A Marked Man

You have heard this statement at some time in your life. It could mean that such a person would bear a stigma of reproach for the rest of his life. It could mean he had done something or said something that he would never be able to escape.

There was a man in the New Testament who was also a marked man. You know him as Paul and he will tell you that he bore in his body “the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Gal. 6:17). These marks were borne gladly. He was not ashamed of these.

I. HE IS MARKED AS A SERVANT OF CHRIST

Paul was not ashamed to call himself a servant of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:1). To him, this is a thing of great honor and privilege (I Tim.1:12). His service to the Lord was not a burden to be endured but rather a privilege to enjoy. That is the reason he would put all that he had into the task. He was concerned about pleasing his master. What about you and me; are we marked in this way? Can people say, “those folks will serve the Lord”? Does pleasing Him mean as much to us as it did to Paul? It should.

II. HE IS MARKED AS A SOLDIER OF CHRIST

There is absolutely no doubt about Paul being a soldier of the Lord. He refers to Epaphroditus as a fellow-soldier (Phil. 2:25). If Epaphroditus was a fellow-soldier, by implication, Paul is a soldier. He would encourage Timothy to be a good soldier (II Tim. 2:3- 4). As a soldier, Paul would bear in his body some of the scars of battle. Take a look at his list in II Corinthians 11:23-25. He was beaten and bruised. Yes, he is marked as a soldier.

III. HE IS MARKED AS A SUFFERER FOR CHRIST

Wasn’t it Paul who said, “all they that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (II Tim. 3:12)? How well Paul knew this to be true. He would be a living demonstration of the fact that such was true. He could become a living commentary of this fact. But this did not deter him from the task that was before him. He would not falter. His only objective was to finish the job he had been assigned no matter what suffering was before him (Acts 20:24). He was unmoved by the obstacles and would press on no matter what the price might be. HE WAS MARKED FOR ETERNITY!

-Winfred Clark