Why are we called the Epistle of Christ?

Bible Verses: "Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." 2 Corinthians 3:3

Here is not only an allusion to making inscriptions on stones, where one dictates the matter, and another cuts the letters.

Christ has written in our hearts and we have become his epistles. The change is produced in our hearts and lives.Christ dictated and the Divine characters are not written with inkbut by the Spirit of the living God.Where men engrave stones Christ writes in the fleshly tables of the heart. This is the work of salvation taking place in all our affections, appetites, and desires. The change within is manifested outward.

The parts of this figurative speech:

1. Jesus Christ dictates.

2. The apostle writes.

3. The hearts of the Corinthians are the substance on which the writing is made. And,

4. The Holy Spirit produces that influence by which the traces are made, and the mark becomes evident.

There is a story of a blind man sitting at the corner of a street in a city with a lantern beside him. A curious guy went up to him and asked what he had the lantern there for because light was the same to him as darkness since he was blind. The blind man replied:"I have it so that no one may stumble over me."

Many Christians do not read the Bible as often as they should. Some people may never read it. Where one man reads the Bible, a hundred read you. And they read you very carefully. Whether you and I like it or not, we are epistles of Christ.

Lots of things happen around us of which we are unaware. People not only listen to what we say but also observe how we react in various situations. They want to know if we are serious. They want to know if we truly believe what we say.

People often look at you in tough situations and wonder where you get your energy, peace and joy. You and I are epistles of Christ. Your life may be the only letter many people will ever read. You spread a fragrance, either a sweet smell of life or a rotting stench of death. If you live in Christ, the fragrance of His presence will scent your life.

If we do not preach Christ by our lives, if we do not commend the Gospel to people by our holy walk and words, we shall not win them to Christ.

Moreover we are likely to make other Christians stumble in their spiritual lives by giving the impression that Christianity is like any other religion and just a ritual Christians perform usually on Sundays.

Prayer:

Lord, when others read my life, may they read you, not me. Help me to radiate your light and your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Selie Visa