All Things New (Part 4): Christ’s Living Letter
Photo Courtesy of Mitchell Griest
Christ’s living letters
Whether you realize it or not, every person you come across “recognizes & reads” you.
The words you speak, the attitude you exude, the life you live—it’s all communicating a message. And in the case of the Christian life, there is no greater message. What sets the Christian life apart from all others? The signature of the Spirit. Carved into the heart of every Christ-follower is a completely unique, life-giving message.
“For your very lives are our “letters of recommendation,” permanently engraved on our hearts, recognized and read by everybody…you are living letters written by Christ, not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God—not carved onto stone tablets but on the tablets of tender hearts.
…So then, with this amazing hope living in us, we step out in freedom and boldness to speak the truth.”
2 Corinthians 3:2-4, 12 (TPT)
Because of this amazing hope living within us, we should freely & boldly speak truth. But what does it mean to “step out in freedom and boldness”? It means we witness. Because a witness isn’t somebody who simply sees the goodness of God; it’s somebody who shares the goodness of God. Witnessing isn’t something you do—
A Witness is who you are.
At home, at work, and everywhere in-between, there is ample opportunity to demonstrate His Love. And there’s nothing more precious in the sight of God than His image-bearers genuinely reflecting His Light. God’s Spirit is a deposit in your heart—
your life’s fruit is compounding interest.
As you walk in His saving & sustaining grace, may the interest of God’s Kingdom continue to compound daily. May people see your life as an authentic, ongoing testimony of God’s Goodness. And above all, may God use you as a bold illustration of—
Christ’s Living Letters.
Trained up
Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor. Think about what I am saying.
The Lord will help you understand all these things.”
2 Timothy 2:3-5 (NLT)
In a world in which people often find themselves tripped up, 2 Timothy shows us people who are trained up. In each of these examples, we’re shown what it takes to be dialed in & taking care of business.
The soldier demonstrates our need to prioritize pleasing our Superior (The Lord). The athlete reveals how we never win apart from following the rules (God’s Ways). And just as the farmer was made to be fruitful, so too should we live with a first-hand enjoyment of the fruit we were born to bear.
Faithfulness, in any area or relationship, never happens by accident. Being a faithful witness of God is no exception. A faithful witness is someone who lives a life of Spirit-filled intention. Someone who seeks continual training in the New Life God has given you through Christ Jesus. It’s about Christ’s Love shining through you—
As you exercise faith in all you do.
A genuine foundation
Even in the Christian faith, it’s incredibly common to see people underestimate the value of their personal witness. We tend to fixate on “what” we know or don’t know, instead of being fueled by “Who” we do know. But the greatest measure of the Christian walk isn’t your depth of insight—
It’s Your depth of intimacy.
“When Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples this question: “What are the people saying about me, the Son of Man? Who do they believe I am?” They answered, “Some are convinced you are John the Baptizer, others say you are Elijah reincarnated, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”
“But you—who do you say that I am?” Jesus asked.
Simon Peter spoke up and said, “You are the Anointed One, the Son of the living God!” Jesus replied, “You are favored and privileged Simeon…For you didn’t discover this on your own, but my Father in heaven has supernaturally revealed it to you.”
There are countless opinions & beliefs regarding the Person of Jesus. But what truly counts in your life, is who “you” say He is. A witness of Christ isn’t based on head-knowledge, it’s born out of heart-knowledge. It’s a revelation of God that is found in the deepest recess of your heart. 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV) says:
“…in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…”
Sharing True Hope requires preparation, and this preparation requires a firm foundation. Knowing Jesus as the Lord of your life is the bedrock of Christian faith. It’s only when you hold Jesus in the highest regard, that you possess a genuine ability to relay this to your fellow-man. When His voice is the One you choose to revere—
god’s call on your life becomes clear.
A gentle correction
We live in a world that thrives on the idea of opposition. Anybody that’s not with us is considered against us. And as such, “those” people are to be treated as an opponent. But the ways of God’s Kingdom are dramatically different from the ways of this world. 2 Timothy 2:25-26 (NLT) tells us to:
“Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap.
For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.”
On the surface, it can seem absolutely insane to deal with our opposition with “gentleness”. That’s why we have to look beyond our own rationale to get this one right. Before any of us ever came to faith in Christ, we were an enemy of God Himself. And how did Jesus deal with you as an enemy of God?
he gave his life for you.
We should remember how hopelessly lost we were apart from the intervention of Jesus Christ. As former prisoners of sin, we should operate with the deepest display of empathy toward those who are still held captive. With Christ as the core of our life, we witness from a place of genuineness.
Genuineness Produces gentleness.
make him known
“Walk in the wisdom of God as you live before the unbelievers, and make it your duty to make him known. Let every word you speak be drenched with grace and tempered with truth and clarity.
For then you will be prepared to give a respectful answer to anyone who asks about your faith.”
Colossians 4:5-6 (TPT)
Walking in wisdom, speaking words of grace & truth—all of these things prepare us for delivering a powerful, respectful answer to those seeking the Goodness of God. And all of these qualities are held together by one thing.
the Love of Jesus Christ.
Every single one of us will ultimately “be known” for something. The question is, what will you be known for? As people of Truth, we hold the key that can set people free. Faithful witnesses are fruitful witnesses, and that’s exactly who God has made you to be. We were made—
to make him known.
maintain the right perspective
On your phone, Text the keyword tHINK to the number 77222.
each week we publish a new Christ-Centered Message, you’ll receive one free text message with a direct link to the post.
Prefer Email updates?
Enter your email address in this form below.
You’ll be able to read each new Message from the convenience of your inbox.
fuel for your faith
One of the ways we maintain a Christ-Centered perspective is by focusing on the Truth of God's Word throughout our day.
That's why we share content that encourages you to grow deeper in your walk with Christ at Facebook, Gab, & Telegram on a daily-basis.
*If you haven't already done so, we'd love to have you join us at any of these social media sites.
Click Here for Telegram.
here for gab.
here For Facebook.
help encourage someone else
every time you share one of our posts, you create an opportunity for someone to be impacted by a Christ-Inspired message.
Thank you for that.
*Here’s a direct link to Share this week’s post: christ’s living letter
today’s Takeaways
Be a living letter of jesus christ.
Genuineness Produces gentleness.
We were made to make him known.