The Unveiled Face
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The Unveiled Face
The Unveiled Face
Consider the moment an athlete steps onto the podium and the veil of anonymity is lifted. In that instance, they are fully recognized for their achievements, much like the unveiling described in 2 Corinthians 3-4. The brightness of their victory illuminates the awed spectators. This moment reflects our journey as Christians; when we unveil ourselves to God’s truth, we don't disappear in the light but rather become the very vessels through which His glory shines to the world, inspiring others to open their hearts too.
1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
2 You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;
3 being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.
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.
7 But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,
8 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?
9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.
10 For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.
11 For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
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.
1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart,
2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Paul in his letter to Corinth is talking about several things and at first he is talking that we have the law of Christ written on our hearts not stone, that the Israelites rejected because that was glory of God to them. Paul adds that we have something better than old glory that was given. Then he adds that Moses hid the glory of God when he covered his face, and not to like Moses, then he finishes that the devil tries his best to put a veil over the unbelieving.
before we get to my points lets look at this story that Paul was referring to.
29 It came about when Moses was coming down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses’ hand as he was coming down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because of his speaking with Him.
30 So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.
31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers in the congregation returned to him; and Moses spoke to them.
32 Afterward all the sons of Israel came near, and he commanded them to do everything that the Lord had spoken to him on Mount Sinai.
33 When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.
34 But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take off the veil until he came out; and whenever he came out and spoke to the sons of Israel what he had been commanded,
35 the sons of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone. So Moses would replace the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Him.
In 2 Corinthians Paul Mose veiled his face because the Israelites hearts were hardened and they were afraid of Moses and they didn’t want to live or see the glory of God and Paul in second corinthians says don’t be like Moses and don’t hide the glory of God.
We have Something Better than the stone tablets
3 being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
4 Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.
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.
7 But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,
8 how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?
9 For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.
10 For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.
11 For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
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.
2 Corinthians 3:3
Says that that letter of Christ is not written on stone but on the hearts. Back in the old testament the law was written on stone when Moses was on Mount Sinai and that time that what the pure and true word of God. It was everything concerning the tabernacle and the animal sacrifices that what saved man at the time, Paul writes in v.6 that that ministry is death and it veils the heart of man. Paul gives the idea that when we turn to God we have the veil taken away a we no longer have the heart of stone but the heart of flesh. We no longer are like the Israelites who were hearts were hardened and have the veil but we accepted Christ the veil is lifted and we are given a new heart.
A. A New Heart
So, whats better than the old? That we given a new heart, were God will put the laws of Christ into our minds and so that we will be God’s people.
10 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws into their minds,
And I will write them on their hearts.
And I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.
19 “And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
In the book of Ezekiel, God speaks of taking away our hearts of stone and giving us hearts of flesh. This transformation that only God can provide and He is going to do it through a new covent and the holy spirit. You have to look at your life and examine it and realize when we were in sin we had the heart of stone but when we came to God under this new covenant our hearts were changed.
In Ezekiel 36 God prophesies how we receive our new hearts
25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
26 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.
Consider a blacksmith who takes a stubborn piece of stone and painstakingly chisels it away, revealing a beautiful sculpture underneath. This process is not easy and often involves fire and pressure. In the same way, God actively works in our lives to remove our hardened hearts, manifesting a beautiful transformation that reflects His love and grace. This illustrates that, while the process may be challenging, the result is a much better and meaningful existence, filled with compassion and empathy for others.
Jesus spoke about the condition of our hearts in Matthew 15:19, revealing that our hearts can be overcome by evil desires. A heart of stone is unable to feel or react to God’s prompts, but when we seek Him earnestly, He promises to turn our stone into flesh. This transformation gives us a newfound sensitivity—to His voice, to the sufferings of others, and to the beauty of creation. We gain the ability to love deeply and live out our faith authentically—a divine upgrade, indeed.
B. The New Covenant
How do receive this new heart? Through the new covenant.
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.
We have something better because we have the new covenant which is Jesus Christ.
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.
The covenant were Jesus died on the cross so that we can be cleansed of our sins by his blood and be given the holy spirit as a guide for our christian walk.
11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation;
12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,
14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Consider a typewriter. It has its unique mechanisms and limitations, much like the Old Covenant. While it served a purpose and functioned well in its time, it could only produce text in a rigid and fixed manner—akin to the law handed down. Now, compare that to modern computers, which symbolize the New Covenant—dynamic, flexible, and able to process vast amounts of information quickly. Just as a computer offers greater creativity and capability, the New Covenant through Christ offers us a living relationship and the gift of the Holy Spirit, bringing life and freedom.
If we look at the Ezekiel 36 we see that God would cleanse us from our sin that is blood of Jesus Christ but He also adds we will be cleansed by water which is baptism.
( Sprinkled with blood in the old covenant and we are covered by the blood of Christ )
3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
Once we are baptised we receive the gift the holy spirit, we walk the new life or we have the heart of flesh and not stone.
