2Co 3:7-10 “But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.”
We rejoice today in living in this kingdom of grace. It is a source of great peace to realize that we are no longer under the bondage of the law. Sometimes, we are tempted to think of the law as being a bad thing. We forget that the law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Gal 3:24-25).
While the law was the ministration (service) of death, it was still glorious (honorable, dignified). If even the service of death was glorious to God’s covenant people, we should be able to realize how low our estate truly was. The glory of the Lawgiver (who caused the law to be glorious) was such that God’s covenant people could not look upon the face of His minister. When we first understood the righteousness of God in relation to our own sinfulness, we found ourselves in a place where we could not look unflinchingly (steadfastly) on the face of whomever it was that God sent to us to declare His glory.
Thank God, the service of death was never meant to last. The glory of that service was to be done away (rendered ineffective). If it were not so, we would have no hope in God. With the doing away of the law service, something better was ushered in. If the service that was rendered ineffective was glorious, then we should realize that the service of life that replaced it we even more glorious.
The service of condemnation was (and until we are brought to understand grace) and is glorious. It is glorious because it is imbued with the honor and righteousness of One who is infallible. It is glorious (honorable) because it rightly condemns us in our sins. Praise be to God, there is a service that exceeds the service of condemnation.
There is for us a service of righteousness when the truth of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are revealed in us. This service is not found in our own righteousness (which is as filthy rags), but rather comes from the imputed righteousness of the only begotten Son of God. His righteousness, attributed by His authority to His children, exceeds the glory of the ministration of death.
He fulfilled all the requirements of the ministration of death. His love and glory are sufficient to overcome all our sins and iniquities. Being washed clean in the righteous blood of Jesus Christ, we are made able ministers of this kingdom of grace. Just as the light of the sun dims the light of the moon into invisibility, so the glory of the ministration of righteousness overcomes the ministration of death.
May we praise Him for His great love that caused Him to satisfy the ministration of death so that we might be partakers of the ministration of the spirit!
