[ DATE : 2014-01-30 ] Your New Identity Hebrews 13:10~17 10 We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. 14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. 15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. 17 Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. NIV ®. COPYRIGHT ⓒ 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Bear the Disgrace (13:10–16) Your identity is given expression in symbols that represent who you are: your country, family, job, or even the food you eat. When these symbols are threatened or changed, you might have an identity crisis and ask yourself, “Who am I? What am I supposed to do now?” The Jewish followers of Jesus were having a similar identity crisis. They were not to eat ceremonial foods anymore, and the Temple in Jerusalem no longer had the central significance that it had once had. Jesus was the sacrificial Lamb that was slain once and for all. He was the Temple, and God raised Him after three days. Our new identity is defined by heaven and scorned by the world. Bear the disgrace Jesus bore as you wait for the city that is to come. Jesus is the new reality of your identity. Instead of assimilating your identity to that of the world, eat at the heavenly altar. Bear disgrace with Jesus outside the camp, give God a sacrifice of praise, and do good to others. Trust Your Leaders (13:17) The Jewish leaders in the church bore the stress of the shift in identity even more than the people did. They were harassed by unbelieving authorities. So the writer to the Hebrews encourages his readers to follow their leaders “so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” Anybody who hates his or her work does not do a good job. Pastors are some of the most underpaid and underappreciated employees in the marketplace. Have confidence in their God-ordained calling to lead you, and submit to their God-given authority. A strange thing will happen when you do this: they will become better leaders, and you will be spiritually nourished and blessed. How can you better love your pastor and his family? What is one loving thing you can do for him this week or month? Heavenly Father, I praise You and find my new identity in You through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Give me the grace to trust my leaders for Your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. Living Life
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 16:00:26 +0000
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