Happy Sunday my friends!
Wow, that week flew by didn’t it?
It seems like I was just bringing you last week’s Sunday Gospel message and here we are again. Back today with our good friend Pastor Robb Goodman.
From Pastor Robb:
The Spirit Redeemed Life & The Glory of the New Covenant
We will discuss in great detail 2 Corinthians 3. Many believers do not understand this chapter and what the Apostle Paul is speaking about.
This is truly a wonderful chapter explaining the differences between the Old & New Covenant. We will learn so much as we study this chapter and other verses too.
You will watch this teaching and have a greater understanding of what Paul is teaching the Corinthian Christians. Please feel free to share this message with others.
God bless you all very much.
Love & Blessings,
Pastor Robb Goodman
Sr. Pastor of Zion Freedom Fellowship USA
Please enjoy:
TRANSCRIPT:
Good morning, everyone. Welcome to today’s live stream. I am Pastor Robb Goodman from Zion Free Fellowship here in Maryland. It’s good to be with you all today. I hope that you’re having a wonderful morning. And I’ve been sitting here looking out the window this morning, it’s a cloudy day.
We had a beautiful day yesterday, it was absolutely gorgeous outside, the skies were blue. We took a ride yesterday evening through the rolling countryside of Carroll County. You know, I love driving around in the country, only gotta go a mile or two outside of our city limits where we’re at, and we’re in the beautiful countryside. Rolling countryside, the hills, the valleys, the taller heights of ground—it’s just gorgeous.
ADVERTISEMENTAnd we drove down an old road yesterday and went through a tunnel of trees that were just absolutely gorgeous. So it’s good to be here with you today, and praise be to God. I see that a few of you are here. Rita and Liliana, welcome aboard, good to have you both. Thank you Lord.
And we’re gonna have a wonderful message today. We’re gonna talk about a subject that many people do not understand. We’re gonna talk about 2 Corinthians 3, and I’ll share the title of the message with you in a few minutes. But this is an area of scripture that many Christians do not understand. After studying this for many years, the Lord has given me understanding and revelation knowledge concerning this particular chapter, and we’re gonna discuss as much of it as we possibly can.
It is jam-packed full with a lot of wonderful spirit revelation that the Lord gives. And let’s just say a prayer over this message today. Father, we thank you and praise you for this message today. Your words are light to those that find them and health to all their flesh. Lord, I ask you to use me as I set myself aside, let your anointing come upon me for service today. I ask you for the Spirit of the Lord to rest upon me in a mighty, mighty way.
Lord, I release the prophetic anointing right now, the revelation knowledge of Jesus Christ, that it will flow. Let it flow in the mighty name of Jesus. Lord, thank you so much that your glory will be revealed today as we study this chapter and other scriptures that we will go into as well. Lord, let your name be honored.
Father, we want to see your glory, we want to know your truth. And Jesus, you said in John 17, “Father, sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth.” So yes, Lord, we know that the Word of God is truth, and Jesus, you are the way, the truth, and the life, and no man comes onto the Father but by you and you alone. So we give you honor and glory, Lord, let your name be glorified in the mighty name of Jesus.
Bless all those that are joining us today and those that are not able to join us, Lord. Bless all of our congregation, many of them are away today and traveling and around out and about. Thank you Lord for your grace and your mercy. In Jesus’ name, amen.
All right, I’m gonna share with you the title of today’s message. The title of today’s message is The Spirit Redeemed Life and the Glory of the New Covenant. The Spirit Redeemed Life and the Glory of the New Covenant. Let’s go to 2 Corinthians 3, and I’m going to read some of these scriptures to you right now.
2 Corinthians 3, and we’re going to start at verse 1. I’m gonna read through this chapter, then we’re gonna go back and dive into it, okay?
ADVERTISEMENT“Do we begin again to commend ourselves, or do we need, as some others, epistles or letters of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men. Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets or tables of stone, but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. And we have such trust through Christ toward God.
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. But if the ministry of death written and engraved on stones was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not steadily look at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away was glorious, that which remains is more glorious.”
And the new covenant—he’s talking about the new covenant right now, that was established through the blood and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. “Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech, unlike Moses who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded, for until this day the same veil remains in the reading of the Old Testament or Covenant, because the veil is taken away in Christ.
But even to this day when Moses is read, a veil lies on their hearts.” He’s talking about the Jewish people. “Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Complete emancipation from fear, bondage, everything that came on us because of the sinful nature and Adam and Eve’s sin that was transferred onto us. Praise be to God, we’ve been delivered.
