The holy spirit love letter

THE HOLY SPIRIT LOVE LETTER
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
2 Corinthians3:3 "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."
NOTE, Paulis saying that we are love letters from Christ to the world written
with the Holy Spirit. Before we pursue this subject I want to share a number
of love letters from Godand Jesus that others have written.
A Love Letter From God
By: MichaelBradley
Last updated on: April 10, 2017
The Bible itself can be considereda collectionofGod’s love letters to the
world. Here is one penned by my hand, inspired by the Word of God and His
love for me – and for all the World.
My Child,
If there was one thing that I would ask of you today, it would be to spend time
with Me. I do know that it is difficult sometimes to find the time, but that is

part of what makes it all the more precious when you do take a few minutes to
be with Me.
I also understand how life can be difficult, speciallyfor those who chooseto
follow Me. So I understand when you cry to me, seeking my help, speciallyat
the most desperate oftimes. I even appreciate it that you come to me for the
little things; I find even that special. But I do hope that we can just spend time
together, even when you don’t need anything from me.
Please take the time to get to know Me. Find a SecretPlace, a place we can
fellowship together, a place we can be alone together. I desire that time with
you, and I hope you would desire it as well.
And don’t ever think that you’re not goodenough, that you’re not worthy to
spend time with Me. I believe you are precious, I believe that you are unique, I
believe you are worthy of My love and My time.
If you ever think that you’re not goodenough, turn to My Word, My
promises. Think of the story of David, one who was considereda man after
My heart. He was not a perfect man, he had many transgressions. Butalways
he would return to Me, seek my forgiveness. And think of my Son. Remember
that My Son came to make you worthy; His sacrifice on the cross gives you the
right to be My child, to be in My presence.
I want to show you how much I love you, I want you to know them in your
heart, and not just as words on a page. The greatestgiftanybody can give is
love, and the greatestgiftI give you is My love. My PerfectLove.
Remember also not to be jealous of that love, not to keepit for yourself.
Becauseas I love you, I love those around you, I love the world. In fact, I need
you to show them how much I love them as well. As I love you, I want you to
love them, so that they canknow that I love them with a complete, forgiving
love.
Just as I have made you worthy, despite whateveryou have done, or think you
have done, also remember that the Bloodof Christ canmake them worthy as
well. Do not judge them for the circumstances you see, forthe gruff nature,

for what seems to be a sinful heart. Just love them, and show them that love.
That’s what I need.
And if you ever feelweak, if you struggle through your life, if you feel you
need My love, come to me and I will never turn you away. If you need rest, I
will give it, if you need healing I shall provide it. Spend time with Me, and I
will renew your strength.
And no matter what comes up againstyou, remember and keepthis in your
heart, that I will always love you, and nothing will everbe able to keepMe or
My love, awayfrom you."
A Love Letter From Jesus To You
Postedby Joe-Gilon November 28, 2007 at12:49pm
View Blog
My little child, I love you. (John 15:9)
I have calledyou by your name, you are mine. (Isaiah 43:1)
Before I formed you, I knew you. And before you were born, I consecrated
you. (Jeremiah 1:5).
You did not choose me, I chose you. (John15:16).
Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in goodhealth, even
as your soul prospers. (3rd John 2).

Becauseyou are precious to me, and honored, I love you. (Isaiah43:4).
I have loved you with an everlasting love and I will continue my Constant
love. (Jeremiah 31:3).
How can I abandon you? My love for you is too strong. (Hosea 11:8).
I love you so much that I hung on the cross atCalvary. I died for you, and if
you believe in Me you will have everlasting life (John 3:16).
Can a woman forgether own baby and not love the child she bore? Yet, even
should she forget, I will never forget you. I cannot forgetyou. See, I have
graven you in the palm of my hands. (Isaiah 49:15-16).
For I, the Lord your God, am holding you by the right hand. (Isaiah41:13).
I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE WORLD (Matthew
28: 20).
Do not let your heart be troubled, trust in me. (John 14:1).
I will help you. (Isaiah 41:14).

When you pass through the deep waters, I will be with you. Your troubles will
not overwhelmyou. The hard trials that will come will not hurt you. (Isaiah
43:2).
When you walk through the valley of the shadows ofdeath, do not be afraid
because I am with you. My rod and my staff will comfort you. I will lead you
in the path of righteousness. (Psalms 23).
I will give you peace in the midst of a storm, not as the world giveth. Let not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)
Peace Igive which will pass all understanding and shall keepyour heart and
mind. (Philippians 4:7).
When you lie down do not be afraid, your sleepshall be sweet(Proverbs 3:
24).
My love for you will keepyour dwelling safe (Psalm4:8).
Belovedmy eyes are upon you and I will give you hope, for I am merciful
(Psalm 33:18)
You will have accessto my grace and rejoice in hope while sharing in the
glory of my Father. (Romans 5:2).

I will give you joy and peace. The mountains and hills will sing, and the trees
will clap their hands before you. (Isaiah 55:12)
You may have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your heart will
rejoice and no one will take your joy from you. (John 16:22).
Do not worry (Luke 12:9).
Even the hairs of your head have all been counted, so there is no need to be
afraid of anything. (Matthew 10:30).
The mountains may depart and the hills will be shakenbut my steadfastlove
for you will never end. (John 54:10).
Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
(Matthew 11:28).
Come, my love (Solomon 2:10).
Come, I will lead you into solitude and there I will speak tenderly to your
heart.
I will be true and faithful. I will show you constantlove and make you mine
forever. I will keepmy promise, and you will really know me then as never
before. (Hosea 1:14, 19-20).

I AM WHO I AM (Exodus 3:14).
I am the Lord your God. (Hosea 13:4).
Your Faithful Friend,
Jesus Christ, your Savior
7 Love Letters from Jesus:Pursued by His Love, Captured by His Grace
RebeccaHayford Bauer
You’ve GotMail
What if Jesus wrote you a love letter?
Would you treasure it? Would you keepit close by? Would you read it and
reread it? He has written you a love letter, you know. Of course, I’m talking
about the Bible. It reveals God’s heart for us.
For God so loved…

Abide in My love.
[Nothing] shall be able to separate us from the love of God.
He first loved us.*
Too often, though, we don’t view Scripture as a love letter. In fact, this book
you’re holding was inspired by just that thought – that we as imperfect people
generallyfocus on the “corrections anddisciplines” of Scripture rather than
on what is revealedof God’s heart.
And His love is evident everywhere in His Word!
From the paradise He originally createdfor humankind in Genesis,to the
redemption of Jesus Christ on the cross, to the home He is preparing for us in
Revelation, the fact is
He loves us!
The New Testamentdoesn’ttell us whether the apostle Paulwas ever married
or not. Whateverthe case maybe, he understood that marriage was to
parallel the love Jesus has for His church. Paul describes the relationship of a
committed couple with tenderness and beauty.** He writes that husbands are
to love their wives as Christ loves the Church and that wives are to yield to
their husbands just as the Church yields to Christ. It’s a relationship based
completely on love and sacrifice. As such, it harms no one but builds everyone.
It is the same kind of relationship that Jesus desires to have with us. That may
sound scary to some, but look at how God defines love:
Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’thave a swelledhead,
Doesn’tforce itself on others,

Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’tfly off the handle,
Doesn’tkeepscore ofthe sins of others,
Doesn’trevel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts Godalways,
Always looks forthe best,
Neverlooks back,
But keeps going to the end.***
Make no mistake, 1 Corinthians 13 isn’t just a nice chapter to read at
weddings. It’s not just a sappy, unrealistic fairy tale. It’s not DonQuixote
singing “The Impossible Dream.” This is how God commits to us.
Can I saythat again? This is how God commits to us.
…Love gives
…Love sees potential
…Love desires the best for the beloved
…Love pursues.
When we talk about Jesus love for us, we have to have our minds transformed
to look at love by His definition.
Giving. Pursuing. Longing. Wooing. Staying.
Jesus isn’t “in this” for what He can getout of us. He wants to pour His love
on us; He longs to bring us into relationship with Him. We are His beloved! So
let me ask again…

What if Jesus wrote you a love letter?
As we go through this book, I want you to look at sevenlove letters He has
written to His church…His bride – us. The letters to the churches in
Revelation, I believe, are love letters to us, the Bride, to prepare us for the
coming of the Bridegroom. “Revelation” literally means “unveiling”; and
John describes his vision as the “revelationof Jesus Christ.” While many use
the book of Revelationto speculate about end times, it is intended to unveil
Jesus to us in a new way – as our Bridgroom. The book ends with Jesus
coming for His Bride, and with the marriage supper of the Lamb. So it only
seems logicalthat the book would begin with love letters and an invitation to
prepare for the coming of the Bridegroom.
Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.****
* John 3:16; John 15:10; Romans 8:39; 1 John 4:19.
**See Ephesians5:22-23.
*** 1 Cornthians 13:3-7, THE MESSAGE.
**** Song ofSongs 2:10.
From 7 Love Letters from Jesus:Pursued by His Love, Captured by His
Grace copyright 2012 RebeccaHayford Bauer. All rights reserved. Published
by Regalfrom GospelLight, Ventura, California. Used by permission.
My Precious Friend:
I am sending you this letter by way of one My Disciples.
I just wantedto let you know how much I Love and Care about you and how I
Greatly Desire to become a meaningful part of your life.
This morning when you awoke, Iwas already there with you in the Light of
MY Beautiful Sunshine that filled your room. I was hoping that you would say

