John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
In the sacrifice of the Cross, Jesus removed the veil that separated us from God, it was torn in two. We can now stand in His righteousness in the presence of the Father. All who believe in Him have our eyes opened, allowing Holy Spirit to reside in us, to shine the light of His truth into the darkness.
2 Corinthians 3:14-18 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one 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 by the Spirit of the Lord.
It is finished in Jesus. The truth is now ours to accept or reject. He fulfilled all the requirements and promises of the Old Testament. We can now live and abide in the freedom that only He can provide. Precept by precept we are changed. Carla
The veil on the face of Moses reminded Paul of another veil. As Moses’ veil concealed the fading glory of his ministry, so there is a veil on the hearts of people concealing the fading away of the old covenant.
Whenever Moses turned to the Lord, he took off the veil (Exodus 34:34). Likewise, we find freedom in Christ by looking to Him.
The Holy Spirit is God Himself, like the Father and like the Son. The Spirit gives us freedom from sin, death, and the condemnation of the law (verses 7–12).
All believers behold the glory of the Lord in the Scripture and are transformed into the image of God. Christ is the image of God (4:4).
As believers behold the glory of God in the Word of God, the Spirit of God transforms them into the likeness of Jesus Christ. This is a description of the gradual process of sanctification. The NKJV Study Bible
The minds hardened represent God’s judgment. He hardens the minds and hearts of those who suppress His truth and revelation (Exodus 32:9; 33:3; 34:9; Romans 1:28).
Many Israelites rejected God’s word in the law and the prophets (Isaiah 6:9–10; Jeremiah 5:21–24; Romans 11:7–8, 25). Paul encountered opposition from Jews who denied the gospel message as the fulfillment of the old covenant. He concluded that their hearts were hardened (Acts 28:26–27; Romans 15:21).
Jews typically heard the Law read every week in the local synagogue (Luke 4:16–17; Acts 13:27; 15:21; 17:2–3). Mose is read aloud refers to the law that God gave to Moses (Exodus 24:12). Moses covered his face with a veil because of the radiance of God’s glory (Exodus 34:33–34). This veil represents the Jews’ hardened hearts and their inability to grasp the gospel message and refusal to obey God.
One turns to the Lord refers to conversion and the reception of the Spirit. The veil is removed signifies that nothing stands between believers and God. Through Christ, God has reconciled the world to Himself, bringing freedom and forgiveness (2 Corinthians 5:18–21).
Similarly, when Moses returned to speak with Yahweh, he removed the veil from his face (Exododus 34:34).
Paul may be identifying Christ with the Spirit—particularly in terms of their roles—while also distinguishing between them. Jesus and the Spirit are elsewhere identified with each other (Romans 8:9; Philippians 1:19; 1 Peter 1:10–11). It also is possible that 2 Corinthians 3:17 clarifies verse 16, where “the Lord” refers to God the Father.
In this case, Paul’s point is that the Lord of the Old Testament narrative mentioned in verse 16 (Exodus 34:34) is the Spirit of God (2 Corinthians 3:3, 6, 8). Either way, the Spirit’s role in lifting the veil is central to Paul’s message. The ministry of the Spirit (verse 8) brings freedom from the power of sin and death—those things that the law could not free people from.
Unveiled face represents freedom and confidence to enjoy God’s presence. The same image refers to the image of Christ that believers bear (Colossians 3:10; Genesis 1:26–27).
Paul suggests that believers will progress through ever-greater degrees of glory (doxa in Greek). This may mean that they will learn and grow more in their relationship with Him over time. Alternatively, this progress may begin with the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and culminate in the transformation of the physical body into a glorious one (1 Corinthians 15:50–54). Faithlife Study Bible
2 Corinthians 4:4–6 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake…
Exodus 34:34 But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded.
Romans 11:23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
This week, our invitation: to be a witness. To be present, and let grace and healing and kind-heartedness—“This little light of mine”—spill.
And we can do this because, in the life-giving words of John Lewis, “Every human personality is something sacred, something special. We don’t have a right, as another person or as a nation, to destroy that spark of divinity, that spark of humanity, that is made and created in the image of God.”
It is no surprise that I am frequently drawn to the story of the good Samaritan. And I like Thomas Merton’s take, “Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy. That is not our business and, in fact, it is nobody’s business. What we are asked to do is to love.”
I choose to be a witness.
I choose to be a peacemaker.
I choose to be a bridge-builder.
“Here's to the bridge-builders, the hand-holders, the light-bringers, those extraordinary souls wrapped in ordinary lives who quietly weave threads of humanity into an inhumane world. They are the unsung heroes in a world at war with itself. They are the whisperers of hope that peace is possible. Look for them in this present darkness. Light your candle with their flame. And then go. Build bridges. Hold hands. Bring light to a dark and desperate world. Be the hero you are looking for. Peace is possible. It begins with us.” L.R. Knost. “Sabbath Moments”
Today's passage addresses how to handle anger in a way that honors God and respects others. When Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, "Be angry and do not sin" (Ephesians 4:26), he echoed words from Psalm 4:4 to reorient their hearts toward obeying God even in frustrating or unjust situations. This phrase informs us that we are not to rage with outbursts, nor are we to repress our emotions.Instead, we can process the anger we feel in a healthy way "and give no opportunity to the devil" (Ephesians 4:27).
From a biblical perspective, there are two types of anger:
1. Righteous anger comes from a hatred of sin, not a hatred of people (Psalm 59:12-13; Isaiah 66:15). When we act in righteous anger, our goal is to lead others to repentance and obedience to God. We confront sin while demonstrating love, honor, and grace to the sinner.
2. Unrighteous anger, on the other hand, is not about justice but about personal revenge and resentment. Paul warns us to be careful of behaviors such as slander, malice, and unforgiveness that come from an offended heart (Ephesians 4:31-32). Unrighteous anger breeds sin and hurts others, causing tension and forging a path for the enemy to enter into our relationships.
Satan will use our anger to harm our relationships because he himself is wrathful (1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:12). When we resist revenge, our actions display the love of Christ to the world. First5
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