II Corinthians 3:5-6
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
The capacity we have comes from God; it is He Who made us capable of serving the New Covenant. The Old Testament records The Law, the first covenant, or contract with His people. In this arrangement God required His people to conform to specific actions and rituals. These rituals were to keep the people's attention on what God wanted to do for them, in the sacrifices, to have the animals die so their sins could be covered.
The New Covenant is founded on what God has now done and completed for us: Jesus has fulfilled all of The Law, He became our sacrifice that the individual had been required to bring to the priest to die for his sins by being God's perfect Lamb, whose Blood would not merely cover, but actually take away our sins. Now God has written His Law in our hearts, not requiring all the outward rituals any more, but understanding the Spirit of the Law, the principles that the Law was founded on.
Now we are able to obey God's purposes in ways that are much deeper than ancient Israel understood. And it is God Who has given His Holy Spirit to live inside our human spirit of life, making our dead spirits alive, and making us competent, capable of sharing this Good News of Salvation with other people who wouldn't know without our telling them. The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Just going through the motions is deadening, but living according to the principle of Love that underlies God's plans and purposes for us will enliven us to show the World Who God is, and how He loves us all.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
