13 We are not like Moses,
who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the
end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day
the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed,
because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil
covers their hearts. 16 But
whenever anyone 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 And we all, who with
unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into
his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the
Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:13-18
Please do not forget verse 17. It is vital for us to know and understand its
truth. "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where
the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." What does the passage say to
you? If we are to be the people of God,
redeemed by the blood of Christ, forgiven of sin, possessors of the Spirit of
God living in us, what is all this
freedom about?
When Jesus was describing his mission in
coming to the earth, one of the things he read aloud, from the Old Testament
prophecy, was he would bring freedom to the prisoners. Of course the reading is speaking of those who
are prisoners or enslaved to sin. Jesus'
mission included his mission of rescuing us from those sins which hold us
captive, and bringing us freedom.
Can you imagine the feeling of a literal
prisoner which has been incarcerated for a long time. When he finally experiences freedom it is as
if he is breathing new air. enjoying life anew, as he lives in the liberty
which now surrounds him.
So I ask each of you, as you consider your
life which is devoted to God, where is the Spirit of God for you? Don't forget the verse where we started, that
teaches us about real freedom. "Now
the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is
freedom."
Do we have that freedom? Do we live in that freedom? Do we thrive in that freedom? I
am convinced we cannot experience real freedom, like that described in our
text, unless we are aware of and listening to the Spirit of the Lord inside us.
In the lengthy section of scripture above,
there is talk about the veil, and minds being made dull. The real blessing for us is in the words, "Only
in Christ, the veil is taken away. " Also, "Whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the
veil is taken away."
We are the evidence that the mission of
Jesus was accomplished, when we are the living testimony of the freedom we have
experienced. Because God's grace and
love are extended in our direction, the chains are broken, the suffering of
being bound by sin is gone, and we are set free!
<ronbwriting@gmail.com>
No comments:
Post a Comment