Column- What are the marks the Lord Jesus?

[瑤翰 김요한]

Column - What are the marks of  the Lord Jesus?

“From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” (Galatians 6:17)

1. At one time, people used to say that the scars Paul bore on his body from being beaten so many times were the marks (stigma) of Jesus.

This is extremely disrespectful to a master of the gospel like Paul.

Even if Paul had become a wounded warrior through the gospel of Christ, he wouldn't be the type to testify that he bore the marks of Jesus, or the stickers of Jesus, on his body.

A few days ago, I laughed at a pastor who, after preaching the word for decades, honestly(?) confessed his shame, saying he would have to diligently believe and wear the marks of Jesus on his body.

This is the pinnacle of humanistic faith.

2. The Galatian church began with the Holy Spirit through Paul's preaching, but was swept up in Rome's preferential treatment of the Jews, and the leaven of the flesh, boasting of the flesh, was introduced, becoming flesh (Galatians 3:3).

The sinful nature of humankind, born in Adam, constantly seeks to make the flesh master of the soul.

Flesh hates being a servant of the soul more than death..

That's why humanism and liberalism are so preval‎ent.

These are the ones who are now contributing significantly to the Laodiceanization of churches worldwide.

They talk about the Holy Spirit, but they see it only as a gift or influence, not the Spirit of Christ who truly exists.

It's always Jesus, Jesus alone.

Therefore, they consider believing in Jesus the gospel.

They speak of the gospel of the cross, but the preaching of the cross is not applied within them; it is always external.

Consequently, the marks of Jesus is not in their bodies.

3. At first, they confessed that nothing was more precious than the Lord Jesus. However, as they became absorbed in church work and ministry, at some point, they became the master of their own actions, their own accomplishments, and their own tasks. 

As a result, even though the Spirit of the Lord dwells within them, they are as in John 11:30 that Christ, the resurrection and the life, stand there with nothing to do.

Isn't today's Christianity a still image of Christ, the resurrection and the life, in the very place where people once believed in and welcomed Jesus?

And yet, they are urging people to walk with Jesus and hear his voice.

This is a reflection of their own desire to believe, act, and be satisfied with their own fleshly will.

Although they repent, it is only about right and wrong, good and evil, and it is a stubborn refusal to repent and cross over with Christ through the atonement of the cross (Romans 2:5).

So, they accumulating the scourge of God's wrath, they look at their own accomplishments and their own faces in the mirror, and speak of the marks of Jesus.

As proof, they become a withered tree in his old age and spends his nights awake, struggling with illness.

4. The marks of Jesus that Paul speaks of is the new self created within him, cut off from the world by the cross of Christ (Galatians 6:14-15).

He is a newly created being, united with Christ and bearing His image.

He boldly declares that no one should slander him, for he has been created in the image of Christ in his body.

Those who do not apply the preaching of the cross of Christ to themselves and cry out, "This is the old self, the false self, and we must put it to death," will not vanish from their old self.

How can we tame our souls with the will of the flesh?

Only the word of Christ's cross can born again us, renew us, and enable us to live by the power of his life through the Spirit of the Lord.

Therefore, there is peace and mercy for those who practice the discipline of bearing the cross of Christ (Galatians 6:16).

The marks of Jesus is not the power of physical passion, but the peace and mercy that flow from a gentle smile.

Written by Pastor. Yohan Kim

Translated by Missionary Nancy Kim

COME AND SEE WORLD MISSION

TO GOD BE THE GLORY