WHO ARE YOU REFLECTING?
II Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
I believe that this is one of my favorite verses. The reason for it is because I want to be a blessing to Jesus and have him be pleased with me. I am a people pleaser, but most of all I want to be a Jesus pleaser. I have no greater hope than to be a blessing to Jesus bringing a smile to his face and happiness in his heart.
This section of chapter 3 starts off with Paul telling the Corinthians about the glory of the first covenant that God had with the Hebrews. It was a covenant or agreement based on obedience to God’s laws. Moses points out that it was glorious, because it came with the glory of God. God’s word and his law represents God himself. What God says he means and he will back up. God never speaks worthless words. His words never should be taken lightly, so when Moses received the law from the Lord and came down from the mountain his face shown with the glory of the Lord. It was a sign to the people that what Moses was about to say was from God and needed to be taken seriously. But the longer Moses was away from the Lord the less his face reflected the glory of the Lord. So to keep the people from losing respect or fear of him, he put a veil over his face. Paul then shifts gears so to speak, and then compares this first covenant of obedience to the law to the second covenant of grace brought by the ministry of the Spirit. As we see in Acts 2:1-4 the glory of the Lord also came with reflecting evidence. What looked like tongues of fire came to rest on the disciples heads and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Like with Moses, the disciples demonstrated a supernatural manifestation that caused the people to be in awe. God’s presence and approval was not only upon them as with Moses, but was in them with God’s supernatural presence. With the new covenant of grace came a new affirmation of God’s presence and approval that didn’t fade away, but became stronger with time.
Where the law of God bound the people in their relationship with God, the grace that Jesus offered set them free. And because this unmerited favor of God’s grace, his grace set them free indeed. Jesus had come fulfilling the law’s demands for his creation that could not. And even though sin continues even in the Christian, God’s grace because of Jesus’ victory on Calvary’s cross abounded even more. We could never fall so short that the hand of Jesus couldn’t reach down to lift us up. With this something else exciting also happened, and this was the Holy Spirit began a new work in all that would believe and trust in Jesus. This was to daily, even moment by moment change us into the likeness of Jesus. And this transformation would come exponentially, as the Holy Spirit would add to what he had done before. So with each passing moment we start becoming more and more and more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, gentle, good and self-controlled. With each moment the Holy Spirit changes us more and more to become like the one we love most and that is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!
Christians would not need a veil as Mose whose face no longer shone with the glory of God. God wants us to shine for Jesus! He wants us to be a beacon to the world to draw people to Jesus as a lighthouse directs endangered ships and their crew to safety. God’s wants us to be so Christ-like that when people see us they will immediately see that we are not only different, but that they will want to be like us as well. I have personally had people tell me that I somehow seemed different and wondered what it was. Most of the time I hadn’t even said a word. Then there are other times when the opposite occurs. People that are not Christians and are living in rebellion against the Lord will attack me without me saying a thing to them. You see the Holy Spirit, the Heavenly Father and Jesus in me, (Jn 14:17-23) was upsetting to the demonic presence in that other person. Christians reflect the presence of God, while others reflect the powers of darkness in them. Jesus even pointed this out as he said that the tree is recognized by it‘s fruit. Good trees will not produce bad fruit, and bad trees will not produce good fruit. Only Christians will produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit making us more Christ-like. Where the powers of darkness are trying to make people conform to their evil, the Holy Spirit is transforming us into the likeness of God. We are not just changing on the outside to look different. We are being born again to be an altogether different person.
When I first became a Christian, I was very much a curiosity. People could tell I was different by the way I talked and acted. I used to cuss terribly before I became a Christian. I was proud, arrogant, self-righteous and much more. The Holy Spirit began to immediately transform me and all for the good. I even liked myself better! My wife certainly did! But sad to say soon the curiosity turned to mocking and disdain. I would walk into a room and never say a word and have people walk out. In some ways it was like Pilgrim in “Pilgrim's Progress”, where he was persecuted, ridiculed and mock for his desire to become a Christian. If this has happened to you, you know what a shock it is at first, and then the hurt that comes later as friends snub you.
We can’t help reflect the one we love most. It happens even with those we hang around with a lot. We find ourselves saying things and doing things just like them. We don’t even have to make an effort. Their actions and personalities seem to attach right to us. The same is true with Jesus. The more we spent time in the presence of Jesus the more we will be like him and reflect his glory. While reflecting the ways of the world is not good, reflecting the glory of Jesus is very good certainly to the Heavenly Father.
When you stand before God on Judgment Day will you want to stand with a veiled face or a face all aglow with love for Jesus?
Prayer: Holy Spirit, please help us to reflect your glory so that others can see more of Jesus in us. We ask this in Jesus name for his honor and glory.
