“LIVING EPISTLES”
2 CORINTHIANS 3:1-6
INTRO: God’s people are a special people. We are special because of our birth.
1 Peter 1:23 says of us, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.”
We are special because of our beliefs. We believe that “..the prophecy
came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21) and “all Scripture
is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16). We
are special because we bound for glory land. Our Lord Jesus
promised His disciples and all who believe in Him, “In my Father’s
house are many mansions: If it were not so, I would have told you. I go
to prepare a place for you. And If I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye
may be also” (John 14:2-3). And we are looking and longing for the
day that “…the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the
dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall
be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the
air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one
another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
In 2 Corinthians 3:2 Paul writes to the Corinthians—“Ye are our
epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men.” What Paul
said of the Corinthians is true of all true believers. Some false
teachers has started carrying forged letters of recommendation to
increase their authority. In no uncertain terms, Paul states that he
needs no such letters. The lives of the believers whom he and his
companions had converted were enough of a recommendation (1).
Friend, If you have placed your faith and trust in Christ Jesus, you
are a Living Epistle and that makes you special. Someone has said,
“The ‘living Bible’ people really read, is you” (2). Let us note this
morning three things about “Living Epistles.”
LIVING EPISTLES ARE:
(1) REFLECTIONS OF THE AUTHOR’S WORK
2 CORINTHIANS 3:2-3—“Ye are our epistle written in our hearts,
known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly
declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written
not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables
of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.”
A. CREATED BY THE AUTHOR’S HAND. Notice the last part of v3—
“written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of
stone, but in the fleshly tables of the heart.” Christ is the author of the
letter; Paul was the penman; the message was written on the fleshly
tablets of the hearts of the brethren at Corinth. (The People’s New
Testament Commentary). Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-10—“For by
grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath
before ordained that we should walk in them.” Friend, If you are saved,
you are to be a reflection of Christ in everything you do. There should
be no doubts about Whose you are and Whom you serve! Paul Gilbert
wrote: “Men read what you write, if it’s false or true. Say, what is the
gospel, according to you?” (3).
ILLUS: Ronnie Hinson wrote:
Once Upon A Hill
Verse 1
Somebody wrote my life’s story
Though the ink never touched the writer’s quill
Now in Heaven I’ll live happy ever after
Cause my life story started once upon a hill.
Verse 2
I’ve never laid eyes upon the author
But it’s clear to see He’s laid his hand on me
My life story may not be the world’s bestseller
But they won’t have to read between the lines to see.
Chorus
Once upon a hill is all it took
From hidden shame my heart’s been changed
My life’s an open book
It’s never been a mystery
How the fiction became real
Cause my life’s story started once upon a hill.
B. CONSTRAINED BY THE AUTHOR’S HEART. Why are we to be
reflections of the Author’s work? Paul tells us why in 2 Corinthians
5:14-15—“for the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge,
that if one died for all, then we are all dead: And that he died for all, that
they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him
which died for them, and rose again.” A Living Epistle’s will is the
Author’s will. If we are truly His, we will love Him and do His will for
our lives! 1 John 2:3-6 tells us, “And hereby we do know that we
know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him,
and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected:
hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him
ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” Jesus said in John
14:15—“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
ILLUS: "I do love God," said a little girl to her papa one day when he
had been talking to her about loving God. "Perhaps you think
so, Maria." "Oh, I do, indeed I do, Papa!" "Suppose, my child,
you should come to me and say, 'Dear Papa, I do love you,' and
then go away and disobey me? Could I believe you?" "No,
Papa." "Well, dear, how can I believe you love God when I see
you every day doing those things which He forbids? You know,
the Bible says, 'If ye love me, keep my commandments.'"
--William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."
LIVING EPISTLES are REFLECTIONS OF THE AUTHOR’S WORK, Created By The Author’s Hand and Constrained By The Author’s Heart, but also LIVING EPISTLES are…
(2) READ BY ALL MEN WIDELY
2 CORINTHIANS 3:2—“Ye are our epistle written in our hearts,
known and read of all men.”
