Galatians 6:16-18 — Bearing the marks of Jesus

 READ THIS: Galatians 6:16-18

16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.  17 From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.  18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
 
WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

We've made it to the end of Galatians, wow!! Here we see Paul give his final words, which are really more of a prayer, to the believers there. First, we see Paul pray for peace and mercy for all who follow a certain rule... what's that about? Either Paul means those who are under God's rule and follow Him, or he means those who follow the rule God has set before us through Jesus and through His Word. Either way, we learn that as we submit ourselves to God and follow Him, we can expect God to bless us with His peace and mercy.

The other interesting thing here is Paul saying that he bears the marks of Jesus on his body. He wasn't crucified, so what's that about? Paul is saying that the marks of Jesus are on him because he has lived a life of suffering for Jesus! Paul was literally beaten and whipped often during his journeys, so he may have actually had scars on his body. But whether that is what he meant or not, we learn here that when we suffer for Jesus, Christ's mark is left on us! Let that be a reminder to keep fighting when suffering feels difficult.

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Is it easy for you to submit to God and trust in His plan? Why or why not?

2. Suffering for Jesus looks very different for us than it did for Paul... but what would it look like for you to suffer for Jesus today?
 
TRY THIS:

Think of people in your life that you can pray for, and ask God to give them peace, mercy, and grace today!

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 26, 2023 at 3:16 PM

    If we suffer when we are trying to live by Jesus’s rules for our lives, are we suffering for Him?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Grace Student MinistriesMarch 28, 2023 at 10:35 AM

      Absolutely! When we choose to live by Jesus' rules and not our own, that can be a kind of suffering for us, and we are doing it for Jesus!!! 1 Peter 3:13-15 can help explain that some more!!!!

      Delete

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