Sermon
delivered on January 18th, 2015
By: Pastor Greg Hocson
Text: 2 Corinthians 3:1-18
Introduction
Last Sunday, I shared with you what
our theme for this year 2015 is, which is - Behold your God!
These words are taken from ...
Isaiah 40:9 O Zion,
that bringest good
tidings, get thee up into the
high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it
up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
We will have a year-long look at the
attributes of God. I will be bringing series of messages on the nature of God,
who God is and what He is like.
And what do I hope to accomplish in
these messages? What do I pray would take place as we gaze upon God in a
conscious, consistent, and concentrated way and effort?
18: But we all, with
open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the
same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
My prayer is that, not only that we
would have a deeper hunger and thirst for God but that our lives would be
transformed. That this would be a life-changing journey and experience for us,
individually and corporately.
Today, I would like to talk about the
importance of beholding God. My prayer is that we at GTBBC will discover or
rediscover the practice of beholding the glory of God.
I - With unveiled face
beholding
2 Corinthians 3:18 But
we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are
changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord.
But we all, with open face, that is,
we all, with unveiled face ...
Moses was given the privilege to talk
to God face to face. He beheld the glory of God when he went to Mount Sinai to
receive the Ten Commandments. And being in the presence of God, his face shine
brightly, reflecting the glory of God. Coming back to the people, from the
presence of God with his face shining bright with he glory of God he had to put
a veil on his face, because the Israelites were unable to behold the glory that
shone from Moses' face (Exodus 34:29-35).
7: But if the
ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that
the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the
glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
14: But their minds
were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the
reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 15: But even
unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
But we all Christians, with open face, with unveiled face,
unlike the Jews of old, who had veiled hearts, answering to Moses' veiled face. We Christians can behold the glory of
God, without the veil, and have access to the throne of God and presence freely
and boldly.
The veil being removed at conversion
...
16: Nevertheless when
it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
This is what happens when the heart
is turned to the Lord, the veil is removed. But now, we all, whose heart and eyes the Lord opened,
with open face, behold the glory of the Lord,
II - The glory of the
Lord
2 Corinthians 3:18 But
we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are
changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord.
What is the glory of the Lord?
The glory of the Lord is the glory of
His name, His character, His nature, His person, His being.
The glory of the Lord is His divine
attributes, His wisdom, power, and goodness; His truth, justice, and holiness;
His grace, mercy and love; etc.
Exodus 34:5 And the
LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name
of the LORD. 6: And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD,
The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness
and truth, 7: Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression
and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third
and to the fourth generation.
His moral perfections are His
greatest glory.
To behold the glory of God is to
contemplate on His perfections as He is revealed in the Bible. As someone has said, the Bible a
photograph of the Almighty.
Take the word of God, the written
revelation of God, and meditate and contemplate. To take time and think upon
God, who He is and what He is like and ask myself what it means, and to ask
what He requires of me, my life, and my practices and my possessions, and my
family.
Job 22:21 Acquaint now
thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.
God calls us to constantly gaze upon
Him; to constantly stop and look and see Him for who He is; to get to know Him,
to walk in intimate fellowship with Him.
III - As we behold we
are being changed
We are changed as we behold
2 Corinthians 3:18 But
we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are
changed (metamorphoumetha) into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit
of the Lord.
Paul is saying that there's a change, a transformation that takes place as we behold
the glory of the Lord in the scriptures - an inward
transformation.
The word "are changed"
comes from the Greek word metamorphoo
and translated in our KJV change, transfigure, transform. (Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:2; Romans 12:2; 2 Corinthians
3:18)
It's used to describe Jesus on the
Mount of Transfiguration
Matthew 17:1 And after
six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up
into an high mountain apart, 2: And was transfigured before them: and his face
did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
He was transfigured before them and
His face shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as the light.
So the Greek word metamorphoo means "to change into another form, to transform, to
transfigure."
The word "metamorphosis" is
derived from this word, which we use to describe the process of a caterpillar
changing into a butterfly.
As we behold the glory of the Lord,
metamorphosis takes place, transformation takes place.
As Moses' face or countenance was
changed as he beheld the glory of God, so our transformation takes place as we
"behold..."
