Unveiled

2 Cor 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. 12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech--13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

In the words of John Newton, the former slave-trader who became converted to Jesus Christ, and whose life was dramatically changed by the experience, “I once was blind, but now I see.” In one short statement of awesome clarity, Newton’s song, ‘Amazing Grace,’ expresses the grand scope of all theological truth contained in the 66 books of the Bible.

This is why ‘Amazing Grace’ is such a favorite of all those who have gone through the conversion experience to Jesus Christ, but also for those who have not. There is such truth in the words that even those who have not experienced conversion identify with what is being sung because of the connection to the heart provided by the Holy Spirit through the words being sung.

It really makes you wonder why anyone who senses ‘blindness’ in their life – as the words found in ‘Amazing Grace’ provide  ample evidence – would choose to remain willfully blind.

Until we remember who the source of the blindness is: Satan. (See 2 Cor 4:3-4)

How fascinating Paul draws this comparison between the veil Moses wore when he came down from meeting with God, to the veil hung to keep all but the high priest out of the Holy of Holies, to the veil Satan keeps before the ‘eyes of the heart’ of the unconverted, leaving them blind to the truth. Only the Holy Spirit of God can remove that veil through faith in Jesus Christ. That God would allow us sight when we deserve eternal blindness truly is “amazing grace” for all who have received their sight.

-  Pastor Bill