the superiority of the new covenant over the old covenant.

Many people refuse to be used by God because they think of

themselves as "not ready." But in a sense, we are never ready or worthy.

If we were, the sufficiency would be in ourselves, not from God.

_____Guzik

Romans 7:5,6 (GW) While we were living under the influence

of our corrupt nature, sinful passions were at work throughout

our bodies. Stirred up by Moses’ laws, our sinful passions did

things that result in death. But now we have died to those laws

that bound us. God has broken their effect on us so that we are

serving in a new spiritual way, not in an old way dictated by written words.

The Spirit is given to us as the law written on our hearts.

He is in us to guide us and be our "law."

It isn’t that the Holy Spirit replaces the written law,

but completes and fulfills the work of the written law in our hearts.

The Spirit gives life, and with this spiritual life we can live the law of God.

The Spirit makes us alive to the letter, fulfilling and completing the work

of the the letter in us.

Illustration: Sometime back the Associated Press carried this dispatch: "Glasgow, Ky.--Leslie Puckett, after struggling to start his car, lifted the hood and discovered that someone had stolen the motor." Trying to start anything without the Spirit of God is an exercise in futility. We are reliant on the Holy Spirit for the power to start up each new day, each new project and each new relationship.

Theme: Ministers of the new covenant: The idea of a new covenant was prophesied

in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 31:31)

and put into practice by Jesus (Luke 22:19-20).

Romans 11:22, "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: ..."

THE CHARACTER OF

OF THE GOSPEL.

1. Spiritual.

2. Progressive.

3. Intrinsic.

4. Immortal.

5. Luminous.

6. Inviting. (W. W. Wythe.)

THE EXCELLENT GLORY

THE MOSAIC DISPENSATION.

1. Sensuous.

2. Stationary.

3. Artificial.

4. Transitory.

5. Shadowy.

6. Dangerous.

DEFINITION OF LEGALISM

Michael Brown in his book, "Go And Sin No More" tells the story about two

farmers who had a talk about Christianity.

One of the farmers was a Christian and he was asked by the other one,

"Well, what does it mean to be a Christian?"

The man replied, "I don’t drink, smoke or run around with women."

The other farmer then said, "Well, my mule must be a Christian because my mule

doesn’t drink, smoke, or run around with women."

That’s how it makes Christianity sound to many a sinner.

The Encyclopedia of Jewish Religion says, "Legalism is the preference of

legal norms and rules above moral and spiritual values."

Pastor Richard Dresselhaus says, "It is the persuasion that acceptance with God is

predicated on man’s ability to keep the laws of God, so that salvation is earned, deserved, and merited.

I. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE LAW

II. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE GOSPEL

III. THE SUPERIOR GLORY OF THE GOSPEL ABOVE THAT OF THE LAW

I. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE LAW

A. “The ministration of condemnation.”

B. “The ministration of death.” Its sentence is a death sentence. “The soul

that sinneth, it shall die.” Now from the execution of this sentence the law

provides no resource. Sacrifices for sin, it is true, were provided raider the

Mosaic dispensation; but they were merely typical of that great sacrifice for

sin, which was to form a part of another and more glorious dispensation.

“It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away

sins.”

C. The ministry of death: Was it wrong to call the old covenant the ministry of death?

No, because that is what the law does to us: it slays us as guilty sinners before God,

so we can be resurrected by the new covenant. Not that the problem was with the law,

but with us: the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our

members to bear fruit to death. (Romans 7:5)

illu: Trapp on the ministry of death:

"David was the voice of the law awarding death to sin, ’He shall surely die.’

Nathan was the voice of the gospel awarding life to repentance for sin,

’Thou shalt not die.’"

II. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE GOSPEL

A. It is the “ministration of righteousness,” because it provides for the

believing sinner a complete satisfaction for the offences he has committed

against the law of God, and an obedience perfectly commensurate with its

demands, and so saves him from condemnation and death.

B. It is “the ministration of Spirit,” because of the great outpouring of the