An important letter
April 6, 2008 (Sunday)
Photo of Charles
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians, “Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Cor 3:1-3 NIV).
Letters are written about many subjects. One type of letter is intended to be read by a general audience; it is the “open letter.” Paul said that Christians are open letters from Christ to the world.
You are an open letter about your group. If you are a Christian, you’re a part of the group known as such. If you are a Baptist, Methodist, etc. you are a part of that group. Wherever you are a member of a church, you are a part of that local congregation. You are an open letter about your group. Right or wrong, people evaluate your group by what they know of you.
You are an open letter about your gospel. You’re the only Bible many will ever read. You need to faithfully reproduce the Word in your life. The gospel that you are should be legibly and beautifully written, and demonstrate that the Gospel is the power of God.
You are an open letter about your God. Your life – deeds and words – tells about God. It may be a bad message if your life is bad, or a good message if your life backs it up. Your words can tell others about the Lord.
You are an open letter, recommending the Lord, His church and the Gospel to the world.