Scars

In our family devotion today we read Galatians. We are starting a new study method of Scripture which reads the books of the Bible in chronological order. The format looks like this for the New Testament:

Galatians
1 Thes
2 Thes
1 Cor
2 Cor
Romans
James
Mark
Matthew
Philemon
Colossians
Ephes
Luke
Acts
Phil
1 Tim
Titus
1 Peter
2 Peter
2 tim
Hebrews
Jude
John
1 John
2 John
3 John
Rev

As we were reading this great Pauline work a passage struck me that I have read a thousand times but have never really considered personally. “From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. ” Galatians 6:17

In the past my reading of this text has been focused on the ministry of Paul in context to his opposers. I have always considered this to be a passage of great awe as I think of how Paul was not only verbally, emotionally, spiritually, and financially persectued, but how physically abused he was from those that refused to hear that God’s justification of you and I comes soley on the basis of faith. Listen to his list of abuses he endured for the sake of the forward progress of the Gospel, the expansion of the Kingdom of God, and for the glory of Christ: Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one–I am talking like a madman–with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 2 Corinthians 11:22-30

This is not a man that casually agreed to some propositional facts about Jesus the King. This is a man who was so enthralled by the very person of Christ that he left his agenda, turned from his hateful and wicked ways of openly persecuting Christians, and became a herald for this great King. He became a messanger of the Messiah. He became a publisher of peace that now offered a pardon from the King to all who would believe. He boldly proclaimed Christ and called all to leave their selfish pursuit of their agenda and follow the Kingdom agenda of the King. Repent and believe means the same. It means to turn from your course to follow that of another, and to adopt with belief in mind and heart expressed in life that of another- namely Jesus.

I feel that we have a very diminished concept of what it means to be so radically committed to our King, so thoroughly enraptured by His grace, so utterly dependent upon His righteousness and power, that we drop all we have and want which opposses and hinders our progress to follow this King. The reason I am stunned when I consider the wounds and persecution Paul endured, and I sit with jaw dropped awe, is because this is totally foreign to me. To be so enveloped with Christ and so committed to living for His glory and fame, that I would actually receive pysical scars in my body from being beaten, scourged, stoned, and left for dead because of my love for Jesus and my life’s work to make Him look good to those who hate Him, is absolutely crushing in our day of easy-believism, seeker sensitive, felt-need, candy sweet Christianity. God had a wonderful plan for Paul’s lilfe, and that plan included the crushing of Paul until his physical scars became trophies which he carried with him and treasured all the way to his head being severed from his body.

May God grant me such passions and affections for Christ that I would be willing to loose limb and life, goods and family, all so I can say with Paul “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain!” Philipians 1:21.