Thank you to Pat for this week’s MWB
The Holy Spirit gives freedom
I was recently at the funeral of a very dear friend and in the thanksgiving it was said that how when you met her you knew she had been with Jesus. I can bear witness to that. She was a devoted prayer intercessor and had much wisdom from spending time in God’s presence each day.
Let’s read 2 Corinthians 3: 16 – 18 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And 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.
This passage emphasises the transformative power of the Holy Spirit which works in us to make us free to know God and contemplate his greatness and reflect his glory to others.
The veil Paul mentions symbolises the barrier of sin that prevents people from fully seeing or understanding God’s glory and truth. When we know Jesus as our Saviour, this veil is removed and we have the freedom to experience a direct relationship with God through the work of the Holy Spirit.
In the old testament Moses had to wear a veil because his face shone so brightly after being in the presence of God. (Exodus 34: 33 – 35) Now, because of the new covenant and all that Jesus did on the cross, sin is forgiven and the barrier is removed. We can all freely draw near to God and allow our faces to shine with faith and witness. We can contemplate God’s glory, through prayer, worship, reading his word. and living our lives in obedience to him, allowing him to transform us into his image, the image in which we were created (Genesis 1: 26).
These verses remind us that as Christians we are called to reflect God’s glory in our lives day to day. We can only do this if we seek a deeper relationship with the Lord each day, letting the Holy Spirit work in us, bringing genuine change and transformation. We cannot reflect or share what we have not contemplated or allowed to change us.
- Do you spend time each day with Jesus? Do you believe that others can see a difference in you because you know Jesus?
- Try spending more time this week contemplating God’s glory through reading his word, worship or praying alone or with others.
- Pray for family and friends who don’t yet know Jesus, that they would see him in you and that you would reflect his love and image to them.