David began preaching this week from Hebrews 13:10-13 by stating simply: “people in love will go to great lengths to be with, and enjoy, the person that he or she loves”. This isn’t a lofty concept, as we have close loved ones for which we will spend greatly of ourselves to be with. In verses 10-13 God likens His Son to the sacrificial lambs to be burned outside the camp, after the shedding of blood for the covering of the sins of the people. Vs. 12: “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through His own blood.”
As one that’s stirred up by missionary biography, I love the story of the missionary to Ecuador, Jim Elliot. As I read through hundreds of pages of his journal entries, it was clear that Christ was his treasure, the love of his life. How so? In Jim Elliot’s words and actions he craved to join Christ where He is, outside the camp. For Elliot, this meant his physical death, for the sake of the Gospel, for his great Joy and God’s Glory.
If our love is Jesus, we will yearn to be close to Him. Lord, may we be a church that begs: “Let us go to Him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured.”
-- Lanny Jones – C3 Student
Amen.
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