The Day of New Beginnings

The Gospel of the Glory of Christ

 

2nd Cor. 3:5-18
5* Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God,
 6* ¶ who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
 7* But if the ministry of death, in letters engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face, fading as it was,
 8* how will the ministry of the Spirit fail to be even more with glory?
 9* For if the ministry of condemnation has glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory.
 
10* For indeed what had glory, in this case has no glory because of the glory that surpasses it.
 11* For if that which fades away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory.
 12* ¶ Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech,
 13* and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away.
 14* But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.
 15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
 16* but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
 17* Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18* 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.
 
2nd 4:1-18:
* ¶ Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart,
 2* but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
 3* And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
 4* in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
 5* For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake.
 6* For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
7* But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;
 8* ¶ we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
 9* persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
 10* always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
 11* For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
 12* So death works in us, but life in you.
 13* But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE," we also believe, therefore we also speak,
 14* knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.
15* For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.
 16* Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
 17* For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
 18* while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
 
2nd Cor. 4:1 states, “Since we have this  ministry…” What ministry is Paul talking about? It is the ministry of the Spirit (3:7-8). Paul fully describes this ministry in 3:18:  “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.”
With unveiled faces we behold the Lord and are transformed into the same image. This means we become partakers of Christ’s nature. To be transformed into His image is to bear His nature. In 4:4 Paul calls this the gospel of the glory of Christ. This gospel of the glory of Christ is what Paul was ministering. Today in Christianity when the term Gospel is used, it usually refers to “accept Jesus and be saved”. Or, in some circles, the term “full Gospel” is used. This refers to believing not only in initial salvation but receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. Neither one of these “gospels” is what Paul is talking about in the above passages. He is speaking of a ministry by which those who hear it are exposed to the presence of the Lord in such a way that they are transformed. Paul uses the phrase, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” in Col. 1:27. That’s the key to this gospel of the glory of Christ. It’s coming to a revelation of Christ in us, and then His life flowing through us. This is nailed down in 4:7 when Paul says, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels…”
 
How do we come into this ministry of the gospel of the glory of Christ? 2nd Cor. 4:5 states: “For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake.” It is the Lordship of Jesus Christ over us that creates the revelation of Him in us. Only as we submit to His Lordship does the cross operate and lead us into an appropriation of His nature. Appropriation of His nature is another way of saying the dividing of soul and spirit (Heb. 4:12). “Christ in our spirits” has its practical manifestation when the soul life come into subjection to our spirits. From this “practical manifestation” comes forth the ministry to others. 
 
How do we know this gospel of the glory of Christ is operating in our lives? How can we know God is creating us to be a ministry of this gospel? Verses 8-12 are good indicators:
 
8* ¶ we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing;
 9* persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
 10* always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.
 11* For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
 12* So death works in us, but life in you.
 
Paul describes in these verses what it’s like to be a partaker of the gospel of the glory of Christ. Without a doubt it will wreak havoc in our lives. That’s because it crucifies the self life in order for Christ’s life to flow through us. This is what Paul meant when he said “death works in us (the ministers of this gospel) but life in you.” 
 
In case we recoil at the prospect of experiencing the above verses, we have this promise:
 
16* Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.
 17* For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
 18* while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
 
Paul calls all the hardships he suffered light affliction. One only has to read of the life of Paul to know he suffered much in His ministry. Why then does he call it light affliction? Because that’s what it is in comparison to the glory that is being produced in those who are embracing the true gospel. 
 
In verse 13 Paul says, “But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE," we also believe, therefore we also speak.” Paul was driven to speak forth this revelation of the glory of Christ. It was a revelation to his heart and he knew it had to be ministered. This gospel of the glory of Christ must be ministered today as well. If this gospel of glory is the true gospel, why isn’t it seen by everyone? For the same reason it wasn’t seen in Paul’s day. 
 
3* And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in those who are perishing,
4* in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
 
This passage is not speaking of non-Christians only. It says the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving.  There is plenty of unbelief in Christianity today. Not many accept that Christ wants to impart His nature to us. That we can become partakers of the divine nature is considered heresy by much of Christianity. It is the “god of this world,” which is Satan, who is behind the doctrines in Christianity that separate God from His people. It is an antichrist spirit that seems to honor the Lord by exalting Him so high that it makes it impossible to embrace the reality that He is indeed coming forth in a people. As Paul said, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels.”
 
In 2nd Cor. 12:5-6 Paul exhorts the Corinthians:
 
5* Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?
 6* But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.
 
This is a question we must all ask ourselves. Do we recognize that Jesus Christ is in us? Do we have a revelation of this gospel of the glory of Christ? Do we see how it is different from what is usually accepted as “the Gospel?” 
 
In verse six Paul said, “I trust you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.” Who is the “we” he was speaking of? It was those who were ministering with him this gospel of the glory of Christ.  There must be those also at the present time who “do not fail the test”. If this gospel of His glory is real to us, then we must fervently pray that God’s people have the ears to hear what He is saying. We must be binding the god of this world that God’s people can receive a revelation of all that He wants to be to them.