New Covenant Freedom: Spirit-Transformed Lives
Daily Scripture
2 Corinthians 3:3-14
3 You show that you are Christ’s letter, delivered by us. You weren’t written with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. You weren’t written on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 This is the confidence that we have through Christ in the presence of God. 5 It isn’t that we ourselves are qualified to claim that anything came from us. No, our qualification is from God. 6 He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not based on what is written but on the Spirit, because what is written kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7 The ministry that brought death was carved in letters on stone tablets. It came with such glory that the Israelites couldn’t look for long at Moses’ face because his face was shining with glory, even though it was a fading glory. 8 Won’t the ministry of the Spirit be much more glorious? 9 If the ministry that brought condemnation has glory, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness? 10 In fact, what was glorious isn’t glorious now, because of the glory that is brighter. 11 If the glory that fades away was glorious, how much more glorious is the one that lasts!
12 So, since we have such a hope, we act with great confidence. 13 We aren’t like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the Israelites couldn’t watch the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were closed. Right up to the present day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. The veil is not removed because it is taken away by Christ.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
The apostle Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to a group of Christians almost all of whom had come to faith through his preaching of Jesus. Yet he made it clear that something far beyond his rhetorical power had been at work. As scholar William Barclay put it, “the work of the Spirit changes a [person’s] very heart…. only the Spirit can change human nature.” * Paul said the Holy Spirit is the divine being who makes real the new covenant promise found in Jeremiah 31:31-34.
- Paul said Christians are a letter from Christ, written not with ink “but with the Spirit of the living God.” How have you learned to trust God’s grace when you realize that in some situations you failed to represent God well? In what ways do you open your heart to the influence of “the Spirit of the living God” so that others can see God’s imprint in you?
- In Roman times, you couldn’t Google a stranger or call someone in a distant city who knew the person. So people would carry written letters of introduction with them. Paul made the remarkable, challenging claim that the Spirit made Christ-followers like living letters of introduction for Jesus. In what ways do those who know you learn an accurate, appealing image of Jesus from you? Are there any ways in which you want the Spirit to shape you to better represent your Lord?
Prayer
Lord Jesus, it’s a new day, and again today I bear your name into a world that urgently needs to know you. Fill me with your Spirit, that I may show others your goodness and glory. Amen.
GPS Insights
Leah Swank-Miller
Leah Swank-Miller serves as Pastor of Care and Director of Student Ministries at Resurrection Overland Park. A Kansas native, she has been a professional actress for nearly two decades, and she loves to see the vastness of God’s creation through theatre and the arts. Leah graduated with an M. Div. from Saint Paul School of Theology. Leah, Brian, and their two children love to play tennis, golf, soccer, and board games.
First impressions feel like an invisible handshake—we’re always giving them, even when we don’t realize it. I always try my best to leave a good first impression, but I’m prone to awkward handshakes or mispronouncing my own name because I apparently forgot how to be a human at that moment. I used to think I had to be impressive when first meeting people but being kind and interested more often leaves a stronger impact. I’ve learned that people remember how you made them feel, not your cleverness or credentials. It’s not about being perfect—just real, and a little bit warm.
I’ve noticed this a great deal after working in ministry. When I say I’m a pastor or that I work in church ministry, I instantly feel an even greater obligation to represent myself well in love. I wonder if people could see our title of “Christian” as we walk around this world, even before we speak a word, how that would motivate all of us to be more self-aware of how we reflect the image of Christ.
There have been moments when I’ve looked back and realized I didn’t represent God well—times when impatience won over kindness, pride silenced humility, or fear kept me from speaking truth in love. In those moments, I’ve learned to trust God’s grace not as an excuse but as an invitation. His grace isn’t just about covering my failures; it’s about transforming me through them.
I want others to see God’s image in me, not because I’m flawless, but because His love is evident even in my imperfections. When people see me admit mistakes with humility, extend grace to others, and grow despite my failures, they don’t see my strength—they see God’s. Do the people in my everyday life and those I meet for the very first time see kindness in my words, patience in my frustrations, and joy in my daily moments? Do they feel valued and heard when they’re with me?
I want my life to be a window, not a wall—something transparent that allows God’s light to shine through instead of blocking the view. Maybe it’s in the way I extend forgiveness when it’s difficult or how I choose to love even when it’s inconvenient. Perhaps it’s in the quiet moments when I listen without judgment or encourage without expecting anything in return. The Spirit continues to shape me, sanding down the rough edges of selfishness and pride. And perhaps, through the cracks in my humanity, God’s light shines even brighter.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters to the Corinthians (Revised Edition). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1975, pp. 189-190.
