Grace in Galatians (Part 199) – Your Scars Are God’s Stars

https://youtu.be/Oi81V_b6HmE?si=Hr3tARPgkG0HOo6p

Today, we continue our focus on THE YEAR OF DISCOVERY, as we learn to maintain our posture of faith after God has revealed His plans for our future.

As part of this series, I am teaching a verse-by-verse exposition of the book of Galatians.

Key scriptures for this year:

2 Peter 3:18 GNT“But continue to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Savior, Jesus Christ. To Him be glory now and forever.”

Luke 10:20 Mirror“It’s time for you to rediscover who you are from Heaven’s perspective.”

1 John 3:10 Mirror“There is a very visible and vast difference between living one’s life from your God identity or from a fallen man’s mindset.”

Proverbs 25:2 NKJV“It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.”

Jeremiah 29:13 NIV“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Scripture we will study today:

Galatians 6:17 TPT“From now on, may no one cause me trouble, for I carry on my body the marks of Jesus.”

Galatians 6:17 AMPC“From now on let no person trouble me [by making it necessary for me to vindicate my apostolic authority and the divine truth of my Gospel], for I bear on my body the [brand] marks of the Lord Jesus [the wounds, scars, and other outward evidence of persecutions—these testify to His ownership of me]!”

Supporting scriptures:

Matthew 7:6 TPT“Don’t give what is holy to the dogs. Don’t toss your pearls before swine. If you do, the pigs will trample the pearls with their little hooves, and then turn around and tear you to pieces!”

2 Corinthians 11:24-27 TPT“Five different times I received thirty-nine lashes from the Jewish leaders. Three times I experienced being beaten with rods. Once they stoned me. I’ve been shipwrecked three times, and I spent one terrible night and day adrift in the open sea! In my many travels, I’ve been exposed to perils from rivers, from robbers, from my own people, and from foreigners. I’ve survived deadly dangers in the city, in the wilderness, with storms at sea, and with spies posing as believers. I’ve toiled to the point of exhaustion and gone through many sleepless nights. I’ve frequently been deprived of food and water, left hungry and shivering out in the cold, lacking proper clothing.”

2 Corinthians 4:10 AMPC“Always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to such a violent death as Jesus suffered, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 TPT“Have you forgotten that your body is now the sacred temple of the Spirit of Holiness, who lives in you? You don’t belong to yourself any longer, for the gift of God, the Holy Spirit, lives inside your sanctuary. You were God’s expensive purchase, paid for with tears of blood, so by all means, then, use your body to bring glory to God!”

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 TPT“The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves! Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself has written it. Not with ink, but by God’s living Spirit. Not chiseled into stone, but on tablets of human hearts.”

Setting the Stage:

Today, we move forward into Galatians 6:17. Paul has spent the entire letter defending the gospel of grace against religious troublemakers. He has answered every accusation. He has corrected every distortion. He has declared the cross as his only boast. And now he draws a line.

In verse 17, Paul says, “From now on, may no one cause me trouble, for I carry on my body the marks of Jesus.” Read that. From now on. Paul is done arguing. His body is his evidence. And the same boldness Paul walked in is available to you and I today.

So, what does this mean for you today? A few things.

1. There Comes A Time To Stop Defending Yourself And Let Your Life Do The Talking.

Paul says, “From now on, let no one trouble me.” Paul is done. He has spent six chapters defending the gospel of grace, defending his apostleship, and defending the truth that righteousness comes by faith, not by works. He has answered the Judaizers point by point. And now he says, ENOUGH. There comes a moment in every believer’s walk when you realize you cannot argue someone into truth they have already decided to reject. So you stop wasting energy on defense, and you let your life become the proof.

How this applies to you:

— Some battles are not worth fighting twice. Once you make your case, you leave it alone, and people either accept it or not. 

— Paul did not stop preaching the gospel. He just stopped DEBATING the gospel with people who had decided not to receive it. There is a difference between preaching truth and arguing for it. Preach. Don’t argue.

