This afternoon after I wrapped up my work for the day I was sitting on my back porch reading John Piper’s book Reading the Bible Supernaturally. My two youngest daughters were down for a bit of quiet-time in their rooms, my wife was resting inside, and my oldest daughter Ruth was on the deck with me working on various crafts involving tissues, markers, rubber bands, and ribbon (as is her custom). The setting was overly normal, nothing overtly special or noteworthy. It was here where God gave me a quick glimpse of his mercy and love towards me and my family. For just a moment I looked up and was overwhelmed by the reality of God’s sovereignty over every aspect of my life. These pages, this book, this deck, my daughter now dancing behind our house, this gentle breeze, these rustling leaves, the background hum of city streets… It is all his! It is all orchestrated and calibrated to shout the name of Jesus.
I want more wonder and awe and astonishment in my life. I want more savoring of the moments that Christ has put before me. I want to constantly come back to His Word and be overwhelmed by the Scriptures, and then I want to see every moment of my life given meaning by that very Word. I desire increasing transformation of my soul to think more like Christ, but more importantly to walk with God more intimately.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)
That verse is Paul’s commentary on the awesome reality of the New Covenant in Christ. When he mentions the “unveiled face” he hearkens back to Moses’ receiving of the Mosaic Law upon which his face glowed with the residue of God’s glory. The radiance of God’s glory was so bright on Moses’ face that he was required to wear a veil in order to protect the eyes of onlookers (Exodus 34:29-33). Paul’s point in 2 Corinthians 3 is that if the Old Covenant shined with such glory that Moses had to wear a veil, how much more does the light of New Covenant shine. It is not even worth comparing. John Piper illustrates this by saying the New Covenant is like the light of a supernova while the Old Covenant is like the light of a candle. They both give light, but one is not worth comparing with the other. This is our reality. Christ has come and fulfilled the Scriptures by taking away our sin. He has granted us new life by crucifying our old life to the cross with him, and raising us up together with Him. This new life in Christ impacts every square inch of our existence. Nothing is off limits from Christ’s overwhelming grace towards us who believe.
I want to foster a lifestyle for myself, for my family, and for our Church of savoring every drop of life Christ has granted me under this new covenant. I want more moments like these of ordinary activities transformed into heart thumping worship. I want our Church to embrace God’s Word as if it truly contained the keys to know God with more intimacy and to live lives of increasingly constant worship. My heart yearns for this. Oh might Christ grant us such nearness by the power of his Spirit. Might Christ grant His Church such joy.
