THE MARKS OF A CHRISTIAN

TEXT- GALATIANS 6:17

INTRODUCTION


THIS MORNING OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN GALATIANS 6:17 AND THE TITLE OF MY SERMON IS, "THE MARKS OF A CHRISTIAN.”

TODAY WITHIN THE WORLD THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN IDENTIFY VARIOUS KINDS OF PEOPLE.

FOR INSTANCE A POLICE OFFICER IS USUALLY IDENTIFIED BY HIS GUN AND BADGE, A FIREMAN BY HIS HAT, A DOCTOR BY HIS STETHOSCOPE, A LAWYER BY HIS MERCEDES, AND SO ON.

WITHIN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD THERE ARE ALSO CERTAIN WAYS OF IDENTIFYING CHRISTIANS AND NONE CHRISTIANS.

REVELATION 13:11-18  THEN I SAW ANOTHER BEAST, COMING OUT OF THE EARTH. HE HAD TWO HORNS LIKE A LAMB, BUT HE SPOKE LIKE A DRAGON. 12HE EXERCISED ALL THE AUTHORITY OF THE FIRST BEAST ON HIS BEHALF, AND MADE THE EARTH AND ITS INHABITANTS WORSHIP THE FIRST BEAST, WHOSE FATAL WOUND HAD BEEN HEALED. 13AND HE PERFORMED GREAT AND MIRACULOUS SIGNS, EVEN CAUSING FIRE TO COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN TO EARTH IN FULL VIEW OF MEN. 14BECAUSE OF THE SIGNS HE WAS GIVEN POWER TO DO ON BEHALF OF THE FIRST BEAST, HE DECEIVED THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH. HE ORDERED THEM TO SET UP AN IMAGE IN HONOR OF THE BEAST WHO WAS WOUNDED BY THE SWORD AND YET LIVED. 15HE WAS GIVEN POWER TO GIVE BREATH TO THE IMAGE OF THE FIRST BEAST, SO THAT IT COULD SPEAK AND CAUSE ALL WHO REFUSED TO WORSHIP THE IMAGE TO BE KILLED. 16HE ALSO FORCED EVERYONE, SMALL AND GREAT, RICH AND POOR, FREE AND SLAVE, TO RECEIVE A MARK ON HIS RIGHT HAND OR ON HIS FOREHEAD, 17SO THAT NO ONE COULD BUY OR SELL UNLESS HE HAD THE MARK, WHICH IS THE NAME OF THE BEAST OR THE NUMBER OF HIS NAME. 18THIS CALLS FOR WISDOM. IF ANYONE HAS INSIGHT, LET HIM CALCULATE THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST, FOR IT IS MAN'S NUMBER. HIS NUMBER IS 666.  (NIV)

HERE IN THESE VERSES WE ARE TOLD THAT WHEN THE ANTICHRIST IS REVEALED, THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM ARE GOING TO RECEIVE HIS MARK EITHER ON THEIR RIGHT HAND OR ON THEIR FOREHEAD.

THIS MARK WILL SHOW THAT THEY ARE FOLLOWERS OF THE ANTICHRIST.

ANOTHER WAY WE CAN IDENTIFY CHRISTIANS AND NONE CHRISTIANS IS BY THEIR FRUITS.

MATTHEW 7:15-20  "WATCH OUT FOR FALSE PROPHETS. THEY COME TO YOU IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING, BUT INWARDLY THEY ARE FEROCIOUS WOLVES. 16 BY THEIR FRUIT YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM. DO PEOPLE PICK GRAPES FROM THORNBUSHES, OR FIGS FROM THISTLES? 17 LIKEWISE EVERY GOOD TREE BEARS GOOD FRUIT, BUT A BAD TREE BEARS BAD FRUIT. 18 A GOOD TREE CANNOT BEAR BAD FRUIT, AND A BAD TREE CANNOT BEAR GOOD FRUIT. 19 EVERY TREE THAT DOES NOT BEAR GOOD FRUIT IS CUT DOWN AND THROWN INTO THE FIRE. 20 THUS, BY THEIR FRUIT YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM. (NIV)

IN THE SAME WAY THAT NONE CHRISTIANS HAVE CERTAIN IDENTIFICATION MARKS, WE AS CHRISTIANS HAVE VARIOUS MARKS THAT IDENTIFY US AS CHRISTIANS.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THESE MARKS?