In 2 Corinthians Paul used Moses's veil as a metaphor for our veils that prevent us from seeing. Paul says the rules simply give a veil over the heart (2 Cor 3:15). Then he says,
But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 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. (2 Cor 3:16-18)Do you see that? The process turns our eyes away from the rules, the Law, the standards, and turns us toward the Lord. When we turn to the Lord, that veil is removed. The Lord is the Spirit, we have the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Notice what he says next. According to the text, as we behold the glory of the Lord, we are transformed.
We, as a race, like programs. We like structures. We like "hands on." So tell Christians "Read your Bible and pray and go to church and you'll be a good Christian" feels ... structured. And it seems feasible because, well, those things are good and do assist in our aim to be more like Christ. The bottom line, though, is that those means are not sufficient for the end we have in view. The end is "to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom 8:29) and "good Christian" is not good enough. What we need is the Spirit at work. What we need is the power of God. And what we need is to look fully in His face to transform us from one glory to another. That's where real change comes from.
3 comments:
This can't be what you mean, but it sounds like you're saying there's no means of assurance. I can't know that the Spirit is at work in me unless I do those "means of grace" you mentioned. It would seem that they self feeding works. I seek the face of God through His Word and people, and He imparts His Spirit in me to seek His face.
Yes, it is clearly not what I intended to convey. What I meant to get across is that those means of grace are valuable (I said they "do assist in our aim to be more like Christ") but that they aren't the thing that does it, but the Spirit at work. There was, in fact, no thought or connection to "assurance" in this post. The point being addressed was that we are changed by the Spirit as we look into the unveiled face of Jesus. Now, reading the Bible and praying and doing God's work assist us in doing just that and I consider the means of grace to be necessary.
Okay. It just looked like you were leaning toward what Arminians accuse us of. If we can do nothing why do anything. Seemed to indicate there's nothing for us to do.
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