Death or Life Ministry

The law is a ministry of death. What do I mean by that? Keeping man-made rules is a ministry of death. Following rules and established programs is a ministry of death. Following the traditions of men is a ministry of death. It’s also a ministry of condemnation.

Now I didn’t come up with this on my own. You should know by now, if you follow this website and it’s teachings, that everything we declare is based on the truth of scripture. Look here in 2 Corinthians 3:1-18. Here it is in The Voice Version, but study it also in the NAS. There’s a lot here, so I will comment along the way. Actually, if you study this thoroughly, my comments would not be necessary. However, commenting is a form of study for me.

1 Are we back to page one? Do we need to gather some recommendations to prove our validity to you? Or do we need to take your letter of commendation to others to gain credibility?

I never really understood this scripture until starting this teaching. There are still people who question the truth that has and is being presented in the various teachings on this website. They just cannot yield to the truth that the ridiculous, radical, inexhaustible grace of God is real.

What happens is they find it threatening to them when you get a revelation and learn how to live free. The reason that happens is because religious systems must devour what it cannot control. Religion always tries to control what it cannot contain.

2 You are our letter, every word burned onto our hearts to be read by everyone.

Then there are those who came to our studies in person and over a period of time received the revelation of His great grace. You could see the truth light bulb come on and they were set free from the bondage of religion and legalism. Said another way, they were free from the ministry of condemnation and death. The law.

They are the ones that have gone out and declared this great truth to others. They are our credentials, our letter, our resume, our hearts. We carry a burden to see each and every individual we encounter, who is locked in bondage to religion, set free by the spirit of grace.

3 You are the living letter of the Anointed One, the Liberating King, nurtured by us and inscribed, not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God—a letter too passionate to be chiseled onto stone tablets, but emblazoned upon the human heart.

What an awesome statement by Paul. He’s saying to those he has ministered grace to that they are the living letter of the Anointed One. A letter too passionate to be chiseled onto stone tablets (law), but emblazoned upon the human heart (love and grace).

4 This is the kind of confidence we have in and through the Anointed toward our God.

5 Don’t be mistaken; in and of ourselves we know we have little to offer, but any competence or value we have comes from God.

6 Now God has equipped us to be capable servants of the new covenant, not by authority of the written law which only brings death, but by the Spirit who brings life.

What does the law bring? Death. Those who try to keep the law, try to work for God’s favor, try to perform for God to love them are only bringing death to the joy, peace, and freedom God has for them in resting in grace.

7 Now consider this: if the ministry of death, which was chiseled in stone, came with so much glory that the Israelites could not bear to look at Moses’ face even as that glory was fading,

8 imagine the kind of greater glory that will accompany the ministry of the Spirit.

9 If glory ushered in the ministry that offers condemnation, how much more glory will attend the ministry that promises to restore and set the world right?

10 In fact, what seemed to have great glory will appear entirely inglorious in the light of the greater glory of the new covenant.

How many times does He have to say it? If the law, the ministry of death, the ministry of condemnation was great, came with much glory, then how much greater and how much more glorious is the ministry of grace or the spirit?

11 If something that fades away possesses glory, how much more intense is the glory of what remains?

It’s as if God is saying, “I hope your getting this. I’ve hit it more than three times, but just in case, let me state it again in another form. How much more intense is the glory of what remains?

12 In light of this hope that we have, we act with great confidence and speak with great courage.

13 We do not act like Moses who covered his face with a veil so the children of Israel would not stare as the glory of God faded from his face.

14 Their minds became as hard as stones; for up to this day when they read the old covenant, the same veil continues to hide that glory; this veil is lifted only through the Anointed One.

15 Even today a veil covers their hearts when the words of Moses are read;

Today religious ministers, preachers, teachers, and pastors present false teachings and legalism from the pulpit. They present error about keeping the rules, keeping the law, following the traditions of men. This serves only to cause a veil to cover the hearts of believers so they cannot grasp the revelation of the freedom found in grace. Religion is nothing more than a fear weapon that tries to control people.

16 but in the moment when one turns toward the Lord, the veil is removed.

17 By “the Lord” what I mean is the Spirit, and in any heart where the Spirit of the Lord is present, there is liberty.

The moment someone turns to the truth found in the Spirit of Grace, liberty, freedom and joy is released.

