Monday June 27, 2016

Be The Epistle Of Christ

-2 CORINTHIANS 3:1-6

Key Verse:

"Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men" (2 Corinthians 3:2).

Very often, we assume that the best way to show appreciation to our pastors is to compliment them for the uplifting messages they preach. There is of course, nothing wrong with complimenting your pastors. But that is not their greatest expectation from you, nor the source of joy to them. Pastors are happiest when members of their congregation reflect the messages they have been hearing. Apostle Paul, in this epistle to the Corinthian Christians, told them that he had no need for self-praise or human applause from them to prove that he was making a success of his ministry. He would rather like to see that they had accepted God's holy injunctions, believed the gospel of Jesus Christ, and imbibed the words he preached to them. And that as a result, their lives had been changed for good. To Paul, all these were not the work of man, but that of the Spirit of God, to whom he ascribed all the glory, while recognizing his limitations as a human being. His ultimate joy therefore, was when he saw the extent of the positive change that had taken place in the Corinthian Christians. The greatest credit a Christian can accord his pastor is to exhibit a life free from sin and all forms of corrupt tendencies. This does not only give the preacher joy, but reinforces his faith in God, and strengthens him to work even harder for God and his congregation.

Thought for the day: A Christian's life is an open book that tells others about Jesus Christ.

Bible Reading in one Year: 1 KINGS 17 - 18