"12 Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, 13 and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; 16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."
II Corinthians 3:12-18
Good Morning Beloved,
Welcome to worship, we're so glad you're here.
As you will likely remember, the apostle Paul has been defending himself against the false accusations that he is a false teacher. I am compelled to remind you, that Satan’s most effective deception is religion.
That is why he is disguised as an angel of light
and that is why his ministers are also disguised as angels of light.
While they are all demons of darkness
and damnation, they frequently masquerade through religion, deceiving God's people.
Satan’s subtlest and most powerful impact is through designing a religion that does not save, yet damns people under the illusion that all is well between them and God.
Beloved, it is no secret, that the world today, is obviously engulfed in that satanic deception,
the world is engulfed in religion that does not save, but a
religion that damns them to eternal hell.
It is the satanic religion of ceremony or ritual or self-righteous works,
it is the religion of performance,
the religion of human effort,
the religion of sacraments and it sends people
into a Godless eternity deceived about their real condition.
There are only two types of "religions." There is true Christianity, salvation by grace,
through faith in Christ alone,
and there is one other religion and that is the religion of religious ceremonies, human achievement, human accomplishment,
human effort, and all religion
in the world apart of true Christianity is really
just another form of that same false damning satanic deception.
That a person can be made right with God through some sort of external effort,
through some moral activity,
or through some religious ceremony. That is a damning deception that engulfs the majority of the world today!
Let's bow our heads in prayer.
Heavenly Father,
Father, we thank You for Your truth in Your Word for us today. We thank You for prompting the hearts of those gathered with us, both near and far. Lord, we ask that Your Holy Spirit would etch these truths in our hearts, and guide us to apply them to our lives. That it might increase the
experience of our worship, praise
and thanksgiving for You. Father, we thank You for the marvelous blessings of the New Covenant, that everything is wrapped up in the person of Christ,
that the Holy Spirit has set us free. O' Lord, we thank You for wherever the Holy Spirit is, the Spirit gives life, and we are grateful for the precious gift of everlasting life.
We thank You for His regenerating work, that gives us an incredible love for You, an obedience Your Word, a hunger for Your truth, a longing to worship and
praise You, Lord, and a hatred of sin and wickedness and a heart of penitence, the evidences of Your regenerating power.
Father, we thank You that nothing is veiled anymore, You have filled us with hope, You’ve drawn us into the vision of Christ, and as we gaze in awe of His glory, may we Arise, shine for Your light has come.
We pray this in Jesus' name
Amen
Today's Message: Arise! Shine for Your Light Has Come
Open with me your bibles, to II Corinthians chapter 3. Today, in our continuing study of the book of II Corinthians chapter, we come to the end of this wonderful epistle. We will be studying verses 12-18. Allow me to read to you from the marvelous text to get it settled in our minds. Follow along with me if you would, as I read to you II Corinthians 3:12-18.
"Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But
we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the
Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory,
just as from the Lord, the Spirit."
In this portion of the passage, the apostle Paul uses the experience of Moses and his veil to
illustrate the glorious freedom and openness of the Christian life under
grace. We, as Christians, are allowed to look upon the glory of God by
contemplating on Christ and reflecting Christ to one another. As we look
to Christ and follow His leadership, God transforms us into His image. As we are changed into the likeness of Christ we reflect the
glory of Christ to the world. The greater our transformation, the
greater glory of Christ the world can behold in us.
As recipients of the permanent, irrevocable New Covenant, we are motivated to boldness by our hope which verse 12 proclaims. "Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech,"
What hope did Paul and do we today share? We have confident
expectations because of the New Covenant is eternal. Our certain
acceptance by God should give us “great boldness” in speech and action.
It was in this astounding confidence, Paul held nothing back. He told it
like it was, with absolute, unwithering unreservedness.
Do you boldly speak for Christ or do you hold back on the Gospel story.
Such a hope of our certain glory in Jesus Christ should cause us all to be bold in proclaiming our faith. The defining moment of truth for a believer is when he or she decides to publically
identify himself with Jesus Christ. Whether that be praying over a meal in a
restaurant, carrying around a Bible, wearing a pin or cross, it solidifies our
commitment to Christ.
Paul begins the analogy of the veil over Moses face in verse 13. “And are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his
face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of
what was facing away.”
Moses unveiled His face when He went in to
speak with God, left it unveiled until He spoke with people then covered
His face so they might not look upon the diminishing glory. Not only
did this veil actually conceal the brightness of the glory but it also
concealed the end of that which was fading away.
Exodus 34:29–35, says, "It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him. So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them. Afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the Lord had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded, the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him."
