2 Corinthians 3:16-18

¹⁶But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. ¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Smile

When we sense gladness of heart, we smile unmindfully. People we meet will also smile when we smile cheerfully. Certainly, it is easy to smile when circumstances are great, but when our situation is difficult, could we still smile? Or is it proper to smile even when problems may confuse us? Could that be some sort of hypocrisy or pretension? During struggles in life, may Matthew 5:11-12 encourage us. ¹¹Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Insult and persecution could cause struggles in life. And Christ says that we’re blessed when insulted and persecuted. He expects us to rejoice and be glad. So, is it hypocrisy to rejoice and smile in difficult situations?

Blessedness is supreme happiness that should cause rejoicing. And rejoicing is practical effect of blessedness. When we are extremely happy, we are blessed. Many Filipinos smile taking selfie during typhoon. Do they want to ignore their problem? No! They hope for blessing and better future.

Can you smile during blizzard? Do you smile while shoveling snow? Gladness in pleasant or unpleasant situation testifies to our faith in Christ.

1. Faith

            ¹⁶But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 

By faith, we turn to Christ for help. When we repent of our sins, the Lord takes away the veil that covers our spiritual eyes and we see essential things he prepared for better life. The veil is unrighteousness and spiritual blindness called sin that covers opportunities to explore God’s provision.

In temple of the Lord, a curtain covers the Holy of holies. And only a chosen high priest can enter the Holy of holies to stand before the Lord and intercede for the people. But after Christ died on the cross, the curtain was torn. Together, let us seriously reflect on Matthew 27:50-51. ⁵⁰When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. ⁵¹At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

Scholars suggest that the curtain in the temple was roughly 30 feet long. If 2 horses pull both end, they cannot rip off the 4-inch thick curtain. The curtain mysteriously torn in two from top to bottom after Jesus died.

Anyway, when the curtain in the temple of the Lord was torn, it was a signal that Christ has satisfied the wrath of God against sin. Sin separates us from the Lord. But by faith, we confess and repent of our sins to God. The Lord assures us in 1 John1:9, ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Prove

Repentance is also a practice of faith that a merciful God forgives us.

Have you ever practically proven if your faith in Christ is really active? Remember the first time you fly by airplane. Were you excited or were you so nervous? Flying by airplane is practical practice of faith. We’ve got to trust that the airplane has enough fuel, and it has no mechanical problem whatsoever. If we trust that the pilot knows how to fly and land the airplane, we can relax inside the airplane and enjoy flying to our destination.

Likewise, faith is a trust that Jesus Christ takes us to heaven and also to our destiny in this temporal world. Faith is trust that Christ has prepared necessities that practically prove his love for us. As we enjoy his provision, we praise and thank him. Then, we gladly testify about his love for us.

Can you identify with the testimony of King David in Psalm 23:1-4?

         ¹The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. ²He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, ³he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. ⁴Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Imagine you walk alone in a very dark valley somewhere. You cannot see light near and far. You’re not sure which direction to go. It’s horrible to imagine snakes or wild beasts cross your path? When problems attack us, does it feel like walking in the darkest valley without clear destination?

By faith, we trust Jesus Christ our Good Shepherd. He lights our way when we walk through a darkest valley of problems. We follow God’s word as our light and explore life journey that he designed for us. Psalm 119:105 may inspire us. ¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Guilt, shame and blame game caused by sin may obscure the mind.

By faith, we believe that Christ took our sin to be punished on a cross. Sin cannot confuse us anymore. We are free from control and pressure of sin. The Holy Spirit helps us to freely obey him without hesitation or reluctance. It favors us to behave righteously. Can you now freely accept that reality?

2. Freedom

                                    ¹⁷Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 

Freedom to trust Christ as our Shepherd is work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings freedom to obey Christ with cheerfulness. Inclination of human heart cannot provide freedom at all. The human heart is inclined reject instructions from the Lord. Reflect of what Genesis 6:5 says? ⁵Every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.

Instinctively, we’re inclined to do evil all the time. We tend to disobey God and be independent but it is not really freedom. When sin controls, we naturally reject God. Ever since the first mankind sinned, sin controlled all humans. Our human nature is inclined to sin, and we become slaves to sin.

In comparison, the Holy Spirit gives freedom to behave properly.

Let’s reflect on Romans 6:16-18, ¹⁶Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. ¹⁸You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Credit Card

If you have Credit Card, you are free to use your credit limit of $5,000 for instance. Credit Card provider sent notice and suggest that you are free to partially pay $100. Now, if you partially pay only $100 to a $5000 debt, you become slave to your debt. If you pay all your debt, you’re pressured.

