You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. (2 Corinthians 3:3)
The apostle Paul says we are letters of our Lord Jesus Christ, not written with ink but with the Holy Spirit. So, the question we all must answer is this: “What does our letter say to those who are reading us?” As it has been rightly observed, the life of the believer will be the only Bible many people ever read! How does it make you feel to know you are one of the Lord’s living epistles . . . a Living Letter of the Lord?
Here is something we all need to remember as disciples of Jesus. As soon as the watching world hears our profession of faith, they begin to watch more closely to see if our walk matches our talk. The way we live out our faith paints the clearest picture of the kind of God we love and serve. The way we live out our faith will either draw people toward Jesus or repel them. There is no middle ground. So, how attractive have you been making God lately in your words and your deeds?
The key to being the most effective letter of the Lord is to allow the truths of the gospel to be manifest in your life. Jesus is our model because He was the perfection of the Lord’s Letter in the flesh. He lived out the truths of the gospel perfectly, and yet in His perfection as the Lord’s Letter, some were attracted and some were repelled, some received and some rejected, some walked with Him and some walked away. So, our focus is not on the reception we receive when others read us. Rather, our focus is on the message contained within our letter and that it is true to the gospel.
Here is one of the simplest ways to look at the content of the Lord’s Letter. It should be written in the shape of a cross. The first thing people need to read must be written vertically – how we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The next thing people need to read must be written horizontally – how we love others . . . ALL OTHERS. We don’t just love the lovable. We love all others as we are reminded of the love that was poured out upon us “while we were still sinners!” When people read the message of love in us as the Lord’s letter, they are reading the most important message they will ever read.
Do you see the great privilege it is to be the Lord’s living epistle? Jesus has chosen to write His message of perfect love on imperfect parchment paper and set it before the watching world for everyone to read. Remember, because His mercies are new every morning, so is our opportunity to write a new letter of love for the glory of our Lord. What will the Spirit of the living God write upon you today?
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 