Introduction
I. This morning our “base” verse is 2 Corinthians 3:16 - “but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”
A. 2nd Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul, most believe around A.D. 55, approximately 25 years or so after the crucifixion of Christ.
B. Many bible scholars have also decided that 2nd Corinthians is probably one of at least three, but probably four letters that Paul wrote to the church at Corinth.
1. According to 1st Cor. 5:9-11, letter one was written before 1st Corinthians.
a. That letter was instructions for the church to stay away from “immoral people of this world; covetous people, swindlers, and idolaters.”
b. However, Paul was writing to clarify that he was not referring to unbelievers, but rather those who claimed to be brothers, while still acting like the world.
c. Doesn’t that speak to the idea that the life of the believer should reflect a change of life style.
2. Letter two then would be 1st Corinthians which was written to deal with internal problems in the church.
3. Letter three; referred to in 2nd Cor. 7:8-9, is often referred to as the “sorrowful letter” or the “tearful letter.”
a. That letter was evidently a pretty harsh letter that Paul wrote to correct actions that the church failed to respond to in 1st Corinthians.
4. Letter four is what we know as 2nd Corinthians.
a. The primary purpose of 2nd Corinthians was Paul’s defense against attacks on his apostleship and authority.
b. Between the four letters, Paul had given a lot of direction and correction, and yet in his physical absence, although change had taken place, the church was rebelling against Paul.
C. The Corinthian church must have been a difficult church to deal with.
II. I suppose it would be fair to say that the church in Corinth knew full well how followers of Christ were supposed to act,
A. Paul had given them good instruction when God used him to form the church.
B. We can probably assume that whoever Paul left in charge continued to give good instruction.
C. Paul had even gone so far as to write them letters of instruction, in order to clarify God’s leading,
D. But there was a veil over their heart that was keeping them from responding to God.
1. Even though they knew of liberty in Christ, the Jewish population continued to demand adherence to the Mosaic Law, as if to say, “We were here first, so you must adjust to what we believe.”
2. Even though they knew of Paul’s authority from God, they now were refusing to listen; “Who is Paul to tell us what to do.”
3. In refusing to listen to Paul, they were actually refusing to listen to God himself.
III. Please turn with me to 2nd Corinthians 3, beginning with verse 12, through chapter 4, verse 2. The Veil Must Be Removed
12 Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech, 13 and are not as Moses, who used to put a veil over his face that the sons of Israel might not look intently at the end of what was fading away. 14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
I. There almost seems to be a paradox here.
A. We can almost say that the Corinthian letters were written to reprimand the church for not following the example and directive of Jesus Christ.
B. Yet in this chapter Paul is explaining the as Christians, we have been set free from the law.
C. The new covenant of the grace of Jesus Christ affords freedom, liberty and life in opposition to the old covenant of the so-called Law of Moses, which brought death.
II. In these and the preceding verses Paul is referring back to Exodus 34, verses 29 to 35.
A. Exodus tells of how Moses went before God in order to receive God’s commands for his followers.
B. Moses went up on the mountain to speak with God
1. When he returned, initially he did not know that his face shined with a radiance from his encounter with God.
2. The people looked on in amazement,
a. It seems to the point where they couldn’t even pay attention to what Moses was saying.
b. In fact Exodus 34, verse 30 states, “So when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.
c. Something amazing happened when Moses encountered God.
3. Moses would put a veil over his face, I had always assumed was his attempt to allow Israel to hear the word of God.
C. Paul asserts something beyond the mere allowance of Israel to hear from God though.
1. In fact Exodus states that Moses would remove the veil; meet with God, and receive God’s word.
a. He would then return to the people with the veil removed and deliver the word of God, and when finished, he would place the veil back over his face until his next encounter with God.
b. As far as Israel knew, Moses was consistently radiating the glory of God.
2. But, Paul states that the reason Moses veiled his face was because over a period of time, that radiance would begin to fade.
III. For Paul, this fading of the passing of the radiance of God from Moses’ face testified to the eventual passing of the usefulness of the law and legalism as an attempt to be right before God.
A. That is the meaning of verse 12,
1. The law came with radiance, but the radiance was passing.
2. The law was given, not to make Israel right with God, but to show them that they could never be right within their attempt so follow even God commands.
B. But the radiance of the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit far surpasses the law, because it will never fade away.
IV. So what is the paradox here?
A. Paul is speaking of the Jews inability to see Christ.
1. There is a veil over their heart that keeps them from turning to Christ.
2. In the same way, we can say that there is a veil over the hearts of all unbelievers to see Christ.
a. Some turn to other religions which profess to find God through self,
b. Some refuse to look for God at all,
3. There is an inability to follow the directives of God, because of a veil that still exists.
B. But for we Christians, sometimes, probably more often than we admit, there is a veil over our own hearts that keeps us from turning to God in areas of our own lives.
1. We know what God says; we know what he wants, but sometimes we allow a veil to keep us from obedience.
C. God says, “For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” (Matt. 6:14, ); so why don’t we forgive?
D. Thirteen times in my New American Standard God says, “Love one another” but do we really understand what love looks like?
E. 1st Thessalonians 5:13 says, “in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”, and how often do we stop to give thanks, even for the “good” things that happen to us, let alone those that may not seem quite so good.
V. Paul was speaking of the Jews inability to find Christ, but he is also speaking of our unwillingness to be obedient to Christ; where the will of God is made clear.
A. So what are you holding on to?
B. Where are you having trouble understanding God’s will for you in a circumstance of life?
C. How can you get the wisdom of God?
VI. We must turn to Christ, and allow Him to lift the veil.
The Veil Is Removed Only In Christ
16 but whenever a man 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 from the Lord, the Spirit.
