Living Letters, Not Legal Arguments
“Not a defense to argue, but a letter to read—His life written in me.”
E. Stanley Jones offers a thought-provoking reflection from the short but weighty Epistle of Jude. He notes something absent in this letter: the phrase “in Christ.” While Jesus Christ is certainly mentioned, the prepositions used are “of,” “for,” and “through.” Why no “in”? Jones points to verse 3, where Jude urges believers to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. This is a call to defend doctrine—something passed down and protected, rather than lived out from within.
Jones then contrasts this “defensive” stance with the deeper spiritual reality of being “in Christ.” Christianity was never intended to be a mere philosophy, moral code, or even a theological structure. It is the Word made flesh, and now it is to be Christ expressing Himself in our flesh—again. When we live from union with Christ, we don’t argue the faith so much as we demonstrate it. Christ becomes visible through us. In that sense, the most effective apologetic isn’t a defense—it’s a display. The Living Word continues to walk the earth in His people.
So while Jude’s emphasis was appropriate for his context—warning against false teachers—it does not define the entirety of our walk. We are not merely carriers of belief. We are containers of Life. Defenders of doctrine may contend, but those who are in Christ radiate. Christ is His own best argument.
Journal Entry — In the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
You are My living epistle, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on the tablet of your new heart. You are not called to merely contend for words, for I have made you a display of My Word made flesh once more.
In Christ, you live and move and have your being, and from this union flows a testimony more persuasive than syllogisms. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for My own possession, that you may proclaim—not debate—My excellencies. I have called you out of darkness into My marvelous light, and now I shine from within you.
The wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits. You walk by My Spirit, not to fulfill the desires of the flesh, but to manifest love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against these things, there is no argument—there is no law.
Let your words always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to respond—not to win, but to witness. Be ready, yes, to give a reason for the hope within you, yet do so with gentleness and reverence. But know this: your most potent defense is your daily dependence. Your clarity in speech flows from your quiet confidence in Me.
So do not fear those who challenge your beliefs. I, the Lord, am your defense. You are hidden with Christ in God, and your life is now an open scroll through which I write My love to the world. Christ in you—the hope of glory—is not a doctrine to defend but a Person to display.
Scripture references: 2 Corinthians 3:2–3; Acts 17:28; 1 Peter 2:9; James 3:17; Galatians 5:16, 22–23; Colossians 4:6; 1 Peter 3:15; Colossians 3:3; Colossians 1:27
My Prayer
Father, thank You for not leaving me to defend an argument, but for making me a vessel of demonstration. I trust You to live Your life through me today—not with clenched fists or sharpened rebuttals, but with open hands and a yielded heart. Let the reality of Christ in me speak louder than any claim. Let my presence be peace, my words be grace, and my responses reflect the gentle power of Your Spirit. I have nothing to prove, because You are everything I possess. And You are enough.
Devotional Credit:
Based on “The Faith Once Delivered” from In Christ by E. Stanley Jones
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