A LETTER FROM GOD


Paul wrote "You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men. Clearly you are epistles of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. " (2 Corinthians 3:2-3). The key features of this statement are:

  1. We are an epistle, or revelation known and read by all men.
  2. This revelation is of Christ himself.
  3. It is written by the Spirit of God.
  4. It is written into our very lives.

It is God's eternal purpose for every Christian, that we should be "conformed to the image of His Son" (Romans 8:29) so that He may reveal His Son in us (Galatians 1:16) through His character, His power and His ministry.

This is not something that we can do ourselve in our own strength. It is the work of God in us to "transform us, through the renewing of our minds" (Romans 12:2) day by day until we are a clear revelation of the Son of God in the Father's eyes. God is the potter and we are the clay (Jeremiah 18:1-6, Romans 9:21). We have not nor can we form ourselves. He forms us into what suits Him. We are His workmanship, "redeemed from all iniquity, and purified unto himself ... zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14).

Neither does God conform to our expectations. If God chooses to display His infinate generosity through one vessel, and in another vessel display the suffering of His beloved Son, that is not for us to descide. "Shall the thing formed say to him who formed it, why have you made me thus ?" (Romans 9:20). Consider Job, who suffered great loss at the hand of God, through the ministration of Satan. He repented of his self righteousness realising that "God can do anything" (Job 42:2). More importantly he realised a profound truth about his redeemer (Jesus), which was "too wonderful" (Job 42:3) for him to understand at the time. Job knew that his redeemer would come and stand upon the earth and resurrect his body from the grave (Job 19:25-26). What he did not understand was the need for Jesus to suffer in order to redeem him. Now he understood. Now "his eyes had seen" (Job 42:5). With this understanding came assurance, restoration and blessing (Job 42:7-17).