July 17, 2022 REMOVING THE VEIL
2 Corinthians 3:14-18 “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 hearts; but whenever a man 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 form the Lord, the Spirit.”
This passage of scripture clearly explains why non-believers do not get it; and it explains why non-believers are critical of believers and it explains why they reject God. Understanding why those who reject the gospel should give us some compassion for them-they simply are blinded to the truth. This also explains why it is useless to try to change the mind of a non-believer through debate. When we understand that some have a veil over their heart and their face, we should not be surprised or shocked by the things they do or say. The good news is that the veil can be removed! The veil that blinds is not removed by education, keeping certain rules, or by modifying behavior; only by ‘turning to the Lord’ is the veil removed. God is after the heart of man. Turning to the Lord implies that one is turning from his ways and is acknowledging that he needs and desires God; it’s coming to the end of self. Even as believers we must not allow our hearts to become hardened to the Lord and must not resist the work of the Spirit in us. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 tells us not to quench or stifle the Spirit. The amazing thing is that as we turn to the Lord with an unveiled face and as we ‘behold the glory of the Lord,’ we are being transformed into His image! We are not transformed by doing, but by beholding. God transforms us from the inside out; as our hearts and minds or being transformed, our life changes and we then began to reflect the nature and character of God with the life we live. This explains why emphasizing behavior and keeping certain rules as a way to get to God or to please God always fails. The good news is that since God changes us and gives us new hearts, minds and spirits, all we do can flow out of the new creation we are, and be a result of our relationship with our Father. This truth leads to life as God intended and it frees us from a life of trying in our own strength and determination to do the things that we are ‘supposed’ to do. As we turn our hearts and minds to the Lord and as the veil is removed, one major truth we will discover is that we have a new identity as His sons and daughters; He has made opened the way for us to live a life that is pleasing to Him and a blessing for us.
Ephesians 1:18-19b “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what of the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.”
Matthew 6:22-23 “The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. Therefore if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed