TOPIC:“The Marks of the Master”
“For I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Galatians 6:17)
When Dwight L. Moody, the great evangelist of the 19th century invited Henry Drummond, another preacher at that time, to speak at the Northfield Bible Conference, some of Mr. Moody's friends thought it was a mistake. They reminded him that Mr. Drummond held some views of science that they thought could not be reconciled with the Bible. Mr. Moody replied, “I cannot say I agree with all his notions, but he is more like Jesus Christ than any man I know, and that is the reason I want him at Northfield.”
“More like Jesus Christ.” That statement, I say, proves the point that we do remind people of someone. We have heard people say, “He's a traitor like Judas.” “She's a doubter like Thomas.” “He's a hypocrite like the Pharisees.” And so on some rare occasions people say like they did to John the Baptist, “Who art thou?” (John 1:19) thinking he might be the Christ. Or again like Mr. Moody said of Drummond: “He is more like Jesus Christ than any man I know.”
At this time the Apostle Paul's credentials as an Apostle and the message he preached was being challenged by the Judaizers. Now in order to end such trouble Paul makes use of the term “marks.” In New Testament times the Greek word for “marks” was used of the brands to identify one's ownership of cattle or slaves. Here Paul identifies his beatings, stonings and sufferings as marks of his being a slave of Jesus Christ. These physical scars and wounds identified Paul as one who suffered for His Lord.
Here we find a Christ-likeness in everyday living exhibited by the Apostle Paul. He bore the marks of his Owner, the Lord Jesus Christ. If this could be said about more Christians, I believe, we would have an ingathering of lost souls. Now the question: What are some of the marks of being like Christ?
To begin with, there is the mark of . . .