GoodMorning to me; you didn’t. So, I thought maybe it was just a little too
early in the day for you to notice Me.
Again, I tried to get your attention when you stepped out of your door. I
Kissed your face with a Soft Gentle Breeze. I breathed upon you My Fragrant
SweetBreathScentedwith Flowers. ThenSang you a Love Song through the
Birds in the Trees. You just Walkedright past Me.
Later on in the day, I watchedover you as you were talking with some of your
friends. Oh! How I wished that you would talk to Me also. I waited and
waited, but you just went along your way.
This Afternoon I sentyou a Refreshing Showerand Glistenedto you from
eachRain Drop. I even Shouted to you a time or two with Rainbows in the
midst of MY Fluffy White Clouds. I just knew you would see Me then but you
were not aware ofMy Presence.
This Evening to close your day, I sentyou a beautiful Sunset. After that, I
Winked at you a thousand times through My Stars hoping that you would see
Me and Wink back. You never did.
Tonight when you went to bed I spilled Moonlight upon your face to let you
know that I was there with you. I was hoping that you would talk to Me a little
while before you went to sleep. You never saida word. It Hurt Me Deeply;
however, I continued to watch over you all through the night thinking that,
maybe, just maybe, you would say hello to Me in the Morning.
Eachand Every Day, I have RevealedMyselfto you in many Strange and
Wondrous Ways hoping that you would acceptMe as your Shepherd. For, I
am the Only One that can Supply you with all your needs. My Love for you is
Deeperthan the DeepestOceanandBiggerthan the GreatBlue Sky. I have so
very much to give to you and also share with you. Please letme hear from you
soon.
Your Loving Friend Forever,
Jesus Christ

Father's Love Letter By Barry Adams
An intimate messagefrom God to YOU.
The Father's Love Letter is a compilation of paraphrasedBible verses from
both the Old and New Testaments that are presented in the form of a love
letter from God to you. Click on the Bible links below to actually read what
eachverse says.
My Child,
You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm139:2
I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm
139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts
17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm139:14
I knit you togetherin your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresentedby those who don't know me. John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expressionof love. 1 John
4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1
Simply because youare my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfectfather. Matthew 5:48
Every goodgift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah29:11
BecauseI love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalm
139:17-18
And I rejoice overyou with singing. Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing goodto you. Jeremiah32:40
For you are my treasuredpossession. Exodus 19:5
I desire to establishyou with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah32:41

And I want to show you greatand marvelous things. Jeremiah33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians
3:20
For I am your greatestencourager. 2 Thessalonians2:16-17
I am also the Fatherwho comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians
1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah
40:11
One day I will wipe awayevery tearfrom your eyes. Revelation21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation
21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John17:26
He is the exactrepresentationof my being. Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not againstyou. Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expressionof my love for you. 1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my sonJesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23
And nothing will everseparate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggestparty heavenhas ever seen. Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is…Will you be my child? John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32
Love, Your Dad.
Almighty God
Permissionto copy and reprint providing that it is used in its entirety and the
following copyright notice is displayed...
Father's Love Letter used by permission FatherHeart Communications
©1999 FathersLoveLetter.com
Bible Blog
There’s nothing more specialthan a love letter--words that gift us with the
knowledge that someone caresjust for us.
That someone loves us just the way we are, with our accomplishments, our
failures, our hopes, our dreams, our highs, our lows.
We lookedthrough the Bible to find God’s love letters to you. There were so
many passagesthatwe couldn’t include all of them.
Here are a few we selected. Readthe Scripture passage andtake a few
moments to revel in the words that embrace you with love.

“… I will always love you; …. You are precious to me.”
See Jeremiah, 31:3-4 (CEV)
“… I can’t let you go. I can’t give you up. … My feelings for you are much too
strong.
See Hosea 11:8 (CEV)
“… You have rejectedme, but my angeris gone; I will heal you and love you
without limit. I will be like the dew—then you will blossomlike lilies and have
roots like a tree.”
See Hosea 14:4-5 (CEV)
“… If you love me and truly know who I am, I will rescue you and keepyou
safe. When you are in trouble, call out to me. I will answerand be there to
protect and honor you.”
See Psalm91:14-15 (CEV)
“Could a mother forgeta child who nurses at her breast? Could she fail to
love an infant who came from her own body? Even if a mother could forget, I
will never forgetyou.”
See Isaiah49:15 (CEV)
A LETTER FROM GOD TO YOU
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,that the man of God
may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every goodwork. (2 Timothy 3:16-
17)

Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for
our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. (1 Corinthians
10:11 NKJV)
For God does not show favoritism. (Romans 2:11 NIV)
This letter is many Bible Promises from God to you. Readthe Bible as if was
written to you, because it was.
To My precious child:
BecauseI knew even before I createdthe earth that you would acceptMy love
for you, and that you would seek to know Me thus…
In the beginning I createdthe heavens and the earth. Then at the right time
and in the right place I createdyou. I createdyour inner most being, I created
every part of you, I knit you togetherin your mother’s womb. You were
carefully and wonderfully made; my works are wonderful, and you My
precious child are my work. My eyes saw your unformed body. All the days
planned for you were written in my book before one of them came to be. How
precious are my thoughts for you, How great is the number of them! If you
were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.
Listen to me, My precious child; I createdyou and have caredfor you since
before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime, until your
hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you
along and save you. I will carry you in my arms, holding you close to my
heart. For I know the plans that I have for you plans to prosper you and not
to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
My precious child there are some times of suffering in your life. But the
temporary suffering of this life does not compare to the glory that shall be
revealedin you. Know this that I am with you and I will help you. Your help
comes from me, I am the God who createdthe heavens and the earth, and the
one who createdyou. I will never leave you, I will never rejectyou. When
your parents fail you I will pick you up, hold you close, and adopt you.

Nothing can ever separate youfrom my love for you. When you are in trouble
and distress my love is with you. When you are persecutedmy love is with
you. When you are hungry and cold and naked my love is with you, I am
always with you. When you are in danger and threatened with death my love
is with you, I will be with you forever.
My precious child know that nothing can separate youfrom my love, no
matter how high you go, no matter how deep you sink, nothing in life and not
even death can separate you from Me, and My love for you. No demon or any
other power in hell canseparate you from my love. My love for you is
revealedthrough Christ Jesus your Lord. In all things and every situation you
will have victory, you will conquer, because the victory of Christ Jesus is your
victory.
But now, My precious child, I the LORD, who createdyou and formed you,
says:Do not be afraid, for I have purchased you. I have called you by name;
you are mine. When you go through deep waters and greattrouble, I will be
with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, they will not over flow
you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. I command you
to be strong and courageous!Do not be afraid; do not be dismayed, for I, the
LORD your God will be with you everywhere you go.
My precious child, know that everything will work togetherfor your good,
because you love me. You have been calledaccording to my purpose. For I
knew you before you were born and I predestined you to be conformed to the
likeness ofmy Son, Jesus Christ. This is your destiny, and this is your
purpose, that you become one with my Son Jesus, and thus one with me. I
createdyou in my image so that you and I can express love to eachother. The
most intimate relationship you can have is with me because you and I are
becoming one. You and your brothers and sisters that believe in me are
becoming one with Jesus, and thus one with me. You in me, and me in you,
together, unified by my love for you. You were designedfor this purpose,
nothing else will ever satisfy your deepestneeds, your deepestdesires, only I
can. Because youseek to know me I satisfyyour heart with love, joy, and
peace that only I can give you.

My precious child if you should forget me, and enter into sin, and not turn
back to Me on your own then I will punish you. Becauseyour sin will separate
you from feeling My presence, and My influence, and I want you to return to
your first love, the One who loves you. I the Lord discipline those I love, and I
punish everyone who I acceptas my child. Just as a goodFather disciplines
His children to turn them awayfrom a dangerous path, so I shall discipline
you for your good, that you may share in My holiness. No discipline seems
pleasantat the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of
righteousness andpeace for those who have been trained by it.
My precious child, When you confess yoursins, I am faithful and just and will
forgive you of your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. In
repentance and resting in Me is your salvation, in quietness and trusting Me is
your strength. I will create in you a cleanheart and renew a right spirit within
you. I will not send you away from My presence, and I will not take My Holy
Spirit from you. I will restore againthe joy of your salvation, and make you
willing to obey Me. Then you will teachMy ways to sinners, and they will
return to Me also. Humble yourself, therefore, under My mighty hand, that I
may lift you up at the right time.
My precious child do not forgetall my benefits, I forgive all your sins and heal
all your diseases,I rescue your life from the pit of destruction and crown you
with love and compassion. Isatisfy your desires with goodthings so that your
youth is renewed like the eagles.I The LORD work righteousness and justice
for all the oppressed;I The LORD am compassionateand gracious, slow to
anger, abounding in love. I will not always accuse, norwill I harbor my anger
forever; I do not treat you as your sins deserve or repay you according to your
iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is My love
for you because you fear Me; as far as the eastis from the west, so far have I
removed your transgressionsfrom you.
My precious child, callto Me, and I will answeryou, and show you greatand
mighty things, which you do not know. Always pray to Me about your every
concern, pray from your mouth and pray from your heart, I hear every
thought that you think. Everything that you care about, I care about also
because it concerns you. Cast all your cares and anxiety on Me because I love

you. Trust in Me, the LORD YOUR GOD, with all your heart, do not depend
on your own understanding; In everything acknowledgeMe, And I will direct
your paths. Do not worry about anything, but in everything big or small, by
prayer, with thanksgiving, present your requests to Me, the MostHigh God.
And I will give you My peace in your heart, peace that is beyond all human
understanding, and it will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.
Always be joyful. Keep on praying always. No matter what happens, always
be thankful, for this is My will for you because you belong to Me.
My precious child, Study My Book oflaw and truth, the Holy Bible, do not let
My words depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you
may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and
successful. My words are Spirit and they are Life. If you remain in me and my
words remain in you, ask whateveryou will, and it will be given you. For the
word of God is living and powerful. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the
thoughts and attitudes of the heart. The most important thing you will ever
own is your Bible because it gives you knowledge ofMe, The MostHigh God.
It makes the poor rich, it gives hope to the hopeless, faith to the fearful, food
to the hungry, water to the thirsty, love to the despised, comfort to the lonely,
freedom to the prisoner, health to the sick, light in the darkness, and life to the
dying.
My precious child I have setup circumstances andsituations in your life to
cause you to seek Me and find Me. I desire that you know Me. I am The Lord
your God, full of compassion, and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love
and faithfulness. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty
man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But My
precious child glory in this, That you understand and know Me, That I am the
LORD, exercising compassion, lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness
in the earth. Forin these I delight and take pleasure.
All things are createdfor My pleasure and My pleasure is to show forth loving
compassion. I have compassiononthe poor and needy, and I am a Fatherto
the fatherless, I help them, and I defend them. Far below Me are the heavens
and the earth, I stoopto look down, and I lift the poor from the dirt and the

