2.382 billion! That is the number of people that profess Christianity, 2.383 billion! Christians are called to battle, not against flesh and blood, not with carnal weapons – it is more serious than that (Ephesians 6:10-18). Matthew 16:24-26 “Then Jesus said unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life will lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” O professing Christian, where are your scars? Where are the scars that show you are engaged in active battle? What have you given up for the course of Christ? Are your scars visible in your relationship with your spouse? Your children? Other believers? In the secular environment? How can you be a Christian and not bear scars? How can you be a Christian and have a ‘worldlier’ worldview than the world? How can you look like the world, think like the world, speak like the world, seek after everything but the Word of God, like the world, and claim to be a Christian?

Where are your scars? If you claim to be a Believer, is there an ongoing battle between flesh and the Spirit as in Galatians 5: 16-26? Putting the one-liner status updates aside, the online and offline presence, eloquent speeches and Bible teachings, putting aside the titles – Bishop, Pastor, Priest, Worship-leader, Apostle – what do you do in secret? Is your secret life a reflection of your testimony? Do you battle with your flesh?! If you claim to be a son, a daughter, do you bear the scars of Father’s discipline? As a local Church, how close are you to the example of the early Church in Acts? Are unbiblical traditions the order of the day? Has the Word of God been placed on the back burner as our Churches flirt consistently with the world, that there is hardly any genuine difference anymore, just a sprinkling of Christianity over worldly services? As a local Church, do you bear scars from missions and fellowship?

How can you be a Christian and not bear scars?!

1 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified.