But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. NLT;

Yet if they “turned to the Lord” the veil would disappear. For the Lord to whom they could turn is the spirit of the new agreement, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, men’s souls are set free. J.B.Phillips

When people talk about freedom, and politicians engage in the fight for freedom, they tend to mean freedom to be and do what they choose. It is the liberty to be oneself and fully express oneself without reference to a Higher Power. But the freedom the Spirit of God creates in a person’s life is that to become everything God made them to be. It is the freedom to worship, and to increasingly become like the One we worship. It is the kind of freedom George Matheson had in mind when he wrote, ‘Make me a captive, Lord, and then I shall be free.’

It is the freedom found in turning to the Lord. Surrendering to Jesus as Lord may not sound much like freedom. But those who do, find in Him the truest form of liberty.

In the Old Testament story that provides the backdrop to this passage (Ex.34), the time Moses removed the veil was when he went back into God’s presence. ‘So Paul takes Exodus 34.4 (‘whenever he turns back to the Lord, the veil is removed’) and quotes it with a wider meaning: now, whenever anyone turns to the Lord – the word ‘turn’ here could mean ‘convert’ or ‘repent’ – the veil is removed. (We should note the implication: that, when someone turn to the Lord, they will be able to understand the true meaning of the Bible.)’ Tom Wright.

I remember David Pawson saying that he once led a Jewish lady to Christ. ‘Within five minutes,’ he said, ‘she was teaching me the Bible!’

PRAYER: At this Christmas time, may many people turn to the Lord who came to save them; cause many hearts and minds to see.