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February 14, 2010
"
The Spirit Brings Freedom "
Scripture Setting
: II Corinthians 3:12—4:2; NRSV
In this passage Paul contrasts the new life in Christ with the
old life “under the veil.” He refers back to Moses, specifically
in Exodus 33, where the people are not permitted to see God
because of their sinfulness. Because people’s sinfulness was
judged as disobedience to the law, this meant they could not see
God. However, in Christ, one’s relationship with God is not
dependent on obedience to the law. Instead, through God’s grace,
Christ makes it possible for us to see God. The “veil” is
removed.
The image of the veil describes how those who have not received
Christ are unable to see clearly—unable to see God, themselves,
or others as they really are. With the removal of the veil,
God’s glory can be perceived. It is like seeing one’s reflection
in a mirror. But what is seen is not the old self, but the new
self in Christ. In a sense, we see ourselves as God sees us. In
Christ, we are transformed from the old self to the new self; we
become new. But this is not of our own doing; rather, it is the
work of God in Christ. “This comes from the Lord, the Spirit”
(v. 18).
An important verse, the one from which today’s theme is taken,
says: “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (v.
17). In today’s world, freedom often means that one has the
right as an individual to do what they please, even if it
violates the well-being of others or the norms of the community.
But this is not what Paul means here. For Paul, freedom is
associated with freedom from slavery to the law and to the
separation from God that disobedience to the law created under
the old covenant. The new freedom is the freedom to be who we
were created to be under God with the guidance and enabling
power of the Holy Spirit.
The last two verses of this week’s lesson (4:1–2) remind the
disciple of God’s mercy and that all “shameful things” have been
renounced. The call is to openness and honesty that allows us to
“commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of
God” (v. 2). There is no longer any need to be deceptive,
deceitful, or dishonest, or to hide from anyone anything that we
do.
Emphasis here is on the work of the Spirit and how it brings us
freedom. On this Youth Ministries Day, in societies where
temptations to selfishness and competition are all around, this
is wise counsel: Life in God’s Spirit frees us for the greatest
experience of fulfillment in life.
From Worship
Helps 2/14/2010
President
Veazey's Address to the Church
Counsel with
the Church
Counsel about the Presiding Quorums
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