2 Cor. 3:12 -18, Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, 13 and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; 16 but whenever a person 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 from the Lord, the Spirit.
The definition of transparent from Webster is as follows:
a : free from pretense or deceit : frank
b : easily detected or seen through : obvious
c : readily understood
The idea of “unveiled face” in this verse speaks of transparency. Paul said that when the Jewish people read the Old Testament they still had a veil over their minds, because they weren’t able to understand the Grace of God in Christ. They were still trying to obtain righteousness through keeping the law, and therefore the idea of owning their spiritual helplessness apart from the grace of God (transparency) was was an offense to them. They were sincerely doing “their best,” to be good, and thought that was all that was required of them.
When a person turns to Christ, out of the hopelessness of religious self effort, the veil is taken away. As Christians we are finally free to be transparent about our brokenness, and need. The very foundation of a life of faith is an attitude of utter dependence.
Something we have to be careful about though, is to not make transparency an end in itself. There is a culture in the Church today that so celebrates the freedom of transparency, that we forget that transparency is never the goal; instead, it postures us to experience the goal of “transformation.” Freedom isn’t found in transparency alone, but transparency awakens us to Behold the glory of Christ, who alone is able to liberate us, transform us. It’s beholding, and celebrating Jesus, who is our life as New Creations, in all of His Glory; not beholding our need that, liberates us into Christlikeness. It’s good to acknowledge our need (that is the unveiled face), but we must moment by moment gaze on His total adequacy, and limitless provision.
2 Cor. 3:5, “ Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
Ok, it’s true that we aren’t adequate in ourselves, and it’s wonderful to be able to be honest about that, but the whole point is to, having admitted “we can’t,” that we behold the One who “always can.” My spiritual father used to say that faith is moment by moment beholding Jesus and declaring to Him, “I can’t, and You never said I could, but You can, and You always said You would.”