The epistle of Christ

“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.” (2Cor. 3:3).

When we write a book, we put our thoughts on paper or on a USB or on an email. We use a pencil or pen, or a qwerty pad of some device.

But, that’s not what Jesus used to write His book. People were His medium of communication. And His Spirit was His tool of writing, His utensil of communication.

He moved on them, for them to see this or that, to hear this or that, to know this and that. And then, by His inspiration they wrote what they had seen and heard and learned. Then their every thought, word, and action was His testimony. They became His auto-biography. They became His self portrait.

“Search the scriptures;…that ye might have life” (John 5:39,40). “They are they which testify of Me.” (John 5:39).

But, in the same breath He also said, “In them ye think ye have eternal life: and … ye will not come to Me.” (John 5:40).

A leadership who believed they were the called of God could not find in scripture the testimony of their Messiah. They couldn’t hear Him or see Him or know Him. The priests couldn’t see Him working in the new hearts and new spirits of redeemed Adam and Enoch, Noah and Heber, Abraham and Judah, Jephthah and Samson, David and Solomon. The Pharisees would never realize the handiwork of the Creator in Job and Lot, Moses and Aaron, Elisha and Naaman. They wouldn’t receive the blessing of recognizing what Jesus could do in them what He had done in Hezekiah and Manasseh, “Joshua the son of Josedech” and his sons (Zech. 6:11, cf Ezra 10:18), Samuel and his sons, or Jacob and his sons. Have we lost the ability to see His handiwork in others present and past?

The scriptures never came alive to them by understanding that their God, “the only true God” (John 17:3), works with sinners. The Creator of heaven and earth is the Recreator of soul and spirit, One who will keep sacred the high privilege of individuals’ choices to be forgiven and saved, or not to be. But, whosoever would allow the holy God of truth to convict them of their defects in character, all who would wrestle and surrender to His condemnation of their sin, would be brought to the Messiah to be justified by faith. They would drink of the water of life freely, and be sanctified by beholding Him in the long human history of the weak in faith.

“None have fallen so low, none are so vile, but that they can find deliverance in Christ.… No cry from a soul in need, though it fail of utterance in words, will be unheeded. Those who will consent to enter into covenant relation with the God of heaven are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own nature. They are invited by the Saviour, ‘Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me.’ Isaiah 27:5. The spirits of darkness will battle for the soul once under their dominion, but angels of God will contend for that soul with prevailing power. The Lord says, ‘Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? ... Thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.’ Isaiah 49:24, 25.” Desire of Ages, p. 258.

Those priests and rabbis and Pharisees would have discovered that the heart’s unspoken appeal is heard by a prayer hearing God.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2Tim. 3:16).

There was no reason for their hearts to wax fat and greasy, their minds to fall asleep at the presence of the words of truth.

Certainly, “doctrine, … reproof, … correction, … instruction in righteousness” are what we see all through the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy. Shouldn’t that give us confidence that surely they are truly inspired by God? But, have the doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness become tasteless to us today? Are they no longer palatable to the run-of-the-mill Adventist? Do they “do nothing for me”? Are they as dry as the hills of Gilboa? Or, are these essentials our bread and butter? Are they the Schoolmaster bringing us to Christ?

Maybe you’ve heard it said, “What? Doctrine? And, reproof! Correction and instruction in righteousness? Are you kidding? What about basketball or golf? Give me that. Let me live off of movies and soaps and comedies. Let me drool over the lives of the rich and famous. ‘Give me Jesus’? ‘Prayer is the breath of the soul’? Hahahaha, lol. Give me a sip of alcohol or a breath of medical cannabis.”

“Those who will consent to enter into covenant relation with the God of heaven are not left to the power of Satan or to the infirmity of their own nature. They are invited by the Saviour, ‘Let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me’ Isaiah 27:5. The spirits of darkness will battle for the soul once under their dominion, but angels of God will contend for that soul with prevailing power.” Ibid. p. 258.

Kindly speak to these deluded ones of the “old paths, wherein is the good way” (Jer. 6:16), and many will have rest for their souls. The desperate, needy ones who can hear will hear. They will “ascend into the hill of the LORD” (Ps. 24:3); they will drink in Jesus and “sit together in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph. 2:6), even “to day” (Luke 23:43, cf Rev. 2:7; Rev. 11:12). Tell them that they will be heard by the great Physician, and they “shall stand in His Holy Place”. (Ps. 24:3). Each one will have “clean hands, and a pure heart”, and will not lift “up his soul unto vanity” (Ps. 24:4). “He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” (Ps. 24:5).

And it will not be said of them, “Ye will not come to Me that ye might have life.” (John 5:40).

But rather it will be said, “This is the generation of them that seek Him, [O Jacob] that seek Thy face…. Selah.” (Ps. 24:6, cf Hos. 6:2; Eph. 2:6; Col. 1:13).

And their names will be entered into the last days’ Hebrews 11 hall of faith book of life. Jesus will be their wisdom and goodness, and His epistles of recommendation. And they will be His workmanship. They will be Jesus’ trophies, His objects of glory. “They shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon His land.” (Zech. 9:16). “They shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” (Mal. 3:17).

“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2Cor. 5:17). “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.” (Matt. 24:14).

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.… For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2Cor. 5:19,21).

And the humbled Adventists and Protestants, reborn and polished, will preach it.