*Note the last part of v2—“..known and read of all men.” All men who
could see the transformation effected in the lives of the Corinthians could
read the epistle. (The People’s New Testament Commentary). The Gospel’s
impact on the Corinthians had an obvious and widely perceived impact.
Our lives impact others! There are two things we must never forget:
A. PEOPLE READ OUR LIVES. When Paul said “Ye are our epistle…
known and read of all men,” he was saying, "everyone could read, and
was obliged to acknowledge the handwriting; it was so clear a case,
what hand the apostle, as an instrument, had in the turning of these
persons from idols to serve the living God; and which was so full a
proof of the divinity, efficacy, truth, and sincerity of his doctrine, that
he needed no letters from any to recommend him. (John Gill’s
Exposition of The Entire Bible). Listen, Child of God, people are
watching you. They are reading your life seeing if your epistle lives up
to the intent of the Author. There is not so powerful a sermon in the
world, as a consistent Christian life. The eye of the world takes in more
than the ear. Christians' lives are the only religious books the world
reads. (Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary).
ILLUS: Around the turn of the century in rural Tennessee an old man
crippled with arthritis was very faithful in his assembling with
the saints. Twice on Sunday and on Wednesday nights a little
girl watched from her window as the old man with his cane
painfully made his way down to the little church on the corner.
One Sunday morning following a snow storm, the little girl ran
to her window and looking out exclaimed, "Surely the old man
will not go to church this morning." But there he was, right on
schedule, plodding very cautiously through the snow. The
little girl could not contain herself any longer. She just had to
visit the little church to see what possibly could be there that
would bring the old man out on such an inclement morning.
The rest is history. The little girl was impressed by the services
there that morning and a short time later became a Christian.
After high school she enrolled in a Christian college and while
there she met a fine young Christian boy whom she later
married. To this union a son was born who was to become one
of the finest gospel preachers. This brother during his ministry
has literally led thousands to Christ. The old man went to his
reward never realizing just what an impact he had made for
the cause of Christ. Because of his godly influence many will
go into heaven with him. There can be no greater joy than to
reach heaven and to her someone say, "I am here because you
have shown me the way."
People read our lives and also…
B. PEOPLE REACT TO OUR LIVES. As people read our lives, there will
always be a reaction to what they read. If we live for Christ, Paul said
in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16—“For we are unto God a sweet savour of
Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To one we are
the savourof death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto
life. And who is sufficient for these things?” Warren Wiersbe wrote:
“This savor, or perfume, means life to other believers, but to the un-
believer headed for eternal condemnation, it means death. Joseph
was a savor death to the baker, but a savor of life to the butler (Gen.
40). Paul’s description is a beautiful and challenging picture. What a
tremendous responsibility it is to introduce people to life, or to have
them reject Christ and go off to death! Being a Christian is a serious
responsibility, for our lives are leading people either to heaven or hell
(4). Charles Spurgeon said, “I would not give much for your religion
unless it can be seen. Lamps do not talk, but they do shine” (5).
ILLUS: A group of teenage girls was discussing a new leader for their
Bible class. Their frank comments on the woman in question
were enlightening and amusing. One girl said, "If you kids
pick Mrs. L- to be our teacher, I'm quitting." "Why, what's
wrong with her?" asked several of the group. "Plenty," was the
reply. "Remember how I used to go to help her with her
housework on Saturdays? Well, she still owes me money and
she won't pay. Also, she talks a lot about being a good
Christian, and boy, you should hear her say nasty things
about some of her neighbors. Honest, kids, I know I shouldn't
talk about her, but, please, let's wait until we find a teacher
who lives what she teaches us on Sunday."
ILLUS: A non-Christian lawyer attended a church service and listened
incredulously to the testimonies of some who were known to
him for their shady deals and failure to meet their honest
obligations. "How did you like the testimonies?" a man asked
him at the close of the service. He replied, "To a lawyer there
is a vast difference between testimony and evidence." Words
are cheap, and it is perilously easy to give a fine-sounding
testimony for Christ, but quite another matter to demonstrate
evidences of God's purifying power in our lives through Christ.