needy from the garbage dump and I set them among princes. My precious
child I want you to do these things also, have compassiononthe poor and
needy and help them, this is what it means to know Me. For I am Love, and
when you live in love, you live in Me, and I live in you. Loving compassionis
good, and this is what I require from you, to do what is right, to love
compassion, andto walk humbly with your God.
As a father has compassionon his children, so I your LORD have compassion
on you because you fear Me;for I know how you were formed, I remember
that you are dust. Foreverand ever My love is with you because youfear Me,
and My righteousness with your children’s children; with those who keepMy
covenantand remember to obey My laws. My law is to love. You shall love the
LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your
mind. This is the first and greatcommandment. And the secondis like it: You
shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments all of My
laws are based. When you walk in love you are obeying all My laws. When
you walk in Love you are walking in My Holy Spirit for I AM LOVE!
My precious child come and live in My shelter, in the protection of the Most
High God, you will find rest in the presence ofthe Almighty. You will say,
“This I declare of the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is
my God, and I am trusting him.” My precious child I will rescue you from
every trap and protect you from the fatal plague. I will shield you with My
wings. I will shelteryou with My feathers. My faithful promises are your
armor and protection. Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor fear the
dangers of the day, nor dread the plague that stalks in darkness, northe
disasterthat strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though
ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you. But you will
see it with your eyes;you will see how the wickedare punished.
Becauseyou My precious child make the LORD your refuge, because you
make the MostHigh your shelter, no evil will conquer you; no plague will
come near your dwelling. For I order My angels to protect you whereveryou
go. They will hold you with their hands to keepyou from striking your foot on
a stone. You will trample down lions and poisonous snakes;you will crush
fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

My precious child, My servant, and My friend, whom I have chosen, I have
chosenyou and have not rejectedyou. So do not fear, for I am with you; do
not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will
hold you up with my righteous right hand. All who come againstyou will
surely be ashamedand disgraced;those who oppose you will be as nothing
and perish. Though you searchfor your enemies, you will not find them.
Those who wage waragainstyou will be as nothing at all. For I am the LORD,
your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I
will help you. Do not be afraid, for I myself will help you declares the LORD,
your Redeemer. You will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of
Israel.
My precious child, when you askedMe to forgive your sins and come into
your heart I sent My Holy Spirit into you to comfort you, to give you power,
and as proof to you that I have adopted you as My child. The Holy Spirit shall
lead you into all truth because He shall testify of Jesus, and He will give you
powerto testify of Jesus. I will speak to you through My Holy Spirit that is in
you, He will tell you what is right and wrong, what is love and hate. My Holy
Spirit is a gentle whisper inside your heart telling you the path to walk in. If
you walk in My Spirit you will walk in love, you will not sin. And you will see
greatand mighty things happen before you, they will not be accomplishedby
strength, nor by outside force, but by My Spirit says the LORD ALMIGHTY.
Through My Holy Spirit I shall give you supernatural gifts that you may be
blessed, and that you shall bless others through demonstrating My love for
them. My Holy Spirit will be with you through out your whole life, and after I
will receive you into My glory.
I your LORD sayto you I will rescue you because you love me. I will protect
you because youtrust in my name. When you call on me, I will answer;I will
be with you in trouble. I will rescue you and honor you. I will satisfyyou with
a long life and give you my salvation. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I
will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. It is your destiny.
Thus Says THE LORD Your GOD! https://god.net/

Love Letters From God
Postby Guest Author
The SacredScriptures, on the other hand, are most fittingly likened to a
honeycomb, for while in the simplicity of their language they seemdry, within
they are filled with sweetness.
—Hugh of St. Victor, Didascalicon
The Story of God for Us
Everybody enjoys a goodlove story, particularly if it is romantic and has a
happy ending. This fact helps explain why, month after month, Hollywood
and televisionnetworks produce more and more romantic and situation
comedies. It might also explain the popularity of the cable network TLC’s
programs A Wedding Story and A Baby Story. This truth also sheds some
light on why couples are askedby every new person they encounter to “tell
their story” (How did you two meet?).
We simply take greatjoy in the personalnarrative of others and the stories of
their relationships. Perhaps this is why reading the love letters of others is so
fascinating. In the introduction to his book e 50 GreatestLove Letters of All
Time, a collectionofromantic and touching correspondencebetweensome of
the greatesthistoricalfigures of the last severalcenturies, David Lowenhertz
writes, “Sometimes nothing speaks louderthan a silent word written on a
piece of paper.” He goes onto explain that the actof writing, unlike some of
our more speedyforms of communication today, offers those communicating
the chance to reflect on the ways in which they wishto express the secrets of
their hearts. To receive a love letter, a deeply touching and reflective
expressionof someone’s true feelings for you and the description of your
relationship that is contained in that letter, speaks to our hearts in
indescribable ways. I don’t believe that there is a more revealing way to
understand one’s story than through love letters.

A large part of my book has been dedicatedto inviting you to imagine your
relationship with God anew, to consideryour prayer as a way of being-in-the-
world, to set aside time for God by making a space for solitude and for
committing yourself to a more contemplative life that challenges you to see the
world in a new way. This, it has been suggested, comeswith a renewed
approachto Franciscanspirituality, an approach that models our
conceptualizationof our relationships with God as being like dating. To
achieve this aim, it has been necessaryto reconsiderterms and images we’ve
often associatedwith other definitions or meanings. Such is the case with
Scripture.
Whateveryour previous conceptionof Scripture may have been, I invite you
to temporarily suspend that outlook. In light of the image of dating God, I
suggestthat we begin to considerScripture as a story. What sort of story? The
story of God’s love for all of creation!
This notion of Scripture as the story of God’s love for all of creationis not
new, nor is it my invention. Instead it comes to us from the Bible itself. The
way that Scripture came to be written down, shared, collected, andeventually
organized into a canon originates with the telling of stories. Oral tradition is
the source ofScripture’s content, rootedof course in the Spirit’s divine
inspiration. Long before there was the written book of Genesis, the people of
Israelspoke the truth of God’s creative actionand embrace of the world in
language now recognizable as the beginning of the Hebrew Scriptures. One
might imagine children and parents gatheredaround a small community’s
wisdom figure to hear about how the world came to be, to hear why human
beings at times make bad choices andfall short of their potential, or to hear
about God’s personalcovenantwith humanity.
Those gatheredtogetherto share the collective storyof God’s love for creation
might hear how God revealedto Moses God’s very name, a name so holy it
should not be said. A name signified by four letters, YHWH, which will come
to be translatedcenturies later as “I am.” But the hearers of this story would
understand the complexities and richness of God’s name, which is eventually
lost in translation. It is a name that describes God, not limiting God as the
more philosophical reading of “I am” so often does. A more accurate

rendering of God’s name in translationreads: “I am the one who will be there
for you.” It bespeaks relationshipand future. It tells in miniature the whole
story of God’s relationship with humanity and all creation. When Mosesgoes
to the pharaoh on behalf of God’s people, he is to say that he is sent by the
One who journeys with the chosenpeople. We see this in the often overlooked
next verse in the book of Exodus, where, in another, more relationalway, God
explains to Moses who God is.
God also said to Moses,‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the
God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, andthe God of
Jacob, has sent me to you”:
This is my name for ever,
and this my title for all generations. (Exodus 3:15)
The name of God is precisely who God is, a God who is with us, who loves us
and who will be there for us. is is made even clearerin the next line as God
continues to speak to Moses.
Go and assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, “The Lord, the God of
your ancestors,the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appearedto
me, saying: I have given heed to you and to what has been done to you in
Egypt. I declare that I will bring you up out of the misery of Egypt, to the land
of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and
the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” (Exodus 3:16–17)
When we don’t just stop with “I am” but readon to hear God explain who
God is to Moses, we come to see that Godis concernedabout us and the way
we are treated. God is not some abstractdeity but a creatorwho is head-over-
heels in love with humanity and seeks whatis best for creationout of that love
and concern.
This is not the case in these three verses in Exodus but throughout all of
Scripture. In both powerful and at times more subtle ways, God reveals who
God is through Scripture, which is why we call it revelation. Revelation, at the
most fundamental level, means relationship. When we talk about revelation
we are always alreadytalking about a speakeranda hearer. Someone must do

the “revealing” orself-disclose, andanother must be the “receiver” orhearer
of that word. To talk about Scripture as divine revelationis to talk about a
historicaland religious text that mediates that ongoing relationship between
the revealer(God) and the receiver(all of humanity). In other words,
Scripture isn’t just a book full of information one can consult, like a
dictionary or an encyclopedia (or Wikipedia, for that matter), nor is it a
history book or some work of fiction. It is the medium by which God’s
revelation or self-disclosure is passeddown from one generationto the next.
If prayer is relationship, the dynamic communication of one’s self to God,
then Scripture might be something like love letters from God. Just as one
person passeson, in an historical, tangible way, his or her feelings for the
person he or she is dating so too the Christian community passes onthe stories
of the community’s experience of God in an historicaland tangible way. Just
as you can come to know much about the relationship betweentwo people by
reading their love letters, so too we can learn a lot about our relationship with
God and the history of that experience through Scripture. Just as there are a
variety of forms such communication can take betweenthose dating (poetry,
art, prose, laundry lists of information, journals, and so on), so, too, Scripture
conveys the experience of relationship with God in manifold ways.
Although the metaphor is less than perfect—as all metaphors for describing
and relating to God are—viewing Scripture as “love letters from God” causes
us to pause and reconsiderthe significance ofthe Bible in our personaland
communal lives of faith. Have you ever thought of Scripture as a way to get to
know God better? Or, has Scripture largely been a combination history/rule
book? Thinking about the Word of God in terms of “love letters” personalizes
Scripture in a waythat draws us closerto what those earlieststorytellers of
the faith soughtto express:God is the One who will be there for us, is
concernedabout us, and loves us. That’s God’s name, after all!
Excerpted from Dating God: Live and Love in the Way of St. Francis, by
Daniel P. Horan, OFM.

