His marks of ownership are upon Paul.
I always look around a statement of this kind to see what it means.
It is not something by itself.
What does Paul mean in Gal 6:17?
Gal 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.
I find the whole letter to the Galatians tells us.
It was written to try to get people to belong to Jesus altogether.
They were being tempted by some people to draw back...
To ease off a bit...
Not to let the Lord Jesus be everything in their lives...
Not to be out and out...
Not to let the Lord Jesus be the fulness of their lives.
These people were going round saying that Paul went too far, that they need not go so far, that it was not necessary to do so.
Don't take Paul too seriously, there is no need at all to do so, and they were drawing people away from the Lord Jesus and His fullness.
Paul, in closing the letter, says, "I bear branded on my body the marks of Jesus."
It is really a matter of, “Are you going to be absolutely for the Lord Jesus and follow Him fully?”
OR, are you listening to those who say "Don't be too serious, don't live on too high a level"...
It is a difficult life...
Be simple, don't be so out and out.
And Paul says that is saying the Lord is not absolute Master, that He is not having all.
If "I" must have a place in the matter, then the Lord has not all.
Paul says, "If you go that way I have some place and He has some place...I don't.
He is for me absolute Master, and whatever others say, I belong to the Lord Jesus and listen to His voice.
If He wants me I am absolutely His, branded with His mark.
I belong to Him altogether and can take no other instructions.
If we belong to Him we can take no other way.
He is absolute Master and Owner, and we cannot divide with the world, sin, or self.
We may all ask ourselves the question: Do we have the marks of the Lord Jesus on us?
All can ask themselves that question.
Are we bearing His marks branded on us?
Does everyone know we belong to the Lord Jesus and there is no dispute about it?
If one of those branded horses is claimed by another man, the fact of the brand is the end of all argument.
Have we got the mark of the Lord Jesus on us? See Isaiah 44.
Can you say, "I am the Lord's"?
Are His marks on you?
Not just lip declaration, but His marks.
It is not, 'Are you calling yourself His', but are His marks on you?
It is not what you say, for marks do not speak.
They are seen and it is what people see that declares, "I belong to Him".
Is it true of us that as Paul said: "I bear His marks, I belong to Him and everybody can see it"?
~T. Austin Sparks~
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