Marks of a Believer

We have been bought by the blood of the Lamb and sealed by the Holy Spirit of God.   1st Peter 1 tells us about our redemption in Christ:
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,5who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

That's a glimpse into your story - of who you are in Christ and what He has done for you.  We have been begotten, or born again through Christ's resurrection from the dead, and we have a special inheritance in Him, reserved for you.   You have been called by His name, you belong to Christ, you are His, and He wants to express this wondrous story of redemption through your life.  You have a story, and God is writing it through you - so acknowledge His faithfulness in your life and share what God has done.

In Ephesians 1, we see a passage that gives us insight into who we are in Christ and the fact that we have been marked, or sealed by His Spirit.
11In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,12that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.13In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,14who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
The NIV says that you were "marked" in Him with the seal of the Spirit.

Last week on The Meeting House, Sophia Lee from the WORLD News Group offered some comments based on her recent story about Christians and tattoos.   She wrote that, "Although tattooing is a thousands-year-old practice, only in the last two decades has it punctured mainstream culture and become more accepted, even trendy. Previously, tattoos suggested association with gangs, rebels, and deviant culture, but now even the most cookie-cutter Valley girl can flash a tattoo—or 10."  She cites a 2012 nationwide survey by Harris Interactive found that 23 percent of American adults have one or more tattoos, with 86 percent of the tattooed saying, “No regrets.” Thirty percent of 25- to 29-year-olds have at least one tattoo.

As I mentioned last week, I am not a fan of tattoos.  With respect to Kyle Idleman, who will be on tomorrow's edition of the radio show, I would hope that I am "not a fan" of Jesus, but a follower, but I digress (promotion plug!).

While I do not care for tattoos, personally, I do get that for many, it has become a fashion statement, and Christians can even view etchings on the skin as evangelistic tools.   This brings us to the story of a Florida pastor who off-handedly and sarcastically offered free tattoos to congregation members who wanted them.  

According to MyFoxOrlando.com, during a recent sermon about acceptance, Pastor Zack Zehnder from The Cross Mount Dora offered to pick up the tab for any church member who wanted to get the church logo permanently inked. He related that, "I said it flippantly, not thinking anyone would really take me up on it." As of last weekend, when the story ran, at least seven church members had taken him up on the offer.

Church member Holly Stratton said, "It's a great way to show your faith...It's also a great way to start a conversation about faith."

And the story says that's exactly what Pastor Zack had in mind when he nonchalantly made the offer. He is quoted as saying, "Every tattoo has a story. The landscape of faith has struggled to keep up with the times. So if we can create a way to start a conversation, it doesn't get better than that."

So, whether I like it or not, it appears that tattoos are here to stay. And, even though the Old Testament teaches against them, Sophia quotes pastor John Piper, who said in a recent podcast that he receives emails about tattoos “almost daily.” Tattooing in itself is not intrinsically evil, the popular pastor and author said, but the permanent nature of tattoos—with the painful and expensive cost of removal—may turn them into stumbling blocks later. He basically said - it's not sin, but be wise and skip it.

I do want to zero in on two things that Pastor Zack said:

1 is that "every tattoo has a story".  The other is that "if we can create a way to start a conversation, it doesn't get better than that."  Let me put it this way:  God wants us to share the story of His grace and presence in our lives - He will use a tattoo, He will use all sorts of ways to communicate truth.  Our challenge is to become people who are unashamedly willing to share what He has done in our lives.   And, words of our mouth, the tone of our words, and the actions that we take all become part of the narrative of God's faithfulness to us.

Pastor Zack talked about creating a way to start a conversation.  Monday, I talked about St. Patrick's method of engaging culture.   We can be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He prompts our hearts to build relationships with others and to give us the words to say that will bring His light to a conversation.   We can rely on God to show us how we can engage people in a compassionate and compelling way.

And, one further thing, in a more symbolic sense - let's continue to recognize that we have been bought by Jesus Christ by His blood - just as a tattoo is a physical mark that communicates our story, we realize that He has marked us for life by His Spirit.   Just a physical mark has a sense of permanence, we rejoice in the spiritual mark, the mark of the Spirit, that seals us for eternity.