Similarly, freedom that the Holy Spirit brings is freedom from pressure of debt or sin. We can freely do anything we want, but it is wise to use our freedom and do essential activities that store up treasure in heaven for us.

The Scripture defines activities favorable to us we can freely obey to please God. When God is pleased with us, he blesses us, and we praise and thank him. Learn from what King David testified in 2 Samuel 7:18-20.

¹⁸Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ¹⁹And as if this were not enough in your sight, Sovereign Lord, you have also spoken about the future of the house of your servant—and this decree, Sovereign Lord, is for a mere human! ²⁰What more can David say to you? For you know your servant, Sovereign Lord. 

King David humbly confessed that he, a mere human, was not worthy for the goodness of God. The book of Psalm recorded David’s praises to the Lord. David was a lowly shepherd, even despised by his own brothers. But God blessed him to be greatest and powerful king of Israel. The Lord promised that throne and kingdom of David will be established forever.

Indeed, Christ the King of kings, traces his human lineage to David.

One day when we gather together in heaven, you might want to take selfie with king David. Well, if taking selfie will still be trendy activity in heaven.

But while we still explore life on earth, freedom that the Holy Spirit brings is most desirable adventure ever. the Holy Spirit gives us freedom to explore the world as long as it produces praise and gratitude to God.

Obeying authorities could be a blessing in disguise that God prepared for better future. David was just young shepherd. He obeyed gladly when his father told him to bring food supplies to his brother who were preparing for war. Then, he faced giant Goliath. His life story has become wonderfully adventurous after he defeated Goliath, a giant problem to the Israelites.

Obedience to parents and authorities is a practice of trust in Christ as Lord. The Holy Spirit gives us freedom to see and understand clearly that obeying God is beneficial to adventurous experience he prepared for us. Expect mysterious adventures while we follow Christ. By faith, we trust that Christ prepared the best option for us, and we may face challenges ahead.

3. Face

                        ¹⁸And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

The term “unveiled faces” pertains to believers forgiven by the Lord. Sin is a spiritual veil that covers the heart from seeing spiritual truth. The heart covered by sin cannot obey God. We disregard commands from God because sin covered our spiritual eyes and cannot see that it favors us to obey God. By faith, we trust Christ’s crucifixion unveiled our heart from sin.

When we repent, God removes sins that cover our heart, and so we obey him, and we are transformed into the image of obedient Christ. It is ever-increasing glory to be transformed into the image of Christ. How is that? When we follow the Lord, we explore the best life he designed for us. And, when we sense joyful peace, we praise God, and he blesses us more.

The Lord situates us in problematic environment, but we praise him. Despite challenging concerns, the Holy Spirit produces praise for God.

Are you concerned of studies, students? Are concerned about the boy or girl next you? Are concerned about work? Are concerned about family? Are concerned about health, finances, relationship? Everyone has concern.

Jesus Christ our Lord was born human. He also struggled with many concerns in life. He wept. He was hungry. He was insulted. He had no car, no house, no cellphone. He was humiliated. He was falsely charged. He was tortured to a most humiliating death but never complained about it.

The Holy Spirit gives freedom to be transformed into the image of the obedient Christ as declared in Philippians 2:5-8, ⁵Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: ⁶Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

The Holy Spirit gives us freedom to gladly prioritize and serve God. And, we are transformed into the image of Christ. Christ obeyed God the Father even to his death on a cross. He exemplified obedience to God as top priority in this life as human. How can we obey and prioritize the Lord?

Jim Elliot

Have you watched the movie “End of the Spear?” It’s a story of five missionaries who were speared to death by savage people in Ecuador. One of the missionaries was Jim Elliot. Jim Elliot declared, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

It’s great gain and not foolishness to prioritize eternal life with God. It’s smart to store up eternal treasure even if we sacrifice worldly ambition. Prioritizing to obey God practically implies that we expect to enter heaven.

But be careful not to be compelled by human desire to brag. Pray that the Holy Spirit gives you freedom to cheerfully sacrificially serve the Lord.

May we be inspired by Isaiah 6:8, ⁸The Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Sin can cause resistance to God. Sin covers the heart to ignore God when he calls. Isaiah confessed his wickedness, the Lord forgave him, and he gladly obeyed God. Gladness to obey God is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

How God instructed you to serve him, you can hear it clearly after sin that covers your heart is forgiven. So, seriously pray for freedom to obey and serve God gloriously. Ever-increasing glory is a result of obeying God. May God unveils your heart from sin, and you freely prioritize him always.

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