I. In these verses, Paul is talking about allowing God to work in our lives; allowing God’s will to be done in all areas,
A. Those areas of sin that we resist,
B. Those areas of frustration in our personal or even our work relationships.
C. Those things that we know need to change, but they seem beyond our ability to change.
D. And in fact they are unchangeable in our power.
E. We need God’s wisdom and intervention, but it seems not to come.
II. Paul says, “when we turn to the Lord, HE; the Lord, will remove the veil and give us understanding.
A. But you say,
1. “I have done that,
2. I am a believer in Christ, so where is He?”
B. Have we not all felt that way at one time or another?
III. “Turn to” means more than simply having faith that Christ is Lord.
A. The phrase “turn to” means
1. “reverse course” or
2. “change direction.”
B. You could say “turn to” means “to rely fully upon.”
IV. The Jewish believers in Corinth were attempting to force change upon their non-Jewish brothers.
A. Paul says,
1. “Stop worrying about changing someone else.”
2. You are the one that must allow God to church you.”
B. What situation or circumstance in your life must change, we all have them.
V. It is very easy to look at someone else and see the change they need to make.
A. If my husband or wife would only change,
B. If my boss would only change,
C. Why can’t they see.
VI. Paul says, “You must turn to the Lord, and He will remove the veil in you.”
A. You are the one that needs to change,
B. You are the one that needs to trust fully in the Lord.
VII. Our base verse, 3:16 - “but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”
A. Whenever a man turns to the Lord, the Spirit will give understanding
B. Whenever a man turns to the Lord, that man will begin to see himself through the glory of the God.
C. Whenever a man turns to the Lord, little by little; bit by bit, that man will be transformed into the image of God.
D. Whenever a man turns to the Lord, then the Lord will be able to remove the veil to give understanding.
E. But only when we trust fully in God to deal in every situation.
VIII. So what are the benefits of trusting fully?
A. See chapter four, verses 1 and 2.
Benefits of Removing The Veil
4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart,
2 but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
Benefit One - “We don’t give up.” (4:1)
I. Sometimes life can seem pretty overwhelming.
A. Even David, a man after God’s own heart sometimes felt abandoned.
B. Listen to what he said in Psalm 102 - “4 My heart has been smitten like grass and has withered away. Indeed, I forget to eat my bread. 5 Because of the loudness of my groaning my bones cling to my flesh. 7 I lie awake, I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop. 11 My days are like a lengthened shadow; and I wither away like grass.” have we not all felt that way from time to time.
C. But listen as he goes on in verse 12 - “But Thou, O Lord, dost abide forever; and Thy name to all generations. 13 Thou wilt arise and have compassion on Zion; for it is time to be gracious to her, for the appointed time has come.”
II. David was a man in distress.
A. His body was withering away.
B. His faith was withering away.
C. He probably felt like giving up.
D. And then He remembered that God cared for His people.
III. Where do you and I turn when it seems like the world is stacked against us?
A. We can turn within ourselves and wither away; or
B. We can turn fully to the Lord and he will give us hope that tomorrow will be better than today, and that He will provide a way out of the wilderness.
Benefit Two - New Vision of Old Sin (4:2a)
I. The greatest thing about faith in Christ is that all my sins are forgiven; those sins past, those sins present, and even those sins future.
A. I say those sins future, because as long as I live in this world, I will sin.
B. If I am honest with myself and with God, I am forced to admit that just when I believe I have this sin thing all figured out, maybe even a specific sin dealt with, I find there is more to see.
C. Some sins are obvious in the beginning, some are not so obvious, but as we allow God to remove the veil of our hearts, our true self, and our need for the grace of God is all the more revealed.
II. It’s a bit like the results of a medication that I am taking, which causes me to bruise very easily.
A. Last Monday, I hit my ankle while riding my motor cycle.
1. It hurt like the dickens,
2. When I got home, the area around my ankle was bruised and sore, and still is.
3. I even went to the emergency room because I thought I might have broken something.
4. Fortunately nothing was broken.
5. But the results of contact with my bike were immediate and obvious.
B. Now don’t dwell on this picture to long, but on Tuesday I was looking in the mirror, and I noticed other bruises on my body.
1. How; where did they come from.
2. I have no idea, but it was only as I looked closer that I saw that they existed.
III. That is what the Holy Spirit does in our lives.
A. We are convicted of our need to receive Christ as savior, and immediately we recognize our sin, repent, and we are saved.
B. Maybe we even immediately notice some areas in our lives that need to be dealt with.
C. It is only as we consistently walk with God, trust fully in Christ in every area of our lives that some things that we first didn’t consider become more obvious.
1. We can either allow the Lord to remove the veil and deal with it, or
2. We can close our eyes and pretend God doesn’t see it either.
D. Paul says, “Turn to the Lord, and allow Him to remove the veil for then we can walk with honor before all men.
Benefit Three - Walking With Honor Before All Men (4:2b)
I. Maybe you are not like me, but on occasion I have heard a friend or co-worker say something like, “I thought you were a Christian.”
A. Don’t you just hate that?
B. Doesn’t it make us just a bit of ashamed or our testimony for a bit?
C. If in fact the critique in those situations were true, I have always tried to view it as God sending a bit of extra conviction to my life.
D. When someone says something along those lines, it is often because we have not allowed Christ to remove some veil.
II. BUT when we deal honestly with who we are and with what God has revealed to us, we have no reason to be ashamed.
A. We might just be surprised at what God can accomplish in and through us, when we “turn fully to the Lord.”
III. What about you?
A. Are you about to give up in some area?
B. When was the last time part of your prayer time included something along the lines of “God where am I blind about who I am.”
C. Are you able to walk proudly before all men?
IV. Thank God, He continues to work in my life.
