2 Cor. 3:12 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.
If you remember the story about Moses wearing a veil in the Old Testament you will remember that after spending time in the glory of God Moses would wear a veil over his face as he approached the people to keep them from being blinded by the glory that was shining on his face. But according to verse 13 of 2 Corinthians 3, there came a time when Moses continued to wear the veil, not because he was shining, but because the glory was fading and he did not want the people to see that the shine was going away. It is so easy to live in pretense, hiding behind our veils. We don’t want people to know that we’re struggling on the inside with weakness and brokenness, so we learn to say all the right things, and to make all the right movements in worship, and to sing all the right songs, hoping that the people around us won’t discover the truth that we really don’t have it together spiritually at all. There is an epidemic of pretense in the body of Christ, and many christians have lived their entire Christian life hiding, and faking.
Notice in verse 16 how liberty from pretense happens, and where transformation begins. Our neediness, and our brokenness is not a surprise to the Lord. He knows the absolute truth about our utter helplessness, and spiritual poverty. He just wants us to turn to Him in the midst of our brokeness, and in looking into those eyes of fire, that burns with unconditional love for us, allow Him to pull the veil off of our face. In the presence of the LORD OF GRACE we find unconditional acceptance. There is no more need for pretense. When you discover that in His presence you longer had to pretend you are able to finally let go of the heavy, devastating weight of shame that is hung on the veil, of pretense. You see it is only with an unveiled face; unashamedly admitting our absolute dependence on Him; are we able to behold His glory and be transformed into the image bearers that we are.
Grace allows us to be honest about where we are, so that His glory can transform us to become who we are; the image bearers of Christ. Only in feeling safe enough to come clean about our emptiness will we begin to live out of His fulness. More tomorrow.
