We read in 2 Cor 3:18 But we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord , are being transformed into the image, from glory to glory, just as from the Lord the Spirit. Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart (2 Cor 4:1). Apostle Paul speaks about a wonderful ministry of the Holy Spirit that transforms us from glory to glory by showing us the glory of Jesus Christ. In 2 Thes 2:14, Apostle Paul says "And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ". Apostle Paul was so gripped by this gospel that he not only experienced this ministry, but he wanted to lead the other Christians into this wonderful ministry of gaining the glory of Christ.
We are exhorted in Heb 12:1-2 to run the race fixing our eyes on Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our Faith. The Holy Spirit shows us the beauty of Jesus. When Jesus was on earth, He spoke much about the Father. Jesus said in John 16:13,14 But when He, the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he will speak; and he will disclose to you what is to come. He shall glorify me; for He shall take of mine and shall disclose it to you. If you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will glorify Jesus and talk more about Him. The Holy Spirit will reveal to you the hidden things of Jesus. If you are interested only in external aspects of Christian life, you will see only the external aspects of Jesus like the miracles he did when he was on earth. If you are a Christian who values the inner life, you will have a desire to know about the inner life of Jesus, when he was on earth. You will have a desire that your inner life should correspond with your external life.
In Heb 5:7 it is written about Jesus that in the days of His flesh, he prayed with loud crying and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death and His prayer was heard because of his godly fear. Jesus was not praying that he should be saved from physical death. Jesus did not want to have one wrong thought even for a second. He did not want to sin even once in any area. Jesus did not have even an atom of love money. Therefore he prayed, because he was in desperate need to be saved from spiritual death. If your child is about to die, you do not need an exhortation to pray; you will pray desperately from the heart. If you are weak, you will automatically pray. The reason why you do not pray to be saved from sin is because you are pretty strong.
Jesus learnt the scriptures between the age of 5 to 12 which helped him later on to overcome temptations. Jesus was not lazy, but was diligent to know the scriptures by listening attentively to his parents at home and in the synagogue when the scriptures were read. Jesus did not know the scriptures automatically from birth. Take this as a challenge to know the scriptures from an early age. For Jesus, God was the most important person during his life on earth.
It says in 2 Cor 3:13 that Moses put a veil over his face. Do you know what was happening to that glory on Moses' face under that veil? As time went on it was becoming less and less. He put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel didn't see that which was becoming less and less. There are a lot of people today in whose hidden life the glory is becoming less and less. When you put on a mask, you pretend that everything is alright when it is not. When we are no longer honest about our inner life, we can start to pretend and then we have to put a mask over our life. When we pretend that we are more spiritual than others, we cannot see the glory of Christ. Without a mask, we can see the glory of Christ. Let us strip away the mask. In the New Year, let us turn to the Holy Spirit. We don't have to hide anything in our hidden life. Jesus never came with a veil over His face, because in the new covenant this veil is taken away. In 2Cor 3.16 it says "When you turn to the Lord the veil is taken away." Now when we look at the glory of the Lord's face in God's word, the Spirit (2 Cor 3:18) changes us from one degree of glory to another so that the glory increases day by day.
In 2 Cor.4:1 Paul continues to describe his ministry. "Because we have received this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart." (We don't get discouraged). We also refuse to get discouraged because we keep our eyes on Jesus and we think of the tremendous ministry God has given us." In 2 Cor 4:2 Paul says "We have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God." There must be nothing in your life that you have to hide because of shame. If there is something to hide, confess it, and set it right before God.
Let us take the blame for all our failures. Without blaming any one else like Adam. Let us trust the Lord to give us the fruit of purity, humility and to have a passion to know God's mind through the scriptures.
In 2 Cor 4:5 Apostle Paul said, we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord and ourselves as your bond servants for Jesus' sake. Let us proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord and also let us be servants of others.
May we let the Holy Spirit show us the beauty of Jesus in this New Year and transform us more and more to the likeness of Christ.
