New Creation Path Devotional-To Whom It Is Written
Romans 1:7 — “To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people.”
1 Corinthians 1:2 — “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.”
2 Corinthians 1:1 — “To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia.”
Galatians 1:2 — “To the churches in Galatia.”
Ephesians 1:1 — “To God’s holy people in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:1 — “To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons.”
Colossians 1:2 — “To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 1:1 — “To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 1:1 — “To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Timothy 1:2 — “To Timothy, my true son in the faith.”
2 Timothy 1:2 — “To Timothy, my dear son.”
Titus 1:4 — “To Titus, my true son in our common faith.”
Philemon 1:1–2 — “To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your home.”
James 1:1 — “To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.”
1 Peter 1:1–2 — “To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood.”
2 Peter 1:1 — “To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours.”
2 John 1–2 — “To the lady chosen by God and to her children, whom I love in the truth, and not I only, but also all who know the truth, because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever.”
3 John 1 — “To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.”
Jude 1 — “To those who have been called, who are loved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.”
(All Scripture quotations from the NIV)
There are a lot of passages listed above, but if you look closely (or even not that closely), you’ll see a pattern. These are all the books of the New Testament, minus the four Gospels, Acts, Hebrews, 1 John, and Revelation. They are all letters written by Paul, James, Peter, John, and Jude.
Because they are letters, they are addressed to specific people or groups. That’s the pattern. But there’s something else to notice: every one of these letters, except for James, is addressed to people who have already committed themselves to Jesus Christ, people who have called on Him as their Lord and who are part of the body of believers. 1 John is also written to believers, though it doesn’t begin with a formal greeting. We can see who it’s intended for by reading the letter itself. Hebrews is written to those with a Jewish understanding of God, connecting what they already knew to the revelation of Jesus as Messiah. James, on the other hand, is addressed to “the twelve tribes,” referring to the twelve tribes of Israel from the book of Exodus.
The reason I’m pointing all this out is to highlight who these books are for. The Old Testament is the history of the one true God and His relationship with mankind through His chosen nation, Israel. It tells a story of faith, sin, redemption, prophecy of a greater covenant to come, and the perfect law God requires of His creation. But most of all, it’s a story of relationship between the Creator and His creation.
The New Testament is the fulfillment of that promised covenant. It begins with the historical record of the covenant’s arrival of the coming of the Messiah, the Redeemer of fallen creation.
The four Gospels record the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. They are for all people, because all have sinned and all are in need of salvation. In them, God takes on flesh and gives Himself up for our redemption, calling all creation to trust in Him or remain bound to the Law that condemns sinners to death.
The book of Acts follows as the historical record of the first believers, where they took the Gospel (“Good News”) and how the message spread. Acts, like the Gospels, is for all people.
The book of Revelation is the prophecy of what is to come, the completion of God’s plan for His creation. Because it concerns all creation, it too is for all people.
That brings us to the letters, the epistles, of the New Testament.
I believe it’s highly important to understand that these letters were written to those who have already made the commitment to follow Jesus as Lord, to those who have confessed with their mouths that Jesus is Lord and believed in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead. These are people who have repented of their sins and are walking in faith. The people who have been Born Again by the Spirit of God, who are New Creations.
Each letter carries a similar structure:
They begin with admiration and encouragement for the believers being addressed.
They include prayers for those recipients.
They teach about who God is, who Jesus is, and how we as Christians are to relate to Him and to one another.
They offer guidance for living out the Christian faith, what attitudes and actions naturally flow from knowing that Jesus is Lord and that He loved us enough to die for us.
And finally, they often close with words of hope, greetings from fellow believers, and a prayer.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, these letters are for you. They are directed to you, the believer. They hold the mysteries of God and reveal the fullness of His relationship with those who belong to Him. For those who have not yet received the Gospel, much of what’s in these letters won’t make sense.
Have you ever heard a nonbeliever say, “I’ve read the Bible. It has some good teachings, but it’s full of rules so I don’t think it’s for me”?
I believe that happens because we often skip over the love of the Gospel and expect those who don’t yet have it to live by the fruit that only flows from it. If you are a Christ follower, you should have a burning desire to know Him better through the Gospels (for all), through Acts (for all), through Revelation (for all), and through the Old Testament (which sets the stage for it all). But the letters, the epistles, are where your faith deepens. They reveal what doesn’t make sense to the world.
Don’t expect the unbeliever to live by the standards of a Christ follower when they are still under the Law and destined for judgment. What they need first is not moral instruction but love, understanding, and hope; and that’s what the Gospel is.
My Prayer
Father God, thank You for the Bible and for Your plan for creation.
Thank You for making it simple, and help us not to make it complicated.
Thank You for salvation, and for the letters that help us understand it more deeply once we’ve received it.
I pray that those who don’t know, or don’t want, the Gospel will have a change of heart.
I pray that those of us who do will share it faithfully and obediently.
Lead us through love, so that we will lead others in love.
Show us Your holiness, so that we may understand our lowliness.
I love You, Lord.
In Your holy name I pray,
Amen.