You May Now Kiss The Bride {2 Corinthians 3}
2:18 PM
Monday April 27, “Walking In Wisdom”
With the quarantine I’ve been able to spend some time doing one of my favorite things, watching old movies. The other night I was enjoying a romance film that had the most wonderful wedding scene. The bride wore a beautiful antique wedding dress with a delicate lace veil that covered her face. The groom was filled with love and joy as he watched his soon to be wife walk down the aisle. After a quick ceremony and the exchange of vows, the minister finally said, “You may now kiss your bride.” As the groom lifted her veil he exclaimed, “You’ve never looked more beautiful!” And indeed her face was beaming with happiness and anticipation as she transformed from bride to wife.
All of us were created, as the church, to become the bride of Christ. Yet sadly some reject this calling, and Jesus. Instead of wearing a bridal veil to be lifted by the Lord revealing a face which is a shining reflection of His glory, some choose to wear a widow’s veil barring all light from getting in. Instead of becoming transformed into Christ’s perfect image, they hide their faces in darkness and harden their minds against Him. Just like in the time of Moses. After spending 40 days and nights on Mt. Sinai receiving God’s Law for a second time, as Moses came down the mountain the skin of his face was transformed from the glory of God. When the Israelites saw how his face shone, they were filled with fear and dared not come near him. So after he had finished speaking with them, Moses wore a veil to hide the shine of God’s glory. (Ex. 34:29-35)
Like Moses, the apostle Paul too received a great transformation. As told in the book of Acts, he was once known as Saul, one the greatest persecutors of Christians. But because of an encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascus, Saul was transformed into Paul, one the greatest evangelists in history. We too can receive a great transformation. A transformation possible because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus comes into our hearts by faith, through the Spirit, “the veil is taken away”, (vs 16) and the transformation begins. For unlike the veiled faces of those who cling to the Law, choosing instead to live in darkness, Christians not only see the glory of God but become, “transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” (vs. 18)
What does it mean to be transformed from glory to glory? Our God is so loving that He never wants to leave us as He found us. And so the moment we confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit, if we let Him, gets to work taking our sinfulness, wickedness, and brokenness, and through God’s saving grace, transforms us from a Saul to a Paul. Not to say that our transformation will come easy. For the Christian walk is a lifelong journey of growth and change. There will be times when our walk will be hard, frustrating, and painful. And days where it’s two steps forward and three steps back. But if we keep seeking God, allow the Holy Spirit to work both in and through us, change will come. And on that glorious wedding day when Christ comes for His bride, as He lifts our veil in love, the transformation will become complete. We will be perfect reflections of His image as we dwell with the Lord forever!
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