"This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is
far from me" (Mark 7:6).
Friends, As LIVING EPISTLES, PEOPLE READ OUR LIVES and PEOPLE
REACT TO OUR LIVES. Is your life a honorable testimony to the life-
changing power of God?
LIVING EPISTLES are: REFLECTIONS OF THE AUTHOR’S WORK, READ BY ALL MEN WIDELY, and finally…
(3) READY FOR THE AUTHOR’S WITNESS
2 CORINTHIANS 3:6—“Who also hath made us able ministers of
the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the
letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”
*No one can claim to be adequate without God’s help. No one is competent
to carry out the responsibilities to which God hath called him or her.
Without the Holy Spirit, natural talent can carry us only so far. As
Christ’s witnesses, we need the Character and strength only God gives (6).
*Notice what Paul says in v5—“Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to
think any thing of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.” God gave Paul
and his fellow-ministers their "sufficiency" (2Co_3:5), who had made them
able ministers of the gospel. (The People’s New Testament Commentary).
God has called us, his Living Epistles, to be witnesses of His life-changing
power. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:18-20—“And all things are of
God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us
the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, God was in Christ, reconciling the world
unto himself, not imputing their trespasses to them; and hath committed
unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are the ambassadors for
Christ…” What are we to be witnesses of? :
A. HIS GRACE (EPHESIANS 2:8-9). We are to let this world know that
Salvation is solely by grace through faith. Oliver B. Greene is his
commentary on Ephesians wrote: “Grace came by Jesus Christ—yea,
Grace WAS Jesus Christ—and becomes ours by faith. The Law extends
blessings to the good—but Grace extends salvation to the bad…yea, to
the worst. The Law demands that blessings be earned by righteous
works; but Grace is the free gift of God, no strings attached. By Grace…
the gift of God…Since the cross, salvation does not depend upon
religious practices such as rituals, feasts, the keeping of Sabbaths,
assemblies, etc. Salvation depends upon receiving Jesus…Good works
have nothing to do with salvation. Good works are the evidence, the
fruit, of salvation” (7).
ILLUS: On April 18, 2000, 10-year-old Candace Newmaker tragically
died in a counselor’s office. Her adoptive mother, Jeane
Newmaker, took Candace to Connell Watkins’ home-based
therapy center in Evergreen, Colorado to help her overcome
“reactive attachment disorder.” As part of the therapy,
Candace was wrapped in a blanket, then four people pushed
against the blanket with pillows. The little girl was told to fight
her way out of it to become “reborn.” A video tape reveals
Candace repeated said she couldn’t breathe but the session
continued. After 70 minutes of this exercise, Candace died of
asphyxiation. This little girl’s horrific death is but one grim
reminder that our culture is spiritually confused. Salvation
through Christ is the only avenue through which we can find
new birth and new life (Houston Chronicle, 8/16/00, p5A) (8).
As LIVING EPISTLES we must be WITNESSES OF HIS GRACE and also
We must be WITNESSES of…
B. HIS GLORY (V5). LIVING EPISTLES are to be witnesses of the glory of
God operating in their lives. They are to show forth God’s power and
presence operating in their lives. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:6-7—
“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined
in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that
the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”
ILLUS: A Hindu trader in India once asked a missionary, "What do you
put on your face to make it shine?" With surprise the man of
God answered, "I don't put anything on it!" His questioner
began to lose patience and said emphatically, "Yes, you do!" All
of you who believe in Jesus seem to have it. I've seen it in the
towns of Agra and Surat, and even in the city of Bombay."
Suddenly the Christian understood, and his face glowed even
more as he said, "Now I know what you mean, and I will tell
you the secret. It's not something we put on from the outside
but something that comes from within. It's the reflection of the
light of God in our hearts.
CLOSING: There are people in the world around us who never open, who
never read this Book. But they are reading us. Are they able to see
God in our lives? Are they able to say of us to others, "That man—
or that woman--reminds me of Christ"? Do we let our light so shine
that men may see, not us, but our Father in heaven? This is the