2 Corinthians 3 - Bringing Righteousness
9If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!
The ministry that condemns refers to the Law of Moses, which outlines consequences for disobedience.
Where there is Law there is disobedience.
Where there is faith in Christ, there is obedience. Â
Though both come with their own set of rules, there is a higher set of rules within which both sets operate.
Believe God and He will account it to you as righteousness
With righteousness, you can obey God
The difference is perspective. The Law requires believing God and makes one fearful to disobey; faith in Christ requires believing God, and makes one capable of obedience.
In both cases, we are obedient on some counts, and disobedient on other counts.
In both cases, the Law is the standard by which we cannot live.
In both cases, a sacrifice for sin is required to make us clean.
In both cases, the final sacrifice is Christ.
But the law creates fear, and Christ creates hope.
The Law tells us what we disobey, and Christ what we obey.
The Law punishes, Christ rewards.
With this dance between Law and Faith, there comes a true distinction that smacks of a false dichotomy: who is saved? The one who obeys the Law, or the one who is faithful in Christ? The perspective brought about makes one think that this is the choice before us, and to some extent it is. But, the choice before us never really changed; it is the world that framed it in this way.
The Law was always meant to be obeyed in faith; and faith in Christ was always the vehicle for obeying the Law. There is no either-or. Never was. It is we who make it so, by “obeying” the Law as if there were no God, or living in “Faith” as if there were no Law. In reality however, the heart that has faith in God will live according to His Law.
Before Christ, people did not know Christ. Many understood the prophecies, and knew He would come some day, but they did know who He would be. But, they put their faith in God, and He enabled them to live according to His Law. Others had no love for God per se, but saw His perfect nature in the Law. They did not realize the Law was pointing out their flaws, and their need for God, but saw it as the means for being as good as God. Just follow the rules, and you will be better than those who don’t. The two groups were “obedient” under the Law, and probably looked much alike, but God could always tell the difference. So, one group was accounted righteousness by God… the other not, attempting to be righteous unto themselves, as Paul described in Romans, and like Paul I pray that they were saved.
Another way of distinguishing the two groups…
Men of Law bring righteousness to their ministry; they believe they are righteous already.
Men of Faith do not start out righteous; their ministry brings righteousness to them.
The Man of Law believes it important to bring righteousness wherever they go.
It is the Man of Faith however who has the real righteousness to bring.