Biblical change comes not by looking
within yourself, but by looking outside yourself to the strength and glory of
another, namely God and His Christ.
IV - What we behold we
become
2 Corinthians 3:18 But
we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are
changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord.
We are being changed into the same
image. As we behold God and His Christ we are being changed into divine
likeness, which we lost through the Fall, but is recovered in the gospel.
The change is not merely of opinion,
or feeling, or even conduct, but a change of being. It is not
something connected with ourselves, but our very selves which are changed, and
changed so as to be like Christ.
This is consistent to the whole plan
of redemption ...
Romans 8:28 And we know
that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are
the called according to his purpose. 29: For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the
firstborn among many brethren.
Ephesians 2:8 For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of
God: 9: Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10: For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them.
V - Transformation in
progression
2 Corinthians 3:18 But
we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are
changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord.
From one degree of glory to another.
The Christian life is not to be
static, but a dynamic process, in which changes are taking place, in which a
person is becoming more and more like their Savior, Jesus Christ!
It does not happen all at once, but
gradually. As Paul said we are "being transformed" (present tense),
not "have been transformed" (past tense).
We become more and more like Jesus,
and this inner transformation occurs progressively throughout our life in
Christ.
Philippians 1:6 Being
confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will
perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
When transformation does not take
place, something is wrong, and it may be a failure to appreciate and utilize
our second point gleaned from this passage.
VI - By the Spirit of
the Lord
2 Corinthians 3:18 But
we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are
changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord.
The transformation is a supernatural
work. We need a power outside of ourselves to cause this change. We are not
changing ourselves. We do not change ourselves.
We cannot work this change, yet we
can "turn to the Lord," that it may be worked. As we turn to the
Lord, He removes the veil, He removes the blindness, He opens our eyes, He
gives us light and sight, that
we may be enabled to behold the divine glory. And as we behold His gaze upon
Him we are being transformed into the image and likeness of Christ by the
Spirit.
VIII - Closing thoughts
1. To those whose veil
has been removed
Who's heart the Lord opened, who once
was blind but now see, keep beholding the glory of God. I believe this is the
key to Christian growth and life.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But
we all, with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are
changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord.
Though we are enabled to behold the
glory of the Lord without the veil, we still are beholding His glory through a
glass. The glass here is not like the prescription eye glasses that we have
today, but it is through a mirror. And the mirrors back in the ancient times
were made of polished brass or silver or other metals, giving, of course, a far
dimmer image than "glasses" do.
1 Corinthians 13:12 For
now we see through a glass, darkly (dimly,
blurry); but then face to
face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
The contrast is between the
inadequate knowledge of an object gained by seeing it reflected in a dim mirror
(such as ancient mirrors were), compared with the perfect idea we have of it by
seeing itself directly.
Now in this present life, we see
things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror; now we see a blurred
image in a mirror, but then we will see clearly, we will see God with perfect
clarity. We
will know God even as God knows us.
This is the beatific vision
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now
are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we
know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as
he is.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (For
we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Now, we do not so much
"know" God, but "rather are known of God" (comp. 1 Corinthians 8:3).
There will be no need of assistance,
there being no need of anything or any person.
There will be nothing to intercept
the sight; the objects will be nigh, even face to face; the view will be full
and clear, the sight will be perfect.
We are not there yet, but meanwhile
keep on beholding!
2. To those whose
veiled has not been removed
You hear the name Jesus and you don't
see any beauty in Him. You hear the name of Christ and you still don't get it.
You still don't see it. He is not precious to you.
Why?
2 Corinthians 4:3 But
if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine unto them. 5: For we preach not ourselves, but
Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. 6: For God,
who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ.
The god of this age has blinded the
minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that
displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
For God, who said, "Let light
shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the
light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.
Do you want that veil taken away?
16: Nevertheless when
it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away
Look to Jesus with the eye of faith?
Do not look to Moses. Do not look to the law or the Ten Commandments, hoping by
keeping the Ten Commandments will save you. The Ten Commandments was not meant
to save us. It was meant to point us to the Saviour, who alone can take away
your sins? Look away from the law, look away from yourself, look away from your
fellow human beings. But "Behold the Lamb
of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
Look to Jesus Christ who is able to
remove your sins completely.