After being a Christian for many years, I have seen my share of “camps” within this one body of Christ. As a new believer full of zeal, and a heart to please the Lord, I myself was apart of a very legalistic camp that encouraged separation from society and conformity to one particular mindset.
As I grew in my own relationship and intimacy with Christ I learned to think for myself, take my questions to God, and move past the “good guy,” “bad guy” syndrome that is fueled by self-righteousness and pride.
My greatest revelation came in recognizing my own need for Christ. And the awareness that the only reason I was walking with Him in the first place was His whole hearted pursuit of me and not my own smarts. I was no different from those considered the outsider, by one camp or another.
If you notice, Jesus didn’t have anything to do with the camp that considered themselves the elite. He totally bypassed their presumption and moved amongst the lowly, hungry, and desperate of spirit.
Eugene Peterson writes about this very thing in the Message Bible’s introduction to the book of Nehemiah.
“Separating life into distinct categories of “sacred” and “secular” damages, sometimes irreparably, any attempt to live a whole and satisfying life, a coherent life with meaning and purpose, a life lived to the glory of God. Nevertheless, the practice is widespread. But where did all these people come up with the habit of separating themselves and the world around them into these two camps? It surely wasn’t from the Bible. The Holy Scriptures, from beginning to end, strenuously resists such a separation.”
Paul had some thoughts about this as well in his words to the Corinthian church,“I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler--not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges.” (2 Corinthians 5:9-13)
When we decide to judge and separate ourselves from those we perceive to be“outside our camp” we run the risk of being the very ones God will oppose, even though we might think we are doing great things for God!
“God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6)
Scripture tells us that the Lord will hear us, protect us and show forth light from our darkness, “If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, And if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday. And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” (Isaiah 58:9-11)
Frank Viola, speaking about Jesus says in his book From Eternity to Here, "His message is scandalously inclusive. It excludes no one, except for those who resist its radical inclusivity…a threat to the wealthy, to the powerful and mostly the religious.”
Instead of isolating ourselves and looking to hang with the elite camp, the smartest thing we can do is pour ourselves out for the contrite and the least of the least, following Christ’s example. That way we won’t run the risk of being those who ultimately put themselves on the outs with Christ.
