Unveiled Faces?

Last Sunday’s sermon was preached by Pastor Harry on “Unveiled Faces?” (2 Cor. 3:18; Philippians 4:2-7; James 3:16-18; James 4:1 and 7-8 and 10-11). The sermon and the whole service can be watched on our WIC YouTube Channel:

Another crisis seems to be breaking out: the situation in Iran. The religious regime has killed tens of thousands of Iranians who want to see change in their country. Back in England in the 1980s, Ania and I got to know an Iranian lady who was dreading the thought of having to return to Iran soon, where she would have to dress up all in black, like a nun, and even wear a veil over her face. But now Iranians have had enough of this system, and just want to live normal lives. They are breaking their chains, because they want freedom. And very many are turning to Christ.

 

We know that there’s freedom in Christ when God’s Holy Spirit comes into a person and gives them “new birth”: “Unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God”. Paul, in his letters, writes about how a veil covers the minds of the Jews, which only God can remove. When He does that, the Jews will see with their spiritual eyes, and their connection with the old religion with its good works and detailed regulations will be finally broken. As our opening verse says of born-again Christians: “with unveiled faces we contemplate the Lord’s glory, and are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory”. We are brought into a direct relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

 

But is this the case all the time? Don’t we have relapses now and again? Do you remember how, in Galatians 2, Paul rebukes Peter for no longer eating with Gentiles (non-Jews), when a Jewish group arrived? Peter became a hypocrite, because he started acting like an orthodox Jew all over again; and Paul had to remind him, in Galatians 2:16, that we are made right with God by faith in Jesus, not by obeying Jewish laws and customs. The point I’m making is that, if it can happen to Peter, it can – and does – happen to us too. Brother Kevin said a couple of weeks ago that some chains do remain, to tie us to our former self – and then our faces are veiled again for a while, and we don’t see God’s glory.

 

Today we’ve been reading about two born-again ladies, called Euodia and Syntyche. We know nothing about them, except that they had a conflict. Was one of them acting according to her old sinful nature, and getting selfish, or jealous, or ambitious? Or maybe both of them were? We don’t know. But we know that Paul was upset by the quarrel, because he “implored them to be of the same mind in the Lord”.

 

He asked that they should rejoice in the Lord, and not get mad at each other. He asked them to be gentle, and not aggressive. He asked them not to worry, but simply to take their requests to God. And interestingly, he asked a “true companion” to help these active women, so they didn’t feel abandoned. Many in our church are active, and who knows, maybe feel quite abandoned and lonely in what they’re doing. We need each other’s support to carry out the tasks we’ve taken on. No one can build a church on their own.

 

One of the things that spiritual writers constantly stress – and which Jesus Himself practised – is a simple rule in conflicts: “DON’T DEFEND YOURSELF” in a conflict. Why not? Because if you do defend yourself, you’re preventing God from acting through you, or even fighting your battles. You’re putting your enormous self in God’s way – and He really doesn’t need that big self of ours standing in His path!

 

So the question becomes: Are we determined to serve God in our own way, or in His way? Are we praying like mad for guidance? Are we prepared to let go and stop pushing our agenda, even if we’re convinced we’re right? I can tell you that if we let go and give way, even though we know we’re right, then God will fix it so that we get the blessing in the end. But if we don’t do that, we must realize that we’re actually hurting our Lord, sticking a knife into Him. In fact, we are persecuting him with our self-righteousness.

 

Before his conversion, Paul was absolutely convinced of his rightness in God’s eyes, as an eager, active, on-fire-for-God Jew. And yet, on the road to Damascus, Jesus appeared to him and said: “Why are you persecuting Me?” Paul must have been shocked out of his skin to hear that! God had been on his lips and in his heart; and yet much of that was self-interest, selfish ambition, which comes from Satan, not God. Paul’s face was veiled.

 

We too might think our faces are unveiled, and we are perfectly open to God. But in our self-righteousness, we could be deluding ourselves. What to do? We need to constantly remind ourselves of what Jesus expects of us. For example, at the end of Matthew 25: feed the hungry; look after the stranger; care for the sick; visit those in institutions. Or Matthew 16:24: Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Jesus. No human reasoning is required here, as to whether it’s appropriate or not. Just simple obedience. Even if others are going to criticize or laugh at you.

 

So: Have we got the courage to stand up for Jesus? Perhaps we’re afraid of what others might say? Or maybe we’re just stubborn or self-willed? In that case, God can’t use us until we humble ourselves before Him, and ask His forgiveness. That also includes asking those we have hurt for forgiveness. We must make a new start, so that our faces can be unveiled again. That’s what Communion is for – and so it’s good that we can have Communion today! Amen.