If you ever wonder, “What’s going on with me?”, here’s a way that you can know, here’s how you can trace back through your thoughts and feelings to the influence that made them happen. In other words, “How did I get here?”
If you’ve often been thinking and saying things like, “I’m such a sinner.” “I’m so broken.” “I am no good.” then you’re feeling generally hopeless. But that is the proof that you’ve been surrendering your thoughts to what the Bible identifies as the ministry of the law. What it serves you, what it does is offer you a required standard of behavior that you agree would be right, while giving you absolutely nothing to accomplish it. Zero. (History proves that no one can pull off what it requires—except for One—Jesus. Certainly not me! Likely not you, either.)
Always it brings out your failures by accurately proving your guilt—it nails you every time—and you agree that you’re guilty. “It’s true! Look at all the evidence!” And then it condemns and serves a sort of depression, of course, and a slow death (See Romans 7). You’re going to feel that. It’s going to affect you. You’d almost hope you would because it’s a sign that something’s gone wrong.
However, the ministry of the Holy Spirit—what God does—is bring out Christ’s success for you, and removes guilt, proves innocence, and produces righteousness and life given to you because of Jesus. Always. That’s His ministry, that’s what He’s doing with you right now. So if you’re tuned in to the Spirit and the truth, then you’re going to think and say things like: “I am actually a son of God.” “I’m complete in Jesus. I lack nothing.” “I am truly good.” You’re affected and feeling hopeful.
If you, a believer in Jesus, are hearing or sensing or knowing anything else, then you’re not tuned-in to God. You’re not tuned into the truth. So check your channels, check your dial, check what you’re thinking and reading and watching because He’s saying something fantastic and deeply satisfying to you right now.
In essence, Jesus is saying to you, “Because of Me, you are well.” You can’t get well-er. He means for you to know all about it—that’s what He’s doing with you, that’s what He’s working toward—and He knows that it’s the greatest, most pure motivator there is.
This is what we serve, this is what we offer to people—not the old covenant (Jewishness) but the new (Christianity)! We offer the gospel; the good news about Christ for you and for everyone. And the Holy Spirit will see to it that your thoughts bear fruit, and you’re often going to feel that. By itself, it isn’t a feeling, but it’s a work of truth that oftentimes results in feelings. I like that, and I bet you do, too.
2 Corinthians 3:6 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. 7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone (the Ten Commandments), came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation (the Ten, the law, any one or all of them—take your pick) was glorious (in that it brought us to Christ; see Galatians 3:23-29), how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! (Italics mine.)
That’s the New Covenant! That is having all things in Christ. That is why we are well—because of Him! You are well because of Him. How often? At all times. You might not know it, you might not feel it because you may be tuned into a commandment, a law, a rule—something that’s going wrong—rather than the gospel and the Spirit, who serves it to you. You are well because of Him.
This is what we serve to each other, because it’s what He’s saying to you today. It’s the New Covenant. It’s good, isn’t it?