Identify with Yeshua

This is basically a chapter from my book, “Love, not Right”.
Available in most formats for free download from Smashwords.

Ephesians 4 has this message from Paulus:
“I say this then, and I’m earnestly declaring in the lord, that you must no longer walk as the rest of the nations walk, in the purposelessness of their thinking…”

How about you?
Are you different from the non-Christians around you? Or do you blend in?
Are you a sheep in wolves’ clothing? A spiritual chameleon?

Do you justify that by being trendy, leading edge, an emerging church evangelist?
Or are you just too afraid to stand out for Yeshua?

Hebrews 13 has a section in the middle telling us how Yeshua endured suffering outside the city gate in order to make his people holy. “Outside the gate” was a place of shame. That’s where lepers were sent. That’s where unclean things were burned. Being sent outside the gate to die was a declaration of shame and disgrace.

But Yeshua did it. For us.

So Hebrews 13:13 is very full-on then... “Now then, let’s go out to him, outside the camp, bearing his reproach.” Let us go outside the gate and identify ourselves with Yeshua. Even though by doing so we are identifying with his reproach. Identifying with his shame and humiliation.

Even so. Let us go.

I find an interesting parallel in modern society. Those who live inside the city are the “cool” people, they are the “in” crowd. Those who live outside it are the rejects, the losers. There is a lot of social pressure on us today to be part of the “in” crowd. To be cool. In fact even churches try hard to be cool themselves so they are more attractive to the worldly. (Funny, the Bible says the gospel is offensive to them, but we do all we can to be not offensive).

A lot of Christians spend a lot of time and money maintaining their connection to the in crowd. We dress like them. We walk like them. We talk like them. And sadly, we even think like them.

Here is the challenge...
Are you willing to walk outside the city gate, in full view of everyone, and to walk up to where Yeshua is suffering and declare to everyone watching, “I’m with him!”

Why not? Do you love the world more than you love Yeshua?

Are you willing for everyone to think of you as a loser? Weird? A freak? A reject? An enemy?
If you are, then praise God. Push open that gate, walk out to the boos and hisses of the cool crowd. And stand proudly with Yeshua.

But if you’re not willing, then how do you think that makes Yeshua feel? After everything he sacrificed for you. Can you imagine him looking at you standing in the crowd, not willing to step out. While he suffers. Like he looked at Peter when he denied him.
Can you see his face? His eyes staring at you. His heart breaking with disappointment.
You know the really weird thing... even then Yeshua loves you. Even then he forgives you.
Even then he still willingly sacrifices himself for you.

This is why he died for you. Even though you know that but you still won’t step out.

Everything God does in your life is designed to mould your character into the character of his son. Everything is for your benefit. It’s bad grammar, but in a nutshell, God doesn’t really care what you do, God cares what you be. He doesn’t care so much about your actions, he cares about your character. When people see you, he wants them to see Yeshua.

Watchman Nee said it very beautifully. “2,000 years ago Yeshua lived a perfect life.
And now he wants to do it again – in you”. Yeshua is alive in you. Yeshua wants to live a perfect life again, in you. But it’s not about what Yeshua wants to do in you, it’s about who Yeshua wants to be in you. Yeshua wants to conform your character to his.

Dallas Willard said it like this, “Become who Yeshua would be if he were you.”

God wants us to be different from the world around us. He wants us to be a light on a hill, the salt of the earth. He wants us to not conform to the culture around us. He wants us to be willing to stand out, to be different, to love one another, so that the world will know that we are his disciples. Yeshua told us to be different. And the stakes are high: either we are different and because of that they know that we are his disciples, or we blend in and they don’t.

It’s time to step out, to be willing to be seen with Yeshua, outside the gate. It’s time to identify with him, to identify as his.

Coming?


	Identify with Yeshua
READING Ephesians 4 Hebrews 13 let’s go out to him, outside the camp, bearing his reproach	This is basically a chapter from my book, “Love, not Right”. Available in most formats for free download from Smashwords. Ephesians 4 has this message from Paulus: “I say this then, and I’m earnestly declaring in the lord, that you must no longer walk as the rest of the nations walk, in the purposelessness of their thinking…” How about you? Are you different from the non-Christians around you? Or do you blend in? Are you a sheep in wolves’ clothing? A spiritual chameleon? Do you justify that by being trendy, leading edge, an emerging church evangelist? Or are you just too afraid to stand out for Yeshua? Hebrews 13 has a section in the middle telling us how Yeshua endured suffering outside the city gate in order to make his people holy. “Outside the gate” was a place of shame. That’s where lepers were sent. That’s where unclean things were burned. Being sent outside the gate to die was a declaration of shame and disgrace. But Yeshua did it. For us. So Hebrews 13:13 is very full-on then... “Now then, let’s go out to him, outside the camp, bearing his reproach.” Let us go outside the gate and identify ourselves with Yeshua. Even though by doing so we are identifying with his reproach. Identifying with his shame and humiliation. Even so. Let us go. I find an interesting parallel in modern society. Those who live inside the city are the “cool” people, they are the “in” crowd. Those who live outside it are the rejects, the losers. There is a lot of social pressure on us today to be part of the “in” crowd. To be cool. In fact even churches try hard to be cool themselves so they are more attractive to the worldly. (Funny, the Bible says the gospel is offensive to them, but we do all we can to be not offensive). A lot of Christians spend a lot of time and money maintaining their connection to the in crowd. We dress like them. We walk like them. We talk like them. And sadly, we even think like them. Here is the challenge... Are you willing to walk outside the city gate, in full view of everyone, and to walk up to where Yeshua is suffering and declare to everyone watching, “I’m with him!” Why not? Do you love the world more than you love Yeshua? Are you willing for everyone to think of you as a loser? Weird? A freak? A reject? An enemy? If you are, then praise God. Push open that gate, walk out to the boos and hisses of the cool crowd. And stand proudly with Yeshua. But if you’re not willing, then how do you think that makes Yeshua feel? After everything he sacrificed for you. Can you imagine him looking at you standing in the crowd, not willing to step out. While he suffers. Like he looked at Peter when he denied him. Can you see his face? His eyes staring at you. His heart breaking with disappointment. You know the really weird thing... even then Yeshua loves you. Even then he forgives you. Even then he still willingly sacrifices himself for you. This is why he died for you. Even though you know that but you still won’t step out. Everything God does in your life is designed to mould your character into the character of his son. Everything is for your benefit. It’s bad grammar, but in a nutshell, God doesn’t really care what you do, God cares what you be. He doesn’t care so much about your actions, he cares about your character. When people see you, he wants them to see Yeshua. Watchman Nee said it very beautifully. “2,000 years ago Yeshua lived a perfect life. And now he wants to do it again – in you”. Yeshua is alive in you. Yeshua wants to live a perfect life again, in you. But it’s not about what Yeshua wants to do in you, it’s about who Yeshua wants to be in you. Yeshua wants to conform your character to his. Dallas Willard said it like this, “Become who Yeshua would be if he were you.” God wants us to be different from the world around us. He wants us to be a light on a hill, the salt of the earth. He wants us to not conform to the culture around us. He wants us to be willing to stand out, to be different, to love one another, so that the world will know that we are his disciples. Yeshua told us to be different. And the stakes are high: either we are different and because of that they know that we are his disciples, or we blend in and they don’t. It’s time to step out, to be willing to be seen with Yeshua, outside the gate. It’s time to identify with him, to identify as his. Coming?