Every profession has those who are incompetent, malevolent, or abusive. When you experience unlawful use of authority, a common reaction is to reject the whole. As a result, the reflective response of many today is to tear down institutions rather than work to repair them. A biblical worldview recognizes the sin of the individual while maintaining the goodness of the institution or position.

Paul is responding to the false teachers who were perverting the law of God. They were using the law unlawfully and thus destructively. Paul does not reject the law but affirms it as good when lawfully used for the purposes and glory of God.

In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul references the events recorded in Exodus 19-34. He compares the glory of the law with the glory of the new covenant and salvation in Jesus Christ.

You may ask, "what relevance does the law of Moses have today?" You may wonder what connection the events of the Israelites near Mt. Sinai have with you today. The relevance and connection are that all who are outside of the redemption of Jesus Christ still rely on the law of Moses. Under the law, you are attempting to be a good person through your own effort.

Even if you claim to be an atheist or, in some other way, totally disinterested in Christianity, you have some standard of goodness. You have some version of a moral code. You have a paradigm for what makes a person good or bad. These standards and codes are forms of law. 

Acceptance by God requires perfection under the law or redemption by the perfect blood of Jesus.

In comparison to the law of Moses, Paul makes clear that the gospel of Jesus Christ and the new covenant purchased by His blood is better than, greater than, and more glorious than anything the old covenant could bring, glorious as it may have been.

From 2 Corinthians 3, we see three ways the new covenant is better than, greater than, and more glorious than the old covenant of the law:

• Jesus provides true evidence of salvation.

• Jesus is more glorious than the law.

• Jesus makes you holy before the Father.

The world often sees freedom as being unrestrained from anything. However, grace known through salvation is not about being totally unrestrained but being free from the bondage of the law so that you might be free to obey Jesus willingly.

Since the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, much commentary has been in the news. Unfortunately, much of it has been hyperbolic and reactionary. And there have been many proclamations of doom and outlandish fretting over the court's decision.

In response, on July 3, 2022, I preached from Acts chapter 25 and shared what the Bible says to us about how we as Christians are to interact politically in a secular world. I also share what the Supreme Court decision means for abortion so that we might understand what has been gained and the work that still remains to do.