God’s Image III

We have discussed being God’s Image Bearer, not taking the Lord’s name in vain, and not being an image of the world.

Today I want you to be thankful for who God made you, and the talent He has given you.

Paul gives us words to guide us into a conversation with God about where we are spiritually right now. In a short order this morning, we are asking ourselves are we a living Christ to those around us?

Paul uses an illustration to explain to Israel the question he is asking. the story is of Moses coming down off the mountain right after our story in : unless your presence goes with us...

Moses and God have a conversation, God hides Moses in His hand and passes by. From that time, they continue a discussion of a renewal of the covenant betwen them, and how Israel shall live.

Moses comes down and his face shone

Paul wants us to see this as the institution of the new Covenant. But the glory fades, the shining of Moses face fades, the will of the people fades, their resolve to be good, do good, act good fades. As does ours. Apart from the body, we lose heart, we lose interest, we begin to put the things of the world in our pockets.

When Christ returns, He cant find his church.

2 Corinthians: An Introduction and Commentary 2. Exposition of Exodus 34:33–35 (3:12–18)

first, that the brightness of Moses’ face did fade after a short while; and second, that the reason Moses veiled his face was to conceal the end of the fading splendour from the Israelites. Paul saw in the fading brightness a symbol of the transitory character of the old covenant, and inferred that Moses, lacking boldness because he was the minister of a fading covenant, veiled his face so that the Israelites might not see its end.26

Now, for Paul writing to the Corinthians, it is Israel’s minds that are hardened, so to this day, when they read the old covenant, the veil remains unlifted: it is as one with no real hope. They cannot see the old has passed and the new has arrived. Jesus being the new covenant, takes away the old veil, covering our eyes, our faces from seeing and allows us to experiencing the new.

When we become a new creature in Christ, the old passes and we become new, new image bearers, new ambassadors for Christ.

For Paul, it is now only through Christ that a person comes to God, for the glory of God now shines on the face of Christ.

The law represents bondage, and where there is bondage there cannot be freedom. Under the Spirit of God there is liberty. There is no more remembrance of your sin, they are separated as far as the east is from the west. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God

As dear children of God, we can approach his throne with boldness, confidence, freedom, unveiled.

When Moses went before the Lord he unveiled His face.

What is the big deal here? Well Paul uses a big word here, meaning to express the glory of the Lord. He takes the middle of that word and rewrites his work here to state instead of Moses reflecting the glory of God, he beheld, the Glory of God.

Moses beheld the glory of the Lord, and when with the people he covered his face. You are called to reflect the Glory of God, a reflection others can see. You are under the new covenant and to cover up Christ, or hide Him, or fail to reflect His image, is essentially to be in bondage. You are free people, Paul says you have liberty, take the veil off, reflect Christ and let others see Him in you!

Second, remove the veil over your minds so the truth of the gospel is no longer hidden. If we are going to be a reflection of Christ, we must know him and His holy word.

Verse 7: But we have this treasure in earthen vessels…why? That the power may be of God and not of us.

Then, we must be doers of the word.

Listen, look here. If you come to church today, and take off the world to look like the church, and when you leave here you hide Christ so your not embarrassed by Him, you are missing the mark. Missing the mark is another way of saying we are in sin.

As we take communion today, the idea for us is to be unveiled before our creator God, to come to His table in fellowship, and when we leave, leave the veil here. leave whatever separates you from Christ at the altar. Whether you leave here or stay you are one person, whole, unveiled in Christ Jesus. You are His and He is yours, you are a child of God, you have liberty in God, you have freedom in Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 ESV

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Cor 4

Trent, Kyle, John

Communion

On the night Jesus was betrayed, he met with His disciples. He sat close to them, face to face. He could look into their eyes. He knew His betrayer. Still he took bread and he divided it and He gave it to His disciples. He said, This is my body given for you, do this in remembrance of me.

Likewise, after supper He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you; do this in remembrance of me.

God, search our hearts and see in us true humility and faith. Search us and know our hearts.