— I know some believers are called to be Christian apologists. These are people who defend Christianity in debates against other religions. I am not an apologist. I thank God for those who are. God has called me to live my life and minister the Gospel. For the most part, my life speaks for itself. People are drawn to my life more than my words. Actually, my life is what gives my words weight. When people look at my life, they listen to my words. 

— Stop arguing. Start living.

— Religious people will trouble you. They will try to make you doubt your standing in Christ. They will quote Scripture out of context. They will weaponize verses to control you. Paul says, no more. You do not owe religious troublemakers a debate. You owe them love and the truth, but you do not owe them a debate.

— Matthew 7:6 TPT says, “Don’t give what is holy to the dogs. Don’t toss your pearls before swine. If you do, the pigs will trample the pearls with their little hooves, and then turn around and tear you to pieces!” Read that. The gospel is a pearl. Not everyone is ready to receive it. And if they are not, Jesus said, move on.

— The most powerful preaching you will ever do is the life you live, not the words you speak.

— Walk into today with the freedom of knowing that you do not have to prove yourself to anyone. Jesus already proved you. The cross already proved you. The blood already proved you. You are free to stop defending and start living.

2. Paul’s Body Was His Apostolic Credential.

Paul says, “for I carry on my body the marks of Jesus.” What marks? Paul had been beaten with rods three times. Stoned once and left for dead. Shipwrecked three times. He had been whipped with 39 lashes on five separate occasions. He carried scars from cities where he preached the gospel, and people responded with violence. His body was a walking testimony of a gospel preached at great personal cost. He did not need a piece of paper to prove his calling. He had the receipts on his skin.

How this applies to you:

— Paul’s resume was not on paper (or parchment back in his day). It was on his body.

— 2 Corinthians 11:24-27 TPT says, “Five different times I received thirty-nine lashes from the Jewish leaders. Three times I experienced being beaten with rods. Once they stoned me. I’ve been shipwrecked three times, and I spent one terrible night and day adrift in the open sea!” Read those words. Paul lived a hard life for the gospel. And every scar he carried was a receipt.

— The Judaizers had no scars. They had a comfortable religion. Paul had a life sold out for Jesus.

— I want you to picture a young convert in the Galatian church, hearing Paul’s letter read aloud. He gets to verse 17 and he asks, “What marks?” And someone who knew Paul personally says, “He has been beaten in city after city. He has been imprisoned. He has been stoned. He has been left for dead. And do you remember being told that Jesus received 39 lashes? Guess what? Paul received that five times. THAT is, what marks.” The room would have fallen silent. Because nothing silences a religious critic like authenticity.

— He’s some good news: God turns scars into stars. What looked like the price Paul paid for the gospel became the platform God used to spread the gospel. What the enemy meant to silence Paul, God used to amplify Paul.

— 2 Corinthians 4:10 AMPC says, “Always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to such a violent death as Jesus suffered, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies.” Read those words. Carrying about in the body. Your body is the canvas on which the gospel is painted. Every act of obedience, every sacrifice, every yes to Jesus, every refusal to compromise is a part of the picture God is painting with your life.

— You may not be called to be stoned, beaten, or shipwrecked. But you ARE called to live a life that is visibly different because of who you belong to. There is supposed to be a notable difference between the way you live and the world. Yesterday I was at a golf tournament and was with a foursome. The other three men in my group were all in corporate America. They all knew each other and had very strong similarities. It was clear to them and to me that I was different. I didn’t have to say much, but before I knew it, the one who was in the golf cart with me started asking questions, and I was able to minister to him. 

— 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks us for a reason for the hope that they see in us. They will never see hope in you if you are just like them. In other words, they will never come to you asking for your source if they believe that your source and their source are the same source. 

3. The Marks Of Christ Are Earned. The Marks Of Religion Are Worn.

The Judaizers had marks, too. They had the mark of circumcision. A religious symbol was cut into their flesh in an act of conformity. They wore their marks as a badge of religious belonging. They could show their marks to other Jewish believers and say, “See, I am one of you.” Paul had different marks. His marks were not chosen. Not religious. They were not cosmetic. His marks were the result of preaching the gospel of grace in a hostile world. There is a difference between marks you wear to belong to a religious group and marks you carry because you belong to Jesus.