“But we all, all of us who have been born again with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord.” And that mirror is the Word of God. James 1:17 says, “And looking into the perfect law of liberty, let us continue therein, the same being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work.” So beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Hallelujah! Thank God. You know what, brothers and sisters? It doesn’t matter where you’re at right now. Doesn’t matter your past, doesn’t matter what you’ve done, doesn’t matter how fouled up, screwed up, messed up, whatever. You know what? The grace and the glory of God wipes that away.
But we have got to commit ourselves to the Kingdom of God, to the Word of God, and allow the Holy Spirit to work in us to bring about this change. And it is an immortal change, it is a spirit-redeemed change, and we are being redeemed by the Spirit of the living God. Okay, so, the spirit-redeemed life and the glory of the new covenant.
Paul speaks of letters of commendation in the very beginning. These are actually like letters of praise. Paul himself sent letters of commendation on many occasions, and I’m gonna share a couple of scriptures in just a few minutes. Now, Paul will describe his letter of recommendation.
Such letters were common and necessary in the early church. A false prophet or an apostle could travel from city to city and easily say, “Paul sent me, so you should support me.” To help guard against problems like this, letters of recommendation were often sent with the Christians as they traveled.
Okay, let’s look at a couple scriptures. Let’s go to Romans 16, verses 1 and 2:
“I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever business she has need of, for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.”
ADVERTISEMENTSo Phoebe was actually a pastor. Yes, a female pastor, she was. And I’m not gonna get into that whole subject about women not being allowed to speak. You know, there’s so much garbage that’s been taught over the years and again, revelation debunks all information, okay? The spirit revelation that God gives to us trumps every fact. It annihilates it.
It really does, praise be to God.
All right, the next scripture we’re going to look at is 1 Corinthians 16. We are going to look at verses 1 through 3:
“Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also. On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.”
So Paul is talking about writing letters here, okay? Paul often wrote letters, and he wrote letters of recommendation, of commendation to go with people so there would be no misunderstanding. That was the only way they had to communicate back in those days. Letters traveled far and wide, and all the epistles were actually letters written by Paul and other apostles at that time, sent to churches in different areas. Even the Book of Revelation—John wrote it, and he wrote it to the seven churches that were in Asia at that time.
Really amazing when you think about it. Okay, let’s go to 2 Corinthians 8. We are going to look at verses 16 through 24:
“But thanks be to God who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus. For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent, he went to you of his own accord. And we have sent with him the brother whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches—and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show your ready mind. Avoiding this, that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us—providing honorable things, not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of man.
And we have sent with them our brother whom we have often proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent because of the great confidence we have in you. If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.”
Isn’t it amazing how he says that? They are the messenger to the churches, the glory of Christ. “Therefore show to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf.”
So here again this was a letter Paul had written, and he expected everyone to take heed to what he wrote. Now Paul will describe his letter of recommendation. Such letters were common and necessary in the early church. A false prophet or apostle could travel from city to city and easily say, “Paul sent me, so you should support me.” To help guard against problems like this, the letters of recommendation were often sent with Christians as they traveled.
Then Paul made another statement. He said, “You are our epistle.” Or in other words, you are our letter.
Now this is gonna get meaty here, but I ask you to pay close attention. Paul has a letter of recommendation but it is not written on paper. Paul says the letter is written in our hearts. Wow. And it is known and read by all men.
ADVERTISEMENTSo if I’m ministering to you and you grow in the Lord, you are receiving—written upon your heart—the Word of God and that which is taught to you. You become a letter that is known and read. When people see you, they know you’re different.
When people hear you talk, you talk differently. You speak about spiritual things. You’re not involved in the world or the things of the world, but you are drawn aside to obey God and to show forth His glory in the Earth. There was nothing wrong with a letter of commendation written on paper, but how much better to have a living letter of commendation.
Think about it—you are a living letter, known and read by all men. That is what your life is. Wherever you go—when you’re on the job, when you travel—you are a living letter or an epistle that is known and read by everybody because they see who you represent. You bear the image of Christ in your body.
Amen? The Christians at Corinth, along with groups of Christians wherever Paul had worked, were Paul’s living letter to validate his ministry, so he didn’t need letters of recommendation. He said, “You’re the letter, and your life that you’re living right now validates what I’m saying and what I’m preaching and teaching.”
