Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 3:18

The Change Produced By This Spiritual Discernment

When people see the glory of the Lord they are definitely changed. Here is something wonderful indeed. Paul paints the portrait of the glorified Lord. As he and all New Testament believers watch this portrait painted, as they see it in the mirror, something happens. It is a lifelike portrait that they see. More than that, it is a lifegiving portrait that they see. They look at it again and again. They look at it constantly. Then suddenly they also look at themselves. They suddenly see there true selves by reflection. What a contrast between themselves and that picture. How ugly they are! How vile!

But they haven’t just seen a finished portrait, rather they have watched the actual painting of the portrait. They saw the Lord of glory in His suffering. They saw that what happened to Him and what happened also, in a sense, to them. They saw that He satisfied the demands of the law for them. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Thus, the ministration of condemnation turned into the ministration of the Spirit. The Old Testament saints weren’t able to clearly see this. They didn’t see clearly the end of that which was to be abolished; they didn’t see clearly that the blood of bulls and goats and a heifer calf pointed only to the blood of the promised one. At best they wasted a lot of effort in doubt as to whether their good works were even meant to satisfy the law as a condition of salvation.

Relieved of this exhausting doubt, the New Testament believers can make steady progress on the pathway of sanctification. They walk on solid ground. They have seen Christ portrayed to them as raised from the dead. They know they have been raised with Him to newness of life. What certainty, what assurance of faith is theirs. “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). They know that they will proceed step by step with Christ into his glory.

• For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery (Galatians 5:1).
• For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness (Galatians 5:5).
• But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16).
• But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).
• In Jesus . . . put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:21-24).

Finally, they will be received into glory. By the Spirit they now understand “secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7).

The servants of the Lord are no longer afraid of affliction and/or evil. They recognize their legacy as heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ Jesus. They don’t even need to fear death for the last enemy conquered by Christ Jesus is death!

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, ESV © 2016 by Crossway Bibles.
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