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Unfading

My favorite fiction author is undoubtedly Alexander Dumas. He's my writer because he not only wrote my favorite classic, The Count of Monte Cristo, but he additionally wrote the excellent Three Musketeers series (a series that is actually 6 books long, not 3, contrary to common knowledge, but I digress). The Three Musketeers is set during a time in history when courage was expected, when loyalty was esteemed, and when chivalry was a virtue. It was a world that had its shortcomings, no question, but also an unmistakable air of "the glory days" that have long since faded to history. The same is true in the realm of our non-fiction world. Great eras end, world powers pass into the annals of textbooks and our collective forgetfulness, even empires fade away. As one writer traveling Europe adroitly noted in tongue-in-cheek fashion of the faded greatness of the fabled Roman Empire "the Romans built ruins all over this continent." The glory of one era or civilization is eventually replaced by that of another.


In the latter half of 2 Corinthians 3, Paul is reminding the Corinthians that the law had glory. It had glory because it was the command of God, it revealed the holy character of God, and it established the standard of righteousness against which the world will be judged. But the glory of the law was never intended to be permanent. The glory of the law faded, but it was replaced by the enduring, everlasting, and unfading glory of Jesus Christ and His marvelous gospel! Here are a couple reasons why that is important to us:


1. Because of the enduring glory of the gospel we have boldness. I recently was looking to purchase a used phone. The saleslady however was not doing a very convincing job of selling me on the benefits of a used phone. I finally asked her "how long before the average phone is obsolete?"

"About 3-4 years" was her reply, to which I followed up "And how old are these phones?" "5 years old" she said, almost apologetically. It is hard to confidently represent something that has been surpassed or superseded by something else. The glory of Christ and of His gospel will never be surpassed or superseded. It is therefore superior to the glory of the law, and it is a gospel that we may confidently,hopefully, and boldly proclaim. As Paul says "For if what is passing away [the old covenant] was glorious, what remains [the new covenant gospel] is much more glorious. Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech (2. Cor. 3:11-12)." The glory of Christ is everlasting, and therefore we boldly proclaim it.


2. We are being transformed into the image of Christ. That is a remarkable thought. I feel so often my weakness in my flesh, how self-centered a creature I am. My time in prayer is daily a revolving door of confession of sin that so easily besets my walk of faith. So it is quite natural that my heart and mind linger longingly at Paul's phrase "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 by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18)." How can such a reality fail to arrest our hearts and capture the deepest desires of our souls? The promise that we are being conformed into the image of Christ, transported from one degree of glory to another. As the hymn writer has said "O how sweet to walk, in this pilgrim way; O how bright the path grows from day to day, leaning on the Everlasting Arms!"

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