1 - Introduction - Living like a real Christian FAITHFULNESS | Page 8

THURSDAY
2 Corinthians 11 v 16 – 33
This life of faithfulness thirdly, I believe, is marked by SCARS.
In the reading above you will have read of Paul’s experiences, he says that he bears the marks
of Christ on his body. When you reread the account above, you begin to realise what wimps
we are! I am amazed how this man endured such suffering over such a long period of time
and how he gladly laid down his life for the cause that he so believed in. To think that he
endured the beating of rods three times, received five sets of thirty-nine lashes, was stoned
once and shipwrecked three times, totally blows me away! I find it difficult, in today’s
comfortable age, to comprehend such passion and commitment to Christ, but then I realise
that the Christian life is a radical life! Paul’s life so epitomises this radical nature.
Helene has a saying that used to be stuck on our fridge that says, “When you stand before God
one day, He will not look you over for degrees and diplomas, but He will look you over for
scars.” Paul would have had plenty!
When I contemplate my own life, I realise that I too, have scars. Some of the scars have been
self-inflicted and are a result of my own stupidity. Some of them are scars that come from an
accident and because of the failure of somebody else to do what they were supposed to do, I
was the one who was injured. But the third category of scars are the onesthat come from
battle;the result of warfare. Now I know that these scars could all be physical by nature,but I
know that they can be spiritual as well. Those who are battle-scarred in the Christian faith are
people who have realised that, as believers, we are in a spiritual battle. Paul tells us that we
wrestle not against fleshand blood, but against principalities and the powers of darkness
(Ephesians 6 v 12), WE’RE IN A FIGHT!! We have an enemy and he, believe it or not, is out
there to get us. That’s why Paul tells us, in Ephesians 6, to put on the whole armour of God. He
speaks of the helmet of salvation, the breast-plate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the shoes
of the gospel, the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. When we enter the Christian life,
we must realise that there is a spiritual enemy out there to get us, and we stand, therefore, to
be hurt. I do not tell you this to make you fearful, but I tell you this to prepare you for the
radical Christian life. We need never fear Satan, because we have the wherewithal to stand