Unveiled Glory
Have you ever wondered how the outside world views those who are born-again Christians? Sure we seem to be the butt of so many jokes, but have you ever wondered if the rest of the world sees those who are actively following Christ in a different light? Or have you ever looked at your own behavior and considered if it is showing the world God’s grace or if you are following right along with the world? Paul writes a passage in 2 Corinthians that directly relates to these ideas.
“3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? 2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all people, 3 revealing yourselves, that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such is the confidence we have toward God through Christ. 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves so as to consider anything as having come from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
7 But if the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stones, came with glory so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness excel in glory. 10 For indeed what had glory in this case has no glory, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
12 Therefore, having such a hope, we use great boldness in ourspeech, 13 and we are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not stare 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 hearts; 16 but whenever someone 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 freedom. 18 But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
We see that Paul starts this passage pointing out an issue that Christians still have today, and that is to praise themselves or to seek praise from others regarding actions they have done. This issue Paul is quick to point out that we are letters of Christ to the world, our actions show our faith in the living God. “revealing yourselves, that you are a letter of Christ, delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4 Such is the confidence we have toward God through Christ. 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves so as to consider anything as having come from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,” 2 Corinthians 3:3-5.
It is the fact that our behavior is not to seek praise from others, but to bring glory to God that Paul then continues to show that we have become servants or enactors of a new covenant. One not of rules and regulations, but of grace. The old law was always designed to show how impossible it if for mankind to meet God’s standard; it is why on our own we are not adequate to complete it, only Christ is. However, the old law was still given by God and was designed to show God’s glory in the need for a savior. Paul then wishes to show the reader that this new covenant will have even more glory because it is not an act of condemnation but of accepting that Jesus Christ is righteous and we can only be righteous through His actions. “6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, engraved in letters on stones, came with glory so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness excel in glory. 10 For indeed what had glory in this case has no glory, because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.” 2 Corinthians 3:6-11.
So how should a Christian act? It is with boldness, not in our works but in the works of Jesus Christ! Paul reminds the Jewish readers at the time that Moses hid his face after seeing God because God’s glory remained on him. It was to much for the others to bear. Moses hid, we should not. We should walk about boldly showing the world God’s grace. There may be those who do not wish to see God’s glory, but those who turn to the Lord will be able to see Him through our actions and be able to understand more of God.
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex