Father, we all are very good at seeing the blindfolds that other people wear,
and we are blindfolded to the blindfolds that we wear and that we clutch to our eyes.
Father, we ask that your Holy Spirit would do a gentle but wonderful and deep work in our lives today as we read your word.
We ask, Father, that you do not help us to see the blindfolds that others wear,
but that you help us to see the blindfolds that we keep putting on or that we hold on.
We ask, Father, that you would do this work, that we would see our blindfolds.
Father, all this we ask in the name of Jesus, your Son and our Savior. Amen.
Please be seated.
Just recently in the same week, I had two remarkable conversations in different coffee shops.
I won't keep advertising the coffee shops that they both were.
Those of you who are regulars know what they probably were.
The first one happened just a few weeks ago.
I was talking to a young man, and the conversation, I've had lots of conversations with him,
and the conversation took a very sudden and surprising turn.
He said to me,
George, you know, I've been puzzled about this.
I have been raised by very, very secular parents who wanted nothing to do with religion or spirituality.
As I was growing up as a child and as a teenager and as a young adult when I still lived in my house,
my parents once never took me to a church or a mosque or a synagogue or a temple.
Never once.
I've had a completely and utterly secular education where I wasn't taught anything about God at school,
but I was taught ethics.
Yet as far back as I can remember, I have prayed.
And I pray virtually every day right now.
And I don't really understand why.
Isn't that a remarkable conversation?
I mean, just brothers and sisters, those of you who are here are Christians,
one of the great mistakes that we make when we talk to our non-Christian friends
is to presume that they never pray.
In fact, it might very well be that one of the things that will shock us
is that many Christians live prayerless lives.
And we might discover, if we actually had an honest conversation,
that our non-Christian friends pray more than we do.
And so,
the text that we're going to look at in a moment
actually talks a little bit about how I tried to answer the question.
It's a very important text, actually,
to help us to understand this phenomenon
as to why it would be that somebody in a completely secular environment
in a very, very secular culture
would pray every day
and have a basic belief that there must be a God that does exist.
This particular person also actually lives without hope,
which is a very, very interesting mixture of things.
Shortly after this conversation,
in the same week,
I had a conversation with a young woman
that went in a very different way.
Those of you who've taken the bulletins,
every week in the bulletin I have a blog.
It's in the bulletin and then it's online on Monday.
And the opening quote,
I mean, it might look a bit shocking.
I realize I should have put a question mark after it afterwards.
But this is pretty almost exactly word for word
an assertion that came to me
in a different conversation later in the week
with a different person.
And she said this repeatedly.
And this is what she said to me.
Christianity believes it is exceptional.
But every religion believes it is exceptional.
There have been at least 10,000 religions
and 100,000 gods.
There were religions that existed before Christianity
that do not exist today.
In 4,000 years' time,
Christianity will not exist.
And there will be other religions.
These are just facts that you have to accept.
And you can look at the blog.
The scripture text touches on this as well, by the way,
just slightly.
You can look at the blog yourself later on at your leisure
where if my sermon gets very boring,
you can look at it yourself
and see how I sort of responded to that.
But two very, very different conversations.
The second one would be a person
who clearly identifies themselves as an atheist.
The first one is,
I don't know how he would identify himself.
The scripture text addresses both of these issues,
but the first one in particular.
So it would be a great help to me
if you open your Bibles
and turn to the text that Anya read
just a few moments ago,
2 Corinthians 3, verse 7.
And actually, I'm just going to read
the very last sentence of verse 6
because it's sort of, it's part of the argument.
Actually, one of the things,
another bit of a time out here.
For those of you who call this your church home,
one of the things you can,
I really, really, really, really,
desperately need your prayers every week.
One of the hard parts about trying to preach
through 2 Corinthians, the first seven chapters,
is it's a very, very subtle
but sustained argument
where things keep looping back.
And it's hard to know.
A lot of what it's talked about here
is talked about in chapter 4 and 5 and 6.
It's just really hard to somehow figure out
how to preach it.
I really, really value your prayers
that as I'm listening to the Bible,
I know how to sort of bring you into the argument
without having to listen to all of the seven chapters.
So please pray for me.
Anyway, if we just, we're going to look at,
so remember, so this young man,
and why is it that I've prayed,
and I still pray, I've prayed today,
and I never had any religious background or upbringing.
So we'll begin at just the last sentence of verse 6.
For the letter kills,
but the Spirit gives life.
And then it goes on.
Now if the ministry of death,
carved in letters on stone,
came with such glory
that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face
because of its glory,
which was being brought to an end.
Will not the ministry of the Spirit
have even more glory?
For if there was glory
in the ministry of condemnation,
the ministry of righteousness
must far exceed it in glory.
Indeed, in this case,
what once had glory
has come to have no glory at all
because of the glory that surpasses it.
For if what was being brought to an end
came with glory,
much more will what is permanent
have glory.
It's a big chunk of scripture.
It's, you know, said 7 to 11,
so that's five verses.
But here's the big idea
with this text.
It's Paul using
a different set of images
to try to communicate
a very fundamental Christian truth.
It's in virtually all of his letters.
It's what Jesus was trying to communicate.
It's a constant New Testament lesson.
It's a lesson that goes right back
to what we call the Old Testament
and our Jewish friends call the Tanakh.
And it's this.
And I'm sorry I don't have
this point up on a slide,
but this is it.
If all I have are rules
and rituals to follow,
I will die a failure.
If all I have are rules
and rituals to follow,
I will die a failure.
If all I have are rules
and rituals to follow,
I will die a failure.
One of the points
I was going to try to make,
and you can see it in my blog,
to the woman who said
that there's 10,000 religions,
100,000 gods,
is I tried to communicate
that it might be
that they're not all the same.
And I would suggest
that there are several
very, very distinctive things
about the Christian way
and about what Jesus taught.
That in a sense,
if there are 10,000,
I don't know if there have been 10,000,
but 9,999 share one common feature.
And that common feature
is that whether it's come
from a seer,
from a prophetic vision,
whether they believe
it's come directly
from the mind or mouth of God
or word of God,
they all teach
that there's rules
and rituals to follow.
And if you're successful
at following the rules
and the rituals,
you will be accepted by God.
Now, granted,
the 9,999,
they all disagree
on lots of things.
You know,
the rules and the rituals
that you have to follow
if you follow Muhammad
are going to be very different
than the rules
and the rituals
you have to follow
if you're listening to Buddha
or to Krishna.
And the consequence
for failing to follow
the rules and the rituals
are going to be very different
if you're following Muhammad
than if you're following Buddha
or Krishna.
With Buddha and Krishna,
you get another kick
at the can, so to speak.
You come back
and you keep doing it.
But it's all
a very, very common teaching
that there are rules,
there are rituals.
Some of it might involve
going to a temple
in Paul's time in Corinth.
You know,
the men would have said,
so long, dear,
I'm going to the temple
to worship
and it would have meant
that they were going
to have sex
with a temple prostitute.
You know,
now it might be yoga.
In other places,
it might be killing an animal
or a sacrifice.
It might be learning
how to say
a certain type of prayer
or following a practice.
But it's a very,
very common thing
I would suggest
for all 9,999 religions
and spiritualities
and systems of thought
that there are rules
and there are rituals.
You follow them
and God accepts you.
And the message of Jesus
and the New Testament message
is the message of Jesus
is that no human being
will ever follow
the rules and the rituals
sufficiently.
And if your hope
is following the rules
and the rituals,
you will die.
In fact,
if you go back
and you read Romans,
the book of Romans,
and just,
most scholars think
that the letter
that Paul wrote
after this
was the book of Romans.
And if you go back
and you read
chapter 2 of Romans,
one of the things
that Paul does
in an argument
is to say in a sense
that God is completely
and utterly fair.
Even if you don't believe
or know in his rules
and rituals
that he's revealed
in the Tanakh,
if you make your own,
just pick your own rules
and rituals.
You can pick
whatever rules
or rituals you want
and then just measure
your life by your own rules
or rituals.
You won't even keep them.
Very, very common thing
in movies.
You know,
I have these rules
and I'm going to break them
or they break them
and things happen.
And so,
what Paul is saying here
in verses 7 to 11
is that if all I have
are rules and rituals
to follow,
I will die a failure.
In this particular context,
he's saying,
he's referring to a story
that goes in Exodus
chapter 32,
33,
and 34.
where God
appears to Moses.
Moses goes up
in a mountain.
God appears
to Moses.
Of course,
Moses can't see him directly,
but Moses is in God's presence
and God himself
writes on tablets of stone
what we now know of
as the Ten Commandments,
the Ten Instructions,
the Ten Words
that are to be the basis
about how you live.
And when Moses comes down
from the mountain,
because he's been
in the presence of God,
his face is bright,
like the brightest spotlight,
and the people of Israel
can't bear to look at it,
so they,
his face,
so he puts a cover on it
so it doesn't frighten them.
And that's the background.
But if you understand
that it's,
that if you follow,
if you believe that
following rules and rituals
will make you right with God,
if that's what your religion is,
you should know
that you will die of failure.
If you keep that perspective,
listen again to verses 7,
verses 7 to 11.
Now if the ministry of death
carved in letters on stone,
see that's what it is.
They're words
carved in letters of stone,
but it ends up
just bringing you death
because you can't keep them.
I can't keep them.
I'm not just saying you.
Ha ha ha,
you can't keep them,
I do.
No, no, no.
I have three fingers
pointing back.
I'm more than you.
I'm probably worse
at keeping the rules
than many of you
who are here.
If the ministry of death,
that's what it ends up being
if you just have rules
and rituals,
carved in letters on stone,
came with such glory
that the Israelites
could not gaze at Moses' face
because of its glory,
which was being brought to an end.
Will not the ministry of the Spirit
have even more glory?
Listen again to this.
For if there was glory
in the ministry of condemnation,
because you see,
if in fact God reveals perfect rules
and we can't keep the rules,
then that actually is a word against us.
It's a type of condemnation of us.
The ministry of righteousness
must far exceed it in glory.
And just so you know,
every time you see
the word righteousness,
or most of the times
you see the word righteousness,
understand that it means
right standing,
making it right.
What makes you right with God?
Right?
The image is,
I don't know,
maybe you work in a Starbucks
or something like that
and a customer's complaining
and they're complaining
that the,
you know,
I don't know,
that the coffee's not right,
the bill's wrong,
et cetera, et cetera.
What is it that they do,
whether it's them
or the manager,
they come to make it right?
Right.
They come to make it right.
And they want to make it right
so that there's a sense
of satisfaction,
that there's a sense
of restoration of justice
and wholeness.
and it usually means
making it right
is that the restaurant pays.
They say,
here,
we'll give it exactly
the way you want,
we'll take it all back,
in fact,
we'll make it free for you.
We'll make it free
because why?
We want to make it right.
And that image
of making it right
is what the word righteousness
in English,
that's,
it's an English translation
of a Greek word,
that's what it's trying
to communicate,
that there's going to be
a ministry from God
that makes it right
with him.
Go back to verse 10.
In this case,
what once had glory
has come to have
no glory at all
because of the glory
that surpasses it.
For if what was being
brought to an end
came with glory,
much more will that
which is permanent
have glory.
I'll talk about that
in a moment.
But here we can see
that there's this basic idea
that if all I have
are rules and rituals
to follow,
I will die a failure
and we just cannot
literally keep the rules.
In fact,
in the same conversation
with the young man
who was telling me
about prayer,
I knew that he liked
watching movies.
So I said to him,
because I was trying
to explain how Christians
understand this issue,
why it is that Christians
would understand
or should understand
that people pray naturally.
And I said,
if you saw a movie,
science fiction
or a fantasy movie,
but if you saw a movie
and in the movie
you come to a place
where everything
is perfect,
the people are perfect,
they follow all
of the rules,
everything is perfect,
wouldn't you know
that as the movie
progresses
that there's evil
behind it,
that it's an illusion?
And he said,
yes.
That's always
what it means
in Hollywood
where you see
something perfect.
It always means
there's evil
and that there's control.
I said,
one of the,
and this would be
another thing
to the woman
about the 10,000 religions,
the second thing
which is very distinctive
in the Christian faith
is the doctrine
of the fall.
that the idea
that God created
all things good
and that the creator
who created
all things good
created human beings
in a very special place
to tend the garden,
to in a sense
be a sub-creator
under God
and to manage
God's creation,
almost like a type
of priest and priestess
where we care
for the earth
and we at the same time
in a sense
offer the earth
up to God
under his direction.
and human beings alone
out of all the created order
are made in the image
of God.
The Greek word
translating is
icon,
E-I-K-O-N
and human beings alone
are made in the icon
of God
and when human beings
in Genesis 3
decided that they did not
want to be sub-creators
but wanted to be equal
with God
or superior to God
what happened
is that something
within us
was bent
and twisted
and because
you can never
leave yourself
to fix yourself
that which is now
bent and twisted
can't be unbent
and untwisted
because it'd be
a bent and twisted
being
trying to unbend
and untwist
a twisted being
and we only bend
and twist it more
and so
when we rebelled
against God
because we wanted
to be like God
ourselves
it isn't that God
erased
the image
and likeness
in us
and removed it
it stays in us
but we're now bent
we're now twisted
and
and that's why
it is
that every day
if we woke up
on Monday
and the newspaper
said
there's been
no wars
no robberies
nothing bad
happened in the entire world
we know we wouldn't
believe it
nobody in the city
would believe it
even the hardened
atheist
even the most
unbelievably
optimistic
Rousseau
following
sorry
bit of an
academic
reference
person who
teaches
in the education
faculty
that somehow
often teaches
that human beings
are inherently good
nobody would believe it
right
nothing bad
happened
like nothing at all
and even if we thought
that nothing bad
happened
we'd know in our
thoughts
that bad things
were going on
in our thoughts
why
because human beings
are bent
they're twisted
we're made in the image
of God
we were made
in a sense
in the image
of a creator
but we are bent
and we are twisted
it's another thing
which is unique
to what Jesus taught
what the Bible teaches
so human beings
are made in God's image
and we're bent
and we're twisted
it explains two things
it explains why
when I say
and when Paul
is saying here
that if God
gives us perfect laws
we won't keep them
all it will do
is give us reason
to understand
that God
has a very valid reason
to not allow us
into his heaven
in the new heaven
and the new earth
at the same time
the fact that
every human being
is made in God's image
it talks
it explains
very powerfully
why it is
that there have been
10,000 religions
I mean
I didn't put it
in my blog
but one of the things
I would have said
to my Dawkins
loving friend
with the 10,000
religion quote
is you know
atheism
has to account
for why there's
10,000 religions
and you know
what
Freud's explanation
doesn't work
Freudbox explanation
doesn't work
Marx's explanation
doesn't work
you know
they don't work
and you have to
account for that
but you know
for us as Christians
if in fact
every human being
has been made
in the image
and the icon of God
and we have a creator
there is something
in every human being
because we're made
in the image of God
that cries out
and longs for
and desires
that creator
in whom
whose
in whose image
we have been made
and the fact
that we can never
stop being creatures
as much as we might
think that we're gods
and our technology
and our techniques
can make us like God
and our politics
can make us like God
if we just follow Marxism
if we just follow
some utopia
that we will be like gods
we will manage
the means of production
we will manage
the created order
we will be perfect
that
none of those things work
but the creation itself
we're creatures
in a created order
that regularly reminds us
that there's a creator
even if we suppress it
and there is something
in every human being
that longs
to once again
be aligned
with that
with whom
we are made
and whom we are made
in his image
the true
and living God
the creator
and sustainer
of all things
so the question is
okay George
whoa whoa whoa
okay
George
does that mean
if I'm just reading this
all right
does this mean
that God did something
on purpose
to condemn us
does this mean
that God did something
that failed
like
how does that fit
George
how would it fit
that this
if God does all these things
and it just condemns us
and it
like
in fact actually
this
I explained some of these things
to the
to the young man
who first
asked me this question
about prayer
and his response was
because
he acknowledged
that
if we saw a movie
with utopia
we'd know there was evil
behind it
and he'd say
there's no hope then
and given that in fact
he has always struggled
with the fact
that there's no hope
he said
now I know
there's no hope
I'm really good
at cheering people up
and
and then I said
but that's why
we need grace
that's why we need grace
I'm going to read
verses 7 to 11 again
but take in mind
a different type of image
it wasn't as if
God said
well I'm going to try
this plan with Moses
I sure hope it works
and then after a period
of time
God went
oh dang
it didn't work
what on earth
am I going to do now
it wasn't like that at all
if any of you have
some
if any of you have watched
any of the
of the moon shots
any of the
of the
you know
on YouTube
or maybe some of us
watch it on TV
back when it actually happened
and they sent those
Saturn rockets up
to send
people on
to be on the moon
you'll know that
the rockets
were in several stages
it was glorious
wasn't it
watching it
I could just imagine
what it must have been like
to actually have
physically been there
and you probably
would have actually
not only seen
the rocket
you would have
probably felt it
and it would have
been in your body
like a throbbing
in your body
and in your ears
it would have been
very overwhelming
very glorious
but you know how long
the first stage
of the rocket
had to last for
and had to do its work
I only know this
because I looked it up
I find it on the internet
it has to be true
if you find it on the internet
right
two minutes
and 42 seconds
this huge
the biggest part
of the whole rocket
only has to last
for two minutes
and 42 seconds
and then if it's
doing its job
right at the end
of two minutes
and 42 seconds
the rocket
turns off
and the next rocket
keeps going
and all of the language
here
in the text
and it's
a bit more subtle
in English
it's very obvious
in the original language
is that God
was doing
a mighty work
through Moses
and at every stage
throughout that
he always knew
that it was leading
to the next stage
this isn't replacement
theology
or anything like that
this is part of God's
bigger plan
he always only has
one people
but it was always
every
Moses has all of these
promises and prophecies
of a greater prophet
of a
all of the
sacrifices are pointing
to a greater sacrifice
all of these things
it's always pointing
to something more
and that's this
language
that it's not a failure
part of it was to help
to communicate to us
that we can't follow
rules and rituals
but that it always
had an end
it always had a purpose
it always had
a next stage
it always had
the next thing
in mind
and that's why
if you listen to it again
listen to it within
that perspective
thinking of the
Saturn rocket
and when they built
the Saturn rocket
they built it
so the first stage
they had a plan
that it would stop
and that there'd be
these other stages
that would eventually
take human beings
to walk on the moon
now if the ministry
of death
verse 7
carved in letters
on stone
came with such glory
that the Israelites
could not gaze
at Moses' face
because of its glory
which was being
brought to an end
will not the ministry
of the Holy Spirit
have even more glory
for if there was glory
in the ministry
of condemnation
the ministry
of righteousness
a ministry
that's going to
make us right
with God
make it right
must far exceed
in its glory
indeed in this case
what once had glory
has come to have
no glory at all
because of the glory
that surpasses it
who looks at the final stage
when you can be looking
at the people on the moon
I mean who looks at
the first stage
when you can be looking
at the people on the moon
because of the glory
that surpasses it
for if what was being
brought to an end
came with glory
much more will that
which is permanent
have glory
since we have
such a hope
we are very bold
or we are very open
the word bold
can also mean
completely and utterly open
not like Moses
who would put a veil
over his face
so that the Israelites
might not gaze
at the outcome
of what was being
brought to an end
you see
God looks down
from heaven
at you and me
and he knows
that we cannot
keep rules and rituals
and that if all we think
if we are part of those
9,999 religions
that believe
it's just some rule
or some ritual
and if these ones don't work
if Islam's not working out
maybe we should try Buddhism
and if Buddhism
isn't working out
there's thousands
of different types
of Hinduism
maybe one of those
work out
and if those don't work out
well maybe we can make
our own little bit
of Hinduism
bit of Buddhism
bit of Judaism
bit of Islam
and put it all together
and he knows
that they're all
just not going to work
they're just not going to work
he knows that
he loves us
and so
he's going to do
something about it
he's going to do
something about it
now
in many ways
this is just a two point sermon
the first one
about the rules
and the second point
is going to culminate
in verse 18
and those of you
who have been here
other weeks
I think book of
2nd Corinthians
has more verses
to memorize
than just about
any verse in the Bible
could you put it up
on the stage
could you read this
out with me
we're going to say this
quite a few times
I really encourage you
if you have never
memorized scripture
to start memorizing scripture
and this is a great verse
to memorize
we're going to read it up
I just want to read it first
this is the conclusion
of this whole section
we're going to get to it
but could you read it
out loud with me
and we all
with unveiled face
beholding the glory
of the Lord
are being transformed
into the same image
from one degree
of glory
to another
for this comes
from the Lord
who is the spirit
and
Paul begins
with this
very powerful
presentation
of in a sense
the bad news
and then he's going
to switch
to a different image
he sort of is
like a comedian
he takes
this image
of the veil
and he's going to
now all of a sudden
turn this into
something very powerful
and it's a very
human experience
to help us explain
how it is
see what God wants
he wants us
to come to the point
where we say
in a sense
that first person
the young man
that I talked to
who said
that there was
no hope
that acknowledged
that he could never
keep the rules
and the rituals
that he could never
that there would
always be things
that he would do
is wrong
in a sense
what God wants
is to come
to the point
to say
which I tried
to share with him
God unless you
do something
real and effective
I have no hope
I need you
to do something
because I can't
do it
I need you
to show
real and effective
and powerful
mercy and grace
I need mercy
and grace
I need mercy
and grace
and Paul
continues to deepen
this by developing
the image
of the blindfold
it's a very
very human problem
right
human beings
have multiple
blindfolds
the surprising
thing is that
for most of us
it's very interesting
I mean do we have
blindfolds
what is it that
supporters of
Hillary Clinton
say
those of you
who are here
who like Clinton
what do you say
about people
who if you find
out that somebody
after a drink coffee
that somebody here
might vote for Trump
you'd think to yourself
can't they see
are they blind
like
how can they look
at that guy
they're not looking
if they were looking
they wouldn't vote
for him
you Trump supporters
you quiet ones
you know who you are
what are you saying
about people
who are going
to vote for Clinton
he's saying
are they blind
can't they see
who on earth
could possibly
vote for her
I could do this
with just about anything
climate change deniers
and climate change
supporters
what do both of them
say about the other
can't they see
are they wearing
blindfolds
what do often
some of you say
in relationships
you know you have
your girlfriend
or whatever
and she starts
to be interested
in a particular guy
and you say
to your girlfriends
somebody has to
speak to her
can't she see
who that guy is
he's such a loser
like is she
what's she's blind
right we say this
all the time
no no Clinton
supporter thinks
that they might be
blind
no Trump supporter
thinks that they
might be blind
but the surprising
thing is is that
in the world
how do we deal
with blindfolds
we think that
if we can just
take off our
blindfolds
and take off
our blindfolds
and take off
our blindfolds
and maybe we'll
take off the
blindfolds
enough blindfolds
that we can see
God
the Bible says
you got it all
wrong
what we're going
to see in the
Bible here
is that the
Bible is going
to tell us
that the root
blindfold that we
wear
is a blindfold
that keeps us
blind to God
and so
one of the
images of
salvation
is that
one of the
ways that
God makes
us right
with himself
is that
he does it
all by
Jesus dying
upon the
cross
later on
in 2 Corinthians
it's going
to say
God made
him
who knew
no sin
to be
sin for
us
so that
in him
we might
become
the righteousness
of God
and explain
that when we
get to it
in a couple
of weeks
it's just
one of the
most powerful
compact
almost creedal
statements
of what
Jesus does
for us
on the
cross
it's going
to come
up in
a couple
of weeks
the end
of 2 Corinthians
God made
him who
knew no
sin
to be
sin for
us
so that
in him
we might
become
the righteousness
of God
and part
of that
whole process
is that
God takes
the blindfold
off
that the
root
blindfold
that
undergirds
the blindfolds
we have
about politics
and the
blindfolds
that we
have
about
relationships
that the
root
blindfold
is the
one
that we
wear
in regard
to
eternal
destiny
and a
relationship
with the
creator
listen to
verses 12
through 18
since we
have such a
hope
that is that
there's God
has some
greater thing
that he's going
to do
since we have
such a hope
we are very
bold
or very open
not like
Moses
who would put
a veil
over his
face
so that the
Israelites
might not
gaze at the
outcome of
what was being
brought to an
end
but their
minds were
hardened
he's just
going to say
that briefly
but he's going
to get right
back to this
issue of a
hardening in the
blindfold or the
veil is the
same thing
but their
minds were
hardened for
to this day
when they read
the old
covenant
the same veil
remains
unlifted
that is because
we continue
time and time
and time
again
Einstein said
that insanity
is trying to
do the same
thing over
and over
expecting
different results
and the
very very
heart of the
religious spirit
is to think
that we can
keep changing
the rules
and eventually
we'll get the
rules that will
allow us to
succeed
but the problem
is that we
can't keep
the rules
so say that
again
verse 14
but their
minds were
hardened
for this day
when the old
covenant
when they read
the old covenant
that same veil
remains
unlifted
because only
through Christ
it is taken
away
is it taken
away
yes to this
day whenever
Moses is read
whenever the
rules and the
rituals are
read
a veil lies
over their
hearts
but when
one turns
to the
Lord
the veil
is removed
but when
one turns
to the
Lord
notice that
it doesn't
say when
one takes
off the
veil
it's saying
I can't
follow the
rules
I can't
look at
your glory
I can't
keep the
rituals
I'm
bent
and I'm
twisted
and I
can't
fix it
and I
still pray
but really
God
you're an
unknown
God
I don't
really know
you
but I
sense
there must
be a
God
there's
something
within me
which is
calling out
and in
the Greek
tenses
of this
original
text
it's a
very
interesting
ambiguity
it's
on one
hand
that God
has put
the
blindfold
and the
other
hand
it is
that I
have put
the
blindfold
and I
can't
use my
hands
father
and then
you turn
to the
Lord
you call
out
and say
father
God
I don't
know
everything
there is
to know
about you
I only
know a
little bit
about you
and I
don't
even
all I
know
father
is
if you
do not
do
something
that I
cannot
do
if you
do not
show
me
mercy
if
you
don't
do
what
I
cannot
do
I
have
no
hope
dear
God
do
what
I
cannot
do
I
trust
and hope
that you
have
mercy
when you
turn to
the
Lord
even
though
our
hands
want to
cling
to the
blindfold
on our
eyes
the
Lord
takes
the
blindfolds
away
because
only
God
can
do
it
that's
what
the
text
is
saying
verse
16
again
but
when
one
turns
to
the
Lord
the
veil
is
removed
now
the
Lord
is
the
spirit
and
where
the
spirit
of
the
Lord
is
there
is
freedom
God
made
us
for
himself
and
our
hearts
are
restless
and
our
hearts
are
burdened
until
our
hearts
rest
in
him
and
we
all
could
you
say
this
verse
with
me
if
it's
still
up
on
the
screen
say
it
with
me
and
we
all
with
unveiled
face
beholding
the
glory
of
the
Lord
are
being
transformed
into
the
same
image
from
one
degree
of
glory
to
another
for
this
comes
from
the
act
upon
the
cross
is
what
is
right
with
him
and
as
part
of
this
wonderful
act
it's
not
just
when
we're
made
right
with
God
it's
an
act
of
God
by
his
grace
and
his
mercy
if
we
were
to
become
more
like
Jesus
in
our
daily
life
it's
an
act
of
God
and
his
mercy
and
grace
and
if
we
are
glorified
in
the
new
heaven
and
new
earth
the
new
created
order
that
is
all
a
work
of
grace
and
it's
all
a
work
of
mercy
it's
all
grace
it's
all
mercy
it's
all
from
God
we
just
are
called
to
cooperate
with
it
and
all
of
the
language
of
transformation
here
maybe
you
haven't
seen
this
in
a
while
but
sometimes
we
own
this
Steinway
piano
and
sometimes
we
bring
it
out
here
as
part
of
the
service
and
you
these
big
strong
guys
and
they
can
push
this
heavy
Steinway
piano
down
here
around
the
corner
up
the
thing
and
in
the
wall
and
in
through
the
door
and
there's
always
a
couple
of
two
or
three
year olds
who
want
to
help
and
they
have
to
cooperate
with
that
piano
to get
in
the
way
it's
trouble
right
and
they
come
and
they
love
to
help
you
say
come
on
Benjamin
come
on
help
out
and
they
put
their
little
hands
on
it
but
it's
Andrew
and
Patrick
pushing
that
big
Steinway
piano
up
that
slot
you have
to
cooperate
with
all
of
the
language
in
verse
18
is
passive
God's
doing
it
it's
fundamentally
God
we
cooperate
we're
sub
creators
right
goes
back
to
Genesis
1
and 2
we're
sub
creators
under
him
we
cooperate
with
him
we're
led
by
him
we
allow
him
to
lead
say
verse
18
with
me
again
please
and
we
all
with
unveiled
face
beholding
the
glory
of
the
Lord
are
being
transformed
into
the
same
image
from
one
degree
of
glory
to
another
for
this
comes
from
the
Lord
who
is
the
spirit
you
see
it
tells
us
that
the
Lord
takes
this
you
know
here's
this
powerful
thing
you
sisters
why
is it
that we
have
these
other
lesser
veils
why
is it
that we
can be
blind
to our
own
political
biases
our
scientific
biases
our
intellectual
biases
our
relational
biases
and we
can see
it in
others
and human
beings
in general
have a
sense
that human
health
is being
unveiled
and it's
grounded
here
this is the
ground
for us
when we're
grounded
in the
gospel
when we're
gripped
by the
gospel
when we
understand
that God
saw us
with perfect
clarity
and still
his son
came and
died for
us
that when
we see
that the
fundamental
act of
God
in making
us justified
and right
with him
is that he
would remove
the veil
there is a
courage for
us
and an
impetus
for us
to remove
the veils
by which
we live
the smaller
veils
by which
we live
that blind
us to
who we
are and
what we're
doing to
other people
there's this
incentive
in the
gospel
a grounding
in the
gospel
a push
and a pull
from the
gospel
courage
to look
at the
blindfolds
by which
we live
and call
out to
God
and say
God
I know
there's
blindfolds
in this
way
take my
blindfolds
away
you've
taken the
big blindfold
away
in terms
of my
relationship
with you
you want
me
to look
at the
world
unveiled
help
help me
Lord
to have
