"Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."— 2 Corinthians 3:2-3
Paul was given the privilege of writing 14 books of the New Testament—letters, or epistles, inspired by the Holy Ghost. Yet, those were not the only epistles he wrote in his lifetime. By God’s grace, he also produced living, breathing epistles—the lives of those touched by his ministry. The world around them could read and see the power of the gospel he preached.
You and I will never be granted the grace to pen Scripture, but we may very well be privileged to produce these living epistles—hearts and lives transformed by the gospel we preach and live out before others.
I thought about Paul’s handwriting—his letters carried a distinct mark, unmistakably his. Then I considered the handwriting in my own life—the fingerprints left behind by those God used to write His truth upon my heart.
In the early chapters of my life, you would find the handwriting of Patricia Taft, my grandmother, and Joe Taft, my grandfather. These two took me to church when no one else would. They prayed for me and brought me to the feet of Jesus before I even knew what they were doing.
Then, in my adolescent years, the handwriting of David and Jolie Taft, my parents, became evident. Their lives had been changed by the power of the gospel, and they began writing Christ on my heart. Then came preachers—too many to name—who left their mark as well.
In my early twenties, you would find chapters written by Bud Stiltner. In my late twenties and even to this day, there are pages bearing the handwriting of David Phillips. My life is an epistle, written by the faithful hands of those who took time to minister to me, to write the gospel and the glory of God into my story.
But now, I ask you—will your handwriting be found in the life of another? Will your fingerprints be left upon a heart for the glory of God?
It won’t be the house you leave behind that commemorates you, nor the sum of money you amass. What will endure is the gospel written on the hearts and lives of people because you took time to invest in them.
Paul asked, “Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you?” (2 Corinthians 3:1). What validates us as servants of Christ? A letter of recommendation, or the evidence of lives changed for the glory of God? The latter, of course.
If you want to leave this world commended for your usefulness, get busy writing Christ on the hearts of everyone you come in contact with.
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