May 19. 2 Corinthians 3. Peyton Arceneaux

Confidence Comes From God

In the first part of this scripture it talks about how our confidence comes from God and not ourselves. It's a great reminder because we can get so caught up in how confident we are that we forget that our confidence comes from God.

I love the end of verse six because it says “He 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.” When they’re talking about the letter, they’re saying that “the letter” is legalism and legalism means that we think we can earn God’s love by doing good deeds. I struggle with legalism sometimes. When I sin, I think that I have to make up for it because God is upset with me, and I feel like I have to earn back his love for me. I also think about doing good deeds, because I think that it will get me to heaven. But then the Spirit reminds me that I don’t have to earn God’s love and that it’s already there when I gave my life up for him.

Verse 12 talks about the glory of the new covenant. What stood out to me was when it talks about us having hope and joy. It’s great to know the hope and joy we get to have as Christians. Knowing that God and the Spirit can give us such hope is so heart warming especially during difficult times like these. But with the spirit we can be free - we don't have to worry about anything because God is looking over us. Do you believe that God has your back? Or do you rely on yourself to get things done? Do you trust in God's plans for you?

God has got you. You are blessed with a loving God that has mercy on you and loves you. It says that we are bold because of this hope. Are we being bold in the hope we have? Are we going out and using the power of God to give others the chance we have? It says in verse sixteen, that whoever turns to the Lord their veil is taken away. That means your spiritual blindness is taken away. In verse seventeen it says that the Lord is the Spirit and that where the Spirit is there is freedom.Let that Spirit show. Show it to the world. Be bold. Take chances. For the Lord is with you.