Daniel P. Horan, OFM, is a Franciscanfriar of Holy Name Province (NY), a
columnist for America magazine, and the author of severalbooks including,
most recently, God is NotFair, and Other Reasons forGratitude. He is the
author of more than eighty popular and scholarlyarticles, is a frequent
lecturer and retreatdirector around the United States, Canada, and Europe,
and has previously taught in the Department of Religious Studies at Siena
College and in the Department of TheologyatSt. Bonaventure University. He
serves on the Board of Directors of the International Thomas Merton Society.
To learn more about his speaking engagements,visit his website:
DanHoran.com. He blogs at DatingGod.org, andyou can also find him on
Facebook andTwitter.''
Laurie Gustafson
My Precious Daughter(A love letter from God to His Daughters)
My precious daughter, I will never leave you, I will never forsake you, I will
be faithful until the end, You are more than just "my daughter" You are my
princess, My beloved, my delight, I rejoice in you, You are beautiful, You
shine with light, You have dove's eyes, I rejoice in you with singing, I will
quiet you with my love, Hold you in my arms, Never let you go, Foryou are
never alone, You never have been alone, I've been with you all along, Your
whole life,
I understand your pain,
My sacrifice wasn'tfor nothing,
Let me tell you I understand your confusion,
I understand your angerand frustration,
I understand your tears,
And I care,

Very much,
For you,
Everything that is important to you,
Is important to me too,
My love for you will never end,
I will not leave you for another,
I will not abandon you ever,
No matter how far you go,
My love will never end.
I have examined you heart,
I know everything about you,
When you sit down or stand up,
I know your thoughts,
Even when you are far away,
I see you when you travel,
Or when you rest at home,
I see the tears that fall from your eyes,
I see the heartache in your home,
Believe me I know the lies,
I know the temptations,
But I am here,
I know what you are going to say,
Even before you say it.

I go before you and follow,
I place my hand of blessing on your head,
Such knowledge is beyond comprehension,
It is too wonderful for you to understand,
You can never escape frommy Spirit,
You can never getaway from my presence!
If you go up to heaven, I am there;
If you go down to the grave, I am there.
If you ride the wings of the morning,
If you dwell by the farthest oceans,
Even there my hand will guide you,
And my strength will support you.
You could ask the darkness to hide you,
And the light around you to become night,
But even in darkness you cannot hide from me,
To me night shine as day,
Darkness andlight are the same to me,
I made all the delicate, inner parts of your body,
I made your heart,
I know what makes you hurt,
I know what makes you cry,
I know what makes you tick,
I know when breaks your heart the most,

And I know how to comfort you,
I know how to make you smile,
I know how to love you,
I know how to be a daddy who loves,
Such a beautiful daughter like you,
You long for acceptance,
When you were already acceptedinto my family,
You are fearfully and wonderfully made,
I love you more than you know,
I will fill your heart with the love and peace you long for,
I saw you before you were born,
I knit you togetherin your mother's womb,
Even then I loved you,
And I was proud of you,
And I thought of you as my beautiful daughter, my princess,
Everyday of your life is recorded in my book,
Every moment was laid out,
Every moment that would bring you joy,
Every moment that would bring you pain.
My thoughts about you are precious,
They cannot be numbered,
They out number the grains of sand,
And when you wake up in the morning,

I am still with you,
I love you more than you know,
You are beautiful to me,
Even though you feelsomething is always wrong,
Just look into my eyes,
See how I see you,
A beautiful princess,
With beautiful eyes that shine with my love and my light,
I love you,
And I will sayit again,
I love you,
My princess, my beloved,
My precious daughter,
I love you,
I love you,
I love you.
Don't give up,
For I see the brokenness in your families,
In your friendships,
I see the pain in your eyes,
Your beautiful heart,
That used to be so filled joy,
Is now crushed beneath your burdens,

But you're still beautiful to me,
So beautiful to me,
I will heal you and restore you once again,
My precious daughter,
I will never leave you,
I will never forsake you,
I will be faithful until the end,
Faithful until the end....
Your loving Fatherand Daddy, Prince of Peace,King of Glory,
-Jesus."
NOTE The point of all these letters is that they give us many a clue as to
what we need to be if we are to be authentic letters of the Father, Sonand
Holy Spirit.
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
Amplified: You show and make obviousthat you are a
letter from Christ deliveredby us, not written with ink
but with [the] Spirit of [the] living God, not on tablets
of stone but on tablets of human hearts. [Ex 24:12;
31:18;32:15, 16; Jer 31:33.](Lockman)

You are our letter of Christ - The famous Greek philosopherPlato agreed
with Paul writing that...
the goodteacherdoes not write his messagein ink that will fade; he writes it
upon men.
Pulpit Commentary...
The fame and centrality of Corinth gave peculiar prominence to the fact of
their conversion....The Corinthians are the epistle; it is written on the hearts
of St. Paul and his companions; Christ was its Composer;they were its
amanuenses and its conveyers (The pulpit commentary)
Ray Stedman quips that Paul was in essencesaying...
"As for me, I'm nothing but the postman; I just delivered the letter. God did
the work."
Paul wants these Corinthians to understand that the changes that had
occurredin their lives, the freedom they were experiencing, the deliverance
from evil habits such as immorality, adultery, homosexuality, drunkenness,
thievery -- "suchwere some of you" (1Cor6:11a) he said -- all happened
because Christhad changedthem.
When I read the New TestamentI am always impressedat the absolute lack of
word in the book of Acts and in the letters of Paul concerning the church and
its ministry. Those early Christians did not go around, as we do today, talking
about what the church cando for you, or about the value of becoming a
member of a church. We talk about that all the time in our day, but they did
not even mention it because they understoodthat the church does not do
anything for anybody. It is Christ who changes lives. It is Jesus who heals a
hurting heart, or touches a lonely spirit, or restores someone burdened with a
terrible sense ofguilt for all the wretchedness andevil of his past. It is the
Lord who forgives and changes, andthis greatapostle states that very
strongly. He wants them to understand that Christ has written this letter, not
him, but they are the witnesses, theirchangedlives are all the testimony, all
the recommendationhe needs that what he is doing is authentic Christianity.

If we applied that test to our churches across this country today, I wonder
how many would have a recommendationin the eyes of the community
around? (Have you got What it Takes?2 Corinthians 3:1-11) (Bolding added)
"SANDWICHBOARDS"
FOR THE SAVIOR
Brian Bell writes that...
Every Christian is an advertisement for Christianity. We judge a store by the
quality of goods it sells;We judge a craftsman on his quality of work;We
judge a Church by the kind of Christians it produces; and therefore the world
judges Christ by His Followers!. Dick Sheppard said, “The greatesthandicap
the church has is the unsatisfactorylives of professing Christians. ” When we
step out into our world everyday we are “openletters”, “advertisements”for
Christ and His church. We are “Sandwichboards for the Savior”!...Whatare
your thoughts when I say, “you may be the only letter from Christ that some
people everread? (2Corinthians 3 Sermon Notes)(Bolding added)
Being manifested - The lives of the saints at Corinth were clearly and
continually (present tense)visible "openletters" that gave obvious testimony
to all men of their radicalnew life in Christ (2Co 5:17-note). This description
implies that these saints lived authentic, transparent lives "in the open" for all
to witness and did not remain sequesteredin a "holy huddle". In the words of
Jesus they did not
light a lamp (their new lives in Christ), and put it under the peck-measure (a
"bushel basket"), but on the lampstand and it gives light to all who are in the
house. (Mt 5:15-note)
Being manifested (disclosed, revealed)(5319)(phaneroofrom phanerós =
manifest, visible, conspicuous in turn from phaino = give light; become visible
in turn from phos = light) is literally "to bring to light" and primarily means
"to make visible" or to cause to become visible. The basic meaning of
phaneroo is to make known, to clearlyreveal, to manifest (see Vine's
elaborationof "to be manifest" below), to cause to be seenor to make clearor
known.

Vine summarizes phaneroo...
in the active voice, “to manifest”; in the passive voice, “to be manifested”...To
be manifested, in the Scriptural sense of the word, is more than to “appear.”
A person may “appear” in a false guise or without a disclosure ofwhat he
truly is; to be manifested is to be revealedin one’s true character;this is
especiallythe meaning of phaneroo, see, e.g., John3:21; 1Co 4:5; 2Cor. 5:10,
11; Ep 5:13. (Vine, W E: Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and
New TestamentWords. 1996. Nelson)(Bolding added)
Thayer says phaneroo means...
to make manifest or visible or knownwhat has been hidden or unknown, to
manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way.
As noted above, Paul uses the present tense to signify that they are continually
being revealedas a letter of Christ, the best letter of commendation any
preacheror teachercould present.
MISSIVES OF
THE MESSIAH
Letter of Christ - Not a letter of Paul or Timothy but of Christ (cp He 12:2-
note "Author and Perfecter"), forthey were but servants ("deacons" -see
below) of Christ, "Who manifests through (Paul and Timothy) the sweet
aroma of the knowledge ofHim in every place." (2Co 2:14). Note that the
Spirit of Christ works in us before and in order that He might work through
us.
Paul uses the well known example of a literal literal as a metaphor. A
metaphor is a commonly used a figure of speech"in which a word or phrase is
applied to an object or action (the changedlives of the saints at Corinth) that
it does not literally denote in order to imply a resemblance" (See terms of
comparisonsimile metaphor).
Rob Salvato asks whatis...

