Series: Other Speakers
Sun am 29 May 2011 – Will & Kath Thompson
Luke 8:17; Hab. 2:14; 2 Cor. 3:1-18; 2 Cor. 4:1-12
Kath Thompson: Creation is longing, in travail, for the revealing of the sons. God is unwrapping us, releasing us – revealing what He’s truly put inside. What are the things that are veiling us and stopping the sons being revealed? Lack of self esteem is one of the biggest things that hold us back. We don’t think we’re good enough to be a son of God, so we don’t allow God to unwrap us. Religion – putting ‘fig leaves’ on to cover up. Being busy is stopping us from being revealed as sons. Hanging onto the past – things we’ve done before, or bad things that have happened to us – and its veiling the Son of God inside each of us because we don’t allow it to be taken off. Sin consciousness – we know sin has been dealt with in the past, so why do we keep dwelling on it? Lack of trust – if we can’t trust the people that God has put in our lives to ‘see’ into us, then that veil stays on. Pride – ‘I’m fine. I don’t need unveiling; I’m already unveiled.’ The minute we think we’re there; we stop allowing what’s inside to be revealed. False image – we look like something else. We’ve allowed our lives, our circumstances and our talents to build up this outer image of who we think we are. It’s false; it’s a veil, because it’s stopping the true person, the true image of God that He’s placed in us, to be revealed.
Will Thompson: How do we see one another? What do we see? Here in this house, we’ve broken away from the religions and the traditions – things that stop us from seeing the truth. We’re talking about ‘being unveiled’ and an ‘unveiling.’
‘To manifest’ means: ‘to make clear, or evident to the eye, or the understanding; to show plainly; to prove; to put beyond doubt or question.’ ‘For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest, neither anything hid that shall not be known and come abroad’ (Luke 8:17). God chose to manifest Himself – His image, His likeness – on the earth, through man. When Adam and Eve were ashamed of the wrong they’d done, they covered themselves and hid from God.
Unfortunately, we cover ourselves with the lies of the world, or sin consciousness, or the environment that we’re surrounded in – and these all have to be stripped away. The truth is, until we are finally revealed, unveiled, we are still not fully expressing all that we’ve been created to be. Therefore we’re not fully expressing the fullness of God.
‘The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD,’ (Hab. 2:14) – and that will happen, when each one of us is fully comfortable with who we are and who God created us to be; and we will unashamedly demonstrate the fullness of God in ourselves. That will be an unveiling of God; the fullest demonstration of the Christ – on this earth.
In the old covenant, Moses went up and he saw God; and his face glowed with His glory. Then Moses had to wear a veil over his face, so that people wouldn’t see the glory of God fading (2 Cor. 3:1-8).
The glory of God is inside us. Christ in us, the hope of glory. The truth of who I am is not flesh but Christ in me. It’s that part of God which He’s hidden inside of me, so that it can be revealed to demonstrate His goodness and His glory. We have a responsibility to allow ourselves to be unveiled. If we hide ourselves, allowing sin consciousness, pride, fear, or mistrust to veil us, then God is not seen clearly in us. 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 from the Lord, the Spirit’ (2 Cor. 3:18).
‘Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart, but we have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God’ (2 Cor. 4:1-4). The gospel is Christ in me. When people see the light of the glory of God in me, they see Christ; and when they see that, they give glory to God. They’re seeing God in you; a manifestation of that which is unseen on this earth; and that only comes through faith. ‘For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus’ sake’ (2 Cor. 4:5). This is about Christ Jesus the head; I am a representation of God – His image, His likeness. ‘For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ’ (2 Cor. 4:6). God is allowing His light to shine through you. ‘But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of God and not from ourselves’ (2 Cor. 4:7). God has put Himself in this flesh, so that people can say, “It’s not that person, it’s something else – it has to be God!”
‘We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body’ (2 Cor. 4:8-10). As we go through trials, struggles and hard times, as we die to ourselves, Jesus is manifested. Instead of falling into despair and hopelessness, we manifest and demonstrate hope, joy, peace and the goodness of God. ‘For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you’ (2 Cor. 4:11-12).
We have a responsibility to unveil each other, and to speak prophetically, ‘This is the truth of who you are; this is what I see in you. God has unveiled something of you to me.’ That’s the testimony of Christ – the declaration that Christ is in this earth; to manifest Christ in us to the glory of God.