2 Coríntios 4

2 Coríntios 4:5-6

Calvin says it with the kind of amazement it deserves: “They do not see the midday sun.” That is how plain the glory of God is in the Gospel. When God declares the omnipotent word of creation and “[shines] in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” the curtains are pulled back in the window of our Alpine chalet, and the morning sun, reflected off the Alps of Christ, fills the room with glory. (I highly recommend that you take time to read chapter 4 of Dr Piper's online book God Is the Gospel- go to page 54 in the Pdf to begin Chapter 4) (Bolding added for emphasis) Charles Ryrie says that the glory of God "is the manifestation of any or all of His attributes. In other words, it is the displaying of God to the world. Thus, things which glorify God are things which show the characteristics of His being to the world. (Ed: And in the context of 2Co 4:6, that which displays God to the world is the face of Christ.) Brian Bell writes "I see the glory of God when I look into the face of Jesus..." As a BABY (in poverty); As a 12 YEAR OLD (sharing with wisdom); As “THE CARPENTER” in His divine leisureliness, content to await God’s time In His MINISTRY…MEETING needs (feeding 5000) In His AUTHORITY over Satan (wilderness); Showing MERCY (forgiving sin) On CALVARY (where He laid down His life…for me); When He ROSE triumphant (over the grave, death, evil); ASCENDING into heaven SEATED at the Right hand of His Father as Beloved Son and Exalted Lord RETURNING in triumphant glory as Conquering King of kings REIGNING sovereignly in His Millennial Kingdom In the face of Christ - Recall that in chapter 3 Paul had described the glory in the face of Moses, albeit it was a fading glory picturing the temporary nature of the Old Covenant. Whereas the children of Israel could not even look intently at Moses' face (2Co 3:7-+, 2Co 3:13-+), in the New Covenant we look in the face of Christ because in His face we encounter God (cp 2Co 4:4-+ - "the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God"), and His Spirit shines in our heart, making us New Creations in Christ (2Co 5:17-+) (Past tense salvation = Justification). Whereas Moses only temporarily reflected the glory of God, Christ continually emanates the glory of God (even as light emanates from the "Sun") for He is the God of glory (Col 1:15-+, Heb 1:3-+). Now as New Creations in Christ the veil of understanding has been removed from our heart and mind and we are able to behold "as in a mirror the glory of the Lord (Christ)", and as we do so, the Spirit, in a mystical way that we cannot fully comprehend, progressively transforms us from glory to glory into the likeness of the image of Christ. GLORY! HALLELUJAH! (2Co 3:18-+) (Present Tense Salvation = Progressive Sanctification - see Three Tenses of Salvation) A T