WEEKLY DEVOTION

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

“But we all, with our face having been unveiled, having beheld the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are being changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord Spirit.” 2 Cor. 3:18

Moses’ face shone with God’s glory after speaking with the LORD on Mt. Sinai (and in the tabernacle of the congregation); and, after telling the words of the LORD to the people, Moses covered his face with a veil so the people could not see the fading away of that glory (cf. Ex. 34:28-35).

You and I, by the grace and mercy of God, have seen through the eyes of faith the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus. Though we were not present with Jesus when Moses and Elijah appeared with Him in glory on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:2ff.), we have the testimony of the apostles who “beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth” (John 1:14; 2 Peter 1:16-21).

“It is God who said, ‘Out of darkness Light shall shine;’ who shone in our hearts to give the brightness of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” ( 2Cor. 4:6; Isa. 42:6-7,16)).

God has graciously removed the veil from our eyes that we might see the fading of the Old Covenant and the glory of the New. He has opened our eyes that we might see that Jesus is not just the son of Mary, descended from David and Abraham, but the Son of God - that Jesus is Jehovah God Himself come into this world to redeem us by fulfilling all the righteous demands of the law for us and bearing in His own body on the tree of the cross the full punishment for all our sins and the sins of the whole world (cf. Gal. 3:13; 1 John 2:1-2).

And not only has God graciously brought us to see Jesus, the Light of the world; He is changing us into the image of Christ’s glory. As the Bible says, “We all, with our face having been unveiled, having beheld the glory of the Lord as in a mirror, are being changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Lord Spirit.” The Holy Spirit has shown us the glory of our Lord Jesus and is right now in the process of sanctifying and changing us into that glory. Through the Scriptures, He reveals to us our sinfulness; but, alsothrough the Scriptures, He reveals to us Jesus and His redeeming work and assures us of forgiveness and life everlasting.

And as He reveals to us Jesus, He also draws us ever closer to our Savior and has begun this transforming work in our lives so that we reflect the glory of Jesus and His redeeming love in this dark and dying world. As Jesus said, we are lights in this world, reflecting Him, the Light of the world (Matt. 5:14-16; John 8:12).

Of course, the Spirit’s transfiguring work in us will not be complete in this life. Because of our sinful human nature, Jesus’ glory is never reflected in our lives with all its magnitude. But on the Last Day, when the dead are raised up, we will be made like Jesus (1 Cor. 15; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2; Rom. 8:29f.).

We can say with David: “As for me, I will behold Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with Your image” (Psalm 17:15).

Shine upon us, glorious Lord, and let us reflect Your glory. Amen.

[Devotion by Randy Moll. Scripture taken from Green's Modern King James Version, Copyright 1993 by Jay P. Green Sr., All rights reserved.]

News, Pages 4 on 02/22/2012