The Letter Versus the Spirit
Rules give direction, but only the Spirit gives power—true life flows from within.
Devotional Credit: Day by Day by Grace – by Bob Hoekstra
Photo Credit: Unsplash
This devotional from Day by Day by Grace draws a striking contrast between two ways of living: one based on external observance, the other flowing from inward transformation. Bob Hoekstra uses Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 3:6 to contrast life under the letter of the law with life in the Spirit. The first is rule-driven, demanding righteousness without providing the power to live it. The second is relationship-based, empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit, who supplies all that is needed to live in union with God.
Hoekstra points to circumcision as a clear example—an outward command that could never change the heart. He reminds us that external acts (even if commanded by God) never transform a person unless there is an inward working of the Spirit. It’s not the outward sign that matters, but the heart—circumcised by the Spirit.
This life of grace doesn’t operate on “do more, try harder” energy. It functions by God’s supply. The Holy Spirit imparts righteousness, peace, and joy from within, not from external pressures. The new covenant isn’t a checklist to complete; it’s a relationship to enjoy—filled with life sourced in God Himself.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
You are no longer bound by the letter that kills, but made alive by My Spirit who gives life. I have written My laws not on tablets of stone but on your heart of flesh, that you may walk with Me in joy and peace. Your sufficiency is not from yourself but from Me—I have made you adequate as a minister of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit.
You are not defined by outward observance, but by the work I have done within you. You are My child not because of what you perform, but because I have called you, cleansed you, and made you alive. The true circumcision is of the heart—by My Spirit, not by the written code.
My kingdom is not about food or drink or appearances. It is righteousness and peace and joy that I have placed within you. Walk in that reality. Trust Me to express My life through you. I am not calling you to strive, but to rest—to yield and to walk in what I have already supplied.
Live by My Spirit, and you will no longer try to perfect yourself by human effort. My grace will teach you to say no to ungodliness, and My Spirit will lead you into all truth. You are no longer under the pressure of performance but under the power of My indwelling presence.
(Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Romans 2:28-29; Romans 14:17; Galatians 3:3; Titus 2:11-12; John 16:13)
Real-Life Analogy
You’ve probably opened an appliance and found the little instruction manual tucked inside. It tells you everything you're supposed to do—but it can’t do anything for you. It gives directions but provides no power. Now imagine the difference if the appliance came pre-programmed and powered by an internal guide that automatically helped you use it. That’s the difference between life by the letter and life by the Spirit. One demands action with no supply. The other lives from within you, guiding you naturally from the inside out.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that I no longer live under the crushing pressure of trying to meet external standards to be accepted. You have made me sufficient in Christ and filled me with Your Spirit. I walk in the joy of knowing that what You require, You have already provided within me. I rest in the truth that my adequacy comes from You. I am no longer trying to live for You—I am living from You. And because You live in me, I trust that every step I take today is filled with the righteousness, peace, and joy of Your Spirit.