The Veil
(The Fleshly Mind)

Hebrews 10:20 - By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh

It is written of those in the apostle Paul’s day, that at the reading of the Old Testament, the veil was upon the hearts of the people and they could not with open face behold the glory of the Lord, which exceeds the diminishing glory of the law of sin and death. Though Moses face shown from being in the presence of God, it shown with a fading glory to the extent that it would be out shined by the glory that exceeded it, the glory of Gods Grace, through Jesus Christ. For the law came by Moses but Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Even to this day, for many the veil is not taken away in the reading of the Old Testament. The god of this world continues to blind the minds of those to whom the Glorious Gospel is hid (2 Cor. 4:4). Many would believe this is only spoken to the natural Jew of Paul’s day but it also has an application to the modern day church.

Believers in Christ are to be with “open face”, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. As we behold the glory of the Lord, we are to be changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Cor. 3:18). Open face, is referring to one with whom the veil has been removed by Grace. One who is not looking through a glass darkly being veiled, but who sees clearly the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 13:12).

Though the glory of God may be multifaceted, the New Testament puts great emphasis on one aspect of His glory, the glory of His grace. Ephesians chapter one verses four through six states, ”According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved”. Ephesians chapter two and verse six and seven states, “And he has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus”. Again in two Corinthians four verse 15 it is said, “for all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God”. And, of course we know Jesus, the one who is the express image of God was full of grace and truth and he certainly was the glory of the Father expressed.

In First Corinthians Chapter 13, verse 11, Paul is speaking of growing from a child to a man. And in the prior verse Paul speaks of the coming of that which is perfect and that which is in part being done away with, hence in context, this is about a process by which we grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him (2 Peter 3:18). A process by which through seeking and beholding the face of the Lord and being transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2), we see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). As the veil (our fleshly mind) is removed there is a clarity.

The glory of the Lord is not obscured by the works of the law, which were a shadow of things to come, but we are changed by grace through faith, into the same image, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. “Now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even also as I am known”(verse 12).

As with the children of Israel, even so with believers in Christ today, there remains a veil that must be removed in the reading of the old covenant. The types and shadows in scripture that find their fulfillment in Christ, are what the carnal mind uses to weave the veil of darkness and separation. The enemy of our soul will always attempt to keep us in the ritual of the letter and separate us from the life of the Spirit to which we are called to be ministers.

Though the veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom (Matt. 27: 51), it appears, a veil remained in Paul’s day, as it yet does in this age (1 Cor. 13:12). It is the veil of the flesh or carnal mind, which obscures the view of the true image of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

The rending of the veil between the Holy place and the Most Holy place signified the rending of the flesh which separated us and imprisoned us through fear (Hebrews 10:20). Even from the time of Adam, when he said in Genesis 3:10 “I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself”. All mankind has walked in sin, separation, fear and deception, hiding from God in ignorance until now, as a result of eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Then entered the law and made sin exceedingly sinful. Eternal life for mankind was not found in either the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, nor the law of sin and death, condemnation was the result of both. We were deceived into thinking we could be as God by keeping the law, just as we were deceived into thinking we could be as God by knowing good and evil. Both deceptions came from the same deceiver.

Without the law we had not known sin. The law was to make us aware of sin not a way by which we might achieve peace with God. Israel proved that by the law no flesh would be justified. Man could not keep the law because man was carnal and the law is Spiritual. The law was a ministration of death, which could only condemn us. When the law was given sin did abound.

What we needed was a savior to deliver us from the flesh that caused us to walk in deception and imprisoned us. And this could only happen through the death of an acceptable sacrifice. In the fullness of time God sent His Son to be that acceptable sacrifice. It is written in Psalm 85, “Surely his salvation is near them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps”.

Surely, where sin did abound, grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20).
“God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love where with he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, has made us alive together with Christ, (by grace we are saved;) and has raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus”(Ephesians 2:4-7).

We have all our life’s been subject to bondage through fear of death but our Lord partook of flesh and blood that through His death, he would destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil (Hebrews 2:14-15). Yet the enemy of our soul continues to deceive God’s people through the carnal mind. How essential it is that we be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2). That we be renewed in the spirit of our mind (Eph. 4:23). The process by which the veil is removed and we know as we are known. That we no longer walk in the carnality and double mindedness rather as the Disciples of Christ, we might come to know the truth and the truth will make us free.

We must with open face be able to see beyond the glory that fades (the letter and the type), and behold the greater glory in the face of Jesus Christ, the glory of God’s grace and mercy.

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1-2). Seeing him as He is will require an open face. It will require worshipping Him in spirit and in truth, not through type and shadow but through a new and living way which He has consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say his flesh (Heb. 10:20).

No longer can we worship in type and ritual, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof for He said come out of her my people and I will be your God and you shall be my people. We are still in captivity as long as we allow spiritual Babylon to continue to weave its fleshly veil of separation. She will merchandise you and sell you into the same bondage of the corruption of dead works that Christ came to deliver you from. She still sits upon the scarlet colored beast of the flesh and is drunken with the blood of the saints but her end is determined. Revelation 18:1-2a speaks of a angel (messenger) coming down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.

We live in the day when these words shall be fulfilled. Our Lord said “If you continue in my word, you will be my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”. We can only know the truth by the Spirit by which we are made one with God in Christ. We can know Him as saviour and still be taken captive to spiritual Babylon through its fleshly system of dead works and rituals. But the Lord said “If you continue in my word, you will be my disciples indeed and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free”. He was not saying, if you take the written word and make another performance based religion out of it, even as with the law which did not get your flesh justified either! The Spirit and the word agree and where the Spirit of the lord is there is liberty but don’t let your liberty be an occasion to the flesh.

We immediately think an occasion to the flesh is speaking of chasing women, drinking and smoking, or something along those lines. It should be obvious to any babe in Christ that certain behavior is not expedient but it may not be so obvious that returning to the same dead religious works that Christ came to deliver you from, which can never please god, is also an occasion to the flesh. God help us to see that by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

It is impossible for the carnal mind to understand the concept of grace and the free gift of Christ. God bring deliverance through your Spirit.

Amen

Art Groesbeck