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Its this spirit that come from God is in us that guides us to live the ways of Christ.
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.
C. Holy Spirit
Then what better than the old is that we have the holy who is our ticket to heaven but a helper to us.
21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God,
22 who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.
The holy spirit is our guide to live for Christ and because we have the holy spirit we don’t reject the things of christ but we live by the things of Christ. If we are living for God and not putting on the veil like Moses did but instead we will walk by the fruit of the spirit and we will be walking with God.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Since we have a better covenant and the holy spirit we don’t reject the glory of God like the Israelites did but we live in God’s glory and we obey his commands.
2. Light of the World
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.
1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart,
2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
5 For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake.
6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
So, we have an old testament example of Moses face shining but we have another example of a man who face shone when He was in the presence of God. We have an Example of Christ in the transfiguration.
1 Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.
2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.
3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified.
7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.”
8 And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.
Christ THE Light of the World
12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself; Your testimony is not true.”
14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I testify about Myself, My testimony is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
15 “You judge according to the flesh; I am not judging anyone.
16 “But even if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone in it, but I and the Father who sent Me.
17 “Even in your law it has been written that the testimony of two men is true.
18 “I am He who testifies about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.”
19 So they were saying to Him, “Where is Your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.”
The religious people of the time had the vail over there face like it says in 2 Corinthians 3:13-14 and 2 Corinthians 4:3-4
35 So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.
Jesus went and faced people giving them hope and when he faced opposition He didn’t back down but stood up for what was right.
Jesus unlike Mose didn’t hide his face because Christ can’t live darkness. He is all that is pure and holy and He is our hope and our light out the darkness.
47 “For so the Lord has commanded us,
‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles,
That You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’ ”
23 that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
Christ was the only person that could come into the world and give light to all man kind and only He could die for sins, and that make Him the ultimate light to world that no else could do. Jesus is the light.
You are the Light of the World
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
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.
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.
We are light to the world we are not like Moses who hid his face but we are like Jesus who is the light
Think of a lighthouse standing tall amidst a storm. Its purpose is to guide lost ships to safety. In the same way, we are called to be lights in a tumultuous world. While Moses shone brightly but hid his face, we have the privilege and responsibility of shining without fear, showing others the path to Jesus—not just guiding them, but leading by example in our actions and words.
Imagine walking through a dark cave. Light is a precious resource because it reveals paths and obstacles. When Jesus came into the world as the Light, He illuminated the hearts of believers. Unlike Moses, who had a veiled face, our mission is to share this illuminating truth openly, guiding others through their darkness towards the hope of salvation and new life found in Christ.
When we receive the holy spirit and he works in us we are to reflect and mirror the glory of God.
6 For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
Picture a young athlete from a small country, training relentlessly against overwhelming odds. When she represents her nation and wins, it’s not just a personal victory; she becomes a symbol of hope and inspiration for her entire country. This mirrors Jesus’ call for us to shine our light: not only to uplift ourselves but to elevate those around us, showing them that with faith and hard work, they too can reach greatness.
We are to be like Christ able to go to lost people and give them hope of light that had come and is to come again. We will face those who face is vailed like the pharisees but we press on and give hope to the next person.
18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’
The Devil Disguise himself as Light
4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
The devil use our own ways of reaching out to people to deceive the world. He blinds the minds of the unbelieving.
The devil use ideas like just believe in Jesus and God and you’ll be saved or he use men like Charlie Kirk a good speaker to say good things of Christ but won’t share the entire truth especially when it come to baptism.
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
Imagine a scenario in a modern city where a charismatic leader emerges, advocating for unity and peace in a time of strife. At first, everyone is drawn to their magnetic personality and compelling messages. However, as time passes, it becomes clear that the leader is manipulating the crowd for personal gain, leading them toward a darker agenda. This serves as a contemporary reflection of how the devil can present himself as a figure of light, luring the unsuspecting into his web of deception.
In Matthew 4, we see the devil tempting Jesus in the wilderness, portraying himself as an angel of light by quoting Scripture to mislead the Son of God. Each time Jesus counters with the truth of God’s Word, demonstrating that just because something sounds appealing or even scriptural, it doesn’t mean it’s of God. This biblical account challenges each of us to be vigilant and discerning in our spiritual walk, continually measuring everything against the truth of God’s Word.
I get many religious content on my social media and so many things sounds good and it pleasing to the ear but when it comes to the truth they stray away from it and come up with excuses why this can’t be and to the world thats seems to be a light but in reality its darkness disguised as light.
3. Challenges From the Devil
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.
1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart,
2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
During World War II, many resisted the oppressive forces of tyranny, yet some were deceived by propaganda that painted an untrue picture of the war's morality. This deception echoes the message in 2 Corinthians 4:1-4 about how the devil blinds people to the truth. The challenges faced by those who fought against these lies serve as a historical reminder of our ongoing battle against spiritual blindness and corruption in our lives.
18 For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, more than once—and yet Satan hindered us.
The Stubborn Heart
86 Sacred Selection
