Check out the clothing department at any major store chain. The best sellers will advertise their brand right on the outside of the product. Nike. It’s emblazoned across the side. Polo. We look for the horse. Alexander Julian uses a colored flag.
We learn to recognize the product by the logo it displays. The more we see the logo, the more we want the product, especially if it’s a good product.
There’s a caveat to using a manufacturer logo, however. If we haven’t licensed it from the company, it’s not ours to use. We can be sued for making claims that aren’t true. The logo we display must be officially licensed, or it’s off limits to us.
What’s our Christian logo, and do we have the right to display it?
Our first thought is of the cross. We see it everywhere, from necklaces to wall-hangings to giant crosses forming the steeples of magnificent cathedrals all across Europe.
Then there’s the Bible. It’s become a logo, a symbol of a follower of Jesus. If someone sees one in our possession, they recognize our claim of Christian affiliation by its cover alone.
What if our logo runs even deeper? Is that possible? What if it’s a compassion for our fellow man, a manner of bearing all hurts, or a level of goodness that is so out of the ordinary that it’s not humanly possible? Okay, now we’re beginning to describe Jesus.
Galatians 1:11 tells us:
“For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel.”
We’re reading Paul’s words to the church at Galatia. He’s brandishing his logo. He wanted Jesus emblazoned across his life.
Paul continues in Galatians 1:12:
“For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”
He’s telling us his claims of apostleship are officially licensed by the manufacturer. He has the right to use Jesus’ gospel. He doesn’t claim it for his own. He’s only the intermediary, but it’s the real deal, just like the gospel that Jesus spoke to his disciples.
When we’re shopping for clothes, we’re proud to wear the logo of premier brands. We want people to check us out. Our brand elevates our status appeal. The same is true of our Christian logo. When we wear a cross or carry our Bible, that’s cool. What’s even better is to be branded with Jesus’ compassion, to bear all hurts, and to display a level of goodness that could only come through salvation and a changed life in Jesus Christ.
Now that’s a logo we want the world to see emblazoned across our lives.
When Jesus changes us, we become just like him in every way possible.
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