Our strategyfor evangelismas a church? It is You. You as individuals and
families influencing your sphere of influence by living for Jesus. Your light is
going to shine – period – The question is what is it going to reflect! You will
either be drawing people to Christ or pushing them away from Christ by the
way you live, by how you conduct yourself. (2Corinthians 3 Sermon Notes)
Henry Alford commenting on letter of Christ writes that...
He is the Recommenderof us, the Head of the church and sender of us His
ministers. (The New Testamentfor English Readers)
Ray Stedman rightly remarks that what Paul was saying was that...
"everybody can see that Christ has done something to you." That is the only
effective witness the church has in the world today --- the change that Christ
has made so that the people you work with, rub shoulders with, the tradesmen
you do business with, the people you talk to in the normal course of carrying
out your daily affairs ought to see that change. That is the point. There ought
to be such visible evidence of God at work in you that people will say, "What
is this? What's going on? I know your name is Bill, or Jane, or Mary, but
somehow I get the feeling I'm talking to Jesus."Thatis what these early
Christians exemplified. (Have you got What it Takes?2Corinthians 3:1-11)
Hughes remarks that...
A letter of recommendationmust always come from a third party, and the
ultimate third-party recommender is Christ, the Messiahhimself. By claiming
Messiahas the author, Paul was able to claim higher authority for his
credentials than his enemies could claim for theirs. (Ibid)
Bogue comments on Christ is the "Writer" and Christians as His "Letter"...
Christ has blotted out “guilty” and written in “no condemnation.”
He has erased“earthly” and supplied “heavenly.”
Licentiousness has given place to purity, profanity to prayerfulness,
selfishness to love, etc. We judge of the authorship of an epistle, not merely by

the penmanship and signature, which a cleverforger might imitate, but also
by its contents.
A hypocrite, a false professor, is like a forged letter.
Its design. To convey the mind of Christ to men. Men may refuse to listen to
the gospel, but they cannel ignore the testimony of a consistentChristian life.
1. As a letter is written for the purpose of being seen, a Christian should let his
Christianity be visible. We do not write letters merely for the sake ofwriting
them, but that they may be read. So, if Christians do not let their Christianity
be seenin their lives, they defeatone chief end which Christ had in view in
making them what they are. Those who are Christians in name only are in no
sense ofthe term epistles of Christ; ii were vain to exhort such to let what
Christ has written in them be seenby men, for they have nothing to show.
2. A letter being written for the purpose of being read should be legible. A
letter may be so written that it is impossible to make out the writer’s meaning.
Such a letter may be worse than useless, for, owing to its illegibility, it may
convey a wrong meaning. When the letters of men are illegible ii is the fault of
the writers, but this is not the case withChrist’s epistles. He never writes
illegibly. The fault lies on the side of the epistles themselves. Note one or two
things which render writing illegible.
(1) Indistinctness of character. One word may be mistakenfor another, and
thus the whole meaning of a sentence may be altered. And Christians may be
illegible as epistles of Christ through the wavering, unsteady character
imparted to the writing that is in them by their want of decisionfor Christ
and their compromises with the world. What we want is boldness on the part
of Christians in testifying for Christ in their everyday lives.
(2) Blots. Perhaps the most important word in a sentence is completely hidden
by a blot. Alas! in how many cases is the testimony of a Christian for Christ
made of none effectby the unsightly blot of some gross inconsistency, some
dark sin, which the eye of the world rests continually on, and refuses to see
anything else.

3. A letter is written that it may be understood. What prevents letters from
being intelligible?
(1) Omissions. Were the little word “not,” e.g., left out, the meaning of a
sentence would be entirely reversed. In like manner, the lack of one essential
Christian grace-charity, e.g. — if it do not render the characterofa Christian
unintelligible, makes it less easilyunderstood.
(2) Contradictions. We cannotpossibly make out the meaning if one sentence
says one thing and the next the opposite. And haw can men understand our
testimony for Christ if we have one kind of conduct for the Church and
another for the world? (The Biblical illustrator; or, Anecdotes - Page 71)
Marvin Vincent explains a letter of Christ caredfor by us...
An epistle written by Christ through our ministry; that is, you, as the
convertedsubjects of our ministry, are an epistle of Christ. Others explain: an
epistle of which Christ forms the contents, thus making the apostles the
writers. (2 Corinthians 3 Word Studies in the New Testament)
Caredfor or ministered by about which John Calvin remarks that Paul...
says that it was ministered by himself, likening himself, as it were to the ink
and the pen. In other words, he makes Christ the Author and himself the
instrument in order that his detractors may understand that they have Christ
Himself to deal with if they go on speaking maliciouslyagainstHis apostle.
(Calvin's Commentary on 2 Corinthians)
Guzik comments on cared for by us...
Paul's letter of recommendationhas a pen, Paul himself. Written not with ink
but by the Spirit of the living God: Paul's letter of recommendation uses an
"ink" - the Holy Spirit. On tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart: Paul's letter of
recommendation has a "paper" – the hearts of the Corinthian Christians. (2
Corinthians 3 - David Guzik's Commentary)
Caredfor (1247)(diakoneo [wordstudy] derivation uncertain - cp diakonis =
in the dust laboring or running through the dust or possibly diako = to run on
errands; see also study of related noun - diakonia)means to minister by way

of rendering service in any form or to take care of by rendering humble
service.
The root word diakonos refers to one who serves as a waiterupon tables
performing menial duties (see Matt 8:15; 20:28;27:55; Mark 1:31; 10:45;
15:41;Luke 4:39; 10:40;12:37; 17:8; 22:26, 27;John 12:2). Diakoneo conveys
the basic idea of personalservice, and depending on the contextcan mean
specificallyto serve, to wait on, to see after or to care for someone's needs by
performing a service (conveying the sense that help is provided to the one
being served - see Mt 4:11, 25:44, Mark 1:13).
A goodpicture of the meaning of diakoneo is seenwhen Peter's mother-in-law
was healedby Jesus "andshe immediately gotup and waited(diakoneo)on
them." (Lk 4:39) What Peter's mother was doing physically (albeit still a
"spiritual" act), Paul was doing most likely primarily spiritually by
proclaiming the Word of God to the saints and in so doing "caring" for the
needs of their souls.
Mark Hepner states that
A survey of the uses of diakoneo in the NT indicates a basic meaning of
“giving someone whatis necessaryto sustain their physical life.”
Consequently the word is frequently used in the gospels to mean “setfood
before someone” or“waiton someone.”In Mt. 4:11 angels “attend” Jesus in
the wilderness afterhis very long period of fasting. Later on, Peter’s mother-
in-law “begins to waiton” Jesus and his disciples after being healed (Mk.
1:31). Luke relates Martha’s complaint to Jesus that her sister has left her
alone with the “work” ofproviding Jesus and his disciples with a meal (Lk.
10:40). There are numerous other references in the gospels and Acts where
this word is used to denote “serving food to” or “waiting table on” people, e.g.
Lk. 12:37; 17:8; 22:27;Jn. 12:2; Acts 6:2. Beyondthe idea of setting food
before someone to eat, the word may also denote any actof generositythat
supplies what is necessaryto sustain everyday physical life. Luke tells of
women who “supported” Jesus and his disciples out of their own means (8:3;
cf. Mt. 27:55;Mk. 15:41).

The use of diakoneo to refer to the provision of what is necessaryto sustain
material or physical life continues on into the epistles. In Ro 15:25 Paul refers
to his task of delivering and overseeing the distribution of an offering to
alleviate the material needs of impoverished believers in the church in
Jerusalemas “serving” the saints. In 2 Tim. 1:18 Paul remembers with
fondness Onesiphorus for the many ways he helped Paul in Ephesus, surely a
reference to service aimed at meeting the practicalneeds of staying alive.
Finally, the author of Hebrews reassures his readers that Godwill not forget
their past and current practice of “helping his people,” againmost likely a
reference to providing practicalassistanceto God’s people to meet the needs
of day-to-day survival, probably in the face of persecution(Heb. 6:10).
Metaphorically, diakoneo is used to refer to serving people in the interests of
preserving and enhancing their spiritual life with God. Thus Jesus came to
serve by ransoming God’s people from the forces that held them captive (Mt.
20:28). It was also a spiritual service that the prophets of old provided for the
saints in ages to come (1Pe 1:12). Whether referring to physical or spiritual
sustenance, diakoneōgenerallydenotes the practicalacts of service that help
people by supplying what they need to ‘carry on with’ the business of daily
life...
To sum up, this survey of the diakonia word group indicates that the core idea
of ministry is supplying what people need to keepon living as Christ’s body in
the world. Christian ministry is fundamentally a practicalactivity, consisting
of acts of service to others for the purpose of sustaining their life as a
community of faith, promoting their maturity and growthin Christ-likeness,
and enhancing their ability to carry on the mission of Christ. Ministry is
obedient service done on behalf of the Masterfor the benefit of his people.
Ministry is making the needs of fellow believers equivalent to the command of
the Lord Himself and willingly distributing to them what the Masterhas
placed in their hands to meet those needs. (Waiting Table in God’s
Household- A PersonalTheologyofMinistry - Ashland TheologicalJournal
Volume 37. 2005 - Excellentarticle - Note - Annual $50 fee required [click]
but gives accessto 1000's ofarticles)

Note:For numerous additional insights concerning this word group
(diakonos, diakoneo, diakonia)seethe study of diakonos
Augustine rightly phrased it when he said that...
We do the works, but God works in us the doing of the works.
The group of words related to diakoneo (diakonia, diakonos)wordgroup
differs the other Greek word group, douleuo (doulos) which also means to
serve, in that the former word group connotes “service”on behalf of someone
while the latter speaks of“service”as a slave under or subordinate to someone
(as a bondservant or bondslave to the “lord” or “master”). As Richards says...
In Greek thought, both types of service were shameful. The duty of the Greek
person was to himself, to achieve his potential for excellence. To be forced to
subject his will or surrender his time and efforts for the sake ofothers was
intensely distasteful, even humiliating. But Jesus came to serve, not to be
served. In giving Himself for others, Jesus setthe pattern for a transformed
value system. In Christ, serving is the highway to greatness. In Christ we
achieve our full potential by giving, not by grasping. (Richards, L O:
Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)(Ed: Or as John Blanchard
says "Christian service has been dignified by Deity."
TDNT writes that...
For the Greeks service is undignified; we are born to rule, not to serve.
Service acquires value only when it promotes individual development, or the
development of the whole as service of the state (or ultimately as service of
God). If this demands some renunciation, the idea of self-sacrificialservice
finds little place...Byexalting service and relating it to love of God, Jesus both
sets forth a completely different view from that of the Greeks and purifies the
Jewishconcept.
Perhaps you think your work for the Lord is of no eternal consequence, but as
Vance Havner rightly reminds us...
There are no trivial assignments in the work of the Lord.