Man, I thank God for the Apostle Paul. I am truly very grateful for him. This is the fruit of our ministry—lives that are changed for all of eternity. That’s amazing, is it not?
The best analogy in today’s world might be a certificate of ordination. Many people think that a certificate of ordination means that you have the credentials of ministry. Think about that.
You know, a lot of times people would not accept me in the past because I was not ordained. But people who really knew the Spirit and understood that I was serving the living Jesus Christ received me with open arms. And even the prophetic ministry—people had a hard time with that, because prophets weren’t as well accepted in that day. But things have changed a lot as time has passed.
While there is an important purpose in public ordination to ministry, a piece of paper in itself never is a proper credential. The true credentials of ministry are changed lives—the living epistles.
They are the fact that you are ordained of God. And once upon a time, I did not care if I was ordained or not. You know, it came in time. But the Lord wanted me to be steadfast in Him and to trust Him and obey Him in everything I did. We might also say—keep your paper to yourself and show us the changed lives from your ministry.
That’s what’s really important. How many men and women today are sitting in religious churches—Lord, have mercy, Father—sitting in these religious churches who do not know the Lord? They wear their robes, they wear their necklaces, they look all religious and pretty on the outside. But like Jesus said to the Pharisees, “You’re like white painted sepulchers, filled with dead men’s bones.”
There is no life in that. There is no glory in that. None whatsoever. It is dead. And unless people repent and truly come to know the Lord and preach the true gospel, guess what? They’re dead.
It’s just plain and simple. That’s the best way I can say it.
Now let’s look at Acts 8 starting with verse 5. This was after Stephen had been stoned and they had just buried him in the previous verses.
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits crying with a loud voice came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.
And there was great joy in that city. This is an amazing thing that took place because as Philip preached, miracles happened, healings were seen, people heard and saw the miracles which he had done. When a miracle happens, people go crazy.
If somebody was raised from the dead in your church, you would be freaking out and jumping up and down and screaming, hollering, “Praise God, praise God!” Because that’s the power of the gospel, and that is the sign of someone ministering in the name of Jesus.
Now Philip was ministered to by the apostles who were at Jerusalem. He became a living letter to the people in Acts Chapter 8, and great deliverance came forth. It says in verse 9, “But there was a certain man called Simon who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest, saying, ‘This man is the great power of God.’ And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.”
Now, this man was using Satan’s power to perform miracles. But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. There were changed lives.
This man, the sorcerer, didn’t change anybody’s life. He brought them into bondage. Then Simon himself also believed—praise be to God. And when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Isn’t that amazing?
He also became a living epistle after he got saved. Wow. That is absolutely amazing.
Here we see that the church was obeying Jesus by preaching the gospel everywhere. Lives were being dramatically changed through the power of the gospel. Great miracles were happening everywhere.
Nothing so commends a minister as the proficiency of his people. A theologian by the name of Poole said this: “The fruitfulness of the people is the preacher’s testimonial.” That is where the proof is of your ministry.
ADVERTISEMENTMany think the main reason God granted miraculous signs and wonders among the apostles in the book of Acts was to serve as a letter of commendation to their apostolic ministry. If this was actually the case, it would make sense that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit would cease when the apostles passed from the scene, because there would no longer be an apostolic ministry to authenticate.
However, it is significant that Paul does not say, “Miracles are our epistles of commendation.” No, he never said that. He said the people are. Miracles are not the sign. The real proof is the lives being changed by the preaching of the gospel, and those folks being discipled and trained to follow Jesus Christ as real followers of Jesus.
They become disciples. Paul apparently did not believe his primary letter of recommendation was found in miraculous signs, but found in miraculously changed lives. Amen.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3, “You are our epistle, written on tablets of flesh, that is of the heart.” Paul’s letter of recommendation was not written on paper or tablets—the paper was the hearts of the Corinthian Christians. That’s amazing.
The Old Testament prophets looked forward to the new covenant, when the law of God would be written in our hearts. Let’s go to Jeremiah 31:33:
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
Hallelujah. I love those verses. I love those verses in Hebrews where it says and repeats what Jeremiah and other Old Testament prophets had said: “Your sins and your iniquities, I will remember them no more. As far as the east is from the west, so far have I removed your transgressions from you.”
Man, what a powerful statement. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.
And of course, He said God would grant hearts of flesh to replace hearts of stone. Ezekiel 11:19 says, “Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them. And they shall be My people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts follow the desire of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord.
Amazing, isn’t it?
