What Are You Reading: Marks of Christ

well hello and good morning welcome to what are you reading and this morning we're actually going to jump into the end of galatians i just finished this book up just a few days ago and there was a particular phrase that just grabbed my attention and sort of had a little devotional impact just to me personally and i wanted to share it with you so if you would if you have your bibles jump been with me if not just go ahead and you're going to listen to this and it's the very end it's essentially Paul signing off as he writes this letter to the Galatians and just a little bit of context here throughout this book he's been sort of correcting them of some behavior and some things that are happening in the church and people essentially getting to a place where they think a particular action that they're talking about circumcision and uncircumcision and these actions and who's worthy of salvation because of them. And Paul is saying it is not that, it's all Christ. And so, you know, he has gone through this long explanation of all of this and he gets to the end of it. And in verse 14, he says, May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me and I and to the world. Neither circumcision or uncircumcision means anything. What counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, to the Israel of God. And now here comes the good part, verse 17. Well, the good part was before that too, but what we're going to focus on. Verse 17, from now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. And then he signs off, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. And so the phrase that got me, and I kind of paused over it, was the marks of Jesus. and that just sort of um i ended up scribbling down some some notes the marks of jesus and you think things like holiness gentleness kindness and yes those are marks of a heart turned to jesus but what he's talking about is the the marks the scars the physical scars on his body much like the ones of christ because he was crucified carried those scars and so it got me to thinking about how we tend to be drawn to the the good things which are wonderful things but we're drawn towards the marks of Jesus being holiness in us and again nothing wrong with those but what if we focused also on the marks of Jesus being the very things that we're suffering through and they can leave scars and so it was kind of funny was I was been on Pinterest the other day and I was just scrolling through. And for some reason, you know, sometimes ads pop up and it was this little article and it said, um, something about people turning scars on their body. Like, you know, they've had surgery or something and turning them into clever or cute tattoos. And I clicked on it and I was looking through it and I'm like, wow, these people are so creative, but talk about using a scar and transforming the way that it looks. And that just got me to thinking that, you know, when we view our scars, our marks, as marks of Jesus, when they are marks for the gospel, when they are marks, and you know, sometimes we're called to suffer. We're called into suffering. We're called into a season of suffering or something we're waiting through, literally waiting or wading through. Those can be times that leave scars, and yet whenever we turn them and use them for the glory of the kingdom, are they not then marks of christ are they not now not in the same aspect as paul is saying where he's saying he's had physical um physical scars as in being abused for the gospel but what about those scars in our hearts that for situations or things that have happened in life or you know loss of a loved one or financial insecurity or you know those seasons of life where you're just you're struggling and what if those scars are then used in light of the gospel and they can become marks of Jesus because his steadfast love carried you through those marks so it just it made me think of that and somebody said recently I don't even remember who the pastor was and I saw it on Instagram and he said you know grace is not anti-effort it's not anti-effort it's just anti-action based on faith you know faith is not action based but it doesn't mean it's not anti-effort and so our effort even in those moments where we're being scarred or we're being born that can be all called to the glory of god when we say god's walking me through this and so you may bear scars you may even bear physical scars from an ailment or something but what if they are marks of christ because you glorified the lord through them i'm thinking of a particular friend and just the scars that she carries physically on her body and yet they are the marks of christ because they glorified the kingdom all through them and there were physical reminders of how faithful he was in the moments of her like darkest moments of her life so anyways that's just my little bit of encouragement for you i think i said everything i wanted to say but you know just that you know he makes those scars shine all the all the brighter and so you know what i guess just take time today and think about what marks do you bear what scars do you have in life and do they glorify the lord are you using them unto his glory so if you would would you just pray with me heavenly father lord we just thank you today we thank you that even in the midst of trials and through circumstances that do leave scars lord that you are steadfast that you are faithful and that you use all things together for good and lord we just thank you and praise you and ask that you would lead us as we glorify you each and every day and especially with those scars and those marks that are for christ lord send your son jesus christ name we pray amen all right thank you so much and i will see you sometime next week

Originally published at warren.church.