Unveiling

Unveiling is a process both in seeing ourselves honestly, and in seeing the glory of the Lord in Jesus. We begin by seeing our sin and need for salvation, but eventually we will see the glory of the Lord in us through the transformation process. Knowing the unfailing, unearned love of God frees us to become all that He wants us to be in Him. All the Godhead needs is an open, honest, humble and willing heart. As we make ourselves transparent, available and accountable to the Lord, He does the work of changing us. Change will come not by focusing on our sinfulness but by focusing on Jesus' grace, love and glory.    

God wants us to become “partakers of His Divine nature.” 2 Peter 1:4 When we see Jesus as He truly is, we will desire to be like Him. The Godhead will birth His Divine nature into us grace upon grace and glory upon glory. The Godhead must remove the veil from our eyes and over our hearts caused by our fleshly nature so we can see the glory of the Lord and become like Him, just as He had to remove the veil into the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle and the temple so all could come into the presence of God. The dark areas of our hearts cloud the vision of ourselves and of Jesus. To point out peoples' sinfulness without pointing them to grace will discourage and possibly bring self-condemnation upon them. Knowing the unfailing, unearned love of God frees us to become all that He wants us to be in Him.

Jesus is the glory of God in person. (see John 1:14) The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful Word. Hebrews 1:3 The fullness of Jesus' glory was veiled by His flesh body. Jesus revealed Himself to some of the Older Testament saints long before He came to earth in the flesh. Jesus said that Abraham saw His day and was glad. Isaiah saw Jesus' glory. (see John 12:41) David called Him “Lord.”

The voice of God, fire of God (Jesus and the Holy Spirit) and veiled glory of God gave the instructions of the Law to Moses. Jesus is the Eternal voice of God (Truth/Word) and the glory of God. He is far Greater than Moses because He is God.

Jesus revealed His veiled Divine glory within to three of His disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration. (see Matthew 17:1-3) Moses and Elijah were standing with Jesus. Moses represents the Law and Elijah the Prophets, all of which Jesus fulfilled and will continue to fulfill until all is complete. Moses and Elijah faded away leaving only Jesus. Why? The Law and the Prophets pointed to Jesus who fulfilled them. The Law is an incomplete revelation of the Godhead and God's plan of redemption. The Law and the Prophets had a measure of God’s glory, but Jesus is the fullness of God’s glory. On the Mount of Transfiguration, God was showing this to Peter, James and John who were Jews. When Moses and Elijah faded away, Jesus was the only One left standing. God wanted these three to know that they must now look to Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith. Redemption is made complete once-for-all in Christ Jesus. The Law couldn't give the love, grace and truth it foreshadowed. Only One who is God could extend God's perfect love to humanity. No matter how holy and good we might be, we still have the weakness of flesh and cannot live up to God's standards. The One and Only sent of the Father -- Jesus, who was, is and will forever be holy – is the giver of grace and the fulfillment of all Truth.

God gave Israel the Law so they would reflect His glory and holiness, but they failed because they have the weakness of flesh. The Law relied on human power. Man had a part in the works of the Law, but grace and truth comes wholly and fully by God through Jesus. Under grace and truth, mankind can take no glory. “It does not depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.” Romans 8:18 Paul said in Galatians 5:4 that those who attempt to be justified by Law have fallen from grace. 2 Corinthians 3:14: But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. There is a veil over the truth of Jesus in the Older Testament. Only in Him, can the whole truth be revealed by taking away the veil. Jesus revealed Himself in the Older Testament scriptures to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. As they were walking, Jesus drew near to them and walked with them. He looked like any ordinary man, so they didn’t know it was Jesus walking with them. These two disciples were discouraged and saddened by Jesus’ death and crucifixion. They had hoped that Jesus was the One who would redeem Israel. Even worse, they were told that the body of Jesus was not in the tomb so how could there be any hope of resurrection! Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets He expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24:26-27 Jesus was revealing Himself in the Older Testament scriptures to these two Jewish disciples The Older Testament said that the Messiah would suffer all of these things.

