-196-
“
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like
Moses, who would
pu t a v e i l ov e r h i s f a c e t o ke ep t he I s rae l i t e s f r om
gaz i ng
at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made
dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read.
I t
has no t be en r emov ed , be c aus e on l y i n Chr i s t i s i t t aken away
. Even to
this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But
whene v e r any one
turns t o t he Lo rd , t he v e i l i s t aken away .
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and
where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with
unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his
likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the
Spirit.”
“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not
lose heart. Rather,
we hav e r enounc ed s e c r e t and shame f u l way s ; we do
no t us e de c ep t i on , no r do we d i s t o r t t he wo rd o f God
. On the contrary, by
setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s
conscious in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled
to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of
unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of
Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus
Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God,
who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts
to give us the light of the knowledge [wisdom] of the glory of God in the
face of Christ.”
(2 Corinthians 3: 1-18, 4:1-6)
Salvation and Deliverance
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ shared this prophecy; ‘“
To God ’ s e l e c t ,
s t rang e r s i n t he wo r l d ,
scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge
of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience
to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in
abundance.’ ‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In
his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can
never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are
shielded by God’s power until
t he c omi ng o f t he sa l va t i on t ha t i s r eady t o
be r e v ea l ed i n t he l as t t ime .
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a
little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have
come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even