The word
translated "end" has two significance here: "purpose" and "finish." The
veil prevented the people from seeing the finish of the glory as it
faded away. However, it also has typical significance. The fading glory
hidden behind veil also signified the fading glory of the Old Covenant.
This transience of the glory which accompanied the Old Covenant was not
openly evident to the children of Israel. The Law had just been
instituted and the people were not ready to be told that this glorious
system was only temporary. The truth that the covenant of Law was a
preparation for something greater was not yet made know to them.
So the transitory nature of the veiled glory corresponds to the
transitory nature of the old covenant. The Glory faded because the Old
Covenant was a covenant that was to fade away or was temporary. The
contrast is that the unveiled ministry of the Spirit is permanent and
eternal.
The hardening the minds and hearts of those who suppress His truth and revelation represents God’s judgment which we find in verse 14, which says "But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ."
Whatever Moses’ reason for using the veil his action proved to be prophetic. The word used for mind, noēmata, is literally mind gift and could be interpreted thoughts. The word for hardened, epōrōthē, which means "hard skin, callus, petrified." This type of hardening comes from disbelief.
Even when confronted with the
glory shining from Moses' face the Israelites were unwilling to receive
what God had to communicate to them through him and in consequence their
minds were hardened which means that their understanding was dulled and
deadened. This is always the result of refusing and suppressing the
Revelation of divine truth. A veil of mental darkness hides the glory of
what has been deliberately rejected.
Not only was ancient Israel unwilling or unable because of their
minds being made dull but the dullness remains to this very day. They
fail to perceive that the Old Covenant was a preliminary message not the
final word of God’s revelation. The Jewish people could not grasp the
spiritual message because they were blinded by their religion to the
light of Christ’s glory. No matter what they say if they truly believe Moses’ words, they would believe in Christ.
There
is only one way to uplift or remove the veil. You must believe in Jesus
Christ. It is only by turning in faith to Christ, that the veil over the
reading of Moses or God’s Word is removed. The shining of the moon can
be understood only in terms of the shining of the sun of which it is a
less glorious reflection. It is one and the same light. The minds of unbelievers are indeed blinded to the truth about sin,
about God, and about life. The blinding veil is taken away when one
comes to Christ in repentance and faith. Believing in Christ is the only
way to see life as God intended it to be.
Have you ever given thanks to the Lord for opening your eyes?
Well, in verse 15 Paul comments on Israel’s dulled powers of spiritual perception, "But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;"
"Whenever Moses is read" refers to the five books of the Law that God
gave to Moses in Exodus 24:12. This note is Paul’s affirmation of Moses as
author of the Pentateuch. Moses removed his physical veil in the
Presence of the Lord, but Israel will not do so, a fact that caused Paul
great agony in Romans 9:1-5. The books of Moses are intended to turn them
to Christ, because they fall short in fulfilling the law, so long as
they consider the law as permanent this veil will lie over their hearts.
I'd like you to make note that the veil is not only over their mind but "over their heart." In
Scripture the heart is the center of man's being, the fountain of his
will, the seat of his affections and understanding and the focal point
of the personality. If it blinds the heart it blinds the whole being.
Verse
16 informs us that believers, those who have turned to the Lord, have
the veil that hides the meaning or understanding of the Scriptures
removed. "but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away."
When a man "turns" to Christ "the veil is taken away." When
one is converted and receives the Spirit. Nothing now stands between
this believer and God. For through Christ, God has reconciled the world
to Himself, bringing freedom, forgiveness and the
realization that Christ is the only mediator between God and man.
The Lord who mediated the Old Covenant is the same Lord who established
the New Covenant. Israel must turn back to the same Lord whom Moses talked with
in the Tabernacle, with his veil removed when he beheld the divine glory.
Christ is the glory. To turn to Him is to turn to the Light of the
World. To follow Him is not to walk in darkness but to have the light of
life.
Since no
sinner-Jew or Gentile- can turn to Christ apart from the ministry of the
Holy Spirit, Paul continues in verse 17; "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." Verses 17 and 18 summarize the thrust of this section. The
statement, "Now the Lord is the Spirit," is a bold declaration of the
deity of the Spirit. The Spirit is God; the Lord, the third person of
the trinity. Christ dwells in the believer by the Holy Spirit. The two
are of one mind and purpose and one in essence though there are
distinctions between them. Jesus and the Spirit are elsewhere
identified with each other.
One cannot turn to the Lord without coming to know the ministry
of the Spirit at the same time. True freedom comes from the Spirit. The Spirit brings freedom from the power of sin and death—those
things from which the law could not free people.
