When hubby and I visited Pompeii, we were clearly “marked” as tourists.
For starters, we were following a tour guide – this lady here in the orange dress with a blue umbrella.
Hubby and I stuck with our tour guide everywhere she went. If she went up this street … we followed her up this street.
If she turned down this alleyway … we turned down this alleyway.
When she stopped to explain something to us … we stopped to listen. We paid close attention to what she was telling us. Anybody walking by could immediately tell that this lady was clearly our tour guide … and we were clearly “tourists.”
Furthermore, hubby and I were “marked” as tourists because we totally looked like tourists. Here you can see hubby and me. We had our tourist hats. We were wearing our neck-fans because it was mid-90’s and blazing hot! We had our bright-orange “radios” on lanyards around our necks, with the attached earpiece in our ear … so we could hear everything our tour guide was telling us.
Hubby and I were clearly “marked” as tourists!
In ancient Rome, during the first century AD, there were people who had heard the good news about Jesus Christ – that Jesus was the Son of God and the Savior of the world! These people had repented of their sin. They had turned away from their former sinful way of life, and they had given their life to following Jesus.
As a result, these people’s lives were “marked” by Jesus Christ!
Just like anyone walking by could tell that hubby and I were “marked” as tourists, so also in the same way, the citizens of ancient Rome could tell that these people – their fellow citizens – were “marked” by Jesus Christ.
How?? What was it about these people’s lives which made them obviously “marked” by Jesus Christ?
In Romans 6:11-13 we see that their lives were no longer controlled by sin anymore.
“Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” – Romans 6:11-13
In Romans 8 we see this explained in greater detail:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit of God is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
“You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.” – Romans 8:1-2, 6-7, 9
The letter to the Christians of ancient Rome was written over 2,000 years ago … but the message is every bit as timely and timeless for us today!
If we have repented of our sin and accepted the forgiveness and salvation of Jesus Christ … then we too are “marked” by Jesus Christ just like the Jesus-followers of ancient Rome were!
If we have repented of our sin, and turned to Jesus … then we have been set free from the control of sin in our life! Our life is no longer controlled by our sinful desires.
If we have repented of our sin and turned to Jesus … then we have been given the Spirit of God to live in us! The Spirit of God is more powerful than the control of sin. The Spirit of God gives us the power to resist sin … and say no to sin!
Just like hubby and I were “marked” as tourists with our bright orange “radios” on lanyards around our necks … if a person has repented of their sin and turned to Jesus Christ … in the same way, they are also “marked” by Jesus by a life which is no longer controlled by sin!