How this applies to you:

— Religious marks are cosmetic. Christ-based marks are costly.

— The Judaizers could show off circumcision and say, “Look how religious I am.” Paul could show off scars and say, “Look how much I love Jesus.” Which one preaches louder?

— Credentials are not commitment. Credentials point to what you have done. Christ-based sacrifice points to what God has done in, with, and through you. When you sacrifice for Jesus, you are not proving how committed you are to Him. You are demonstrating how committed He is to YOU. You are not striving in your own strength. You are simply yielding so He can live through you. That is the beauty of #TheGraceLife. The marks on your life are not the proof of your effort. They are the proof of His grace.

— Stop being impressed by what people wear or what they say about their own accomplishments. Be impressed by what they have endured; what they have sacrificed to become the man/woman God called them to be.

— Galatians 6:14 TPT says, “As for me, the only thing I can boast about is the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Read that. The cross. Not titles. Not religious accomplishments. Not platforms. The cross. And the cross is not just a piece of jewelry. It is the place where you have died to yourself in order to live for Jesus.

— Live so that your life carries the marks of a person who has truly walked with Jesus.

4. When You Truly Belong To Jesus, Your Life Shows It.

Paul is saying he carries the marks of Jesus because he belongs to Jesus. He is not his own. He has been bought with a price. And when you truly belong to Jesus, your life shows it. Not in religious cosmetics. Not in church attendance alone. Not in spiritual jargon. Your life shows it in how you respond to trials. In what you give up. In what you carry. In how you love. In where you serve. You can say all your want, but your life is your loudest testimony.

How this applies to you:

— Bigger than words, your life is your loudest sermon.

— 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 TPT says, “Have you forgotten that your body is now the sacred temple of the Spirit of Holiness, who lives in you? You don’t belong to yourself any longer, for the gift of God, the Holy Spirit, lives inside your sanctuary. You were God’s expensive purchase, paid for with tears of blood, so by all means, then, use your body to bring glory to God!” Read those words. You don’t belong to yourself any longer. Jesus owns you. You belong to Him. Your body, your time, your gifts, your resources, your relationships all belong to Him too.

— Your mess becomes a message. Your test becomes a testimony. Your scars become stars. The very pain you thought would disqualify you becomes the platform God uses to reach people only you can reach.

— I want you to picture two believers walking into the same difficult season. One is religious. When the trial hits, he panics. He doubts. He calls God’s goodness into question. The other has a relationship with Jesus. When the trial hits, he leans in. He prays harder. He worships louder. The difference is who they belong to and who they trust in. And everyone watching can tell.

— The world is waiting for believers who LIVE the gospel, not just speak it. People come up to me all the time, like they did yesterday while I was at a golf tournament, to tell me how much they appreciate how my life represents Jesus. Most of these people have never heard me preach, so it’s not about my teaching. It’s about my living. 

— 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 TPT says, “The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves! Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself has written it. Not with ink, but by God’s living Spirit. Not chiseled into stone, but on tablets of human hearts.” Read those words. Your very life is a letter. People are reading you. They are reading your responses. They are reading your decisions. They are reading your priorities. Make sure the letter they are reading points to Jesus.

— Walk into today knowing that you do not have to talk about Jesus to preach Jesus. Sometimes the loudest sermon you will ever preach is the way you live every ordinary day. Live like you belong to Him, because you do!

Declaration of Faith:

Father, I belong to Jesus, and my life shows it!

I stop defending myself today. I let my life do the talking!

I carry the marks of a believer who has walked with Jesus!

My mess becomes my message. My test becomes my testimony. My scars become stars!

I refuse religious cosmetics. I embrace Christ-costly living!

My credentials are not on paper. They are on my life!

I am not my own. I was bought with a price!

The world is reading my life. I live to point to Jesus!

Stop arguing. Start living. That is my new rhythm!

I am living THE GRACE LIFE, and GREATER IS COMING FOR ME!

I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!