Outside the Camp

Outside the Camp

“For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.” Heb. 13:11-13.

The fact that Jesus suffered for our sins and entered the Holiest with His own blood in order to sanctify the people so that they might receive forgiveness for their sins is being preached extensively. But verse 13 is not much talked about; namely, that we shall go forth to Him, outside the camp. Some people believe they are going outside the camp when they leave the 1State Church or when they are baptized or when they leave an organized religious denomination, but all this has nothing to do with going outside the camp.

What happened to Jesus outside the camp? He was crucified. What did He do there? He died. Going outside the camp is to be crucified together with Him and to die with Him. Then we have the promise that we shall also live with Him. 2 Tim. 2:11. In connection with breaking the bread and drinking the cup, it is written that we proclaim His death until He comes. 1 Cor. 11:26. Paul writes further in 2 Corinthians 4:10-11: “Always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” Only they in whose lives this is true can say what Paul writes further in verse 17: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

Jesus says that no one can be His disciple unless he hates even his own life. A disciple takes on his Master’s life. If we are tired of our sin and the way we are by nature, we can hate our own life. Then we are not satisfied with the forgiveness of sins inside the camp, but we go forth to Him in order to die so that we no longer live for ourselves. Gal. 2:20. Keeping this in mind in our tribulations will work in us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Jesus learned obedience by the things He suffered. Heb. 5:8. We can receive this glory only outside the camp. Tribulations result in only sin and strife for those who seek the honor and glory of this world, and who justify themselves.

Those who are in the camp are sanctified by the blood of Jesus. However, none of those in the camp who were sanctified by the blood of goats had access into the Holiest. “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest in the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh . . . .” Heb. 10:19-20.

We receive the forgiveness of sins by the blood of Jesus, but we have boldness to enter into the Holiest in the blood of Jesus. If we want to follow Jesus into the Holiest, we must also follow Him outside the camp. By being crucified with Him and by dying with Him, we can enter the Holiest in His blood.

Jesus’ blood speaks better things than that of Abel. Ch. 12:24. Abel was a martyr. His blood cried out for revenge. Gen. 4:10; Rev. 6:9-10. Jesus’ blood speaks about forgiveness and atonement. He was not a martyr in this sense of the word. He was a sacrifice. He offered Himself without spot to God. Heb. 9:14. He humbled Himself and was obedient to the death of the cross. Phil. 2:8. He did this of His own accord. John 10:18. It was love that compelled Him. This is the way into the Holiest. Jesus consecrated a new way into the Holiest, and this way went through the flesh.

In tribulations we meet the things that dwell in our flesh—our humanness—and then we have a choice to make: Are we going to justify ourselves, or are we going to die. If we are to follow Jesus, it has to be of our own accord. If we, in our tribulation, give in to the flesh, we do not have boldness to go into the Holiest. We see this at the meetings. Those who have not overcome have neither revelations of the Spirit nor boldness in their testimonies. They can receive forgiveness for their sins by the blood of Jesus, but they are not men of the Spirit who stand before God’s face. On the other hand, those who, of their own accord, have understood to lay down their life in the tribulations have revelations of the Spirit and the boldness of faith. They are servants. Others can submit to the tribulations, but they feel as if they are martyrs. They have no joy, and their whole being testifies more about exacting revenge than about reconciliation.

Those who have gone out to Him outside the camp—who have been crucified with Him—have forsaken the world and do not seek the honor of men. They seek the things that are above, where Christ is. They are members of the body of Christ and have fellowship with one another in His sufferings by being conformed to Him in His death. Phil. 3:10. By His death they can go into the Holiest in His blood. This is what it means to partake of His resurrection life together with Him, for they do not have a continuing city, but they seek the one to come. For all these, tribulations work a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. They all rejoice. Therefore we read in connection with going forth to Him and bearing His reproach: “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.”

Those who fret and complain in their tribulations have no understanding of the new and living way. All those who walk on it are being transformed from glory to glory. 2 Cor. 3:18. All of them rejoice and praise God.