A MESSAGE AND REVELATION FROM GOD TO THE WORLD, I AM A SON OF GOD AND I AM PROCLAIMING GOD'S MESSAGE BECAUSE I AM THE MESSAGER!
I HAVE A COVENANT WITH GOD. GOD PUT HIS LAWS IN MY HEART AND WROTE THEM ON MY MIND. I HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH THE COVENANT GOD GAVE ME. I FULFILL GOD'S LAW BY LOVING GOD WITH ALL MY HEART AND ALL MY MIND AND ALL MY SOUL AND LOVING MY NEIGHBOR AS MYSELF.
I AM A MINISTER OF THE NEW COVENANT
BUT THANKS BE TO GOD, WHO ALWAYS LEADS US IN TRIUMPHAL PROCESSION IN CHRIST AND THROUGH US SPREADS EVERYWHERE THE FRAGRANCE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. FOR WE ARE TO GOD THE AROMA OF CHRIST AMONG THOSE WHO ARE BEING SAVED AND THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING. TO THE ONE WE ARE THE SMELL OF DEATH; AND TO THE OTHER, THE FRAGRANCE OF LIFE. AND WHO IS EQUAL TO SUCH A TASK?
UNLIKE SO MANY, WE DO NOT PEDDLE THE WORD OF GOD FOR PROFIT. ON THE CONTRARY, IN CHRIST WE SPEAK BEFORE GOD WITH SINCERITY, LIKE MEN SENT FROM GOD. ARE WE BEGINNING TO COMMEND OURSELVES AGAIN? OR DO WE NEED, LIKE SOME PEOPLE, LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION TO YOU OR FROM YOU? YOU YOURSELVES ARE OUR LETTER, WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS, KNOWN AND READ BY EVERYBODY.
YOU SHOW THAT YOU ARE A LETTER FROM CHRIST, THE RESULT OF OUR MINISTRY, WRITTEN NOT WITH INK BUT WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD, NOT ON TABLETS OF STONE BUT ON TABLETS OF HUMAN HEARTS. SUCH CONFIDENCE AS THIS IS OURS THROUGH CHRIST BEFORE GOD. NOT THAT WE ARE COMPETENT IN OURSELVES TO CLAIM ANYTHING FOR OURSELVES, BUT OUR COMPETENCE COMES FROM GOD. GOD HAS MADE US COMPETENT AS MINISTERS OF A NEW COVENANT - NOT OF THE LETTER BUT OF THE SPIRIT; FOR THE LETTER KILLS, BUT THE SPIRIT GIVES LIFE. (2 Cor. 2:14-3:6)
THEREFORE, WHEN CHRIST CAME INTO THE WORLD, CHRIST SAID: "SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU DID NOT DESIRE, BUT A BODY YOU PREPARED FOR ME; WITH BURNT OFFERINGS AND SIN OFFERINGS YOU WERE NOT PLEASED. THEN I CHRIST SAID, HERE I AM - IT IS WRITTEN ABOUT ME IN THE SCROLL - I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD."
FIRST CHRIST SAID, "SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS, BURNT OFFERINGS AND SIN OFFERINGS YOU DID NOT DESIRE, NOR WERE YOU PLEASED WITH THEM" ALTHOUGH THE LAW REQUIRED THEM TO BE MADE. THEN CHRIST SAID, "HERE I AM, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL." CHRIST SETS ASIDE THE FIRST COVENANT TO ESTABLISH THE SECOND. AND BY THAT WILL, WE HAVE BEEN MADE HOLY THROUGH THE SACRIFICE OF THE BODY OF JESUS CHRIST ONCE FOR ALL.
DAY AFTER DAY EVERY PRIEST STANDS AND PERFORMS HIS RELIGIOUS DUTIES; AGAIN AND AGAIN HE OFFERS THE SAME SACRIFICES, WHICH CAN NEVER TAKE AWAY SINS. BUT WHEN THIS PRIEST HAD OFFERED FOR ALL TIME ONE SACRIFICE FOR SINS, CHRIST SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. SINCE THAT TIME CHRIST WAITS FOR HIS ENEMIES TO BE MADE HIS FOOTSTOOL, BECAUSE BY ONE SACRIFICE CHRIST HAS MADE PERFECT FOREVER THOSE WHO ARE BEING MADE HOLY.
THE HOLY SPIRIT ALSO TESTIFIES TO US ABOUT THIS. FIRST GOD SAYS: "THIS IS THE COVENANT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THAT TIME, SAYS THE LORD. I WILL PUT MY LAWS IN THEIR HEARTS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR MINDS." THEN GOD ADDS: "THEIR SINS AND LAWLESS ACTS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." (Hebrews 10:5-17)
"YET A TIME IS COMING AND HAS "NOW" COME WHEN TRUE WORSHIPERS WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH, FOR THEY ARE THE KIND OF WORSHIPERS THE FATHER SEEKK. GOD IS SPIRIT, AND GOD'S WORSHIPERS MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH." (John 4:23-24)
