2 Corinthians 3:12-18

Paul’s use of the story of Moses is a great illustration of spiritual truth in ministry.  It illustrates the difficulty of those who seek life by the ministry of death.  Those who do so are blinded, having a veil over their own faces.   The law seeks to tell them that they cannot measure up to God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). They need another solution to their sin made so evident as they read the law.

The veil is removed when one turns to Christ (v14,16).  Once a person has come to Christ the law has completed it’s purpose.  God, by His Spirit, enables the one who believes in Christ to be born again (John 1:12-13; 3:5-8).

The story of Moses also illustrates what happens when a person comes to Christ.  You may think that the teaching concerning the law indicates that God is not concerned with how a believer lives his life.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, in Christ, the standard for one’s lifestyle is not lower but higher.  The standard is the perfect life of Christ, the only One ever to fulfill the righteous demands of the law (Rom. 8:3-4).

Thus we ask how it is possible for the believer to become like Christ.  The answer is found in the story of Moses on Mt. Sinai.  Moses saw God’s glory with an unveiled face and God’s glory became Moses’ glory.

It is the same for the believer.  He must gaze upon the glory of the glorious Lord Jesus Christ.  Then the glory of Christ will become the glory of the believer as he is transformed into the same image.  This transformation is the work of the Spirit (v17) because it is a spiritual transformation.  One need not go to any physical mountain for this to happen.  Rather one must look into the right mirror so as to see the glory of the Lord.  How does this happen?

o   Through contemplation.  The believer must look intently at the Lord Jesus, the One into whose image we would be transformed (Heb. 12:1-3; Col. 3:1-4; Rom. 8:5-11; 2 Cor. 4:16-18).  He is neither contemplated in the emptying of the mind as in mysticism nor in the musings of one’s own mind.  The living Word (Christ) is best seen in the written Word (Scripture). 

o   Through reflection.  This is the idea of the phrase “behold as in a mirror”.  As one gazes intently upon Christ he begins to reflect Christ.  This is common sense, that we become like the object of our focused attention.

o   Through transformation.  The Greek word in v18 is metamorphoo from which we get metamorphosis.  As the caterpillar is changed into the beautiful butterfly the believer is changed from the inside out into the likeness of Christ.  

To confirm these truths consider Rom. 12:2: Be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, perfect and acceptable will of God.  

On whom or what am I focusing my attention?  How much time and energy do I place on my time with Christ?  Is He my glorious obsession?