Every believer is an “openletter” from Christ, because their changedlife will
show God’s work within their heart.
WRITTEN NOT WITH INK BUT WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING
GOD, NOT ON TABLETS OF STONE BUT ON TABLETS OF HUMAN
HEARTS: eggegrammene (RPPFSN)ou melani alla pneumati theou zontos,
(PAPMSG)ouk en plaxin lithinais all' en plaxin kardiais sarkinais:(Living:
2Co 6:16 Jos 3:10 1Sa 17:26 Ps 42:2 84:2 Jer 10:10 Da 6:26 Mt 16:16 1Th 1:9
Heb 9:14) (not: Ex 24:12 34:1) (but: Ps 40:8 Jer 31:33 Eze 11:19 36:25-27 Heb
8:10 10:16)
Moses records thatthe Old Covenant was also written by God...
And when He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave
Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger
of God. (Ex 31:18)
Paul in speaking of tablets of human hearts (which speak of the New
Covenant) is led to recallthe tablets of stone (which speak of the Old
Covenant), and in the succeeding passagesis led by the Spirit to launch into a
description of the superiority of the New over the Old Covenant.
Some have suggestedthat Paul launched into a discussionof the superiority of
the New Covenantbecause some ofthe false teachers did not want to see the
Mosaic systemsetaside.
Written (1449)(eggrapho from en = in or on, + grapho = to write, engrave,
inscribe) is used again in a figurative sense. Paul's use of the perfect tense
pictures the permanence of the Spirit's "autograph" on their hearts and
indirectly speaks ofthe assurance andeternal security of their salvationin
Christ (see otherarticles on assurance). WhenI teach I use erasable markers
which means what I write on the white board is not permanent. It's as if God
used a "PermanentMarker", His Spirit writing irrevocably on our hearts!
Praise the Lord that His writing is permanent and our names can never be
erasedfrom the Lamb's book of life!
Not with ink (melan source of our English word melanin, the pigment that
gives skin its color) refers to any black concretion, which could be ink but

could also be something like charcoal, eitherof which could be used to write
on stone.
Many centuries earlierJob had written...
Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! That
with an iron stylus and lead They were engraved in the rock forever! (Job
19:23, 24)
Not with ink...but the Spirit - Not with visible, perishable materials but with
the invisible, spiritual hand of God's Spirit.
As Brian Bell quips...
We ought to be
Christians in LARGE TYPE!
And I would add we should all be Christians in "BOLD FONT", filled with
Holy Spirit boldness (Acts 4:31, 9:27, 28, 13:46, 14:3 18:26 19:8 Ep 6:20-note
1Th 2:2-note) making us adequate to live out and speak forth the
transforming truth of the Gospelof Grace (Ac 20:24) to a lost world in
desperate needof rescue from the wrath to come (Mt 3:7 Lk 3:7 1Th 1:10-
note)!
Spirit (4151)(pneuma from pneo = to blow, to breathe) in context (cp use 2Co
3:17) refers in this context to the Holy Spirit, the third Personof the Trinity,
Who had causedthem to be born again(Jn 3:5, 6, 7, 8)
Bernard feels that this descriptionof "the mystical imprint of the Divine
Spirit" on their hearts...
this leads him to think of the ancient “writing” of the Law by the “finger of
God” on the Twelve Tables, and to contrastit with this epistle of Christ on
tables that are not of stone but are “hearts of flesh” (Expositor's Greek
TestamentCommentary on 2Corinthians)
JosephBeetcomments...

The Holy Spirit dwelling in the hearts of the Christians at Corinth through
the agencyofPaul and Timothy was an abiding divine testimony to them, to
their converts, and to others that they were sent by God. To the converts, the
presence ofthe Spirit was known directly by the new cry Abba, Father, put
into their hearts and lips, and by victory over sin given to them day by day;
and to others, by "the fruit of the Spirit" in their holy lives. Cp. Ro 8:13-note,
Ro 8:14, 15-note, Ro 8:16-note; Ga 5:22-note, Gal 5:23-note. (2 Corinthians 3
Commentary - online)
James Denneywrites that...
Paul claims no part here but that of Christ’s instrument. The Lord, so to
speak, dictatedthe letter, and he wrote it. The contents of it were prescribed
by Christ, and through the Apostle’s ministry became visible and legible in
the Corinthians. More important is it to notice with what the writing was
done: “not with ink,” says St. Paul, “but with the Spirit of the living God.”
At first sight this contrastseems formal and fantastic;nobody, we think, could
ever dream of making either of these things do the work of the other, so that it
seems perfectly gratuitous in Paul to say, “not with ink, but with the Spirit.”
Yet ink is sometimes made to bear a greatdeal of responsibility. The
characters ofthe tines (“some”)in 2Co 3:1. were only written in ink; they had
nothing, Paul implies, to recommend them but these documents in black and
white. That was hardly sufficient to guarantee their authority, or their
competence as ministers in the Christian dispensation.
But do not Churches yet accepttheir ministers with the same inadequate
testimonials? A distinguished careerat the University, or in the Divinity
Schools, proves that a man can write with ink, under favorable circumstances;
it does not prove more than that; it does not prove that he will be spiritually
effective, and everything else is irrelevant.
I do not say this to disparage the professionaltraining of ministers; on the
contrary, the standard of training ought to be higher than it is in all the
Churches: I only wish to insist that nothing which can be representedin ink,
no learning, no literary gifts, no critical acquaintance with the Scriptures

even, canwrite upon human nature the Epistle of Christ. To do that needs
“the Spirit of the living God.”
We feel, the moment we come upon those words, that the Apostle is
anticipating; he has in view alreadythe contrasthe is going to develop
betweenthe old covenantand the new covenant, and the irresistible inward
powerby which the new is characterized. Others might boastof qualifications
to preach which could be certified in due documentary form, but he carried in
him whereverhe went a powerwhich was its ownwitness, and which
overruled and dispensed with every other.
Let all of us who teach or preach concentrate ourinterest here. It is in “the
Spirit of the living God,” not in any requirements of our own, still less in any
recommendations of others, that our serviceablenessas ministers of Christ
lies. We cannot write His epistle without it.
We cannotsee, let us be as diligent and indefatigable in our work as we please,
the image of Christ gradually come out in those to whom we minister. Parents,
teachers, preachers,this is the one thing needful for us all. “Tarry,” saidJesus
to the first evangelists,“tarry in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with
powerfrom on high” it is of no use to begin without that...
Paul’s ministry wrote the Epistle of Christ upon the Corinthians, or, if we
prefer it, wrought such a change in their hearts that they became an epistle of
Christ, an epistle to which he appealedin proof of his apostolic calling. In
expressing himself as he does about this, he is again anticipating the coming
contrastof Law and Gospel. (2 Corinthians 3 Commentary)
Living God- Markedcontrastwith lifeless ink or dead, coldslabs of stone.
Living God- This greatdescription of the Eternal God appears 28x in
Scripture - Dt 5:26; Josh3:10; 1 Sam 17:26, 36;2 Kgs 19:4, 16;Ps 42:2; 84:2;
Isa 37:4, 17; Jer10:10; 23:36;Dan 6:20, 26;Hos 1:10; Matt 16:16; 26:63;Acts
14:15;Ro 9:26; 2 Cor 3:3; 6:16; 1Ti3:15; 4:10; Heb 3:12; 9:14; 10:31;12:22;
Rev 7:2
Beetadds that Living God

suggeststhe activity of God, ever blessing, protecting, or punishing. After
placing in contrastto the letters written with ink brought by his opponents the
gift of the Holy Spirit, Paul places this gift in further contrastto the stone
tablets receivedby Moses onMount Sinai. And very suitably. For these tablets
of stone, preserved during long ages, were anabiding and visible and famous
witness of the divine authority of Mosesand of the Covenantof which he was
minister. No human hand, but the Hand which made Sinai and the world,
tracedthose venerable characters. Butthey were written only on lifeless stone,
on material apparently the most lasting yet doomed to perish. But the divine
writing of which Paul had been the pen was on living human hearts, destined
to retain and show forth in endless life the handwriting of God.
Not on tablets of stone - A description of the "TenCommandments"
representative of the Old Covenant of the Law. Paul begins to contrastthe
Old Covenantand the New Covenant. The Old Covenant was clearlyexternal
and provided no internal power to live out the commandments. You could
hold the tablets of stone in your hands your entire life but it would never
change your life. The New Covenantministry is an inside job", the Spirit of
the Living God indwelling, empowering and transforming believers from the
inside out!
In other words, the New Covenant which was prophesied in the Old
Testamentprovided a "spiritual heart transplant", Ezekielrecording God's
promise that...
I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take
the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they
may walk in My statutes and keepMy ordinances and do them. Then they will
be My people, and I shall be their God (Ezekiel11:19, 20).
Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I
will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and
you will be carefulto observe My ordinances. (Ezekiel36:26, 27)

Comment: Both of these passages in Ezekieldescribe the New Covenantwhich
was inaugurated by Christ on the Cross. See study of New CovenantPromised
in the Old Testament.
Jeremiahreiterates the prophetic promise of the New Covenant God
declaring...
This (Je 31:31, 32) is the covenantwhich I will make with the house of Israel
after those days,” declares the Lord, “I will put My law within them and on
their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
(Jer 31:33).
Tablets of human hearts - "tables which are hearts of flesh" (cp God's
indictment of Judah's sin - Jer 17:1).
Tablets (4109)(plax)describes a flat, broad surface, tablet or plain (or land),
and in the NT describes a flat stone on which inscriptions are written.
Plax - 2Co 3:3 (2x), He 9:4.
Hebrews 9:4 having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant
coveredon all sides with gold, in which was a goldenjar holding the manna,
and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant;
Plax - 33x in 21vSeptuagint (LXX) - Ex 31:18; 32:15, 16, 19;34:1, 4, 28, 29;
Dt 4:13; 5:22; 9:9, 10, 11, 15, 17;10:1, 2, 3; 1Ki 8:9; 2Chr 5:10
2 Chronicles 5:10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets which
Moses put there at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenantwith the sons of
Israel, when they came out of Egypt.
Human (4560)(sarkinos from sarx = flesh) is an adjective meaning fleshly,
describing that which is made of or consists offlesh. The suffix –inos refers to
the material from which the noun is composed.
Solomonuses a similar metaphor exhorting his readers...
Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write
them on the tablet of your heart. (Pr 3:3) (William Arnot's comment on Pr 3:3
= The Art of Printing) (Proverbs 3:3-6 J Vernon McGee'sCommentary)

