The Veil Is Taken Away (Is It?)

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 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 Corinthians 3.16-18]

Six years ago today, I wrote the article Glory. Today, I have come to realize that to discuss the glory without discussing the "veil" is woefully incomplete. We would do well to understand what the "veil" is.

The "veil" Paul mentions in 2 Corinthians 3 effectively prevents vision - it blinds what otherwise could and should be seen. The only way to remove the veil is to believe in Jesus. It should not have to be said here, but to effectively believe in Jesus is to believe in Jesus ALONE.

If we will see it, the Law God gave Moses, like the snake on a pole in Numbers 21.8-9, quickly became an idol to the people of Israel. And just as Hezekiah recognized and destroyed the snake on the pole (2 Kings 18.4), so the veil in the Temple was torn at Jesus' completion of His work on the cross (Matthew 27.51).

The point I wish to make is that any time we focus on anything other than Jesus Christ, a veil is raised preventing the transmission of God's glory. 

Paul and other believers in Jesus are repeatedly documented as demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit accomplishes all manner of unexplainable, undeniable miracles of God. But, without singular focus on Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit is veiled - people are blinded - they are left to whatever (if any) benefit their idols can provide, whether its a snake on a pole, the Law of God, debt, insurance, medicine or technology - all idols that never provide genuine freedom.

Make no mistake about it, the Holy Spirit IS the power of God. HOWEVER! Pursuit of the Holy Spirit is just as much a mistake as is pursuit of idols. God's people are to pursue Jesus Christ ALONE. Only when God's people have effectively trusted in Jesus alone is the Holy Spirit imparted. Any time a person even partially trusts anything other than Jesus, they effectively pull a "veil" over their own face thus limiting, if not altogether preventing, the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in and through their lives.

Notice the wording of the subject passage above: whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. To turn to the Lord is to turn away from everything else. Only then is the veil that blinds us taken away. Consider the revelation found in the Psalms about idols (everything else man trusts in):

Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and noses but cannot smell. They have hands but cannot feel, and feet but cannot walk, and throats but cannot make a sound. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 115.4-8]

The idols of the nations are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. They have  mouths but cannot speak, and eyes but cannot see. They have ears but cannot hear, and mouths but cannot breathe. And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. [Psalm 135.15-18]

And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. What does this mean? It means that those who make or trust in idols are just as lifeless as those idols. They are unable to speak, unable to see, unable to hear, and unable to breath the Holy Spirit life and power of God. It is effectively veiled by their own doing - their trusting in anything else other than Jesus alone.

Few are willing to take inventory of their faith. Few are willing to admit that the powerlessness they are experiencing in their "Christian" life is the result of trusting other things. Few are willing to even consider that they have chosen to veil themselves from the power of God by their insistence upon retaining and trusting their idols. Consequently, few are actually changed into his glorious image.

What do we do? We turn to the Lord, so that the veil is taken away. We purposefully and systematically give up our hold on (turn away from) worldly, man-made idols and the very life they purport to provide so that we might, in bold defiance to our own ways, follow Jesus:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)] 

Father, Your Word could not be more clear: we must turn away from everything and turn to Jesus if we are to have our veil removed and know the freedom and power of Your Holy Spirit. May my life be a catalyst to others as I strive to give it up entirely to Jesus. So be it.