Title: Traces of Proud
Contents
proud sign
(July 16, 2006) (Galatians 6:17)
When a person is born, with the exception of a very small number of deformed children, all are born with a normal body and clean skin.
However, as you go through life, you will gradually leave traces on your body.
Having a clean body with no signs of shame is truly something to be proud of.
*This year's World Cup soccer player <Zinedine Zidane> became the best player for playing the best game, but also has another shameful record. - It was because he was sent off for hitting the chest of his opponent <Materazzi> right before the end of the finale - Why did he leave such a shameful mark? Sadly - it seems that there was another trace of him before that - but it is said that he was upset that his opponent called Zidane's mother and sister as prostitutes.
Because of the shameful traces of his family, he also left a trace of shame and retired.
Dear saints, even if the wounds heal, the traces do not disappear easily.
Sins are also forgiven and gone - but their traces remain. - I hope that you will do your best not to leave bad or shameful marks.
Of course, not all traces are bad. Some traces are beautiful traces, others are proud traces.
*The traces of being stabbed by broken glass while jumping over someone else's house at night are shameful signs - but the traces of a firefighter who got burned while trying to save someone in a burning house is a respectable sign.
You shouldn't have any shameful marks, but wouldn't it be worth having at least one good trace, a beautiful trace, and a proud trace?
1. There are people with shameful marks in the Bible.
* Naomi from the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament, living in Bethlehem, where God's grace abounds, said that the famine was difficult, so she escaped the famine and went to the land of unbelief to the land of Moab. . - If you leave the church because something difficult happens while you are living your life of faith, you will leave such a mark.
* Samson, who was the best trader among the judges, forgot God's grace and lived a life of debauchery. After becoming a prisoner of the enemy, his eyes were plucked out, and he finally repented with traces of wretchedness and barely carried out his mission.
*Jesus' disciple and lead disciple, Peter, too - fell asleep during prayer time and had the experience of failing to deny that he did not know Jesus three times when Jesus was dying - as a trace of the failure - wept and wept.
Nao, Samson, and Peter have traces of shame, but they are people who have repented and recovered. Thousands of blessings.
However, there are people who are ashamed of their shameful traces and then perish.
*Judas Iscariot, who was Jesus' disciple, - with the traces of a traitor who sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver - failed to wash away the traces and ended his life by suicide and became a failure in hell.
*If alcohol ruins your liver, cigarettes ruin your lungs, fights leave scars, and your wild deeds leave bad rumors - shameful - but those traces can be restored by repenting and living a new life - believe it?
Worse than that - living as an unbeliever and going to hell with only traces of unbelief - is the most unfortunate. - Thank you for knowing that I am not someone who lives only with traces of distrust. - Let's leave a better trace.
2. Some people have a proud mark.
The Apostle Paul, who wrote half of the New Testament, is indeed a man with a lot of proud marks.
(Philippians 3:5-6) “I was circumcised on the eighth day, of the house of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the Law a Pharisee; la"
*I was circumcised on the 8th day after I was born. - It's a proud sign.
*I am not a Gentile, but an orthodox Israeli nation. Among them, Jacob, the ancestor of Israel, had 4 wives, and among the 4 wives- if they were of the tribe of Benjamin, they were descendants of Rachel, the wife of the concubine, not a concubine.
* Among the Jews, there was a group of you, and among them, the largest and most orthodox sect is the Pharisees, and Paul is the Pharisees.
*He was a man who was spotlessly clean in the law by thoroughly following the law - a great pride.
I hope there are many of you who fit into this.
The Apostle Paul said that although he had all these beautiful traces, he later did not take pride in them. - Why? - Because there are more beautiful traces. - What could be more beautiful and more proud than all these traces?
3. Let's have the best trail.
Let's read today's text aloud together - (6:17) "Let no one afflict me from this point on, for I bear the marks of Jesus on my body" - Amen !! Amen !!! Amen !!!
*The first day I met Jesus - Paul who had the traces of seeing the light of heaven, becoming blind, and seeing again.
* Hearing the voice of Jesus - Paul who has repented and has become a new person.
* This is Paul who has the traces of being persecuted because of Jesus.
*Paul with the marks of being beaten because of Jesus.
*Paul with the traces of being imprisoned because of Jesus.
*It is Paul who met many difficulties because of Jesus.
After experiencing all these things, Paul's outlook on life changed.
Before, I thought that I was proud of having a good family, I thought that I was proud of being a mother, and I thought I was proud of belonging to a good school - after knowing Jesus and experiencing persecution and suffering because of Jesus - I became more proud of it.
Listen to Paul's confession recorded in (Philippians 3:7-9) - "But whatever things that were useful to me, I counted them all as loss for Christ's sake, and I also counted all things as loss for the sake of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of nobility I have lost everything for him and count it as waste, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him. My righteousness is not of the law, but it is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.” - Amen !!
He boasted that he had a good family and that he kept the law - not really boasting - that he was most proud of believing in Jesus and becoming a righteous man through the grace of Jesus, and boldly said that even suffering is a beautiful sign if he believes in Jesus and suffers because of Jesus.
Dear Kyungil Church members, what are you proud of? What marks are you proud of?
It doesn't matter if the family isn't something to be proud of. It doesn't matter if your academic background isn't something to be proud of. Even if there were traces of sin, that is no big deal. - Now, we are people who have the marks of believing in Jesus.
Please make more traces.
Traces of loyalty for Jesus, traces of service for Jesus, traces of hard work for the church, the body of Jesus, traces of giving up on the world because of Jesus I pray that you keep many traces in your body and mind.