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In the old days of raising cattle when there were no fences cattle free ranged on vacant land. Periodically the ranchers would gather their cowboys and chuck wagons and gather all the cattle and separate them based upon their branding mark. They would also gather up the unbranded calves and see how they paired up with their mommas and receive that same branding mark to identify which rancher they belonged to.
God also marks his people.
Under the Law of Moses that mark was circumcision. It wasn’t a branding mark that could easily be viewed from horseback. It was a private personal mark that was only viewed by its recipient. I mean if God wanted everyone to see it he could have had an ear notched or some other visible mark.
Let me suggest that the mark was for the recipient to remind him of who he belonged to.
Contrast that with how God marks his people today. Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 state that he seals (marks) us with his Holy Spirit. Other scriptures suggest that happens once we have been cleaned in the waters of baptism.
Look at the similarities and differences.
Circumcision is a physical mark on a new born sinless baby (male only) that only the recipient can see. Perhaps as a reminder that he belongs to God.
Sealing with the Holy Spirit is an inward mark given to those who have been washed clean in the waters of baptism both male and female. It is a mark of ownership and provides a level of protection against Satan who dares not to trespass.
Sealing with the Holy Spirit is far far superior to physical circumcision because it changes us inwardly and helps us “walk by the Spirit” so we can grow into the image of Jesus Christ. Circumcision can't do that.
Even in a day of fencing cattle ranchers still mark their cattle to identify them and prevent theft. But ranchers don’t have much of a relationship with their cattle they all still go to slaughter.
God marks his people today and makes his home within them. If you haven’t been marked by God you belong to Satan and during the great round up you could be pastured in Hell.
God is waiting to put his mark on you don't neglect it.
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit was given to specific individuals for specific purposes. The same is generally true in the New Testament.
Jesus gave the eleven disciples a mission that must have seemed impossible to them. To go out to the whole world and make disciples.
Imagine the questions that must have risen… is Jesus speaking literally or figuratively? How are we supposed to travel to “all nations”? How will we finance this? What about the languages?
Of course the trump card in all this was the promised Holy Spirit… never seen and barely understood.
Look with me at the drama in Acts 2, 50 days after Jesus was crucified.
They were all gathered in one room and a great noise like a great mighty rushing wind (Pnoe). I don’t know how long it lasted but imagine the sensory stimulation… mydriasis and shock. And then the visual stimulation “divided tongues like fire” sitting upon them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Pneuma) and began to speak in other tongues (languages)
The words “wind” and “spirit” are related to each other (Pnoe and Pneuma) doubtlessly the disciples connected the dots.
Recall what Jesus said in Luke 12:49…
“I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what do I desire, if it is already kindled?”
When Jesus poured the Holy Spirit (better experienced than explained) on the world he started a fire that could not be extinguished and whatever the doubts the disciples might have had when Jesus issued the “Great Commission” to them were extinguished.
Let it burn baby… let it burn.
In Genesis 11, the whole earth spoke the same language. The people decided to build a great city with a tower reaching toward heaven and make a name for themselves.
God reasoned that if he allowed this then nothing would be impossible for them. So God took away their ability to communicate with each other by giving them different languages. They were babbling to each other and were confused and thus were scattered over the whole earth.
In Acts 2, God poured out the Holy Spirit to allow his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to anyone of any language. Language was no longer a barrier.
At Babel, God confused their languages to scatter the people. At Pentecost, God overcame those language barriers to gather people together in the great name of Jesus Christ.
With a gathered united people God could build his own great city… the Church.
Believe and be baptized, receive God's Holy Spirit, and enjoy life in the greatest city ever built.
There’s a magical mirror mentioned in the scriptures. It’s a mirror that doesn’t reflect physical features but reflects our spiritual condition.
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (James 1:23-25)
James describes a man who looks in the mirror and walks away unchanged. Paul describes a Christian who beholds the Lord's glory and is transformed.
As we turn our lives over to Christ, something wonderful happens.
Gradually, we eliminate sin and replace selfishness with service, hatred with love and pride with humility.
Until when we look in the mirror we see Jesus Christ looking back at us and the transformation is complete.
Here's a question worth the asking…
Do you want to just get older and uglier or do you want to look like Jesus?
Make-up can’t make you look any better, only looking at Jesus can give you true beauty.
God formed Adam from the dust of the ground, but Adam wasn't alive until God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). Adam received physical life... but that physical life would eventually end in death.
In Ezekiel 37, God showed Ezekiel a valley of dry bones. The bones came together, were covered with flesh and skin, and became fully formed and functional bodies. But they weren't alive until God's breath entered them. They too received physical life... life that would also eventually end.
Then came Pentecost.
This time humanity was already physically alive but spiritually dead (in sin). God poured out His Holy Breath (Spirit) upon them, offering a new kind of life... spiritual life that could extend into eternity.
Three occasions. Three acts of God giving life.
Adam received the breath of life.
The dry bones received the breath of life.
At Pentecost, humanity was offered the Holy Breath of eternal life.
Physical life is temporary. Spiritual life in Christ is eternal.
And in all three cases, life comes from the breath of God.
Choose God’s breath and live like no other.
God is holy, and it makes sense that He would want a clean place to live in.
In Ezekiel 36:25–27, God promises Israel that He will sprinkle them with clean water, cleanse them from their impurities, and then put His Spirit within them.
Notice the order... first cleansing, then the Holy Spirit.
At Pentecost, Peter told the people to repent and be baptized for the remission of their sins and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38–39).
Again... first cleansing, then the Holy Spirit.
In Ephesians 5:25–27, Paul describes Christ cleansing and sanctifying the church by the washing of water with the word, preparing His bride to be holy and without blemish.
Once again... first cleansing, then a holy relationship.
Even in the Jewish Temple, God would not live in just any part of it. He had to live in the Holy of Holies where the only human who could enter was the High Priest and only once a year and with a sacrifice.
God won’t live in a filthy house. He cleans us so that His Holy Spirit can live within us.
“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins” (Hebrews 10:26)
Be careful or the Holy Spirit just might move out rather than live in a hog pen.
The Gospel of Luke contains two genealogies for Jesus Christ… his biological genealogy through his physical parents and his spiritual genealogy.
Jesus’ baptism (Luke 3:21) concludes with God proclaiming, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”
That’s a pretty short genealogy… a father and a son.
Then notice what happens immediately after this, (Luke 3:23) Jesus’ biological genealogy begins with Joseph and goes back in time all the way to Adam and concludes with the “son of God”.
But look what happens after God calls Jesus his beloved son. Joseph is identified as the “supposed” son of Joseph.
How appropriate that God who became flesh had both his spiritual and biological genealogies identified right next to each other in the Gospel recorded by Luke.
That begs the question then how many genealogies do followers of Christ have? The same as Jesus... two. Our biological genealogy and our spiritual with our Father... God. Hopefully one day he can say "you are my beloved sons..." Won't that be a day!