that
freedom
of having
an
unveiled
look
that's
what it
says
here
can you
say
verse 18
with me
again
and we
all
with unveiled
face
beholding
the glory
of the
Lord
are being
transformed
into the
same
image
from one
degree
of glory
to another
for this
comes from
the Lord
who is the
spirit
and you
might notice
that there's
different words
for beholding
in your
different
translations
that's
because
in the
original
language
there's
this
wonderful
ambiguity
around the
word
that's
used
and in
English
you can
only use
either the
word
beholding
or the
word
reflecting
but in
the original
language
the same
word
can mean
both
and it's
such a
powerful
grace
filled
image
because both
images are
completely
and utterly
true
there is
nothing
in me
that
shines
I am
not a
source
of light
but I
am made
in the
image
of God
and by
grace
as I
am gripped
by the
gospel
the glory
of God
that some
of that
beauty
of holiness
and salvation
and grace
reflects off
of me
and reflects
off of you
and at the
same time
it's also
that I'm
gripped
that I
not looking
to rules
I'm not
looking to
rituals
as the
primary
source
of my
identity
and my
hope
and my
comfort
but my
hope
and my
comfort
my
identity
is gripped
by the
glory
how do they
put it
here
the glory
of the Lord
what is the
glory of the
Lord
it's not a
mystical
experience
read John's
gospel
this is very
reminiscent of
John's gospel
which is filled
with the images
of glory
and if you
read and you
go right to
the end
the glory
of God
is supremely
made evident
to human
beings
when we see
Jesus dying
upon the
cross
the Lamb
of God
who takes
away the
sin of the
world
almost at the
beginning of
John's gospel
John the
Baptist says
to his
disciples
as he sees
Jesus walking
behold the Lamb
of God
who takes away
the sin of the
world
the lesson
of Genesis
and of Exodus
and Leviticus
and Numbers
and Deuteronomy
of the sacrifice
of the paschal
sacrifice
of the peace
sacrifices
the offerings
all of these
types of things
all of the
different aspects
and images
of what it
means to be
human
and the
sacrifices
that are
made
and the
rituals
and the
sacrifices
that are
made
to be
right
with God
and John
the Baptist
under
prophetic
inspiration
summarizes
them all up
when he
looks at
Jesus
and says
behold the
Lamb of
God
who takes
away
the sin
of the
world
and then
John
the Apostle
who is
the writer
of the
Gospel
who has
listened to
Jesus
is teaching
and understands
that the glory
of God
is to be
revealed
and the glory
of God
is revealed
most supremely
as Jesus
dies upon
the cross
not for
his own
sins
but for you
and me
not
not because
he's
surprised
by human
beings
but because
he knows
every human
being
deeply
that no
rule
or ritual
will ever
make us
right with
him
it will
only lead
to condemnation
and death
and what
we need
is real
powerful
historical
actual
mercy
and grace
that can
transform us
and that we
can be
restored to
God's
intention
to make
a new
heaven
and a new
earth
where his
creatures
will live
fully
and restoredly
bearing the
image of
God
and God
in his
mercy
desires
that as
we walk
with him
we will
be changed
from glory
to glory
and it
begins
with grace
it continues
with grace
and it
ends
with grace
and brothers
and sisters
who have been
gripped by the
gospel
that is your
destiny
that is your
identity
and that is
what the
Bible says
don't believe
me
believe
the Bible
please
stand
you say
this verse
with me
one more
time
and then
I'll pray
and we
all with
unveiled
face
beholding
the glory
of the
Lord
are being
transformed
into the
same
image
from one
degree
of glory
to another
for this
comes from
the Lord
who is
the Spirit
Father we
ask that
you would
if there's
anyone here
who has
never given
their life
to Jesus
that you
would now
meet with
them
in a very
powerful way
and help
them to
call out
to Jesus
for mercy
and Father
we thank
you that
you hear
that call
that you
always receive
it
that you
do not
weigh
their merits
or our
merits
but you
pardon
their
offenses
we thank
you that
Jesus
is that
power
that
comes
from you
that makes
us right
with you
and Father
for all
of us
make us
disciples of
Jesus
who are
gripped
by the
gospel
who by
being
gripped
who gaze
upon
Father
the glory
of what
you have
done
for us
in the
person
of Jesus
and his
mighty work
upon the
cross
and descent
into death
and hell
and sin
and burying
our sin
and rising
triumphant
over it all
in his mighty
resurrection
who will come
again in glory
who will bring
in not just
a new heaven
but a new
heaven
and a new
earth
Father
where we
are once
again
Father
the caretakers
for this
your created
order
Father
please
in your
mercy
make us
disciples
of Jesus
who are
gripped
by the
gospel
and as
we're
gripped
by the
gospel
that we
are being
convicted
of our
blindfolds
and tearing
them off
as we
live for
your glory
to boast
in you
and not
to boast
in ourselves
and this
we ask
in Jesus
name
Amen