SUCH HOPE
For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Notice in verse 12 the phrase, “such hope.”
It is this hope that drives the remainder of the chapter, so it is important that we understand what it is.
2 Corinthians 3:11 (KJV)
For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.
We could go back and say his hope is in all the new testament as we saw last Sunday, but for our purposes this morning, we can summarize it,
We have hope that the new testament
· Remains – abides, is still at work and that it
· Is glorious
Profitable, holy, right, infallible, pure.
My hope today, the reason I live as a believer and the reason I preach the Word of God is because, my relationship with Christ, not a religion, is glorious and will endure all the garbage of this world.
Having such hope the Word of God says:
*I. WE SPEAK PLAINLY
2 Corinthians 3:12-13 (KJV)
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
Paul wasn’t one to mince words. He spoke the truth in love, but he spoke the truth so it could be understood.
· He was plain about Jesus
· He was plain about the resurrection
· He was plain about heaven
· He was plain about the destruction of the lost
Plain speech isn’t always pretty and entertaining
Plain speech is often bitter and difficult to accept
But plain speech is what people need to hear.
· We need to hear of man’s lost condition
· We need to hear the consequences of sin
· We need to have it pointed out how those consequences are all around us
· We need to be reminded that death is inevitable
· We need to know that judgment happens AFTER death
· We need to clearly hear that there is hope in Christ
· We need to hear clearly what that hope is and
· We need to be told plainly how to have that hope
Having such hope
*II. WE TURN OUR HEART TO THE LORD
2 Corinthians 3:14-16 (KJV)
But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
People with no hope
· Sometimes cover their eyes to the truth
· Sometimes speak around the truth
· Sometimes fear the truth
People with no hope might read the Word of God and even hear the Word of God
But it’s like there is a vail upon their heart. They don’t quite get it.
They can sometimes quote the same verses you would quote.
Sometimes they can quote more verses than you can quote.
Very often someone will talk to me about a conversation they had with an agnostic or someone like that and they will tell me, “They really knew their Bible.”
But they only know the words.
The message of the Bible is still a mystery to them.
You’ll come back and tell me, “They knew their Bible so well, I didn’t know what to say. I don’t understand why they won’t get saved.”
It’s because Satan has blinded them.
There is a vail upon their heart.
But, when the heart is turned to the Lord, suddenly the vail is taken away.
The same words have new life.
And therefore
*III. WE ARE CHANGED
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (KJV)
Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
I understand the change doesn’t happen in a moment’s time, but those whose hearts have been turned to the Lord, and from whose hearts the vail has been removed.
They change
They grow
They go “from glory to glory.”
Every one of us, who are Christians for any length of time, have seen it happen.
This new believer changes:
· The countenance on the face
· The words that they speak
· The habits that they have
· The things that bring them pleasure
· The clothes that they wear
· The interests for their minds
· The investments of their money and
· The involvements of their time
They probably don’t even know that all of that has changed.
But we see it.
And then, someone reminds us, they see those same changes happening in us.
*Conclusion
Do you see the difference between the letter and the spirit; between religion and a relationship with Jesus?
The letter tries to make people conform.
It’s a burden to everybody and it creates bitterness in both the leaders and the followers.
The spirit focuses on Christ
He is a blessing to everyone and gives rest to both the teacher and the student.
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