Wearing The Mark

“And you were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance…” Eph 1:13

One of the speakers at Daddy’s funeral was a man who had grown up with Daddy. They both were sons of a minister and faced a lot of the same childhood experiences. For years, my dad worked in the moving business quoting, orchestrating and handling the moves for many people and many businesses. This particular speaker had employed the company for which Daddy worked to pack his possessions and move him to another location. Daddy would always bring stickers and place them on every item in an effort to keep up with them and better identify their intended location. The speaker told of turning over a piece of furniture years later and seeing that sticker on the bottom. He related that sticker to Daddy leaving his mark on everyone who knew him. He stated that his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren carry that wonderful mark through his influence. He implored us at the end to ‘where his mark well’. I was so touched at that analogy and feel honored to carry his mark.

There is another mark that we carry no matter in which family we are born. It is the mark of Christ through the crucifixion and resurrection. He places His nail-scarred hands on each of His children and marks each of us as co-heirs in an awesome inheritance. He placed His sticker on our lives by indwelling us with the Holy Spirit. This ‘sticker’ shows everyone to whom we belong and how we bear His mark.

Thankfully this inheritance can never be taken away from us as it is the irrevocable trust from our Father. The Lamb was slain so we could live.

Wear His mark well.