A Devotional by Pastor Cesar Castellanos
Today’s Bible Verse
Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stones, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious?
2 Corinthians 3:7-8
The Ministry of the Spirit
God governs the Universe with perfect laws. When creating man, He established a spiritual law, that said, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:16-17). But man disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit and that cause disease, pain, abandonment and death.
However, to help mankind, God established a plan of redemption through the sacrifice of animals. In Moses’ time God gave them the law, which would only be temporary until Jesus came into this world. Jesus would become the Lamb of God who offered His life for the redemption of the whole world.
Moved by His love and mercy, God wanted to give man an opportunity to restore the law of the spirit because, when man sinned, his spirit died. So God opened a way through Jesus. When Jesus, God’s Son came, he carried all of our condemnation. This was God the Father judging and condemning the law of the flesh in Jesus’ life. When He died on the Cross of Calvary, the law of the flesh was canceled and another law came into play. It was the Law of the Spirit.
It is interesting to see how the Bible draws a parallel between Moses who represents the law and Jesus who represents grace (John 1:17). The Apostle Paul describes the law as the ministry of death, because it gives knowledge of sin. “What shall we say then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet”” (Romans 7:7).
The ministry of Holy Spirit frees us from all guilt. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). The glory of the law was temporary, because it was given until the coming of Jesus Christ who brought the ministry of the Spirit. People under the Law of Moses are exposed to divine law. However, anyone who is in Jesus is free from all condemnation. The law of the Spirit is manifested through us with visions and dreams to conquer those things that the human eye cannot perceive; but that God reveals through His Spirit.
Something to Think About
In 1995, while visiting the church of Dr. Cho in Korea, God gave me a vision. At that time we only had one thousand, two hundred cell groups in our church. In this vision, the Lord showed me Dr. Cho running like an athlete, wearing sport clothes and carrying a torch in his hand. It was like a relay race in a big stadium. He came to where I was and handed me the torch; therefore, I had to get up and continue the race. Immediately, I heard the Holy Spirit saying, “That is the torch of multiplication. Take it and run with it.” This vision came to me in one of those moments when I needed God the most. After traveling back to my country, I met with the leadership and I shared what God had revealed to me. The faith in the leadership was strengthened so much, that we set a very high goal which needed divine intervention. We challenged ourselves to grow from one thousand, two hundred cell groups to five thousand cell groups within six months. Although we didn’t reach the goal, we were very pleased with the results, because we were able to multiply to four thousand cells groups in the city of Bogotá. (Cesar Castellanos)
Prayer
Dear Jesus, I praise You with all of my heart. I want to express my gratitude for setting me free from the law of condemnation that produces guilt. You revealed Yourself to my life through the Holy Spirit, and through faith, You established the law of Your Spirit in my heart. I can feel Your grace and power flowing through my life. Thank You Lord Amen.
Declaration
The Spirit who dwells in me is so powerful that it freed me from all the chains of oppression.
Today’s Bible Reading
- Old Testament: Ezekiel 31-32; Job 11
- New Testament: John 10:11-21; 1 John 2:18-23