2 Corinthians 2:7: Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters of stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily in the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness? For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts. Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the glory was fading away. The glory of God in fullness in Jesus was veiled in the Older Testament scriptures. The glory that Moses had on his face when he came down from being in the presence of God faded away. But, the glory of Jesus never fades away. His is an eternal glory. God lifted the veil and revealed the fullness of His glory in His Son Jesus. “For it is God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts, to give us the light and knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

Jesus didn't need the Law either because He is the holy and perfect God in human flesh, making Him perfect Man. Jesus had to obey the Law to fulfill it for all, not because He needed to atone for His sin or make Himself holy. He had no sin even when He walked the earth in human flesh. He was already holy and remained holy. The Law was for those who were lawless. Lawlessness means doing what is right in one's own eyes (sinning) instead of what is right in God's eyes. Jesus only did what the Father told Him to do, and only spoke what the Father told Him to speak so He didn't have to obey a Law that was given for sin. He obeyed as a Perfect Man who was Perfect God for all of us so we could be set free from its demands and penalty. We are the righteousness of God in Christ – not by obeying the Law. The Teacher of Righteousness had to fulfill the Law in order to bring salvation.

The Law was given by the voice of God. The voice of God (Word) is Jesus. Jesus not only gave the Law, He obeyed it perfectly once-for-all and paid the penalty for disobedience even though He was never disobedient. We are accepted in the beloved only through the obedience and blood sacrifice of God’s Beloved Son, not by anything we can do. We are no longer under the Law, but are under grace and truth in Jesus Christ. Followers of Christ are to obey His Word not through demand or command but because of love for Jesus for all that He did and is still doing for us.

The Law is holy, righteous and good if it is used properly – to lead people to Christ. Jesus is the Law. It is fulfilled and lives on eternally in Him. The Law was given by the Lord so He can't destroy it, BUT He can fulfill it. In other words, bring it to completion through fulfillment. The Bible says that the Law is our “tutor that leads us to Christ.” The Law leads us to the One who sealed the New Covenant by His blood and sent the Holy Spirit. Law and grace cannot be mixed. The Law had the works of man attached to it, but grace is the work of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit only so no man can glory in it or boast. The Law reveals our sinfulness and powerlessness over it. Hence, our need of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. ”You see, at just the right time, when we were all still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” Romans 5:6

Jesus came for the errant Jews as well as the errant Gentiles. When God looks at mankind, He sees His erring children no matter what nation, tribe or tongue. He looks through His eyes of Love and Grace, and the desire of His heart is that we all be saved by His chosen and precious Son who was so connected to His Father's heart by His actions, words and deeds that they were One. It's a matter of the heart. The only gift we can give Him that will make Him happy is our heart filled with love for Him and for others. That's it! And if we think there is any other way, we have been deceived. We can celebrate feasts, wave banners, blow shofars, shout, genuflect, bow down etc., but it is our hearts and love for Him and others that please Him. This love for Him will be shown by obeying Him and His will and Word. That’s what Jesus did, and why God said of His Son, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.”

Grace is the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of Grace and Love-- not through Law. Jesus speaks Truth because He is Truth and gives grace (love and favor) because He is Grace (love). As humans, we have to learn the Truth and how to love like God and accept His grace, but Jesus IS Love (Grace) and Truth. This is the very big difference between Moses and Jesus or any other human spoken of in scripture or on earth. Love, Grace and Truth are the very being of Jesus.

Man had nothing to do with Jesus' birth, and he has nothing to do with His grace. The only thing man can boast about is that they crucified God’s greatest gift of love the world has ever known. And sadly we are still crucifying Him. Every time we sin, we sin against Love. Every time we crucify His Truth through false understanding, we crucify Truth. And yet Jesus still loves us and believes in us.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ.  This is the beauty of grace.  It behooves us to get serious about our walk with Jesus so we bring honor and glory to Him through our words, our deeds and our actions.