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“Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ” (2 Corinthians 3:3).
The word “epistle” simply means a letter, usually a long one, that gives us instruction. That is why quite a few of the books of the Bible in the New Testament are called epistles. They were written to believers by apostles like Paul, Peter, or John in order to teach them more of the things of the Lord. But you and I, as believers, should be like epistles to unsaved people; our lives should display Christ to others, so that they can learn about Him from watching us, just as if they were reading a letter. We should do this in the right way.
Many years ago, a Christian young man asked his father, “Isn’t it all right to have some pride in myself? If I didn’t have some pride in myself, I wouldn’t comb my hair, shave my face, dress properly, and be polite to others.” His father wisely answered, “Son, if you always remember that you belong to Christ and represent Him in this world, you will look after all the things you have mentioned and yet not have pride connected with it.” It was a good answer, for we do not act in a right way in this world mainly for our own sake, but rather because wherever we are, we should be “the epistle of Christ,” “known and read of all men” (2 Corinthians 3:2-3).
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