“But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (II Cor 3:18).
When you looked in the mirror this morning, what did you see? Or better yet, who did you see? If you are a believer, you saw the glory of the Lord. I can guarantee it and I was not even there beside you. But I am not the only one to make that assessment. The Apostle Paul did as well. In the context of Paul’s line of reasoning in II Corinthians chapter 3 comparing the old and new covenants, Paul says in his conclusion, “Unlike the children of Israel, who symbolically have a veil over their face when the old covenant is read, you, believer in Jesus, have had the veil removed in Christ. And on top of that, when you look in the mirror with your unveiled face you actually are looking at some representation of the glory of the Lord right there in your own face because the Lord, the Spirit, is living inside you.”
Do you remember that old Prego spaghetti sauce commercial from the 1980’s? A dad and son are appalled to find the lady of the house abandoning her homemade spaghetti sauce recipe and heating up sauce out of a jar. They take turns quizzing the cook,
“What about the garlic?”
“It’s in there!”
“What about the oregano and onion?”
“It’s in there!”
“What about the special herbs and spices?”
“It’s in there!”
The commercial ends with the tag line, “Prego Spaghetti Sauce; it’s in there!” If you are too young to remember, it was a big hit.
I thought of that commercial as I was reading over II Corinthians 3:18. When you look in the mirror, do you wish you saw a person diligent in their work? “It’s in there!” Do you wish you saw a person who is loyal to their friends, even to their own hurt? “It’s in there!” Do you wish you saw someone who is patient with their toddlers, teenagers, or aging parents? “It’s in there!” Do you believe it?
Does this mean we are always at the top of our game or bordering on perfection? No. The same verse that highlights our view of God’s glory in our own faces also teaches that our increasing display of God’s glory is a transformational process. It is an ongoing journey. But the raw ingredients required for change are already “in there”. By virtue of the provisions of the New Covenant, the new nature, the new heart, the new identity, the new disposition, the new power, the new everything needed to display God’s glory is in you. “It’s in there!”
This verse and concept will be covered at your house tonight by me. Thanks for your love for God and your reminders of what we have in the New Covenant. An interesting post someday would be, “Why did God put the veil on them in the first place?” in verses 14- 16 that is??? I have an idea and will try to address it tonight but I maybe just scratching the surface…
Thanks for the wonderful reminder. These are things I want to focus on more effectively with the kids in a world where we are constantly told there are valid excuses for all forms of problematic behavior and simply being “as good as the crowd” is enough.