So even as God is warning, He says, “I’ve got this new covenant for you, but if you don’t obey it and respond to it…” And thanks be to God, by His grace you and I have responded to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
ADVERTISEMENTWe are truly blessed because we are a part of the new covenant. We bear His image to others. You become a living letter. Wherever you go, you’re a letter being read and known by all men.
Now Ezekiel 36:26 says, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your uncleanness.”
He continues, “I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. I will multiply the fruit of your trees and the increase of your fields so that you never again bear the reproach of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. Not for your sake do I do this,” says the Lord.
Wow. “On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the Garden of Eden. And the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.’ Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it.”
What a promise! The Spirit and the glory of God are one and the same. If Christ was raised up by the glory of the Father—as Romans says—we know that the Spirit of the Lord raised Jesus from the dead. The Spirit and the glory are one and the same.
Paul says, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves.” He doesn’t consider himself sufficient for the great task of changing lives for Jesus. Only Jesus is sufficient for such a big job.
We must remember this—we are not the life changers. It’s the Spirit of God, the Word of God. The Lord says He will not share His glory with another. We can never get puffed up and think of ourselves more highly than we ought.
Jesus is the one who does these things. Some 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 of ourselves and not from God.
It is because of the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus. At church lately, the glory of the Lord has been so heavy. Sometimes I just sit and cry because I feel like I can’t even talk unless the Lord gives me a word. Others have said the same thing—the Spirit of God is moving.
There’s nothing I desire more than to be in the presence of the Lord and in the glory of my Creator. Our sufficiency is of God. We are poor, leaking vessels, and the only way to stay full is to put our pitcher under the perpetual flow of the boundless grace of Jesus Christ.
Charles Spurgeon said, “Despite the fact that we’re leaking, the cup will always be full to the brim.” Isn’t that amazing? God uses imperfect vessels, cracked and leaky. But if we continually place ourselves under His outpouring of grace, that vessel will always be full—and the leaks will water other people.
Glory to God.
Paul speaks of ministers of the new covenant in this chapter. The idea of a new covenant was prophesied in the Old Testament, fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Luke 22 records Jesus at the Last Supper: “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.’”
This is why we are saved today—because Jesus brought about a new covenant.
The Greek word for covenant—diatheke—had the meaning of “last will and testament.” Paul’s use of it reinforces that the covenant is not a negotiated settlement but a divine decree. God offers it; man may accept or reject, but cannot alter.
The old covenant’s letter was written on stone. It told us what to do, but gave us no power to do it. Paul says, “The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” The law exposes guilt and condemns us, but the Spirit makes us alive in Christ.
The Spirit and the letter are not enemies but friends. The Spirit fulfills the letter in us.
Paul goes on: if the ministry of death written on stone was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of the Spirit? At Sinai there was thunder, smoke, earthquakes, and a trumpet blast when the law was given. The mountain shook as God descended. Moses’ face even shone, though it was a fading glory.
But the glory of the new covenant endures. The old covenant condemned; the new covenant brings righteousness. The old covenant is passing away; the new covenant remains.
Paul says when Moses is read, a veil lies over hearts. But in Christ, the veil is taken away. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
Brothers and sisters, are you ready to have the glory of God revealed in you? If you don’t know Jesus Christ, now is the time. Pray this prayer:
“Lord God, in the name of Jesus, I believe You sent Your Son Jesus Christ into this world, who had no sin, but went to the cross and bore my sin for me. Lord, have Your way with my life. I submit myself to You. I want to be born again. I want my name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Jesus, I need You. Have Your way with me.”
If you prayed that prayer, email me at Zion Freedom Fellowship. I’ll respond to you.
If you’re already a servant of God, commit yourself anew. Let His glory be revealed in you. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you.
Father, bless everyone listening today. Cause Your Spirit to rest upon them and their families. I also pray for Pastor Paul Karam as he faces surgery. Keep him, Lord.
And a reminder: Benjamin and Audrey Viola will be with us September 6th and 7th. Also, Mama Lois Cropp will be speaking—this amazing woman of God raised eight children on the mission field and is still serving the Lord.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord cause His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you His everlasting shalom and peace.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord cause everything you lay your hands to prosper in the mighty name of Jesus Christ and by the glory of God. In the name of Jesus, amen and amen.
Thanks for hanging in there with me, everybody. I know this message went on a little bit in length today, but blessed be the name of the Lord. I love you all very much, and I’m gonna take a moment and read all the comments right now.
Love you all. Bye for now.
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