2 Corinthians 1-3 CSB
We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. 3:18
2 Corinthians is by far my favorite book in the bible. The artistry and the language of Paul are second to none in this letter and I find myself reading a verse, again and again, to try and unlock what the apostle was really trying to say. I want to pause here at this time and focus on 3:18. In this verse, Paul is comparing the glory of sanctification to the glory of Moses when he had to veil his face to talk to the Israelites. Perhaps you remember the story from Exodus 34? Moses was on the mountain top with God for 40 days and 40 nights, in His very presence. When he came down from the mountain his face shone with a holy radiance and it was so discomfiting that the people begged him to wear a veil so they would not have to see the glory of God on the face of Moses. Paul says that now, we who are in Christ, are like Moses. The radiance and glory of God are within us, by His Spirit, and they shine forth from us. Of course, no one is literally glowing, but when you look in the mirror and you see yourself there you are looking at someone who is slowly, spiritually being changed into the image of Christ.
As believers, God is working in us to sanctify us, which means we are steadily being transformed (spiritually) into the image of Christ. If you are born again, when God looks at you He sees past you and can see His Son who lives in you by the Spirit. In other words, He doesn’t just see who you are, He also sees who you are becoming. Through that same Spirit and through his word, God is changing you to be more and more like His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. Paul says this transformation is from glory to glory. In Romans 8:30, Paul put it like this, “And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.” God can look at you and see the finished product of His Son as if it has already been completed. You are moving from the glory of justification and sanctification to the glory of eventual glorification in Heaven. If you are truly His child, go and take a good long look in the mirror and tell me what you see. You might not see it there yet, but it’s there… keep looking below the failings of yesterday… keep moving forward and eventually, you will see the glory of the Son of God shining through more and more as you grow in Him. He is already there; He just wants to shine through.
