“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God.” 2 Corinthians 3:2,3
Why did God lead the more than forty authors of the books of the Bible, to write down, and seek to spread the written message to every tongue, people, and nation? It is because of the power and precision of the truth that God has always sought and seeks today to present to mankind. The objective truth revealed in the Scriptures is that which “…never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:21) The Apostle Paul would add to that which the Apostle Peter said, by writing to Timothy, his son in the faith, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16.17) How is it that the written word of God is so very important to mankind? It is because the divinely inspired word of God is “living.” It possesses a power by which a lost man can believe God, repent of his sins and by faith be saved for time and eternity.
The Lord declares through the prophet, Isaiah, “So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (55:11) Not only is this word of God so important that it possesses the power and authority to accomplish the will of God on this earth and in heaven, but in its essence and quality of holiness, it is able to reach the depths of the hearts of men, there to operate an eternal work whereby a lost soul is born again by the Spirit. The author of the book of Hebrews declares that this word of God, objective in its truth, powerful in its properties, is living, able to communicate life to the one who receive it, and this, by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit takes the eternal truth, that same truth of Christ who IS the truth, empowers and applies it to the individual soul, so that believing in God, in Christ, the believer becomes not only a receiver of eternal Life, but a participant of that Life. Christ’s life becomes his own to live by, according to the faith that God has given him. All things become possible to the believer by virtue of the living Christ in his heart, dwelling there by the Spirit, even to the point of the fragrance of Christ being known and recognized by those who believe in God.
How then is a life a letter of Christ? And what does this mean? A letter is a message that is drafted, or written, on a page. Its objective is to communicate thoughts, truths, observations, and sentiments of the heart. When a lost sinner becomes a new creation in Christ, the Lord Jesus begins writing a message to everyone who will see and hear, that He, the living and powerful God, has come to dwell in the heart of the believer. Every manifestation of His presence is like a pen-stroke of His Life and presence. It is the revelation of the living God in His loveliness, beauty, holiness, and power. It is ultimately the unveiling of His eternal love from one who believes in Him, to a world which does not believe in Him. It is the confirmation and assurance of eternal things not seen, but so very real. It is the message of Life to those of like mind and heart, but also a message of Life to those who are without God and hope in the world. Christ is the essence of this letter.
Dear Father, Dwell in us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.