Living Epistles

Paul says that we are living epistles. Not only that he shows us the pen, ink and paper necessary to create this divine letter.

Paul like every pastor and teacher is the instrument which God uses to write his letter. We are instruments to be used by God. Written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God. We ought to say use me Lord in thy service draw me nearer everyday. I am willing to run all the way. I’ll go, I’ll go. If the Lord wants somebody… here am I send me, I will go.

God uses a medium that cannot be washed away, it will not fade. Isaiah 40:8 says the grass wither, the flower fades but the word of our God shall last forever.

God chooses a willing vessel, filled with his Holy Spirit to write His thoughts and feelings to his creation. That’s why every word of the bible is true. He says Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my word will stand forever.

Just for a moment I want to look at a few characteristics of a letter.

First of all a letter is written to convey a message.

God has designed every believer to be a deliverer of good news. It is the news that God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We were designed to convey the mind of Christ to men. Telling them that there is a reality in serving a true and living God. Let this mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus. Man may refuse to listen to the gospel but they cannot ignore your testimony of a concencrated Christian life. You ought to let your light so shine, that men may see your good works and glorify the father which is in heaven.” Everybody seems to be worried about the nuclear bomb, but nobody seems to be worried about the day my Lord shall come. You better set your house in order, because he may be coming soon and he’s going to hit like a nuclear bomb when he comes.

The message you and I carry is an urgent message. Telling somebody that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. The message that we carry is a message of life and death.

Secondly, a letter is written to be read. Every Christian should let his Christianity be visible before the world. Matt. 5:14 says, ye are the light of the world. Vs. 15, says let your light so shine that men may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. Those who are Christians in name only are simply forged documents designed to deceive and mislead.

Our life and our conversation ought to be an epistle to make known his praises. We ought to bless the Lord at all times and let his praises continually be in our mouth. Places we used to go, we ought not to want to go there no more. Things we used to do, we ought not want to do them no more. Ways we used to act we ought not to act like that no more. Paul said, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” There are many whom we associate with everyday who will never read the written bible. Whose only hope of salvation is that they may read or hear the living epistle of your life and my life.