2 Corinthians 3:3
You show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
What of Today’s Verse…
The old covenant of law was written upon “tablets of stone.” The new covenant of grace is written upon “tablets . . . of the heart.” This is another vital contrast between the old and new covenants. This difference again decides whether we draw upon man’s sufficiency or upon God’s.
The old covenant message of God’s law was written on stones. It called man to holiness, as measured by the character of God. “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy” (Lev_19:2). The message is magnificent. However, its impact would be limited (by design), since it was written on “tablets of stone.” It was inscribed upon an inanimate object that was external to human lives. Consequently, it could not bring life or any provision for transforming lives. The law would function as a perfect standard, revealing our ungodliness and convicting us that we needed the help that only Jesus Christ could offer. We needed some means to get the perfect message of the law (holiness) into our innermost being. This is what the new covenant of grace accomplishes.
The new covenant message of God’s grace is written on human hearts: “on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.” Grace not only forgives our failure before the law, but it goes to work to develop personal holiness at the very core of our being. This was the promise God gave through His prophets of old, that He would put His holy law into peoples’ hearts. The book of Hebrews applies this promise to all believers in Jesus Christ. “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts” (Heb_10:16).
What hope we have through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! Now, God brings His holiness from an outside standard to an internal resource. Now, the Lord is making His holy demands an internal part of our being. God is stirring holy desires in us. God is developing holy priorities within us and providing spiritual strength within us to walk in more and more godliness. “It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phi_2:13).
Let us Pray:
O Holy Father, I would be hopeless, if Your perfect standard remained outside of me, demanding holiness by my performance. Thank You for bringing Your holy will inside of my life, providing internal resource for living and growing in godliness. Lord, I look to You to transform me from the inside out, in Jesus name, Amen.
Words of Wisdom
Animal Blessing
I celebrate life in all its expressions.
The words of a favourite hymn remind me to behold the wonder of animals as they contribute to wisdom and balance in the world: “All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, and all things wise and wonderful: the Lord God made them all.”
Watching the antics of a frisky kitten or a rambunctious puppy, I am reminded to play and enjoy myself. Seeing a dog visit patients at a health care facility reminds me to affirm healing by my very presence. A service animal guiding a sight-impaired individual shows me the value of helping others.
I appreciate and bless all animals by celebrating the sacredness of life in all its diverse expressions.
“God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind. … And God saw that it was good.”–Genesis 1:25
