2 Corinthians 3:17-21 (ESV)
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Have you ever seriously read the beginning of this chapter? Where Paul is SO confident in the work he is doing in the Spirit that he sees the Corinthians church as a letter of recommendation? "You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all." I read that and it was like wow... what kinds of letters of recommendation do I have in my life? Where is my confidence in the work that I do? Do I even have that confidence that Paul has? Paul is very clear though, his confidence is confidence not in himself but in the work that GOD himself does. i have to admit it,... I struggle with that. Though I am getting better! The more I learn to trust God more deeply, the more I learn to be confident in the work that God is doing in my life and in my family and in my community. It feels like a painfully show process though.
As I went on through the chapter, reading to get to the verses of the day it became abundantly clear to me why reading verses in context helps make sense of them. Today's verses talk about God being spirit, and in the spirit of the Lord there is freedom and we can come with unveiled faces to behold the glory of the Lord and that God is transforming us.
Now the whole unveiled faces thing would NOT have made an impact on me if I hadn't just read through Pauls explanation of the difference in how we can approach God and how MOSES had to approach God. Moses needed to veil his face before the Glory of God, but we don't need to. We have a boldness that Moses didn't have, but we are functioning under a different revelation.For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. We live under righteousness.Not death, not condemnation...but under righteousness...that's what Christ's death did for us. And through it, God is transforming me. His Spirit moves within me causes me to be someone different than I was years ago. Isn't that cool? He is the one helping me to grow and to change, to see more of him than I used to.
Just consider these verses 12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. 14 But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16 But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. The veil is removed! God has given us so much more. Get to know him folks, see that there is so much more to life than what you've known before. :)
What does Chuck have to say about these verses? um.. well.. he talked about his marriage and reaching the stage of transcendent love. Which didn't resonate with me AT ALL. it was like what in the world does this have to do with the passage? ah... Just made a realization... we talking on different passages.. I HATE MY EYES getting old. I was SUPPOSED to look at 2 Corinthians 5:17-21!17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Chucks' words still don't resonate with me in regards to this passage beyond the fact that the Lordship of Christ in their marriage was a pivotal part.
