Mark of Human Being

A few years ago, Odon gave us a message about birth marks.  Today I am summarising that message and including my own examples.

God gives us a mark (like a birth mark) and those marks define us and are signs of our natural abilities.  Some people can do 3 things at once while others must think 9x before doing just one thing.  Some people fear exams and others just joke with exams.  These are physical marks but there are also spiritual marks which are more important than physical marks. 

For example, I watched Will Smith hitting Chris Rock at the Oscars and I was shocked.  This made me feel sick.  Then the award ceremony continued and then he won the award and to make things worse, Will Smith justified his actions.  I know he has since apologized but at the time, it was incredibly shocking and there didn’t seem to be any consequences for hitting someone.  I thought, if Chris Rock had been a woman, how differently it would have been handled.  I wondered, is Will Smith always this angry?  Is Will Smith mentally ok?  Is this who Will Smith really is?  Will Smith has natural abilities (marks) of acting, singing, dancing and comedy.  What are his spiritual marks?  Which then made me ask myself, what are my spiritual marks?  Am I any better than Will Smith?  Just because I don’t physically hit people, does it make it any better when I talk about others behind their back or when I feel angry or impatient in my heart against people?

The soul of Abel complained to God.  God gave a sign for a dead body.  Although our bodies die, life continues.  God asked Cain, “Why did you kill your brother?”.  God put a sign on Cain so no one would kill him.  In Genesis 4:15, it says, “But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him”. 

 

Sometimes God comes to us as sinners and He realizes that if He thinks about those sins, He will kills us or others will kills us so He puts a sign on us.  It’s called grace.  That mark of grace is more important than anything, more important than my life.  We don’t deserve grace but it is given to us.  It is priceless and can’t be exchanged.

 

The first mark of being a human being is seen in Cain where he didn’t use the mark of grace properly.  Cain didn’t say sorry.  Like us today, when we are wrong, we don’t say sorry, we struggle with humility.  This was the same with Will Smith, at first he struggled with humility (we’ve all been there) but later he apologized in a written statement.  It doesn’t justify what Will did and he is still accountable for his actions but that’s how grace works.  God still holds us accountable when we sin (we reap what we sow), but grace means that we are saved from the wages of sin which is death.

Moses was also given a mark.  When Moses came down from the mountain after meeting with God, his face was shining.   Moses covered his face so people could look at him.  When you were born again, the love you have for God shines through you.  After a while Moses’ shining face disappeared and that is the same with Christians.  We first shine brightly but after a few years, we lose our love for Christ.  Does Jesus still shine in my heart?  Does He still shine in your heart?

People knew Jesus was from God because of the miracles.  How do people know if you are from God?  What is the difference between you and fake Christians?  Your fruits, the fruit of the Holy Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control, and faithfulness.  If Will Smith had just one of these fruits, he would not have reacted the way he did.  I’m not judging Will Smith because I’m definitely not any better (I don’t hit people or yell at them but I can lack self-control when it comes to my thoughts or kindness when it comes to gossip or peace & gentleness when I’m feeling stressed). 

 

Nicodemus asked God how to be born again and God humbled him by reminding him that at his level, he should know.  Humility is a good sign and we must all keep it.  It’s pride that makes us act badly.  Will Smith was offended by the joke and anger rose up and he lashed out.  Stay humble, keep the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  These are the marks of Jesus in us.  The signs that we belong to God.

In Luke 15 we read about the prodigal son.  His sign/mark was money.  This kept him from being with his father.  What keeps us from our Father?  Money, family, job? 

Envy has a distinctive mark.  What is your spiritual birth mark?  Is it your actions, your praying, your gifts?  Whoever has the seal of the Holy Spirit can’t remove that seal.  Why did God save me, why did God give me grace while others deserve more than me?  God is making us to be members of His family.  God wants us to take a role in His family.  We must first know who our Father is and what He likes and doesn’t like.  We have been invited into God’s family and we must spend time with our family.

Questions to ask ourselves

• 1.     Does God have room in my life?
• 2.     How shall I make God happy? Do I give God the first place in my family?
• 3.     How is my conversation with members of God’s family?
• 4.     What’s the sign/mark on me?  Does it prove that I belong to God? 
• 5.     Remember your first love, when you first become a Christian.  What did you tell God?  That is your birth mark.

In summary, the mark of God on us is grace.  Grace can’t be bought, can’t be exchanged and can’t be deserved.  If I have grace then I need to remember that I have grace despite what I have done (not because of what I have done).  I can’t judge others and think they don’t deserve grace but instead give them God’s grace.  I must be grateful everyday for God’s grace and use the gifts and talents God has given me for His glory.  I must also share God’s grace with others and bring them into God’s family also.