Bind them ("my words" - Pr 7:1,2) on your fingers. Write them on the tablet
of your heart. (Pr 7:3)
D Thomas refers to this sectionas "Soul (Heart) Literature"...
Soul literature: — Christianity written on the soul is Christianity —
I. IN THE MOST LEGIBLE FORM.
II. IN THE MOST CONVINCING FORM. Bookshave been written on the
evidences of Christianity; but one life permeated by the Christian spirit
furnishes an argument that baffles all controversy.
III. IN THE MOST PERSUASIVE FORM. There is a magnetism in gospel
truth embodied which you seek forin vain in any written work. When the
“Word is made flesh” it is made “mighty through God.”
IV. IN THE MOST ENDURING FORM.The tablet is imperishable. Paper
will crumble, institutions will dissolve, marble or brass are corruptible.
V. IN THE DIVINEST FORM. The hand caninscribe it on parchment or
stone, but only God can write it on the heart, (D. Thomas, D. D.) (The Biblical
illustrator; or, Anecdotes - Page 70)
Paul Apple writes
The Only Valid Commendation for Effective Ministry = Changed Lives
A. Impressive Disciples - Changedlives evident to all
B. Imitators of Christ - Nurtured by GoodRole Models
1. Producing Christlikeness - “being manifestedthat you are a letter of
Christ”
2. Using us as Spiritual Caretakers - “caredfor by us”
C. Supernaturally Changed – by the Holy Spirit - “written not with ink, but
with the Spirit of the living God”

D. Internally Transformed -- a Matter of the Heart (not external reform) -
“not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts.” (2Corinthians -
Outline Commentary)
David writes of the righteous that...
The law of his God is in his heart; His steps do not slip. (Ps 37:31)
Spurgeon: The best thing in the best place, producing the best results. Well
might the man's talk be so admirable when his heart was so well stored. To
love holiness, to have the motives and desires sanctified, to be in one's inmost
nature obedient to the Lord -- this is the surest method of making the whole
run of our life efficient for its greatends, and even for securing the details of
it, our steps from any serious mistake. To keepthe even tenor of one's way, in
such times as these, is given only to those whose hearts are sound towards
God, who can, as in the text, call God their God. Policyslips and trips, it twists
and tacks, andafter all is worstedin the long run, but sincerity plods on its
plain pathway and reaches the goal.
John Trapp: He hath a Bible in his head, and another in his heart; he hath a
goodtreasure within, and there hence brings goodthings.
Again David wrote...
I delight to do Thy will, O my God; Thy Law is within my heart. (Ps 40:8)
Spurgeon: Yea, thy law is within my heart. No outward, formal devotion was
rendered by Christ; his heart was in his work, holiness was his element, the
Father's will his meat and drink. We must eachof us be like our Lord in this,
or we shall lack the evidence of being his disciples. Where there is no heart
work, no pleasure, no delight in God's law, there can be no acceptance.Let
the devout reader adore the Saviour for the spontaneous and hearty manner
in which he undertook the greatwork of our salvation.
James Denneysums up this sectionwriting that...
Amid all these details let us take care not to lose the one greatlessonofthe
passage. Christianpeople owe a testimony to Christ. His name has been
pronounced over them, and all who look at them ought to see His nature. We

should discernin the heart and in the behavior of Christians the handwriting,
let us saythe characters, notof avarice, of suspicion, of envy, of lust, of
falsehood, ofpride, but of Christ. It is to us He has committed Himself; we are
the certificationto men of what He does for man; His characteris in our care.
The true epistles of Christ to the world are not those which are expounded in
pulpits; they are not even the gospels in which Christ Himself lives and moves
before us; they are living men and women, on the tables of whose hearts the
Spirit of the living God, ministered by a true evangelist, has engravedthe
likeness ofChrist Himself. It is not the written Word on which Christianity
ultimately depends; it is not the sacraments, nor so-callednecessary
institutions: it is this inward, spiritual, Divine writing which is the guarantee
of all else. (2 Corinthians 3 Commentary)
Here is a illustration of a living epistle from Christ = The Life of Adoniram
Judson - Many years ago when the greatmissionary Adoniram Judson was
home on furlough, he passedthrough the city of Stonington, Connecticut. A
young boy playing about the wharves at the time of Judson’s arrival was
struck by the man’s appearance. Neverbefore had he seensucha light on any
human face (cp 2Co 3:18-note, 1Co 15:49). He ran up the streetto a minister
to ask if he knew who the strangerwas. The minister hurried back with him,
but became so absorbedin conversationwith Judsonthat he forgotall about
the impatient youngster standing near him. Many years afterwardthat boy—
who could never get awayfrom the influence of that wonderful face—became
the famous preacher Henry Clay Trumbull. (author of the insightful and
fascinating book The BloodCovenant A Primitive Rite And Its Bearings on
Scripture) In a book of memoirs he penned a chapterentitled: "Whata Boy
Saw in the Face ofAdoniram Judson." Thatlighted countenance had changed
his life. Even as flowers thrive when they bend to the light, so shining, radiant
faces come to those who constantly turn toward Christ!
><>><>><>
F B Meyer's devotional "An Autograph Letter" -
THE APOSTLE Paul's life was made wearyby the incessantoppositionof his
enemies and critics, who soweddiscordin the churches which he had formed

in Europe. Amongst others, they visited Corinth and challengedhim to
produce letters of commendation from the leaders of the Church. With
justifiable indignation he cries:"Why should I carry letters, when my
converts, given me by the Lord, are circulating everywhere, with the attesting
signature of Christ upon them?" Surely they are a sufficient guarantee and
proof that I have been commissionedand sentforth by the Lord Himself.
St. Paul gave utterance to a true and striking description of a Christian
disciple. He is an autographletter, the Author and Writer is the Lord
Himself--"an epistle of Christ." The ink is "the Spirit of the Living God." The
pen is the teacheror preacher of the Gospel, "ministeredby us." The Material
is the heart and life--"not on tables of stone, but on hearts of flesh."
We ought to be Christians in large type, so that it would not be necessaryto be
long in our society, orto regardus through spectacles, in order to detect our
true discipleship. The message ofour lives should resemble the big
advertisements which can be read on the street-hoardings by all who pass by.
The merit of goodletter-writing is to state what the writer wants to sayas
clearly and conciselyas possible. Sometimes we have to wade through long
and wearypages before we can get at the gist of our correspondent's meaning.
Let us take care that the messageofour lives is clear, concise, and
unmistakable.
We are to be pens in the hand of Christ--our sufficiency is of God, who makes
us ministers. Milton's pen had only to yield itself relentlesslyto the hand of the
daughter or amanuensis, to whom the blind masterdictated his immortal
words. And the messageswhichwe are to inscribe on the hearts and lives of
men do not originate in us, but with Christ. If others are used more than we
are, it is because they are more meet for His use (2Ti 2:15-21).
PRAYER- Live in us, blessedLord, by Thy Holy Spirit, that our lives may be
living epistles of helpfulness and blessedness. Maythe Name of the Lord Jesus
be glorified in us. AMEN.
><>><>><>

Keep On Writing - The following poem written by Paul Gilbert is intended to
encourage us as Christians to be persuasive, flesh-and-blood testimonies for
our Savior.
You’re writing a “gospel,” Achapter eachday,
By the deeds that you do, By the words that you say;
Men read what you write, Whether faithless or true;
Say, what is the “gospel” According to you?
Sometimes, however, our writing is done with scratchypens. Maybe it’s badly
blurred and so illegible that God’s messagecan’tbe deciphered.
Hannah More, an outstanding witness for the gospelin 19th-century England,
sometimes felt discouragedabout the quality of her spiritual penmanship.
Although she organized schools forthe unevangelized poor and wrote many
tracts and hymns, she had a low opinion of her effectiveness. This was her
self-appraisal:“Godis sometimes pleasedto work with the most unworthy
instruments—I suppose to take awayevery shadow of doubt that it is His own
doing. It always gives me the idea of a greatauthor writing with a very bad
pen.”
Yet we need not be discouraged. God, the greatAuthor, is able to use even
scratchypens like you and me to communicate His message to people around
us. Regardlessofhow we appraise our penmanship, let’s prayerfully keepon
writing. -- Vernon C. Grounds
We're not calledto work for God,
but to let God work through us.
><>><>><>
Living Stones - I’ve seena number of recentreports about efforts to remove
monuments with the TenCommandments from public places in the US. It’s
regrettable, for the monuments celebrate righteousness,and “righteousness
exalts a nation” (Pr 14:34). I believe that removing these reminders is a
reflectionof our crumbling moral foundations.

There is one enduring monument to righteousness, however, thatcannot be
removed: the truth of Christ, written on human hearts by the Spirit of God (2
Corinthians 3:3).
Those who have the law of God written on their hearts love the Lord with all
their mind, soul, and strength. They demonstrate this love to the world by
showing honor to their parents, faithfulness in their marriage, and integrity in
their work. They respecthuman life and treat all men and women with
dignity and honor. They don’t speak evil of anyone, no matter how much evil
has been done to them. They are content with God and what He has given
them, and they want nothing more. These are the outward signs that God’s
law is alive, written on our hearts “by the Spirit of the living God” (2Co 3:3).
You and I are living monuments to His grace. We must stand tall. The world
is watching. — by David H. Roper
God's laws engraved on our hearts
can never be removed from the public arena.
><>><>><>
W Grant describes....
HOW WE MAY SO USE THIS EPISTLE (referring to the believer a letter
written by Christ) THAT IT MAY SERVE THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH IT
WAS WRITTEN.
We may commend Christ —
1. With our lips. Our conversationmay be an epistle to make knownHis
praises. The circulation of the epistle written with ink — the printed Bible —
is our duty. Even so it is our duty to publish the living epistle. It was intended
to be an open letter, known and read of all men. How many are there with
whom we daily associate who neverread the written Bible, the only hope of
whose salvationis that they may read or hear the living epistle!By our silence
we concealthat epistle from them, and leave them to perish.

