YOU ARE AN EPISTLE OF CHRIST
By Mark Grant
The story is told of four ministers discussing
the pros and cons of various Bible translations and versions. Eventually each
stated which version, in his opinion, is the best. The first minister said he
used the King James because the Old English style is beautiful and produces the
most reverent picture of the Holy Scriptures.. The second said he preferred the
New American Standard Bible because he felt it comes nearer to the original
Greek and Hebrew texts. The third minister said his favorite was the New King
James Version because his congregation had new converts, and it was easier for
them to understand the contemporary language. All three men waited while the
fourth minister sat silently. Finally he said, “I guess when it comes to
translations and editions of the Bible, I like my Dad’s translation best. He put
the Word of God into practice every day. It was the most convincing translation
I’ve ever seen.”
In second Corinthians the apostle Paul wrote, “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, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that
is, of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:2-3). When other people look at you, what do
they see? What image do you project to coworkers, customers, friends, neighbors,
and believers? Do you ever give any thought as to how you are being perceived?
Is your first concern about observers seeing Jesus in you? Paul made a great
claim to the Corinthians for he said that they were “known and read by all
men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ.” Long ago Plato had said that
a good teacher does not write his message in ink that will fade; he writes it
upon men. That is exactly what Jesus had done. He had written his message on the
Corinthians through his servant Paul, not with fading ink but with the Holy
Spirit; not on tablets of stone as the old law was first written, but on the
hearts of men.
There is a great truth here that should be an
incentive, as well as a warning, to every believer for we are an open letter on
behalf of Jesus Christ. Every Christian, whether he likes it or not, is a
message (and messenger) for the good news of Christ.. The honor and glory of
Christ is in the hands of his followers. Thus, when we meet others, they ought
to see the light and glory of God living in us. In other words, they ought to
see Jesus. Is that who people see when they look at us? Do they see Jesus’ love,
integrity, and compassion? Or do we hide “the Light of the world”
under a mask of selfish ambition and worldly concerns? I believe that the
greatest handicap the Church has today is the substandard lives of professing
Christians. When we go out into the world we have the awe-inspiring
responsibility of being open letters, and epistles for Christ and His Church.
In Matthew 5:14-16 it was Jesus who taught, “You
are the light of the world.. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor
do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives
light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” A light is
first and foremost something that is meant to be seen. That is why Jesus
commands every Christian to be what He Himself claimed to be. “As long as
I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (John 9:5). Disciples of
Christ are to be reflectors of the light that comes from the Lord. The radiance
which shines from the Christian comes from the presence of Christ’s teachings
within the Christian’s heart. So we become the lights of the world by the
righteous lives we exhibit through following the truth that Jesus taught.
Followers of Christ are to hold fast to the gospel by being lights of the gospel
to the morally corrupt world in which they live. “Do all things without
complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children
of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among
whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I
may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain”
(Phil. 2:14-16).
Further, a Christian’s reflection of Christ
should be perfectly visible to all mankind. Can you hide a city that is sitting
on top of a mountain? Its light at night can be seen for miles. If we live for
Christ, we will glow like lights, showing others what Christ is like in a world
of darkness and sin. “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in
the Lord. Walk as Children of light” (Eph. 5:8). There is no such thing
as secret discipleship within the Lord’s church. If we hide our light by
becoming too much like the world, then we are lost in darkness. Christians
should not blend in with everyone in this world. Instead, they should affect
others positively, just as light shines out for all to see. Jesus said, “I
am the light of the world.. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but
have the light of life” (John 8:12). Let us not turn-off (or hide) our
lights by walking in darkness, but “let us cast off the works of darkness,
and let us put on the armor of light” (Rom. 13:12).
Likewise, Christian behavior is not to be modeled
after worldly conduct, but is to be an imitator of God. “Therefore be
imitators of God as dear children.. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved
us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweet-smelling aroma” (Eph. 5:1,2). The context of these verses is
connected with the previous chapter, where Paul had exhorted Christians to
kindness and to a spirit of forgiveness (Eph. 4:31,32). And now entreats them to
imitate God who is always kind and ready to forgive. Just as children imitate
their parents, Christians should follow God’s example of tenderheartedness..
Love is to be the chief mark of the believer’s authenticity. And how much
contention and strife would be avoided if it were followed! The apostle John
wrote, “If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a
liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God
whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20-21).. If every Christian who is
angry, unforgiving, and unkind, would just ask himself the question: “How do
I want God to treat me?”, it could save all the turmoil and unrest that
exists in many of the churches of Christ today. If God’s nature is love and
Christians are His Children, then shouldn’t their conduct reflect God’s love to
one another and to the world? It was Jesus who told His disciples, “A new
commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that
you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if
you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). The most important thing
in the church is not how much money we have in the treasury, or how many members
we have, or how big our buildings are, but how we are related to one another in
Christ. How are believers to preach the peace of God in Christ with integrity TO
THE WORLD when there is not peace in Christ among the brethren? It is time for
us as Christians to grow-up and be mature by getting rid of the malicious
behavior and deceit and express our love, not in just words, but by our
attitudes and actions as well. “Therefore, laying aside all malice, all
deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the
pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that
the Lord is gracious” (1 Pet. 2:1-3).
In conclusion, if Paul advised Christians who
were even slaves to “adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things”
(Tit. 2:10), shouldn’t Christians today strive to do the same? We who have named
the name of Christ need to honestly ask ourselves, “What are unbelievers
saying about me?” Today, we as Christians need to be conscious of the
reproach brought upon the Lord’s cause by the inconsistent lives of His people.
There is no argument as effective as a holy life! In short, we do not only need
to speak the truth, we need to live the truth as well. When people look at us,
they need to see genuine Christianity, not a lukewarm, accommodating lifestyle
that stands for nothing. We need to make the gospel attractive in such a way
that unbelievers will be drawn to the matchless “Light of the world.”
For the only sermon that most people will ever see or read is the life that we
live before them “as the epistle of Christ.”