The Brand of Jesus

Galatians 6:17 Henceforth let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the brands of Jesus.

The marks branded on slaves to indicate their owners. With Paul, a slave of Christ (Rom. 1:1), the brands were physically the scars of his wounds received in his faithful service to his Master (2 Cor. 11:23-27). Spiritually, they signify the characteristics of the life that he lived, a life like the one the Lord Jesus lived on this earth. Such a life is continually crucified (John 12:24), does the will of God (John 6:38), does not seek its own glory but the glory of God (John 7:18), and is submissive and obedient to God, even unto the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8). The apostle followed the pattern of the Lord Jesus, bearing the brands, the characteristics of His life. In this he was absolutely different from the Judaizers.

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This morning the Lord spoke to me on "the brands of Jesus." Paul was a pattern who took the Lord Jesus as his pattern and lived Him. He belonged to Jesus and was identified with the crucifixion and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Such was the life, and such is the life we have to live today. This is a God-man living. This kind of living is needed for God to move through, to accomplish His eternal purpose.

A new revival can be brought in by such a God-man living, bearing the brands of Jesus. When others see us they see Jesus living again on the earth. Our words, our walks and our works testify that we bear the brands of Jesus. We become a living, walking and talking Bible for others to read. We are just the many grains produced from the one grain, the Lord Jesus Christ. In life and in nature, we are just the same as He, but not in the Godhead. This kind of living is the work of God; the work and the person are one. This is the God-man life, bearing the brands of Jesus. Such living issues in the shepherding of others for the building up of the Body of Christ. Personally revived first, and spreads to the whole family and to the whole church. Bringing in a genuine revival that builds up the Body of Christ which will ultimately bring the Lord Jesus back. This is the genuine revival, out from the living of a God-man life, bearing the brands of Jesus, that God wants, to fulfill His eternal purpose on earth.

With this inspiration, the meeting of the church today was so living, the burdens so clear. It was a clarion call to all, to live such a God-man life. Though in numbers we were few, but the anointing and the speaking of the Lord through the saints' prophesying was so rich. Not just one, but almost all saints spoke the same thing, the same burden with the same spirit in the same flow for the same goal of building up the Body of Christ. This truly indeed is the Lord's recovery of the church life.

Lord, revive us everyday, bearing Your brands, Your testimony.