Open Face
Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 07/28/2024
Foundation Scriptures:
2 Corinthians 3:6-18
1. Glory of God on the Old Covenant.
a. Exodus 34:29-35
b. Moses was forty days and nights in the glory and presence of God.
c. When he came down from Mount Sinai, with the Ten Commandments in his hands, he did not realize that his face shone brightly with the reflected glory of God.
d. Aaron and the Israelites saw Moses’ face shining with God’s glory and were afraid to come near him.
e. Moses had to wear a veil, or covering, over his face while he spoke to the people, giving them the commandments that God instructed him to give.
f. While in the presence of God, Moses had no need to wear the veil.
g. In the presence of the people, he wore the veil, because they were unable to look at God’s glory shining from Moses’ face.
2. Glory of God on the New Covenant.
a. 2 Corinthians 3:9 NKJV — For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory.
b. 2 Corinthians 3:11 NKJV — For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious.
c. If the glory of God was powerful under the Old Covenant—how much more is it displayed in power and glory under and through the New Covenant!
d. The Israelites could not look openly at the glory of God.
e. Under the New Covenant, we, with open face, are privileged to see God’s glory and be changed thereby.
3. The Veil.
a. 2 Corinthians 3:12-16 NKJV — 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.
b. If your mind is blinded and there’s a veil on your heart, you cannot see nor understand God’s Word.
c. Anyone, not yet born again, can only have a limited understanding of the Word of God, because it is spiritually discerned.
d. They could read it and study it, and yet have no revelation of it because a veil lies on their hearts.
e. The truth of the Gospel is hidden to the unbeliever because the devil has blinded their minds (2 Cor. 4:3-4).
f. But the glory of God on the Word of God, shines into our hearts and opens our eyes.
g. 2 Corinthians 4:6 NKJV — 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.
h. When you receive Jesus Christ, your eyes are opened, and the veil is removed.
i. You can see and begin to understand God’s Word and His plan.
4. The Mirror.
a. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 NKJV — 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.
b. Looking into the Word of God is like looking into a mirror.
c. We look into the mirror of the Word, and it is the Holy Spirit Who gives us revelation and understanding of it.
d. In this mirror, we see the perfect law of liberty.
e. We see Jesus as He is—and we see ourselves as we are.
f. We also see what we ought to be and do (James 1:22-25).
g. If we are not a doer of the Word we see, we will not receive the blessing it offers.
h. James 1:25 NKJV — But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
i. 1 Corinthians 13:12 NKJV — For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
j. Even though we have not yet seen Him face to face—as we will in Heaven—we see as if in a mirror.
k. And it is enough to powerfully change us eternally for the good.
5. Open Face.
a. With open, unveiled face, we see the reflection of the glory of God (2 Cor. 3:18).
b. Open face:
c. With no pretense or ulterior motives.
d. Without selective hearing.
e. Willing to receive from God all that He gives.
f. Willing to believe the Word we see and hear.
g. Willing to take God’s correction and make the changes.
h. Willing to obey the Word of God and to be a doer of it.
i. Willing to allow Him to do the work in us.
6. Changed.
a. 1 John 3:2 NKJV — Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
b. When we see Him, we will be like Him—until then, we are a work in progress.
c. We are changed from glory to glory by the Spirit of God.
d. We are changed into the same image—the image of Jesus—and becoming more like Him, day by day.
e. The deeper we look into the mirror, the more we see and come to know Jesus—Who He is and what He does.
f. The longer and deeper we look, the more revelation we receive, and the more we are changed—from glory to glory.