How can we ensure our lives reflect being "written not with ink"? Setting the Scene 2 Corinthians 3:3 declares, “It is clear that you are a letter from Christ … written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” Paul is describing an unmistakable, Spirit-produced testimony—believers themselves become legible evidence of Christ’s work. The Divine Author at Work • God promised this heart-inscription long ago: “I will put My law in their minds and write it on their hearts” (Jeremiah 31:33). • He fulfills it by giving a new heart and His own Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27). • The result is a literal, ongoing miracle: Christ’s character written directly on redeemed lives, replacing cold stone with warm flesh. Practices That Keep the Letters Legible • Walk by the Spirit daily—“walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). • Saturate the heart with Scripture—“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16). • Obey what you learn—“Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me” (John 14:21). • Maintain short accounts with God—“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us” (1 John 1:9). • Stay in fellowship—“not neglecting to meet together … but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:24-25). • Serve in tangible love—“By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Marks of Spirit-Inscribed Lives • Evident fruit—“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). • Practical holiness—“Be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:15). • Enduring hope—rejoicing even in trials because “hope does not disappoint” (Romans 5:3-5). • Generous compassion—sharing resources as in Acts 2:45. • Loyal adherence to truth—“Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching” (2 Timothy 1:13). Witness to a Watching World • “You yourselves are our letter … known and read by everyone” (2 Corinthians 3:2). People read Christ when they read us. • Our lives spread “the fragrance of the knowledge of Him” (2 Corinthians 2:14-15). • As light on a lampstand, we “let [our] light shine before men” so that they glorify the Father (Matthew 5:16). Finishing Thoughts When the Holy Spirit holds the pen and our hearts remain yielded pages, the story of Jesus is freshly legible every day—written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. |
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