“Do we need… letters of recommendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. You show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For… the Spirit gives life…
“We all… beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. This comes from the Lord who is the Spirit….
“What we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
“We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God, not to us.” 2 Corinthians 3:1b-6,18; 4:5-7
Paul adorns his beloved Corinthian church with a new identity- that of letters of recommendation. He had invested in their spiritual enlightenment and growth, and their very changed lives spoke as evidence of the Spirit’s indelible imprint through the gospel shared. His and every other missionary’s efforts were merely a conduit through which the Lord had worked. Each believer was a commendation of gospel power, transformed to proclaim His excellencies and convey His light to the world. (1 Corinthians 3:5-7; 1 Peter 2:9)
In any evangelistic effort, the good news we share defends itself. As we proclaim, there is no room for boasting, only clear presentation of God’s truth and dependence on His Spirit to illuminate it. The joy, peace, security, and purpose our lives convey recommend the gospel to all who would hear it. Honesty, sincerity, and love do much to promote acceptance of God’s words as they are driven by and laced with the gracious Spirit of God.
Who has written into our lives? Have we thanked them for taking the time, prayer, and care? How is the Spirit actively working now?
Does the love of Christ so compel us that we delight in living for Him and making Him known? Whom has the Lord placed in our path who needs the gospel? How are we communicating His ministry of reconciliation, and to what extent are we willing to go so His name is written on other hearts?
How regularly do we pray with a missionary mindset? We have not because we ask not. In our homes, workplaces, and circles of influence, who stands as a letter of recommendation of the gospel because of the Spirit’s applying our message? We never know how the Lord might use our faithfulness to effectuate new creations. (2 Corinthians 5:14-6:10)
“My name is graven on his hands,
My name is written on his heart.” ~Charitie Lees Smith (1863)
Lord, may my life recommend You in every way, and by Your Spirit, make a difference in leading others to embrace Your gospel, to Your glory.