These Judaizers who had invaded the church at Corinth, were depending on
the Old Testament Law to change men's lives. They were soon bound up in
rules and ceremonies that cannot change man spiritually. Only the Holy
Spirit can bring about spiritual transformation. Only the Holy
Spirit can bring about spiritual transformation. When we trust Christ to
save us He removes the weight of our sin and trying to be "good
enough" to deserve salvation and then He frees us to live for Him. The reality is, we can never be good enough to receive salvation! Therefore, the
result of being purchased out of the slavery of sin and law by Christ's
death is freedom. The Spirit introduces us into a life of liberty.
Out of the experience of Moses and Israel, verse 18 applies the
climatic truth to all born again believers. "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."
Judaism had one Law-giver who beheld God’s
glory while the people outside saw only the afterglow. "But we all," or
all true Christians, behold the glory of God in Christ. As Christians,
Paul says behold continually Christ's divine glory; and this beholding
changes or transforms us from glory to glory, meaning
from one degree of glory to a greater and greater degrees of glory.
Believers will progress through ever-greater degrees of glory or "doxa."
Even as by the Spirit of the Lord, "as from the Lord the Spirit"
indicates that this transformation takes place by the abiding presence
of the Spirit of God. Because God has lifted the veil from our eyes, we
can look upon Jesus’. And in so doing, we are changed. We are changed
not by a program, a practice, or a procedure. We are changed by the person of Jesus Christ. We are changed by looking upon Jesus and by spending time with Him,
learning about Him, and worshiping Him.
I'd also like you to notice, that those who behold Christ’s glory are being transformed into Christ’s
image or likeness. As the believer himself "reflects" the glory of the
Lord just as the face of Moses reflected the glory of the Lord. This
is what Paul is describing in his imagery.
In a sense, we take on the characteristics of the things on which we
concentrate. That's why our whole being should be turned toward our
blessed Lord and Savior. As His glory shines on us and into us, we will
be changed more into His likeness. Then others looking at us will see the
marvelous transformation of Jesus Christ in us. All who are born of God should
develop a likeness to their Father.
This process of the growth of
glory within us is a process of restoration which goes on throughout
our life. Little by little, throughout our whole life, as we yield to the
Spirit, and will of God, He transforms our inner nature and causes His glory to shine
into us and through us. This glory unto glory is increasing and
increasing until the Coming of our Lord and when He appears we shall be
like Him however, not equal to, as some believe. On that day, we will not need to look at a reflection
of His glory but we shall see Him as He is, in full glory.
Putting ourselves next to Christ's perfect character reveals just how "out of
shape" we really are. Being transformed into Christ's image does not mean
sinless perfection, it means becoming complete and mature. God often
works through suffering to bring this about. Sometimes He uses the painful results of our sins or the sins of
others. Although no specific sin may be the cause of our day-to-day
difficulties, we undergo the pain of learning obedience, suffering for
doing the Father's will.
Are you hurting? Perhaps the shaping-up process is in progress. Jesus
was perfect, yet He had to learn obedience through the things He
suffered, as we learn in Hebrews 5:8. If you continue trusting Jesus, you'll increasingly take on the image of His loveliness.
In Closing....
Often, factors over which we have no control, can profoundly shape our lives. However,
this doesn’t mean that we are helpless pawns of our past. We have the
ability to shape our attitudes and actions by wisely choosing the
friends we make, the materials we read, the entertainment we watch. Many
children with awful backgrounds, have grown up to become highly respected men and
women.
Christians are to reflect our relationship with our Father
in heaven, and not our former master, Satan. God wants us to reflect the
image of our Savior. Beloved, that's not something we do for ourselves just by making good choices. It requires the transforming work and power of the Holy
Spirit.
Here the Bible says that the transformation into Christ’s image
occurs when we practice beholding "the glory of the Lord." This means
allowing Jesus to be the focal point of our lives and submitting fully
to Him as our Lord. Regardless of what has happened in your past, are you
letting God shape your present and your future?
The
aim of Christianity is Christ-likeness. What happens when God by His
glory reveals divine truth to you by the Holy Spirit? We are warned of
the terrible intellectual hardening that occurs when we come face to
face with divine truth and reject it.
Does Christ seem nearer to you
today than the day you were saved?
God is revealing His glory to you not
with the partial and transient glory of the law but with the surpassing
and permanent glory of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
There are many who regularly attend church, without entering into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Often
an individual will conform to what is called a "Christian lifestyle" and
never have his heart be changed. Consequently, there is the danger that one would have the trappings of
religion and not know the love, joy, and freedom that is in Christ.
I encourage each of you to stay in the Word of God, spend time with Him in prayer daily and continuously seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
God has shined in our hearts that we might give forth the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God. Away with the veils! Let His Glory shine
forth.
"Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you."
Isaiah 60:1
May it be so...
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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