Signs of the Believer

40 Days After the Resurrection

Signs of the Believer

The world is full of signs.

Drive down any highway in a major city

and you can’t read them all.

How do you get your sign recognized?

For you and I the effectiveness of our sign

depends on how strong we believe. 

 

Mark’s Gospel focuses on the signs of the believer

as he describes Jesus’ last commission

before ascending unto the Father.

The first sign Mark speaks of is baptism.

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,

but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16:16 NIV

Many have used this verse to say

you must be baptized to be saved.

I believe that the point is that the believer

will act on everything God has commanded;

so Mark could have said:

He that believes and reads his Bible…

He that believes and shares his faith with others…

He that believes and has a life of prayer…

He that believes and does all that God commands…

will be saved.

When a person believes in something,

it changes their life because they live their life

according to what they believe.

This is why Mark goes on to say,

“these signs will accompany those who believe”

Mark records a very important point before he

makes a short list of signs that follow the believer.

The point in what Jesus said is

 “in My name they will…”

As believers how are we doing?

Do the people around us hear the name of Jesus?

Are the signs and the presence of Jesus evident in our daily lives?

Believe is a “verb” - It is an action!

Isn’t it interesting that after the Gospels

the next book in the Bible is Acts.

The Acts of the believer.

The disciple who first received Jesus’ commission acted on

what they believed and thousands became believers.

As you and I believe,

we will leave signs of our faith that others will read

and they, too, will become believers.

What signs are following you?

Scripture Reading

Mark 16:15-18 NIV

15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.

16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved,

but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

17 And these signs will accompany those who believe:

In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;

18 they will pick up snakes with their hands;

and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all;

they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."