October 7th - Outside the Camp

“So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” (Hebrews 13:13)

Oswald Chambers (1874-1917) who wrote the devotional book "My Upmost for His Highest" said this about the above verse...

“To go forth unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach, does not mean going outside the worldly crowd; it means being put outside the religious crowd you belong to. One of the most poignant bits of suffering comes along that line. If you remain true to Jesus Christ there are times when you will have to go through your convictions and out the other side, and most of us shrink from such a step because it means going alone. The "camp" means the religious set you belong to...”

“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord." (2 Corinthians 6:17)

What does one find outside that camp? Among other things these words of Jesus...

"At that time Jesus declared, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was well-pleasing in Your sight. All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:25-30)

The prophet Micah and King Solomon also told of the "light" burden that God requires from people. 

"He has told you, HUMANITY, what is good; What is Yahweh requiring from you save to do right and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8)

"To do righteousness and right judgment is better to the LORD than sacrifice." (Proverbs 21:3)

"Remember your Creator...Furthermore, my son, beyond these, be warned; Of the making of many scrolls there is no end, And much study is a weariness to the flesh. The terminus of the whole matter has been heard; Fear the One God, and keep His instructions, for this is the whole duty of humanity. For the One God, shall bring every deed into judgment concerning all that is obscured, whether good or whether evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:1;12-14)

The Son of God, Jesus, suffered for humanity on the cross, and we can now rest in Him. We need no further instructions than what He gave when asked about the greatest commandment. 

"You shall be loving the Lord your God with your whole heart, and with your whole soul, and with your whole comprehension. This is the great and foremost commandment. Yet the second is like it: You shall be loving your associate as yourself. On these two precepts is hanging the whole law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40) 

Humanity in our present flesh and blood bodies fall short in both of these commandments, but we will do both when we are resurrected from our final enemy, death, and are conformed to the image of the Son of God.

"For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified...The last enemy is being abolished: death...that God may be All in all." (1 Corinthians 15:22, 26, 28)

“For it is written, as I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall give praise to God….those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. " (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10-11)

"For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified. Those He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:29-31)

God is for those within and outside the camp!