I am writing today from the beautiful Tampa Bay area.

The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you. Clearly, you are a letter from Christ showing the result of our ministry among you. This “letter” is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 NLT

As humans we tend to gravitate towards legalism. We feel more holy about ourselves by posting memes on Facebook about how the ten commandments should be exhibited at court house squares and schools. Never mind the fact that God never told anyone to post them on courthouses or schools. He wanted it to be much closer to home than that.

And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.Deuteronomy 6:6-9 NLT

Some took the “bind them on their foreheads” literal and sewed them into their clothing. What could be wrong with that? Nothing, unless by doing it outwardly they were missing the inner application. Just like some have taken Jesus literally when He said to cut off the body part that causes you to sin. I think He simply meant to remove the temptation. What really needs to be changed is the heart. Cutting off body parts won’t do any good unless the heart is changed. Likewise posting things on our clothing and doors wont do any good unless the heart is changed.

I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 11:19 NLT

Now don’t go doing surgery on yourself! Let God perform this surgery. Doing it ourselves is very legalistic and futile. David realized how futile his own works and efforts were when he asked God

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Psalms 51:10 NLT

David’s legalistic attempts to cover his sin and make things righ led to one mistake after another-even murder! David finally understood He could not fix the problems himself legalistically, and handed the scalpel over to God and asked Him to perform the surgery.

It is quite legalistic to think that literally cutting off body parts and posting the law on courthouse walls will make us pure inside. So, if you are campaigning to have the ten commandments posted on courthouse walls and school halls, may I ask you, are these same laws already written on your heart? After all, while God never spoke of writing the law on schoolyards and courthouse lawns, He did speak of writing them on your heart.

I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts.Jeremiah 31:33 NLT

When God does this, we won’t need to campaign for the right to post the laws in our schools and courthouses. Whatever building we enter the law will be there, right inside of us. Like Paul said,

The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. 2 Corinthians 3:2 NLT

You may study this week’s SS lesson here.