UNVEILING FOR THE GLORY (1)

³But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, ⁴whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. ⁵For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake.   ⁶For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (Corinthians 4:3-4,6 NKJV)

The goal of the gospel is the revelation of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. The gospel is veiled to the extent its presentation fails to reveal the glory of Christ. This explains why Paul chose to know nothing else except Christ and Him crucified. Jesus is the brightness of God’s glory and the express image of His Person (Hebrew 1:3 NKJV). The gospel is the good news about the glory of Christ, who is “the Lord of glory “(1 Corinthian 2:8). After listening to a good gospel message, people ought to affirm, “we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 NKJV). “The glory of the only begotten of the Father,” underscores the uniqueness of Christ as an embodiment of the heavenly glory.  He has glory as only Him being the only begotten son of God can have it and none other. The greatest achievement of the devil is to undermine the glory of Christ. Hence, he veils the minds of people to keep them from understanding the glory of Christ.  Where he cannot stop people from receiving the revelation of God’s glory, he tries to diffuse it by making people feel they need something else in addition to Christ to please God. However, the testimony declares that Christ in us is our only hope of glory (Colossians 1:27).

The devil wants to rubbish the glory of Christ by turning our attention away from Him as our central and only focus.  To this end Paul warned, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3 NKJV).  God is revealing the knowledge of His glory only in the face of Jesus.  Complicating the simplicity that is in Christ is satan’s way of veiling the gospel to people.  He does so by corrupting our wholehearted, sincere and pure devotion to Christ as the eternal Bridegroom in whom the Bride finds fullest satisfaction.  “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:9-10 NKJV). Christ supplies all we need to please God and live for Him on earth. Abiding in Him and focusing on Him are all that God demands from us.   “And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust him, too, for each day’s problems; live in vital union with him. Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all he has done. Don’t let others spoil your faith and joy with their philosophies, their wrong and shallow answers built on men’s thoughts and ideas, instead of on what Christ has said” (Colossians 2:6-8 LB).

The Lamb has all the glory and only through Him shall we experience glory.  He will remove the veil the enemy has blinded us with and grant us full vision of the splendours of His heavenly kingdom.   Jesus is waiting to tear this ugly veil from your eyes if you will let Him. “But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (2 Corinthians 3:16 NLT). He will bring you into revelations and visions of His kingdom and empower you to draw from the riches of His glory.