18 Now all of us, with our faces unveiled, reflect the glory of the Lord as if we are mirrors; and so we are being transformed, metamorphosed, into His same image from one radiance of glory to another, just as the Spirit of the Lord accomplishes it.

The law is the ministry of death and condemnation. The law is the ingredient that gives sin its power. Without the law there is no transgression or sin.

1 Corinthians 15:56 in the Easy to Read (ERV) declares “Death’s power to hurt is sin, and the power of sin is the law”. I like The Voice version of this scripture. “Sin came into this world, and death’s sting followed. Then sin took aim at the law and gained power over those who follow the law.”

Did you notice that the result of “those who follow the law” is that sin gains power over them? Romans 6:23 in the Living Bible reads “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.

So when you follow the law, sin gains power over you. That’s because the power of sin is in the law. Then sin pays you the wages you’ve earned by following the law. That being death. But there’s a free gift out there that can be received that brings life.

The knowledge of sin is in the law. Romans 3:20 in The Voice declares “Therefore, doing what the law prescribes will not make anyone right in the eyes of God—that’s not its purpose—but the law is capable of exposing the true nature of sin”.

Besides, you have not, cannot, and do not, and will not keep the law. Your old nature prevents you from avoiding sin and keeping the law through DOING works.

Look at these scriptures in Romans 8:3-7 in the Living Bible. It makes it so clear.

3 We aren’t saved from sin’s grasp by knowing the commandments of God because we can’t and don’t keep them, but God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours—except that ours are sinful—and destroyed sin’s control over us by giving himself as a sacrifice for our sins.

4 So now we can obey God’s laws if we follow after the Holy Spirit and no longer obey the old evil nature within us.

We can obey God’s laws. How? By following after the Holy Spirit. Let Him live in and through us. Let Him do the work. Quit trying to perform for God. Quit trying to tough it out with some failing willpower of your own.

If you think you have to work to attain something, all your doing is trying to receive as a reward, that which has already been freely attained by grace. He says you are righteous. Now just be that and rest. It’s yours and you can’t achieve it, just receive it.

5 Those who let themselves be controlled by their lower natures live only to please themselves, but those who follow after the Holy Spirit find themselves doing those things that please God.

I love how this verse says this – “those who follow after the Holy Spirit FIND themselves doing those things that please God”. It didn’t say try harder to do those things. It didn’t say work hard to perform those things. It didn’t even say set forth plans to do those things. NO. It said they find or discover or realize that they are doing those things. It effortless.

When you follow after the Holy Spirit, when you walk in the goodness of God, when you receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, you’ll do more for the Kingdom of God by accident than you ever could do on purpose.

6 Following after the Holy Spirit leads to life and peace, but following after the old nature leads to death

Following after the old nature brings death. What is the old nature? One that’s bound to the law. What does the law bring? Sin. Where does sin get it’s power? From the law.

7 because the old sinful nature within us is against God. It never did obey God’s laws and it never will.

In verse 3 the scripture states that we can’t and don’t keep the law. Here in verse 7 it says our old sinful nature never did obey God’s law and it never will. Now if God, the Holy Spirit put those words in Paul to write to us, why would we try to defy what God the Holy Spirit said by performing works of righteousness to achieve redemption and justification?

We are not heirs of the kingdom through obeying the law. We’re heirs of the kingdom through the righteousness of faith. Just look at these sets of scriptures starting with Romans 3:21,22 in the ERV. Remember, this follows what was said in Romans 3:20 that was referenced above.

21 But God has a way to make people right, and it has nothing to do with the law. He has now shown us that new way, which the law and the prophets told us about.

22 God makes people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. He does this for all who believe in Christ. Everyone is the same.

He makes people right. What? You mean I can’t be right by performing or living up to a set of standards given to me by the church? What about the by-laws? Don’t I have to adhere to them? Only if they line up with what the truth in scripture says. Anything outside of the truth should be totally avoided, because it’s legalism and self effort. That equals self righteousness, but scripture says it is through faith in Jesus Christ that we are made right.

Now Romans 4:13. To further muddy the religious waters and pour it on their fires of legalism.

13 Abraham and his descendants received the promise that they would get the whole world. But Abraham did not receive that promise because he followed the law. He received that promise because he was right with God through his faith”.

