A Minister of the New Testament

“Who hath made us able ministers of the New Testament,

not of the letter, but of the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:6)

What is the point that the apostle Paul makes here in God’s Inspired Word? Isn’t it that God’s true ministers have been established for the proclamation of God’s will and testament that He purposed in His Son from eternity, having named specifically in His will those sinners who should be beneficiaries of His grace, love, forgiveness and glory through the death of His Son in their place, Rev. 21:27. It is called the NEW Testament not because it is different from what He purposed from before the foundation of the world but rather in contrast to the Old Testament, of the ‘letter’ of the law, which was one of obligations, conditions and rules that could only condemn sinners, not save them. The first was designed to show the utter impossibility of any sinner to satisfy any of God’s holy requirements based on personal effort or individual obedience. The law had no flexibility, giving no life, no hope, no help but the letter of the law required absolute perfection. In establishing the New Testament, however, God did not set aside the first. Rather, the LORD Jesus Christ came and fulfilled the first in every jot and tittle and thereby established a New and Living Way for those that God chose before the foundation of the world, whom He named in the Lamb’s book of life, Heb. 9:15.

All the conditions and obligations were accomplished by the LORD Jesus. Because of the death of the Testator (Christ), all the privileges and benefits of grace written in this Testament are now the inheritance of every sinner for whom Christ died. What benefits? These include their redemption, justification, sanctification and final glorification, which could not be obtained in any other way than by the death of the Testator. Our LORD Jesus satisfied ALL the conditions of God’s law and justice by His shed blood and now the New Testament is in full force by His death as Testator, Heb. 9:15-16. No man nor devil can disannul it, add to it, or make it void. It is NOW in full force for every heir of promise, whether they have already died and gone before, those living now in the joy of the Spirit having Christ revealed in them and even those yet to be called by God’s Glorious Grace to Himself.

Every true Gospel preacher declares this glorious message because He has the Spirit of God in him. He is called a minister of the Spirit, to communicate to the LORD’s redeemed and justified people the blessings of Christ. He is pardoned by Christ’s blood and therefore preaches forgiveness in HIM alone. Knowing that he is justified, he preaches only that the imputed righteousness of God was established, accepted and accomplished at the cross, knowing that nothing else could justify him. Being quickened by the Spirit of God, he believes and therefore speaks, holding forth the Word of life in its fullness, freeness and finality by the blood and righteousness of Christ alone.