Tell me a story

One of the best things about being a grandparent is the chance to read stories to the grandkids long before they have the ability to read.  I intentionally don't remember the name of the story I last read to one of the granddaughters, but at the time I was also remembering when I used to read that story to my daughter.

I will admit some of the pleasure of reading to a daughter or granddaughter disappears when you get to the end of the story and they say, "Read it again."  That seems to have been something passed along in the genes, because the daughter and granddaughter both wanted multiple reading of the same stories.  Happy times return when an older grandchild learns to read to the younger, and it's now their turn to "read it again."

In one of our articles last week I asked my readers if they were good story tellers.  Then I took a shot at telling a story from my school days, and made some applications of the story to life.  I haven't heard from any of you story tellers, but that article was a "set-up"  to lead to today's article.  We shall introduce the theme by directing you to 2 Corinthians 3. 

Verse 6, "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

Paul then reasons with the Corinthians, that the law that came with a temporary glory.  Doesn't it stand to reason the ministry of the Spirit even more glorious?  The purpose of this teaching from Paul is to get us to understand the greater glory of the new covenant.  He says, we aren't like Moses.  Remember Moses put a veil over his face to keep Israel from seeing the end  of what was passing away.  Paul even says, "to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. "  Now look at the scripture starting in verse 16.  "But whenever anyone 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 freedom.  And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate (or reflect) the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

What a story!  The freedom we have according to the new covenant allows us with unveiled faces to actually reflect the glory of the Lord.   Not only this, we are being changed more and more into his image and that comes with what Paul calls an ever-increasing glory.  Then the promise,  it comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

 

Now I am like my granddaughter, "Read it to me again!"  "Tell me the story, over and over."   More than anything I want you to see what Paul was wanting the Corinthians to see.  You are the story.  The story of the work of God in giving his Son for the world.  And, the story continues from the Lord, the Spirit, in bringing us freedom." 

Transform me Lord, so I can reflect your glory, change me more and more into your image. Amen. 

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