08/13/2020
Many Christians once led an intense life of sin and unrighteous behavior before hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ and recognizing its truth. In those days they harmed their bodies, but Jesus said “Come!”, and brought them to the Father where those sins were forgiven, and their spirits renewed with life. But, what of their bodies that were damaged, and the marks of the world that still remained after their conversion? Well, some heal, but others serve as reminders of past sin, and how it leads to death.
“But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”
Romans 8:10 ESV
Before meeting Jesus, many of us sinned against God by doing such sinful things as participating in an excessive consumption of alcohol that left livers damaged, committing sexual sins that brought on debilitating diseases, and did other things that exhibited a general disregard for their bodies, which harmed the temple of God.
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV
Yet, although the bodily evidence of past sin might remain, the spiritual penalty of it does not. After being saved, the Apostle Paul did many wonderful things for the kingdom of God, and his faith was remarkable. The redeeming grace of Christ brought him into the presence of God, and endowed him with spiritual life, but he continued to write, and pray, about a bodily thorn; a mark of past sin which remained...
“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-9 ESV
Sin leaves marks on our bodies, and sometimes on our minds, but our spirits, which are eternal, are spared, and given new lives. Our promise is that on the day when Jesus returns, we will also be given new bodies to go with our spirits. On that day Paul will find that his thorn will be gone, and we will have our damaged bodies healed as well. However, until then we need to be reminded that the wages of sin is death so that we can remain firm in our belief, and faith.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23 ESV
Although we have personal thorns we have received as reminders to us, the horrific marks on the body of Jesus are also there because of our sin. He was without sin until He took on the sins of the world, our sins, to redeem us... and these marks of His suffering and crucifixion remain. They are reminders to us of the price He paid to redeem us. His face was beaten beyond recognition for us, He was torn by the whip for us, nailed to the cross for us, and His side was pierced deep by the spear for us... He bears all these terrible marks that rightfully should have been ours, but His Spirit was given life. These marks are our amazing and eternal hope, and they go further than the simple reminders that we carry in our own bodies today. Though we suffer, we can’t suffer as He did for the world, but as we face death, we can be reassured that He defeated sin for us, and that we will be resurrected as He was... if we believe in Him, and have faith in these things... He is our wonderful and everlasting Savior, redeemer, and hope for eternity.
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
Paul prayed three times that his thorn be removed, but it was not God’s will that it should be taken away. Do you have a thorn that you carry from some past sin? If so, how many times have you prayed that it be taken away, and are you certain that it benefits you to have it removed? How many times have the marks on your body served as a witness to you, and others, of where you once traveled, who you once were, and how far you have come in faith? Are the Thorns pressed into your head serving you as an ever present witness to a larger Love, hope, and truth?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the marks left behind by the sins that we have committed. Let them be to us a constant reminder of who we once were, and that we have been so blessed by you during our transformation into righteous men and women of faith. Help us to see more than the pain, embarrassment, and shame of these thorns we bear, but give us instead a clear vision of the progress we have made towards righteousness. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who loves us so much that you have sent your only begotten Son to take on our sins, and bear the greater marks of our sin for us. We praise your name Lord for the mercy and grace you have given us as gifts. We lift up your Holy Name in song and worship as we thank you for reminding us of the death that awaits everyone in sin, and redeeming us from those sins through Christ. You are mighty Father, and by faith we accept the hope, and promise of eternity with you. Take us into your arms, call us your children, and forgive us our sins through the cleansing blood of Jesus. We love you a Father, and long to be with you forevermore.
“Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.”
1 Corinthians 15:49-53 ESV
Rich Forbes