2. By our lives. It is in vain that we speak of Christ with our lips if our lives
belie our words. Our actions, like a pen full of ink, trace certaincharacters,
leave certain impressions on the mind and memory of those who see them. In
beholding our actions, have men been led to say of us, “These men have been
with Jesus”?
3. By our character. A man’s outward manner may be in direct opposition to
his inward character. To be true epistles of Christ we must reflectHis image,
not in word only, or in action, but in our dispositions and desires. (W. Grant.)
(The Biblical illustrator; or, Anecdotes - Page 72)
><>><>><>
William Arnot (author of one of the better commentaries on the Book of
Proverbs [Laws from Heaven for Life on Earth] - but only comments on
selectedpassages)has a sermon entitled...
Epistles of Christ
From the example of the MasterPaulhad acquired the habit of gliding softly
and quickly from a common object of nature to the deep things of grace. The
practice of asking and obtaining certificates seemsto have been introduced at
a very early period into the Christian Church, and already some abuses had
crept in along with it. We gather from this epistle that some very well
recommended missionaries had been spoiling Paul’s work at Corinth.
Virtually challengedto exhibit his own certificates, he boldly appeals to those
who had been convertedthrough his ministry, and now he glides into a
greaterthing — Christians are an epistle of Christ. Regarding these epistles,
consider—
I. THE MATERIAL WRITTEN ON.
1. Many different substances have been employed in writing; but one feature
is common to all — in their natural state they are not fit to be used as writing
materials. They must undergo a process ofpreparation. Even the primitive
material of stone must be polished ere the engraving begin. The reeds, and
leaves, and skins, too, which were used by the ancients, all needed
preparation. So with modern paper, of which rags are the raw material. These

are torn into small pieces, washed, castinto a new form, and become a “new
creature.” A similar process takesplace in the preparation of the material for
an epistle of Christ. You might as well try to write upon the rubbish from
which paper is made as to impress legible evidence for the truth and divinity
of the gospelon the life of one who is still “of the earth, earthy.”
2. The paper manufacturer is not nice in the choice of his materials. The clean
cannot be serviceable without passing through the process, andthe unclean
can be made serviceable with it. Let no man think he can go into heaven
because he is good; but neither let any one fear he will be kept out of it
because he is evil.
II. THE WRITING.
It is not Christianity printed in the creed, but Christ written in the heart. A
person’s charactermay be gatheredfrom his letters. How eagerlythe public
read those of a great man printed after his death! Our Lord left no letters, yet
He has not left Himself without a witness. When He desires to let the world
know what He is, He points to Christians. Nay, when He would have the
Father to behold His glory, He refers Him to the saved: “I am glorified in
them.” A Christian merchant goes to India or China. He sells manufactured
goods;he buys silk and tea. But all the time he is a living epistle, sent by
Christ to the heathen. A Christian boy becomes an apprentice, and is now,
therefore, a letter from the Lord to all his shop mates.
III. THE WRITER.
“The Spirit of the living God.”
Some writings are easilyrubbed off by rough usage or with age. Only fast
colours are truly valuable. The flowers and figures painted upon porcelain are
burned in, and therefore cannotbe blotted out. No writing on a human spirit
is certainly durable except that which the Spirit of God lays on. In conversion
there is a sort of furnace through which the new-born pass. In the widespread
religious activity of the day some marks are made on the people — not made
by the Spirit of God— shownby the event to have been only marks on the
surface made by some passing fearor nervous sympathy.

IV. THE PEN.
In photography it is the sun that makes the portrait; yet a human hand
prepares the plate and adjusts the lens. A similar place is assignedto the
ministry of men in the work of the Spirit. Printing nowadays is done by
machines which work with a strength and regularity and silence that are
enough to strike an onlookerwith dismay. Yet even there a watchful human
eye and alert human hand axe needed to introduce the paper into the proper
place. Agents are needed even under the ministry of the Spirit — needed to
watchfor souls.
V. THE READERS.
1. The writing is not sealedor lockedup in a desk, but exposedall the day to
public view. Some who look on the letters are enemies, and some are friends.
If an alien see Christ representedin a Christian, he may thereby be turned
from darkness to light; but, if he see sin, self, and the world, he will probably
be more hardened in his unbelief. Those who alreadyknow and love the truth
are glad when they read it clearlywritten in a neighbour’s life, are grieved
when they see a false image of the Lord held up before the eyes of men.
2. Many readers, however, fail to see the meaning of the plainest letters. None
so blind as those who will not see. Considering how defective most readers are
either in will or skill, or both, the living epistles should be written in
characters both large and fair. Some MSS. are so defectivelywritten that none
but experts can decipher them. Skilled and practisedmen canpiece them
together, and gather the sense where, to ordinary eyes, only unconnected
scrawls appear. Benevolent ingenuity has produced a kind of writing that
even the blind canread. Such should be the writing of Christ’s mind on a
Christian’s conversation. It should be raisedin characters so large that even
the blind, who cannot see, may be compelled, by contact with Christians, to
feel that Christ is passing by. (W. Arnot, D. D.) (The Biblical illustrator; or,
Anecdotes - Page 72)
END OF PRECEPT AUSTIN RESOURCES

BIBLE HUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
"epistles Of Christ."
2 Corinthians 3:3
J.R. Thomson
Some teachers had visited the Christians of Corinth, who boastedof the letters
of introduction they brought with them, authenticating their commissionand
their ministry. Paul needed no such epistles;for the members of the Church
were themselves his epistles;and better still, they were not only his, they were
Christ's epistles, manifestly and undeniably such. The same may be saidof all
true disciples and followers ofthe Lord Jesus;it is an honourable and an
inspiriting designation.
I. THE WRITER - CHRIST. Many great men, especiallygreatthinkers, have
perpetuated their influence and have served their race by their writings. As
poets, philosophers, or moralists, they have made a place for themselves in the
mind of humanity. The greatestofall, the Divine Man, wrote nothing. It is
greaterto be than to write; and the Lord Jesus simply lived and worked,
suffered, died, and conquered. He could not compress and limit his mind
within the compass ofa treatise or a volume. He left his evangelists and
apostles to write of him; his earthly manifestationthus spoke a universal
language. Yet, in a sense, he has always been writing, and he is writing now.
He is still daily issuing epistles to the world.
II. THE EPISTLE - CHRISTIANS. As a friend and counsellor, whenon a
journey and at a distance, communicates by letter with those who need his
guidance and the assuranceofhis interest, so our Lord, though he has
ascendedon high, is ever sending epistles to the children of men. Every
Christian upon whom he impresses his own will, character, andpurposes,
thus becomes Christ's communication to the world, written by his hand, and
authenticated by his autograph. Every individual is a syllable, every

congregationa word, every generationof believers a line, in the ever-
lengthening scroll, which approaches its close as the ages nearthe end.
III. THE TABLET - THE HEART. God does not write on stone, as men did in
ancient monumental inscriptions, or as he once did on the tables of the Law.
Nor on waxen tablets, as men wrote of old with the stylus, in notes of ordinary
business or friendship. Nor on parchment or papyrus, as perhaps these
Epistles of Paul were written. But Christ writes on tablets that are hearts of
flesh. The expression, adapted from the Old Testament, is an impressive one.
In the Proverbs, Wisdom invites the young man to write her precepts upon
the tablets of his heart. By Jeremiah the Lord promised to write his Law upon
his people's heart. Christ takes the human soul and works upon it, and
engraves there his own characters,sets downthere his own signature, and
sends the human nature - so written upon - into the world, to tell of himself, to
convey his thought, his will.
IV. THE AGENCY - NOT INK, BUT THE SPIRIT OF GOD. As in the
processes ofnature we see the operationof the living God, so in grace we
discern spiritual handwriting. The Spirit of God most deeply reaches and
most blessedlyaffects the spirit of man. The Spirit carries truth and love
home to the heart with an incomparable power. He writes upon the soul in
deep, legible, sacred, and eternal characters.
V. THE HANDWRITING AND SUBSTANCE OF THE EPISTLES. What
difference there is in the appearance andin the matter of the letters we daily
receive!They vary in handwriting, in style, in tone, in matter, according to the
characterof the writer, the relation of the writer to the reader, the business
upon which they treat. But there is something characteristic in all - all tell us
something of our correspondents, andof their mind and will. So is it with
these living epistles described in the text. Every epistle tells of the Divine
Writer, bears witness to the Lord from whom it emanates, is evidently written
in his handwriting, and reveals his mind and heart. Every epistle must be so
authenticated by his signature that it cannotbe suspectedto be a forgery.
Spirituality, holiness, obedience, meekness, benevolence, -these are the proofs
that the epistle is the compositionof the Christ. This is to be manifestly,
unmistakably, declared.

VI. THE READERS - ALL MEN. There is some writing which only a few can
read; the characters maybe ill written and illegible, or they may be in cipher,
or the language may be scientific and technical. There are letters of private
business or of personalfriendship, only intended for certainindividuals. But
there is literature, such as the Bible or the law of the land, intended for the
instruction and benefit of all. So, whilst there is religious language only fully
understood by the initiated, by a selectclass -e.g. doctrines, meditations,
prayers - there is language intended for all mankind. The Christian character
and life can be read with profit by all men. They can comprehend the virtues
which adorn the Christian, and which are the manifest signs of the Lord's
spiritual presence. If we are truly Christ's, then his handwriting will be legible
to all men, and all men who know us may gain some advantage through
reading what the Divine hand has inscribed upon our nature. - T.
Biblical Illustrator
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are
changedinto the same image.
2 Corinthians 3:18
Mirrors of Christ
M. Dods, D. D.
1. We should substitute "reflecting" for "beholding." Christians are
representednot as persons looking into a mirror, but as themselves the
mirrors. They who uncover their souls to the influence of Christ reflectHis
glory, and by continuing to do so they attain to that glory. It is as if by some
process the image of a person who gazes into a mirror should not be merely
reflectedfor the moment, but permanently stamped upon it.
2. Recallthe incident which suggestedthe figure. When Mosescame down
from the Mount his countenance shone so as to dazzle beholders;he acted, as
it were, like a mirror to the glory of God. But Mosesknew that the reflection
would pass away, and therefore he put on a veil, that the people "might not

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