The Veil

The essence of living according to the New Testament is Faith. When Jesus died we are told, the veil of the temple was torn open. What was it that stood between Israel and God during all the years that they lived under the covenant that they had made with God? It was the veil in the temple. The purpose of a veil is to keep people from discovering what is on the other side of it. Only one person once a year could go inside the veil of the temple, although it was not like it was physicaly impossible for someone else to get in, a veil is by definition not high security. Paul says that the veil was a picture of the body of Christ, so we see that the veil was something that was a barrier of understanding, belief, faith. Will you commit your way 100% to God ? If you can get past the concept of being born again you will have freedom of access into God’s presence. In fact there were those before Jesus came to earth, died and rose again who understood this; the phrase “the just shall life by faith” in Hebrews is an echo of a statement that God made to one of His prophets quite a few years before Jesus was born. Once I understood that Jesus did not die for Himself or even as Himself the significance of the torn veil became a ticket of freedom to me. It was me who hung on the cross. It was me whom Jesus took by the hand and lead back up and out of the bondage of death to wing my flight to the unlimited freedom of heavenly places, soaring over the earth bound minions toiling in the shackles of unbelief. The torn veil opens up such vast vistas and yet in a way it also exposes the quietness and comfort of a small space shared with someone you love. What is christian living? It is walking through the veil into the Holy place ! What is it that stops people from passing a veil ? Not the veil. It is the understanding that the other side is private. Locks on doors do not stop thieves just like user names or passwords do not stop computer crackers; they have no concept of privacy. People crassly violated the Holy place of the temple of the Israely people, thought like all those who rape and plunder they did not find what they wanted; but if they had had the eyes to see that the veil was open they would have. It takes Faith and nothing else to become and to be a christian. Ps 37 ‘commit your way to the One who is on the other side of the veil (He will open your eyes to the way in) and He will give you ____’ (you fill in the blank). No picture ID, no pledge of alegiance, no Herculian work required, just by faith walk through the veil.