There is Liberty
2 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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2 Corinthians 3:12-18
2 Corinthians 3:12-18
For context, lets read v7-11.
7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.
What was engraved on stones was the encapsulation of the law. Even the giving of it was glorious. Israel was terrified of it, they couldn't step the mountain even while Moses was up on it receiving the commandments to save even those who were sinners. How much more glorious a walk with him who were shown such grace? Knowing that while we were still sinners He died for us? (Ro 5:8)
12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one 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 liberty. 18 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 by the Spirit of the Lord.
Veiled 2. Unveiled
12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech—13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.
therefore - we read v9 it was Ministry of Condemnation / Glory. in v 6 says the letter kills the Spirit gives life. We don’t have a fading but permanent glory, we don’t live by the law, but we already have His Spirit and thus life NOW.
since we have such hope.
Psalm 119:49 “Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope.”
Romans 15:13 “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
boldness - parreisa - audacity, and absolute we have talked about this before, our incredible confidence in God because of what He has accomplished in us.
Acts 24:15–16 “I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. 16This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”
Paul was willing to risk everything, because He had and was nothing. He truly had died to this world. He said in Galatians 6:14 “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”
We make spectacular claims because we have experienced the truly spectacular, the Living God. We don’t save anyone, Jesus does. Because of that Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Unlike Moses - pretty bold for Paul to compare himself with the Patriarch Moses. He points out, the veiled Glory (which faded) where only the law was presented. Moses met with God, the people didn’t. I can share with Jesus with folks and remind them by the indwelling Spirit of God that we never walk alone. Turn to Exodus 34.
Paul says that Moses hid his face, why? Exodus 34:29–30 “Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.”
People were afraid to approach the mountain of god or the glow on Moses. They didn't want to come near him. It was a reminder of the Law and its reach. That God, was holy and there were steps to take in our approach to Him.
14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.
But their minds were blinded. The law was good. The law, was the tutor that revealed we needed God’s grace, mercy and love found by repentance. The law kills by revealing who we are and convicting/condmening us. It doesnt just say this is bad but this is you, you are a condemned sinner. What does it mean the same veil is unlifted in the reading of the OT, but the veil is taken away only by us being in Christ. Ok, turn to Acts 28. As Paul was under house arrest, chained to a Roman soldier and yet, with the scrutiny of everyone around him, he taught everyone about Jesus. Paul talks about this veil look with me at:
Acts 28:23–29 “So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. 24And some were persuaded by the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. 25So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, 26saying, ‘Go to this people and say: “Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive; 27For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” ’ 28“Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” 29And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.”
Old Testament; Pa-lai-tos (old) and dia-thekes (testament, covenant, will, agreement). If we look at it without the veil, we see Christ all through and in it.
Jesus said, John 5:39–40 “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”
In Luke 24:27 “And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” How often do we see Jesus there in the OT. In Leviticus, etc. we have seen its testimony of Him. If we reject Him, we wear a veil, we have blinders on. Jesus reveals the truth and heart of God.
or the hearts of this people have grown dull. (Ac 28:27) but jesus opens the eyes of the blind by changing the heart. You can’t see the the whole of it without Him.
Same veil remains unlifted. They still can only see the Old not the new. They fear but still recognize the glory thats fading. They don’t see the Glory, they only see the veil.
16 Nevertheless when one 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 liberty. 18 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 by the Spirit of the Lord.
Our final two verses today. We saw earlier, that Jesus opens the eyes of the blind. Note what he says here
When one turns to who? Jesus yes. Do you see what Paul is saying here? When we turn what is that? Repent. You cannot approach Jesus while continuing to follow sin.
Paul said to the Elders of Ephesus, he- Acts 20:21 “testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”
To Agrippa, Paul said Acts 26:20 “but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.”
Perhaps the veil remains on some, because they haven’t turned. They are still trying to live in the World, not the Cross. We can’t live in faith toward our Lord without repentance first. What will you do? Keep the veil on? Its a heart issue.
When we turn to the Lord there is His? Spirit! You cannot have His Spirit, you cannot experience this Liberty without doing so. We often want to have Jesus and our sin. We often say when convicted Liberty!
when if we had turned, we would never, never defend sin in our life. Repentance changes us.
To repent, is to remove the veil. To in repentance die so that Jesus would live in us. Look, repenting and turning in faith to Jesus, brings Him to dwell in us.
Ephesians 3:17 “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,”
Jesus is found in you! Colossians 1:27–29 “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.”
Liberty isn’t freedom to sin but freedom from sin. Being unveiled is the experiential side of faith. Being transformed into the same image. From the Glory of the Old to the New. This kind of faith is transformative, real.
Lord thank you that we are being transformed! Look, 2 Corinthians 4:6 “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” by truly repenting and turning to Jesus you and I can look into the mirror and see Jesus there. Even if its somewhat dimly (1Co. 13:12) every time we sit with Jesus love on him, we are changed a little more.
beholding: The word means more than a casual look; it means to make a careful study. We all have something to behold, something to study about not just the transformation in our lives but the fact that we are changing all together.
Look, examine with us what Paul writes in Romans 8:28–30 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” He planned to do it this way from the beginning. He (notice the tense) Justified, glorified.
Transformed is meta-morphou-metha and plainly is change or to be or being transformed. Are you? Its a change of essential nature. The butterfly comes from the what? The caterpillar. Which would never be confused with a butterfly.
this also means that it isn't something you work up in your flesh. Yes, we should be holy, yes we should reject the things of this world, don’t get me wrong, we as transformed beings, should behave like transformed beings! If you could fly would you never do it? This is something that the Holy Spirit works up in us.
he communicates this to us in so many ways. from us being His bride to being a tent 2 Corinthians 5:1–5 “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.”
What does this all mean? It means we read and apply everything we see in the bible through the lens of Jesus Christ. We don’t read the law and let it kill us, because we already died to it. We rest in this glory, that Jesus paid our price. Jesus lived a perfect life, died for our sins, rose from the dead. And through faith in him, we can partake of all of it. We die to this world because Jesus did. We are given life by His glory like He was. We will be resurrected like he was and is. Guaranteed.
This all begins, by turning to Jesus. Would you do that now? Turn to him and live in liberty of His grace, mercy and love.