RPG Adults
YE ARE THE EPISTLE OF CHRIST (II)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
2 Corinthians 3:1-5
2 Corinthians 3:3
“Written not with ink, but with
the Spirit of the living God.”
YE ARE THE EPISTLE OF CHRIST (II)
The Corinthians were not only Paul’s epistle, but also the epistle of Christ, as he also said, “Not I, but Christ” (Gal 2:20). “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ” (2 Cor 3:3). Can others know that we are the epistles of Christ? To be the epistle of Christ is to reflect the life and the Word of Christ in our lives (1 John 2:6). Many people have not read God’s Word, and many others might have read it but not properly or have been misled. Can they read God’s Word when they come into contact with us? How can we be the epistle of Christ?
(a) A New Heart: We have learnt that the human heart is too depraved and corrupted to be improved or changed by men and that it needs to be cleansed by the blood of the Lord Jesus. The important condition for us to be a living epistle of Christ is to be born again (verse 3; cf. Ezek 11:19).
(b) Written with the Holy Spirit: One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to write God’s Word in our new heart. He speaks to us and writes in our heart when we read God’s Word or when we hear God’s Word (Heb 8:10). Then let us give our heart to the Lord (Prov 23:26), and humbly receive God’s Word with our full obedience and submission so that He may freely write God’s Word in our heart. It means we are to truly live by God’s Word (Col 3:16).
(c) The Epistle of Christ: If we do not give our heart to the Lord, and fully submit ourselves to the sole authority of God’s Word, how can the Holy Spirit write God’s Word in our heart? We can be sure that those who dare judge, doubt, criticise or question God’s Word can never be the epistle of Christ. Shall we not appreciate the gracious work of the Holy Spirit writing God’s Word in our dedicated and submissive heart and transforming us into the image of our Lord Jesus?
THOUGHT: To be Christ’s epistle, we are to totally submit to God’s Word.
PRAYER: Father, may Thou freely write Thy Word in my heart.