Articles
The Veils We Wear
The apostle Paul compared the New Covenant of Jesus Christ to the Old Covenant, given by Moses, and noted the Old was written “on tablets of stone” while the New was “on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:3); he noted the Old was a “ministry of death, written and engraved on stones” (2 Cor. 3:7), while the New was “the ministry of the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:8); and he noted that the Old was “the ministry of condemnation,” while the New was “the ministry of righteousness” (2 Cor. 3:9). In all of these comparisons, Paul noted the New was more glorious than the Old — something that should have been obvious to all, but was not to some.
Why was that? In explaining that there was a time when Moses descended from Sinai and his face shone, and how Moses put a veil over his face to diminish the shine (2 Cor. 3:13; cf. Exod. 34:31-35), Paul noted that this New Covenant brought something more glorious than that, yet some could not see it because, as he wrote, “their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament” (2nd Cor. 3:14), and, “even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart” (2 Cor. 3:15). He put it even plainer, saying, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose 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” (2 Cor. 4:3, 4). These individuals could not see the glory of Christ because they wore a 'veil' of purposeful disbelief that prevented it. They could have seen it, but they purposefully chose not to. What a sad condition!
While we consider this — as well as all the other times they rejected Jesus either directly or indirectly — we might want to take closer look at self and whether or not we, too, are wearing a 'veil' that keeps us from seeing the glory and superior value of the truths contained within God's revealed and written word. As one who has sat down with numerous people to talk with them about their soul and heard many excuses as to why they would not simply do what the Bible says they must, I will tell you there are many veils we wear!
The Veil of Family Tradition. From my personal experience, this is one of the most-used 'veils' that prevent individuals from simply obeying the Bible teaching on forgiveness and salvation. Time after time, I have sat down with individuals with open Bibles and had them read with their own eyes what God's word actually says, only to hear some say, "I know what the Bible says, but my family has always believed…" — something other than what the Bible teaches.
It is then that I must point them [and any and all] to what Jesus once said: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me” (Matt. 10:37). Yet this 'veil' remains over the eyes of thousands who value their families' beliefs more than the Lord Himself. As long as their love for family is greater than their love for the Lord, the veil remains.
The Veil of Personal Desires. Just as common is this 'veil,' where individuals look into God's word, only to find God's word does not permit them to live as they wish. It is then that some will either twist the Scriptures to make it say something it does not, or will simply ignore what they know it says and claim some sort of personal exemption from its teaching because, as they then argue, "Don't you think God wants me to be happy?"
Maybe it is someone who seeks a same-sex relationship and who must ignore plain Bible teaching on the subject; as long as they desire that physical relationship more than eternal salvation, the 'veil' of fleshly desires will remain, and all the teaching in the world will not help them to see what they don't want to see. Maybe it is someone in an unlawful marriage, or wants out of a marriage for some other reason than the one exception Jesus specified (cf. Matt. 19:9); as long as they desire a forbidden relationship more than their soul, or desire to end a relationship more than they desire obedience to God's will, the 'veil' will remain, and they will never see what is obvious to all who consider the texts honestly. Maybe it is someone who appears to be dedicated to the Lord and who desires to worship Him regularly, but in a way He did not authorize but which pleases them. As long as the desire for pleasing self exceeds their desire for pleasing God, the 'veil' will remain, and any plea from the written word will fall on blind eyes and deaf ears.
The Veil of Political and Social Correctness. In today's world, there is much pressure on the religious world to conform to the world and for believers to drop the 'old-fashioned' and 'outdated' teachings of the Bible and adapt to society's desires — or face the wrath of their intolerance even as they preach for 'inclusion' and 'tolerance.' [Is it just me, or does that sound hypocritical?] Sadly, some individuals and even entire religious organizations have bent to the will of social pressures and have reversed their stands on certain hot-button issues as they continue to seek the praise of men, rather than the praise of the Lord.
Let us not forget that God's word still teaches us to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed” (Rom. 12:2), and for all disciples to “put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24). As God's people, we should be striving to become more like Him (cf. Eph. 4:12-15), not become more like the world, or accommodating to them. But as long as the 'veil' of the desire to please men more than God remains, we will not see that such will not bring us to heaven, and many will wake up one day, surprised to find themselves in the place of eternal punishment.
The Veil of Religious Traditions and Creeds of Men. Finally, consider the number of people who profess to be followers of Christ but who are, in reality, following the creeds of men. With the desire to uphold a creed or religious tradition more than a desire to simply do what the Bible teaches, men will argue and debate and rail against those who teach only from the Bible as 'narrow-minded' and 'legalists' because they demand book, chapter, and verse for what is believed, taught, or practiced. When individuals become rooted in these creeds, even opening the Bible and pointing out where these beliefs are condemned and contradicted will have no effect on their thinking because that 'veil' of a desire to defend such creeds and traditions prevents them from seeing what is so obvious to the honest heart.
With all this said, it is time for us to take a look at self now. What 'veil' prevents us from seeing the truths contained within God's word? We can't shake our collective heads at the stubbornness and blindness of others while we choose what is simply a different 'veil.' Do we seek to hear and obey the truth — really? — Steven Harper
