BEHOLDING HIS GLORY WITH AN UNVEILED FACE
From The HeartPublish date: 08/15/2005
The secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but the things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all of the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29 AMPThe secret things belong to the Lord, but the things He has revealed to us are ours. Through the truth of God’s Word, His will is revealed to us so that we can walk uprightly before Him and enjoy His promises and benefits.
But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]. 10 Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny]. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 AMP
In your wildest imagination, you could not dream up what God has prepared and ordained for you, and yet, He has revealed them to you by His Holy Spirit!
Since we have such [glorious] hope (such joyful and confident expectation), we speak very freely and openly and fearlessly. 13 Nor [do we act] like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze upon the finish of the vanishing [splendor which had been upon it]. 14 In fact, their minds were grown hard and calloused [they had become dull and had lost the power of understanding]; for until this present day, when the Old Testament (the old covenant) is being read, that same veil still lies [on their hearts], not being lifted [to reveal] that in Christ it is made void and done away. 15 Yes, down to this [very] day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies upon their minds and hearts. 16 But whenever a person turns [in repentance] to the Lord, the veil is stripped off and taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom). 18 And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 AMP
When Moses met with God and received the Ten Commandments, he came down the mountain with the glory of God so strong on his face that he had to wear a veil for the sake of the people. God told Moses that no man could look upon His face and live. These people were not even able to look upon the reflected glory of Almighty God on Moses’ face, because their hearts were grown hard and calloused - they had become dull and had lost the power of understanding. Sin causes you to have a veil over your face when it comes to the truth of the word of God. But whenever a person repents and turns to the Lord, it is as if this veil is stripped off and taken away from you by the Holy Spirit, Who opens God’s word up to you. As you continue, as with an unveiled face, to look and see and understand the word of God and to behold the glory of God as in a mirror, you will continue to be transfigured and transformed into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another!
But even if our Gospel (the glad tidings) also be hidden (obscured and covered up with a veil that hinders the knowledge of God), it is hidden [only] to those who are perishing and obscured [only] to those who are spiritually dying and veiled [only] to those who are lost. 4 For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God. 5 For what we preach is not ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves [merely] as your servants (slaves) for Jesus' sake. 6 For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 AMP
The Gospel is not hidden – it is openly proclaimed and revealed – but it is veiled to those who are spiritually lost. Not that God wants it veiled – He is not hiding it from us - He wants it to be openly revealed to all men. It is veiled because the devil - the god of this world’s system - has blinded the unbelievers' minds, in order that they should not discern the truth, preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ. That is why the glory of God shines out of God’s people’s hearts - light shining out of darkness – so that those who need Jesus may be illuminated with the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God, revealed in the face of Jesus Christ. The devil can try to keep people ignorant and blinded to the truth, but once the glory of God is revealed to a sinner and their eyes are opened, there is nothing the devil can do to stop them from receiving the life of God in Jesus Christ! Thank God for the unveiled glory of His word that brings life and liberty to His people!