“THE LORD WHO IS THE SPIRIT!”

 2 Corinthians 3:12-18                                          (ESV)

“12 Since WE HAVE SUCH A HOPE, WE ARE VERY BOLD,

13 NOT LIKE MOSES, who would put a VEIL over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the OUTCOME of what was being brought to an end.

14 But THEIR MINDS WERE HARDENED. For to this day, WHEN THEY READ THE OLD COVENANT, THAT SAME VEIL REMAINS UNLIFTED, because ONLY THROUGH CHRIST IS IT TAKEN AWAY.

15 Yes, TO THIS DAY whenever Moses is read A VEIL LIES OVER THEIR HEARTS.

16 But WHEN ONE TURNS TO THE LORD, THE VEIL IS REMOVED.

17 Now the LORD is the SPIRIT, and where the SPIRIT of the LORD is, THERE IS FREEDOM.

18 And WE ALL, with unveiled face, beholding the Glory of the LORD, are being TRANSFORMED into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from “THE LORD WHO IS THE SPIRIT.”

October 31 is commonly known for the celebration of ghost, ghouls and goblins, or things that are not of CHRIST.  It is no “coincidence” that I was visiting a friend this week who shared with me a quote from Watchman Née, a Chinese church leader and Christian teacher who worked in China during the 20th century.  The quote says “GOD creates man in order for man to be like CHRIST, having the life as well as the Glory of CHRIST!”  

This passage of Scripture begins with “WE HAVE SUCH A HOPE, WE ARE VERY BOLD, NOT LIKE MOSES”!  Alienating people is not a comfortable thing to do.  Moses placed a veil over his face after experiencing GOD on Mount Sinai because he didn’t want the Israelites becoming fearful of what the SPIRIT OF GOD was doing to/through him. The Apostle Paul took a different approach.  “THE LORD WHO IS THE SPIRIT” had transformed the life of Saul (now called Paul) and he was glorying in those changes.  

“THE LORD WHO IS THE SPIRIT” is WHO we are CHOSEN to represent....by none other than GOD ALMIGHTY!  JESUS did not walk a PERFECT life, die a gruesome death, and rise a VICTORIOUS SAVIOR so we could wallow in the “souls and corpses of the dead”!  Those who are “unregenerate” (not CHOSEN) are the ones who celebrate even the lives of “all saints”?  JESUS is the SON OF GOD, and anything less than that isn’t giving GLORY to GOD! 

These words might make some uncomfortable, but we are NOT CHOSEN to be LIKED by “this world”!  We are CHOSEN to be a LIGHT in a dark world, to display THE LOVE OF CHRIST, not to have the most friends!  “THE LORD WHO IS THE SPIRIT” is THE ONLY ONE to celebrate, no matter the day!  “THE LORD WHO IS THE SPIRIT” is my life!!!