“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)
When you see something glorious, something changes inside of you. I remember certain times, when this happened. While I was stationed with the United States Army in Germany, my wife and I, on our one week of leave, had the opportunity to take a ski vacation to Austria. I still remember driving our VW Beetle down the autobahn and turning a round a bend and seeing the Alps for the first time. I was mesmerized at the sight. On the autobahn there was no speed limit and I had the pedal floored the entire time, just to keep up with traffic. However, when I saw those majestic peaks, I did not realize that I had decelerated to around forty or fifty miles-per-hour, a speed far too slow and dangerous for the autobahn. What I saw changed me in an instant.
On that trip, then next things I experienced was a bit of fear. I had no idea what to expect, for in just another day, I would be donning a pair of skis and going down the slopes of these massive peaks. Would I crash and burn? Would I survive? Yet, we got to the chalet and the next day headed out to ski with instructors. We had one of the most memorable and enjoyable times.
When our week was done and a few months later, I finished up my three and a half year tour of duty and came back to the states. There, we regeared to do some skiing, but we never were together in a place with mountains like that again.
As already stated, the point is that when we see something glorious something changes in us. There is nothing in the entire world or universe more glorious than to gaze upon the face of Jesus. Moreover, there is also nothing more life changing that to gaze upon the glory of the Lord Jesus. This truth is captured in a very familiar hymn written in 1922 by Helen H. Lemmel. The Hymn is titled, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” The refrain goes like this.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things (the thing) of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
Everything changes when we fix our eyes upon Jesus. Our priorities change. We change.
The context of Paul’s word to the church at Corinth has to do with the spiritual veil that covers the hearts and minds of those who have not believed in Jesus. He made this interesting comment that for all who have believed their faces are unveiled, meaning that the spiritual veil has been removed. The result of this unveiling is that the believer has beheld the glory of the Lord.
Everyone beholding the glory of the Lord experiences a miraculous inner change. In this, the believer is being transformed into the image of Christ. It is the work of the Holy Spirit who began a process of sanctification at the moment of salvation. It is a process that continuously separates believers from sin and sets them apart for the glory of God. The Lord has blessed every believer with this work of the Spirit. Every believer in seeking to gaze at the Lord’s wonderful face, will see His glory and grace, and will experience a miraculous and wonderful inner change.
Renewing the Heart 