Oh wow. I just re-read that scripture and noticed how I bolded it. Notice the “He received” bolded words. That’s it! That’s all it takes. Just receive.

Had enough yet? Not me. I love the powerful truths in scripture that totally destroy the false teachings surrounding works, performance, the law, religion and legalism. Here’s another one.

Galatians 3:29 – “You belong to Christ, so you are Abraham’s descendants. You get all of God’s blessings because of the promise that God made to Abraham”.

This confirms we are Abraham’s descendants and puts into operation on our behalf what was stated in Romans 4:13. It said “Abraham and his descendants received the promise that they would get the whole world”.

Romans 5:17 says that those who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in this life in Christ Jesus. In other words, get the whole world. Thank you father Abraham for “believing God”.

Romans 8:10-14

10 If the Anointed One lives within you, even though the body is as good as dead because of the effects of sin, the Spirit is infusing you with life now that you are right with God.

11 If the Spirit of the One who resurrected Jesus from the dead lives inside of you, then you can be sure that He who raised Him will cast the light of life into your mortal bodies through the life-giving power of the Spirit residing in you.

12 So, my brothers and sisters, you owe the flesh nothing! You do not need to live according to its ways, so abandon its oppressive regime.

13 For if your life is just about satisfying the impulses of your sinful nature, then prepare to die. But if you have invited the Spirit to destroy these selfish desires, you will experience life.

14 If the Spirit of God is leading you, then take comfort in knowing you are His children.

You see, if the Anointed one lives within you, as described in verse 10 above, then 1 John 4:4 is operative in your life. It states that “My children, you have come from God and have conquered these spirits because the One who lives within you is greater than the one in this world”. I love how scripture just supports and confirms itself.

You owe the flesh nothing. Abandon that regime. Yes!!! Also, quit trying to do this yourself, because verse 13 says that if you “invited the Spirit to destroy…” Dwell on that a moment. You invited the Spirit to destroy, so quit trying to do the destroying yourself. If you have invited the Spirit, then you will experience life. If you try to do it yourself without inviting the Spirit to do it for you, then you will not….? Figure it out.

Romans 6:17,18 reads as follows.

17 In the past you were slaves to sin—sin controlled you. But thank God, you fully obeyed what you were taught.

18 You were made free from sin, and now you are slaves to what is right.

If I were teaching this in person I would ask everyone to say “In the past”. Sin controlled you in the past, but now “YOU WERE MADE FREE” from sin, and are now slaves to righteousness. Now that type of slavery is easy and light.

Finally, be aware of false teachers who would try to keep you in bondage to the law, which is the ministry of death. Seek out those who preach and teach the truth of the finished work of the cross and the great gift of righteousness through grace.

Here’s a quote from Graham Cooke to end this teaching, but keep you meditating on the greatness and goodness of a loving God who gives us everything that is good and perfect.

“Was Jesus punished enough for sin? It is not a trick question. It is a vital one, though. Was Jesus judged enough for sin? Did the Father pour out every last ounce of wrath, and anger, and indignation upon Jesus? If so, He hasn’t got any left then. This is the good news! He doesn’t have any left because if the Father has any capacity to be angry in this life, then the cross of Jesus is not worth anything.”

God is a God of justice. The old covenant God of justice demanded pain, suffering and death. The new covenant God of justice demands mercy, grace, love, favor, forgiveness, forgetting, and righteousness.

The Kingdom of heaven is not works, performance, grief, despair, worry, stress or any other negative force. That’s what the scripture in Romans 14:17,18 declares. Here it is in the ERV.

17 In God’s kingdom, what we eat and drink is not important. Here is what is important: a right way of life, peace, and joy—all from the Holy Spirit.

18 Whoever serves Christ by living this way is pleasing God, and they will be accepted by others.

Prior to these verses, Paul was talking about criticizing others about their beliefs and trying to force those beliefs on others. So he says the Kingdom is not about the rules of others, the have to and shall nots of others, it’s about righteousness, peace and joy “in the Holy Ghost” (KJV).

Then he goes on to say that whoever serves Christ by living that way is pleasing to God. How do we please God. Live in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Or to make it much simpler, just live in the Holy Ghost and you will experience life.

Grace and Peace. Mark Kunerth