Today we continue our mini-series entitled “A New Dimension of Glory!” This series is under the overall theme for the year: “GREAT FREEDOM.” We have been looking at a fairly long passage in 2 Corinthians 3 for a while. The latter portion of the passage we have been studying says:
(2 Corinthians 3:17&18 Easy to Read Version)
17 The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 And our faces are not covered. We all show the Lord’s glory, and we are being changed to be like him. This change in us brings more and more glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
In Today’s message, I will focus in on verse 18. Before I get into the points we will glean, I feel led to share this verse with you from several different translations. Sometimes there is so much revelation locked up in one verse that you have to read it from several translations in order to get the fullness of what God is saying. And even then, we are only scratching the surface. We will never exhaust God’s revelation from scripture. You can come back to the same verse every day and the Holy Spirit can reveal something new. With that in mind, let’s seek to glean a few things today. Please read these carefully and prayerfully.
(2 Cor 3:18 New International Version)
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.
(2 Cor 3:18 New Living Translation)
So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
(2 Cor 3:18 J.B. Phillip New Testament)
But all of us who are Christians have no veils on our faces, but reflect like mirrors the glory of the Lord. We are transfigured by the Spirit of the Lord in ever-increasing splendour into his own image.
(2 Cor 3:18 The Passion Translation)
We can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
So what does this mean for you today? I will share a few nuggets around this thought: We are called to live as reflections of God’s glory on this planet.
1. 2 Cor 3:18 likens us to mirrors that reflect God’s glory. A mirror does not create an image. It simply reflects whatever image is placed in front of it. This is a very good analogy for us. We don’t create the image of God and certainly cannot generate God’s glory. But we can certainly REFLECT everything God has placed on the INSIDE of us. For this to happen, however, we must give God our attention and we must be willing to make Him the center point of our lives. If we want the attention and we want our lives to be about us, then we won’t focus on Him and we won’t reflect His glory. This is why the New Testament teaches so much about dying to self. The more you die to self, the more God, and His glory, will be seen in/with/through your life.
2. Just like a mirror does not generate the image it reflects, we are not called to be manufacturers, but rather distribution centers. I will explain. In a manufacturing center, things are created. Therefore, the entire center is organized with everything required to CREATE. Everything needed for the creation process is aligned for execution. However, a distribution center is much different. It is organized to simply RECEIVE and DISTRIBUTE what has already been created. In this analogy, we are the distribution centers and the Holy Spirit is the manufacturer. God placed his Spirit down inside of us so that we can simply RECEIVE and RELEASE what heaven is saying IN US and then THROUGH US. Jesus only said what He heard the Father say. Jesus only did what He was led by the Holy Spirit to do. If we live like Jesus, we will become human conduits of God’s glory in this world. We don’t have to generate the glory (because we can’t). We just have to REFLECT the glory God has already placed inside of us. If we learn to be led by the Holy Spirit, we don’t have to be afraid of the rooms God leads us to enter. He will favor us to go into places we have never been, in situations we feel underqualified for. But since we are the distribution centers and not the manufacturer, we can trust God, who is living INSIDE of us, to give us the words and to perform the work (John 14:10).
3. In the next chapter, Paul said, “We have this treasure from God, but we are only like clay jars that hold the treasure. This is to show that the amazing power we have is from God, not from us.” (2 Cor 4:7).
God placed His treasure IN us, the Bible says, “to show that the amazing power we have is from God, not from us.” When you know the power of God is IN you, and you know this power is not FROM you, you come to the realization that there is nothing you cannot do. Why? Because there is nothing God cannot do and He is living on the inside of you.
a) Everything God can do is what you can do because God lives INSIDE of you. You don’t have to generate God’s power. It’s already in you. You are called to simply REFLECT what He has deposited down on the inside of you.
b) God is living inside of you. He is the treasure. You are simply the container carrying the treasure. You are the container. He is the content. Remember that! You are not the content. He is the content. You don’t have the power. He has the power. You don’t have the ability. He has the ability. All you have to do is realize that you are carrying God around on the inside of you. When you realize this, it does not matter if you are troubled on every side, you will not be defeated, because God cannot be defeated and He is the one IN YOU!
That’s enough for today. I will continue to flow in this vein tomorrow.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I live my life as a reflection of You in this world. You have placed everything You are INSIDE of me. I am walking around with You on the INSIDE. It is time for me to LET YOU OUT! I become like a mirror. I reflect Your image on this planet. I reflect Your glory in this world. I don’t have to generate Your power or Your glory. I simply RECEIVE and RELEASE whatever You give me, for whatever situation You lead me into. You live in me. You give me the words. You perform the work. My life is all about reflecting YOu everywhere I go! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
